Qualifications and Responsibilities of State Health Policy Liaisons

Qualifications of State Health Policy Liaison

• Membership in ONS
• Demonstration of strong communication skills - including public speaking and writing ability.



• Knowledge of and experience in health policy advocacy activities related to responding to legislative and regulatory issues at the federal, state, and local levels.



• Strong understanding of the policymaking process.



• Experience in oncology nursing for a minimum of three years.



• Membership in a local ONS chapter.



• Membership in state nurses association preferred.

Responsibilities of State Health Policy Liaison

• Keep the ONS National Office informed of all legislative and regulatory issues of interest in the state. When issues require - or involved entities request - ONS support or endorsement, SHPLs must seek approval from the ONS National Office prior to providing official support or endorsement or use of the ONS name or logo.



• Participate in ONStat - the ONS electronic grassroots network (if not currently participating, SHPLs will be added to the e-mail list so they receive all ONS action alerts and other health policy advocacy communications).



• Recruit additional ONS members to ONStat - vis-à-vis disseminating and collecting ONStat "applications" at: ONS chapter meetings, gatherings of oncology nurses, and other such events; as well as distributing by email the link to the on-line ONStat form on the ONS Legislative Action Center.



• Encourage oncology nurses at the state and local level to participate in ONS health policy activities, including responding to grassroots calls to action, ONS advocacy training programs held within the state and at national meetings (e.g. Congress, IOL).



• Establish relationships with elected officials and their staffers at the federal, state, and local levels by writing, calling, and visiting for purposes of education, to discuss proposed or potential legislation on issues of interest to ONS, and establish relationships for future contact.



• Communicate regularly with the state's Congressional Delegation (the two Senators and the House of Representatives Members), including sending a letter of introduction at the beginning of each session of Congress (using a template provided by ONS), developing relationships with the health legislative assistants in Washington, DC, and getting to know local district office staff back at-home.



• Work with the ONS Health Policy Associates in Washington, DC to support ONS's health policy priorities and reach out to particular Members of Congress to enlist their support.



• Communicate with ONS chapters throughout the state to inform and gather information, making visits when possible and offering and delivering presentations on health policy advocacy.



• Serve as a general resource for ONS members regarding legislative and regulatory issues at the state level.



• Establish a communication system for sharing information by:
• Responding in a timely fashion to requests for information and feedback;
• Communicating pertinent information to chapters and back to national ONS;
• Participating (schedule permitting) in quarterly conference calls with ONS National Office staff and ONS Health Policy Associates in Washington, DC to receive an update on legislative and regulatory health policy and advocacy issues in Washington and to share information about state-level health policy activities and issues;
• Submitting publications for chapter newsletters throughout the state; and
• Providing "Advocacy 101" training sessions for ONS Chapters and members throughout the state (using tools provided by ONS).
• Interface with state nurses association and state board of nursing to monitor legislative proposals concerning health care, nursing, etc. on behalf of ONS and keep ONS national office informed of any pertinent issues that may need support or attention.
• Seek out, develop, and participate in state-specialty nursing organizations or other cancer-related organizations and networks to share information about ONS's legislative priorities and to seek support of other nursing and cancer groups for ONS issues.
• Represent ONS on state or local committees, coalitions, task forces, and workgroups pertaining to nursing, cancer, or related issues.
• Serve as a resource for interpretation of state nurse practice acts.

Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us at government.relations@ons.org