Health Policy

  
Assignment 1
Health Policy Brief Part I
This assignment is one of three papers that will be developed throughout the Policy, Advocacy, and Healthcare Ethics course. The purpose of this assignment is to draft a health policy brief for stakeholders and community members. In other words, you will identify a relevant health-related issue impacting populations and/or communities in the United States that has legislative and policy implications at the state and/or national level. The assignment is not about identifying a policy or procedure at your place of employment, but rather identifying a systematic healthcare concern that has legislative and policy implications at least at the state level. Sample issues may be identified in your state legislative website, board of nursing website, or national association website. Also, your textbook addresses systematic issues such as smoking during pregnancy, medical cannabis use, and patient safety outcomes, to name a few. Prior to beginning to work on this project, please view the 18:36 minute video developed by the Women’s and Children’s Health Policy Center titled, The Art and Craft of Policy Briefs: Translating Science and Engaging Stakeholders, which will provide you with an understanding on the development of a policy brief. 
Submission Parameters:
For the first part of this three-paper assignment, please use the following guidelines and criteria. Also, please refer to the rubric for point allocation and assignment expectations. The expected length of the paper is approximately 5-6 pages, which does not include the cover page and reference page(s).
I.   Introduction (including purpose statement)
II.  Identify and describe a specific and relevant healthcare issue

Please identify an issue that      has state and/or national legislative implications
Describe the healthcare issue      with the support of research studies, bills that have been introduced to      the legislature, national association position statements, and reliable      electronic health-related sources (i.e. Institute of Medicine, Centers for      Disease Control and Prevention). Include information on the demographic      impacted by the issue, adverse health/clinical outcomes, and prevalence.

III.  Identify potential stakeholders and/or constituents who may support your health policy brief. For example, you may address the individuals, communities, and/or populations who may be impacted by the issue.
IV.  Identify at least one specific piece of legislation (bill) that is pending on your healthcare issue. Also, please identify if this piece of legislation is sponsored by the state or at the national level. Many times, bills are supported by national organizations such as the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. If your state legislature is not proposing a bill on your specific topic, you may identify a bill from another state for this paper. Make sure that you provide in-text citations and reference the document.
V.   Draft a plan for your Health Policy Brief, which may capitalize from an existing health campaign and/or proposed bill. Include at least two objectives that you hope to achieve. The plan should seek to create a new policy or change an existing policy at the state and/or national level. The plan should be described in no more than 2 paragraphs.
VI.  Conclusion