NURS 6050 Agenda Comparison Grid and Fact Sheet
Agenda Comparison Grid Assignment Template for Part 1 and Part 2
Part 1: Agenda Comparison Grid
Presidents come to the Oval Office with different health care agenda as a means of improving the health of American population. Population health issues like dealing with pandemics and opioid crisis are essential for any candidate campaigning for election as the U.S. president. These issues form presidential agendas and each president makes concerted efforts to address them through different legislations and policies or executive orders (CDC, 2022). The purpose of this agenda comparison grid and fact sheet is to evaluate the handling of the opioid epidemic by President Trump and President Biden as a population health concern or issue due to its devastating and detrimental effects on individuals, families and even the healthcare system.
| Identify the Population Health concern you selected. | Opioid Epidemic | |
| Describe the Population Health concern you selected. | The opioid epidemic is one of the most critical public health concern because of its negative and devastating effects on population health and the health system. As of July 2020, deaths emanating from drug overdose in the country were 13% up compared to 2019. In some states, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the mortality increased by over 30% (CDC, 2022). As such, the health care system is spending billions of dollars to treat individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD). Increasing access to these treatment interventions is a core aspect of a working healthcare system to reduce associated mental health issues and other adverse events. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), opioid-related deaths continue to rise in the country with many victims lacking effective and proper access to treatment interventions, including mental health services. As such, different presidents, Trump and Biden has handled the issue using different approaches to reduce its overall effects on health population. | |
| Administration (President Name) | President Joe Biden | President Donald Trump |
| Explain how each of the two presidential administrations approached the issue. | The current Biden administration has approached the opioid epidemic problem using different interventions, from allocating financial resources to expanding the benefits of Affordable Care Act to improve mental health for individuals fighting OUD-related mental issues. The Biden administration has declared certain drugs as a threat to the U.S. like fentanyl laced with xylazine (Howard, 2023). The administration has set aside close to $46 billion for setting up National Drug Control Program agencies like the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) among others (White House, 2023). The budgetary allocations for the financial year 2024 also include other funding proposals to help state and local governments deal with the epidemic (HHS, 2022). | A year after coming into office, over 64,000 Americans died from drug overdose with 75% being related to opioid use. Consequently, Trump declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency in 2017 (American Oversight, 2020). The Trump administration initiated Stop Opioid Abuse program in 2018 to tackle the driving forces behind the crisis. The initiative contained three parts that focused on reducing demand and over-prescription and educating Americans on the dangers of opioid misuse, cutting down on the supply of illicit drugs through stopping domestic and international supply chains (CMS, 2019). The third part was helping individuals struggling with addiction using evidence-based treatment and recovery support programs.
President Trump also worked with Congress to enact the SUPPORT Act to address the drug crisis in the country White House, 2019). |
| Identify the allocations of resources that the current and previous presidents dedicated to this issue. | The Biden administration has allocated substantial resources based on level of funding for the program. These include about $46 billion in federal budget, $1.6 billion in funds for communities dealing with addiction and overdose crises, and a further $1.5 billion for state Opioid Response as a grant (HHS, 2022b). The implication is that the current administration has allocated more resources to fight the epidemic than any other president before. | The Trump administration secured and allocated about $6 billion in new funding for a two-year period to fight the epidemic (White House, 2019). The administration also implemented a safer prescribing plan that also got funding from federal account to reduce the problem. |
Part 2: Agenda Comparison Grid Analysis
Using the information, you recorded in Part 1: Agenda Comparison Grid, complete the following to document information about the population health/healthcare issue you selected
| Administration | |
| Which administrative agency (like HHS, CDC, FDA, OHSA) would most likely be responsible for helping you address the healthcare issue you selected? Why is this agency the most helpful?
