Join us virtually for the 2nd Annual WNA Health Policy & Advocacy Workshop

Part 1 took place earlier this fall, but Part 2 is right around the corner on Wednesday, December 2^nd, 6-9 PM.  

Post-election, the second session will focus on the election outcomes related to leadership, key legislative committees and members, and strategies for communicating with legislators on important legislative priorities for nurses, including WNA’s Public Policy Agenda.
Registration Deadline: Friday, November 27

Click here for Advocacy Workshop Agenda (1^st and 2^nd session)

Click here for Pre-work for Session 2
Passcode: uivfLF9#
In order to be fully prepared for the Workshop activities we have prepared an overview of WNA’s legislative priorities that we recommend you review prior to 6:00 pm on Wednesday.  Please click on the link above to access the recording and use the passcode provided.

Wednesday, December 2, 2020 – Agenda

6:00 PM	WELCOME	Gina Dennik-Champion, MSN, RN, MSHA
6:05 - 6:30 PM	Election Outcomes: Working with New (and Returning) Policymakers	Bob Welch, The Welch Group - WNA Lobbyist
6:30 - 6:50 PM	The Health Agenda for Wisconsin: COVID and Beyond	Julie Willems Van Dijk, PhD, MSN
6:50 - 7:10 PM	Working for You: WNA's Public Policy Agenda	Tracy Zvenyach, PhD, APRN; Michael Jaeb, BSN, RN; Gina Dennik-Champion, MSN, RN, MSHA; and Kristin Merss, BSN, RN
7:10 - 7:20 PM	BREAK
7:20 - 7:45 PM	Connecting and Communicating on WNA's Priorities: Develop your Advocacy Plan	Kristin Merss, BSN, RN
7:45 - 8:05 PM	Workgroups
8:05 - 8:50 PM	Strategies for Engagement and the Importance of Effective Communication for Your Issues	Rep. Amy Loudenbeck – Wisconsin Assembly District 31 Moderator: Tracy Zvenyach
8:50 - 9:00 PM	Wrap-Up	Gina Dennik-Champion, MSN, RN, MSHA

DAY 1 MATERIALS:
State of Wisconsin Election Process
Scoring Your Candidates Activity Worksheet
Scoring Your Candidates Overview handout
WNA and Policy handout

DAY 2 MATERIALS:

Coming Soon

Presenters:

Gina Dennik-Champion, MSN, RN, MSHA
Executive Director & Lobbyist,
Wisconsin Nurses Association

Gina Dennik-Champion is the chief executive officer of the Wisconsin Nurses Association.  She is Wisconsin’s only nurse lobbyist and in her role advocates for the advancement, promotion and protection of nurses which in turn promotes the health of Wisconsin’s residents. She is a frequent presenter, guest lecturer for schools of nursing and serves as a preceptor for undergraduate and graduate level nursing students.

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Michael Jaeb, BSN, RN
Project Assistant
University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Nursing

Michael Jaeb is a registered nurse who specializes in public health. He completed his Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 2019 and is pursuing his Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In addition to being a full-time graduate student, Michael serves as a disease investigator with a local health department in western Wisconsin. He also has Level I HTI training in Healing Touch with Healing Beyond Borders. Michael has served on the Wisconsin Nurses Association Public Policy Council since 2019 and was awarded the WNA Future Nursing Leader Award that spring. He dedicates his career to improving population health and combating the silent epidemic of shame.

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Rep. Amy Loudenbeck
Assembly District 31

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Kristin Merss, BSN, RN
PhD student
Organization/employer: University of Wisconsin – Madison, School of Nursing

Kristin is a registered nurse and advocate. She earned her BSN from University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire before returning home to Madison to pursue her PhD at University of Wisconsin – Madison, School of Nursing. Her program of research focuses on incarceration health and health care, particularly the phases of release and reentry. Kristin recognizes that nursing can play a role in reducing the stress of release and the trauma of reentry into the community by supporting and advocating with those coming home. Kristin grounds her research in the lived experience of incarcerated people by engaging them as active participants in the research process and working alongside their communities. Kristin is also earning certificates in Clinical and Community Outcomes Research and Consumer Health Advocacy. Kristin has clinical nursing experience on a respiratory/intermediate care unit.

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Bob Welch | Founder & President

A graduate of MATC and Ripon College, Bob is a land-surveyor by profession, and served in the State legislature for twenty years. Bob was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1984, quickly rising to leadership positions. After ten years of service, Bob was elected to the State Senate in 1995, serving until 2004. The eventual sale of the surveying business allowed Bob and Jeanne to expand and diversify the services of The Welch Group. An active member of national political organizations, Bob has expertise in both national and international policy and business.

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Tracy Zvenyach, PhD, APRN
President and Co-founder,
Nurse Disrupted, LLC

From Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. to advocacy in industry, Dr. Zvenyach holds 17 years of expertise in nursing and healthcare policy. Her policy experience and expertise spans the Affordable Care Act, Violence Against Women Act, and obesity prevention and treatment policy. Her research focuses on obesity health policy and health economics. Dr. Zvenyach is an Assistant Professor at Georgetown University where she teaches Health Policy and Advocacy to graduate students at the School of Nursing and Health Studies. She received a B.S. in nursing from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and earned her M.S. in nursing and Ph.D. in health policy at the University of Maryland.