The White House nomination of Dr. Donald Berwick to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services seems to be imploding. If it does, it […]
Politics Articles
The uninsured can’t afford delay
Austin American-Statesman, March 3, 2010
I refuse to nail the coffin shut on health care reform.
I chose neonatal intensive care as my professional home because it’s the perfect world. It’s a wonderful mix of high technology and caring, and every infant needing intensive care has access because the care is universally covered by private or public insurance. I could never work in an area that people couldn’t access because of lack of insurance.
CMS Reimbursement Changes Shine the Light on Patient Safety and Nursing Care
Texas Nursing Voice [Vol. 2, No. 4, p. 5], December 1, 2008
The hammer comes down this month. Beginning in October (the start of the federal 2009 fiscal year), Medicare will no longer reimburse hospitals at the […]
Jake Pickle’s greatest gift to all of us
Austin American-Statesman, June 25, 2005
One of my fondest childhood memories was of Congressman J.J. “Jake” Pickle lighting up the First Methodist Church downtown when he’d enter, bigger than life, […]
The ‘system’ isn’t failing to rescue Texas’ mentally ill. We are.
Austin American-Statesman, June 4, 2004
An administrator of a Central Texas nonprofit rural hospital asked me last week, “What is going on out there? Our ER, and even our general […]
One Step Forward, One Step Back: Physician supervision requirements are troublesome for CRNAs.
American Journal of Nursing [Vol. 103, No. 1, pp. 91-4], January 1, 2003
“It’s a wash,” says Sally Bass Witkowski, CRNA, BSR, when asked about the recent flip-flop Medicare rulings on physician supervision of certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) […]
“I Promised Myself That It Would Happen” What happens when a will the size of Texas faces off with the great state itself.
American Journal of Nursing [Vol. 102, No. 10, pp. 106-7], October 1, 2002
It would be difficult to say where Sister Angela Murdaugh, MSN, RN, CNM, FACNM, has made a more profound difference: advancing the profession of nurse […]
National drug shortages: Patient safety takes a backseat to profit
American Journal of Nursing [Vol. 102, No. 7, p. 11], July 1, 2002
Government intervention into the sacrosanct free market is considered anathema, but the frequency of nationwide hospital drug shortages is threatening patient care. It’s time for […]
5 Minutes with Nancy McDonald: On serving in the Texas legislature
NurseWeek, March 18, 2002
How did you become involved in politics?
Part of our professional code of ethics tells us that we’ll strive to “improve standards of nursing practice and promote … efforts to meet health needs of the public.” I’ve always taken that aspect of the code very seriously.
During the 12 years that I was a hospital staff and head nurse, I was also involved in local politics. During that time, an influx of foreign nurses pointed to the need for a clearer definition of nursing responsibilities in the Nursing Practice Act. After joining the Governmental Affairs Committee of the Texas Nurses Association, we set to work to rewrite parts of the act and then to lobby the Legislature for its passage.
Contact Info
Toni Inglis
800 W 5th St Apt 805
Austin, TX 78703
Austin, Texas