|
Different federal agencies are involved in the implementation of policies and interventions aimed at addressing the opioid epidemic in the country. These agencies mount a multi-agency approach to increase interventions to tackle the drug use crisis and the opioid epidemic. These include the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Drug Enforcement (DEA). As such, while the DEA would be the most responsible and effective agency to deal with this crisis because of its mandate, the OUD and the opioid crisis is beyond the assignment of one federal agency (HHS, 2022). The DEA can coordinate efforts to fight the epidemic but having all related agencies in the Health and Human Services (HHS) department would be the most appropriate way to deal with the current issue as a public health concern. |
| How do you think your selected healthcare issue might get on the presidential agenda? How does it stay there? | The opioid crisis is already a presidential agenda issue as illustrated by existing evidence. The issue will continue being on the presidential agenda through continuous advocacy by different stakeholders in the healthcare sector, especially public health. The issue remains a critical public health concern because of its devastating effects on addicted individuals’ mental health. |
| Who would you choose to be the entrepreneur/ champion/sponsor (this can be a celebrity, a legislator, an agency director, or others) of the healthcare issue you selected? An example is Michael J. Fox a champion for Parkinson’s disease. | Having effective campaigns about the opioid crisis in the country requires effective campaigns by different stakeholders, especially those who have been affected by its occurrence. In this case, millions of Americans are affected, either directly or indirectly, by the opioid epidemic and its devastating effects on their loved ones, including President Biden whose son has fought substance use disorder (SUD). As such, the most appropriate individual to champion the fight against the opioid epidemic would President Biden because of his personal concern emanating from his son’s addiction and use of opioids. |
Fact Sheet
Summary of the Opioid Crisis and Inclusion in Legislation
The opioid crisis or epidemic is a critical public health issue and requires immediate yet concrete interventions to stop the increasing death toll associated with OUD. The issue is important because it increases the cost of care burden on Americans and the health care system. For instance, the current administration has allocated over $48 billion to help in efforts to reduce the epidemic and improve the health of those affected. These efforts include investing in different initiatives to breakdown the supply chain of drug suppliers at national and international levels as well as offering funds at the state and local levels to increase mitigation efforts and reduce mental health problems. The issue has attracted significant legislative measures as demonstrated by the enactment of the SUPPORT Act and even expansion of Medicaid and Medicare under the ACA to increase access to mental health services (Blanco et al., 2020). Furthermore, having legislations that will affect other components of the issue and improve health and wellness for those affected would be critical in addressing the issue.
Nurses play a critical role in setting agenda because of their strategic position which entails linking patients to other healthcare professionals. As the largest component of healthcare workforce, nurses can influence policy and agenda setting through championing changes and advocating for interventions to tackle the opioid use disorder and its associated mental health issues (Wen et al., 2022). Nurses set the healthcare agenda based on their critical roles in care provision and increased specialty as they deal with patients from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.
Conclusion
Agenda setting for different presidents and their administrations is key to delivering on their election promises, especially in healthcare provision. The opioid epidemic is a serious public health concern that requires effective and long-term intervention, especially at the presidential level through agendas and implementation of different strategies. The grid demonstrates efforts by the current administration and the previous one on the implementation of various measures and actions to control and prevent the opioid epidemic.
References
American Oversight (2020 July 31). The Trump Administration’s Response to the Opioid Epidemic.
Blanco, C., Wiley, T. R., Lloyd, J. J., Lopez, M. F., & Volkow, N. D. (2020). America’s opioid crisis: the need for an integrated
public health approach. Translational Psychiatry, 10(1), 167. DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-0847-1
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). (2019 November 1). Trump Administration takes Steps to Expand Access to
Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder. https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/trump-administration-takes-steps-expand-access-treatment-opioid-use-disorder
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2022). Understanding the Opioid Overdose Epidemic.
https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/epidemic.html
Compton, P., & Blacher, S. (2020). Nursing education in the midst of the opioid crisis. Pain Management Nursing, 21(1), 35-42.
DOI: 10.1016/j.pmn.2019.06.006.
Health and Human Services Department (HHS) (2022 September 23). Biden-Harris Administration Awards More Than $1.6 Billion
in Funds for Communities Addressing Addiction and Overdose Crises.
