NOVA’s 30th Annual Legislative Roundtable was held Friday, March 21, 2025 at the DAV Washington Headquarters in Washington, DC.  Participants were welcomed by Kelley Saindon, DNP, RN, CHPN, Chair, NOVA Legislative Committee and NOVA President Cathy Giasson DNP, MHA, RN, NE-BC, CPHQ.  Kelley discussed NOVA’s legislative priority goals.  This was followed by presentations from representatives from Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs), national nursing organizations, and Congressional legislative staff members. 

The following topics were discussed:

• Requiring sufficient on-tine funding to allow ongoing hiring of healthcare staff to keep VHA functioning at a safe level for Veterans
• Ensuring that any legislation or funding of Community Care does not impede the superior care VHA offers to Veterans, and require comparable quality and training standards for CCN providers
• Educate new administration and Congress on longstanding budget and infrastructure issues continuing in VHA
• Evaluate, plan, and budget to ensure VA facilities are modernized to meet Veteran needs
• Review staffing levels and ire in all settings so VA can delivery timely access for all Veterans seeking care
• Ensure salary surveys are performed annually for all nursing workforce so VHA remains competitive in local markets
• Support and revise qualifications and pay levels for LPNs
• Ensure a diverse workforce is offered ongoing opportunities for career advancement and professional development by providing continuing education and tuition support for all nursing levels
• Provide and sustain ongoing funding for current RN and NP residencies and include necessary infrastructure to support development of future nursing workforce
• Support initiatives with funding and foundation to grow nurses from with
• Implement and support full practice authority for CRNAs
• Reductions in force will harm care and services to Veterans by altering how VA delivers comprehensive wraparound services; drastically decreasing quality of care; impacting suicide prevention; increasing wait times and distances to access care; reducing resources for timely community care coordination; failing to support laws ensuring care for millions of Veterans; leading to poor patient conditions and outcomes; resulting in burnout for existing staff covering workload for terminated colleagues and loss of Veteran trust in VA

Congressional legislative staff members attending from the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee included Hunter Thompson, Majority Professional Staff Member; Katie Fanning, Majority Professional Staff Member; Theresa Wrzesinski, Minority Professional Staff Member; and Abby Roubal, Minority Professional Staff Member.  Alexis MacDonald, Minority Professional Staff Member attended from the House Veterans Committee.  The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) was represented by Legislative Representative Lisa Swirsky, and Triwest Healthcare Alliance was represented by Adrian Attizado, Director Government Relations.  The National Association of Veterans Research and Education Foundation (NAVREF) was represented by Hawk Tran, Chief Operating Officer.

Representatives from Veterans Service Organizations included Jon Retzer, Deputy National Legislative Director, Disabled American Veterans (DAV); Naomi Mathis, Assistant National Legislative Director, Disabled American Veterans (DAV); Shamala Capizzi, Associate National Legislative Director, Disabled American Veterans (DAV); Morgan Brown, National Legislative Director, Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA); Meggan Thomas, Associate Director, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW); Jake Corsi, Legislative Associate, American Legion; Rodger Pinto, Associate, Policy and Advocacy, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA); Rene Campos, CDR, U.S. Navy (Ret.), Senior Director, Government Relations, Military Officers Association of America (MOAA);

Representatives from professional nursing organizations included Rachel Minahan, Director of Government Affairs, American Association of Colleges of Nursing; Jessica Talbert, Director Federal Advocacy, American Association of Nurse Practitioners; Gayle Gerdes, Vice President, Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association; Johnny Gayden, President-Elect, Association of VA Nurse Anesthetists; Alec Stone, Health Policy Liaison, Association of VA Hematology/Oncology;   Clare Chmiel, Legislative Director, Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society; Madeleine Rohrbach, Senior Policy Coordinator, American Academy of Nursing; Dave Mason, Senior Policy Consultant, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners/National League for Nursing; Matthew Thackston, Director of Federal Government Affairs, American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology; Gregory Craig, Senior Associate Director of Regulatory Affairs, American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology; and Simti Pandya, Director, Congressional and Grassroots Advocacy, American Nurses Association.  The National Student Nurses Association was represented by Kenya Williams, CEO, and Barbara Ward, Board of Trustees.   The Association of VA Social Workers was represented by Stan Remer,  Congressional and Legislative Liaison. The Association of VA Psychological Leaders was represented by Conwell Smith, Deputy Chief, Military Veteran Health Policy and Scott Barstow.

NOVA members included Board of Directors members President Catherine Giasson, DNP, MHA, RN, NE-BC, VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System; President-Elect Michelle Salazar-Rodriguez, RN, MSN, VA Black Hills HCS; Past President Taryn-Janae Wilcox-Olson, MHS, RN, VISN 20 Northwest Network; Secretary/Treasurer, and Legislative Chair Kelley Saindon, DNP, RN, CHPN, White River Junction VA Healthcare System; Membership Secretary Theresa Presley, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CNL, CCRN, VA Boston Healthcare System; Director Michella Savoy-Carter, MSN, RN-BC, CDECS, VA Maryland Healthcare System; Director Melinda Conville, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, CNML, VA Boston HCS; Director Tiffany Keller-Hale, DNP, BBA, RN-BC, Dayton VA; Rockne Jacque MSN, RN, Northampton VAMC; John Templeton Jr., MSN, RN, VA Central Western Massachusetts HCS;  Executive Director Gina Pileggi; Jessica Goodone. Meeting Manager; and Director Advocacy and Government Relations Teresa Morris.  Also attending were Past Presidents and Nurse Emeritus: Nancy Claflin, DNP, MS, RN, NEA-BC, CENP, CNEcl CCRN, CPHQ, FNAHQ and Margaret Kruckemeyer, MSN, MA.