Select a bill that has been proposed (not one that has been enacted) using the congressional websites provided in the Learning Resources. The Assignment: (1- to 2-page Legislation Grid; 1-page Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement) Be sure to add a title page, an introduction, a purpose statement, and a conclusion. This is an APA paper. Part 1: Legislation Grid Based on the health-related bill (proposed, not enacted) you selected, complete the Legislation Grid Template. Be sure to address the following: Determine the legislative intent of the bill you have reviewed. Identify the proponents/opponents of the bill. Identify the target populations addressed by the bill. Where is the bill currently being processed? Is it in hearings or committees? Part 2: Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement Based on the health-related bill you selected, develop a 1-page Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement that addresses the following: Advocate a position for the bill you selected and writ

Part 2: Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement

I support the Health Care Providers Safety Act of 2023 bill. There are various reasons why the Bill needs to be enacted into law. Healthcare providers in the United States have become targets for physical and cybersecurity threats. Both physical and cyber security is essential in healthcare to protect patient information and the normal functioning of healthcare organizations (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, n.d.).

Despite efforts to protect physical and cyber systems in healthcare organizations and health providers, they remain vulnerable to physical and cyber threats. Healthcare providers still struggle to meet the physical and cyber security needs of their systems and patients due to underfunding and allocation of resources for security purposes. Additionally, factors such as the age and level of education of a majority of the users increase the vulnerability of these health information systems. Age and level of education determine the levels of technology literacy. Technology literacy is essential to understanding and utilizing the tools necessary to protect individuals and their health information from malicious individuals and unauthorized users. It is possible to overcome these funding challenges and improve systems security with a favorable political and policy system. Nurses must apply their nursing knowledge and skills to connect with government actors and alert them of the issues in health care to develop health policy solutions (Milstead & Short, 2019). Health Care Providers Safety Act of 2023 will be enacted, enabling healthcare providers to access more funding for security purposes, including installing advanced security systems for their health information management systems and improving physical security systems.

Conclusion

Funding is essential for ensuring cyber and physical security and the safety of health providers. Bills such as H.R. 286 can help overcome funding challenges and ensure cyber and physical security. Nurses have a role to play in bringing up issues in nursing and healthcare to policymakers as well as lobbying legislators to enact policies that improve the accessibility of care.

References

Congress.gov. (n.d.). H.R.286 – 118th Congress (2023-2024): Health Care Providers Safety Act of 2023. Library of Congress. Retrieved June 10, 2023, from https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/286/text?s=1&r=12&q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22Healthcare%22%5D%7D

Hathaliya, J. J., & Tanwar, S. (2020). An exhaustive survey on security and privacy issues in Healthcare 4.0. Computer Communications, 153, 311–335. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.COMCOM.2020.02.018