Fuchs Testifies at Senate Hearing on COVID-19 Response

“Over the last year, COVID-19 has posed persistent challenges for the communities we serve, our patients and our team members, and as chief nurse of our health system, I know these issues firsthand,” Mary Ann Fuchs, vice president of patient care and system chief nurse executive for Duke University Health System in Durham, N.C., and president of the AONL Board of Directors, testified March 9 before the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee. She went on to describe the strategies she employed to adapt care practices during the pandemic and the challenges of setting up COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites. Fuchs told lawmakers AONL continues to advocate for resources to ensure an adequate workforce and protect the physical and mental health of those on the front lines. This advocacy includes support for the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (S.4349). The bill would authorize grants health care organizations could use to offer behavioral health services to front-line employees. (U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing, 3/9/21)