NCHPC Member Appointed to National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice

Lolita Melhado, PhD APRN FNP-BC ACHPN, was recently appointed to the National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice. Dr. Melhado also serves as the Hospice & Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA) member representative to the NCHPC’s Equity & Inclusion Workgroup. We are excited that a Hospice and Palliative Care APRN who is Board Certified in Hospice and Palliative Care will be participating in advising the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Congress on policy issues. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Melhado on this appointment!

The National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice (NACNEP) advises the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Congress, on policy issues related to Title VIII programs.

The Secretary of Health and Human Services and, by delegation, the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), are charged under Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act, as amended, with responsibility for a wide range of issues related to the nurse workforce, nursing education, and nursing practice improvement, including:

• Enhancement of the composition of the nursing workforce
• Improvement of the distribution and utilization of nurses to meet the health needs of the nation
• Expansion of the knowledge, skills, and capabilities of nurses to enhance the quality of nursing practice
• Development and dissemination of improved models of organization
• Financing and delivery of nursing services
• Promotion of interdisciplinary approaches to the delivery of health services particularly in the context of public health and primary care