VANA announces new government relations team to strengthen policy engagement and advocacy
The Virginia Association of Nurse Anesthetists (VANA) has established a new government relations team, marking a significant step forward in its continued commitment to proactive policy engagement, tactical advocacy, and public-private collaboration on behalf of Virginia’s more than 2,000 Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs).
Gentry Locke Consulting will join Brian Moran, president of Moran Strategies, LLC, in leading VANA’s strategic efforts to engage with policymakers, regulatory bodies and industry coalitions at the local, state and federal levels.
“With this team, VANA is better prepared to support equal access to quality healthcare for all Virginians,” said Derek Owens, DrAP, CRNA, president of VANA. “CRNAs are the primary anesthesia providers in many of Virginia’s rural and underserved areas and Virginia’s burdensome supervision requirement limits the ability of CRNAs to practice to the full extent of their training, contributing to workforce shortages and lack of access to care. The Gentry Locke and Moran Strategies teams are prepared to deliver results for Virginians.”
VANA’s Gentry Locke team will be led by Greg Habeeb, president, and Patrice Lewis, government affairs director, and will be supported by a bipartisan, bicameral team with decades of experience in the government, policy and healthcare sectors.
“As our coalition of CRNA supporters grows, so too does the need for thoughtful, forward-looking engagement with the public and policymakers,” said Meredith Joyner, MBA, MSNA, CRNA, FAANA and government relations committee director at VANA. “I’m confident the Gentry Locke and Moran Strategies teams are prepared to promote safe anesthesia care and to advance the science of the nurse anesthesia profession to the legislature and the public in the Commonwealth.”
The government relations team will initially focus on key policy areas, including addressing outdated supervision requirements for CRNAs, protecting and promoting the nurse anesthesia profession, expanding access to care, and ensuring healthcare workers are able to practice to the full extent of their licensure.