https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2022/09/23/biden-harris-administration-awards-more-than1-6-billion-funds-communities-addressing-addiction-overdose-crises.html
Health and Human Services Department (HHS) (2022b May 19). Biden Administration Announces $1.5 Billion Funding
Opportunity for State Opioid Response Grant Program. https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2022/05/19/biden-administration-announces-15-billion-funding-opportunity-state-opioid-response-grant-program.html
Howard, J. (2023 April 12). Biden administration declares fentanyl laced with xylazine ‘an emerging threat’ in the US.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/12/health/fentanyl-xylazine-emerging-threat-us/index.html
The White House (2023 March 09). President Biden Calls for Historic Funding to Beat the Overdose Epidemic Being Driven by
Fentanyl. https://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/briefing-room/2023/03/09/president-biden-calls-for-historic-funding-to-beat-the-overdose-epidemic-being-driven-by-fentanyl/
The White House (2019). Ending America’s Opioid Crisis. https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/opioids/
Wen, L. S., & Sadeghi, N. B. (2020). The opioid crisis and the 2020 US election: crossroads for a national epidemic. The Lancet,
396(10259), 1316-1318. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32113-9
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Agenda Comparison Grid and Fact Sheet
It may seem to you that healthcare has been a national topic of debate among political leaders for as long as you can remember.
Healthcare has been a policy item and a topic of debate not only in recent times but as far back as the administration of the second U.S. president, John Adams. In 1798, Adams signed legislation requiring that 20 cents per month of a sailor’s paycheck be set aside for covering their medical bills. This represented the first major piece of U.S. healthcare legislation, and the topic of healthcare has been woven into presidential agendas and political debate ever since.
As a healthcare professional, you may be called upon to provide expertise, guidance and/or opinions on healthcare matters as they are debated for inclusion into new policy. You may also be involved in planning new organizational policy and responses to changes in legislation. For all of these reasons you should be prepared to speak to national healthcare issues making the news.
In this Assignment, you will analyze recent presidential healthcare agendas. You also will prepare a fact sheet to communicate the importance of a healthcare issue and the impact on this issue of recent or proposed policy.
Resources
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
Learning Resources
Required Readings
- Milstead, J. A., & Short, N. M. (2019). Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide (6th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
- Chapter 1, “Informing Public Policy: An Important Role for Registered Nurses” (pp. 11–13 only)
- Chapter 2, “Agenda Setting: What Rises to a Policymaker’s Attention?” (pp. 17–36)
- Chapter 10, “Overview: The Economics and Finance of Health Care” (pp. 171–180)
- Chapter 12, “An Insider’s Guide to Engaging in Policy Activities”
- “Creating a Fact Sheet” (pp. 217-221)
- DeMarco, R., & Tufts, K. A. (2014). The mechanics of writing a policy brief
- Links to an external site.. Nursing Outlook, 62(3), 219–224.
- Kingdon, J.W. (2001). A model of agenda-setting with applications. Law Review M.S.U.-D.C.L
- Links to an external site.., 2(331)
- Lamb, G., Newhouse, R., Beverly, C., Toney, D. A., Cropley, S., Weaver, C. A., Kurtzman, E., … Peterson, C. (2015). Policy agenda for nurse-led care coordination
- Links to an external site.. Nursing Outlook, 63(4), 521–530. doi:10.1016/j.outlook.2015.06.003.
- O’Rourke, N. C., Crawford, S. L., Morris, N. S., & Pulcini, J. (2017). Political efficacy and participation of nurse practitioners
- Links to an external site.. Policy, Politics, and Nursing Practice, 18(3), 135–148.
- Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Enhancing Environmental Health Content in Nursing Practice, Pope, A. M., Snyder, M. A., & Mood, L. H. (Eds.). (n.d.). Nursing health, & environment
- Links to an external site.: Strengthening the relationship to improve the public’s health.
- USA.gov. (n.d.). A-Z index of U.S. government departments and agencies
- Links to an external site.. Retrieved September 20, 2018, from https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/a
- USA.gov. (n.d.). Branches of the US government
- Links to an external site.. https://www.usa.gov/branches-of-government
- The White House. (n.d.). The cabinet
- Links to an external site.. Retrieved September 20, 2018, from https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-trump-administration/the-cabinet/
- Document: Agenda Comparison Grid Template (Word document)
Required Media
- Walden University, LLC. (Producer). (2018). Setting the Agenda [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
To Prepare:
- Review the agenda priorities of the current/sitting U.S. president and at least one previous presidential administration.
- Select an issue related to healthcare that was addressed by two U.S. presidential administrations (current and previous).
- Consider how you would communicate the importance of a healthcare issue to a legislator/policymaker or a member of their staff for inclusion on an agenda.
- Use your Week 1 Discussion post to help with this assignment.
The Assignment: (1- to 2-page Comparison Grid, 1-Page Analysis, and 1-page narrative) with a title page. This is an APA paper. Use 2-3 course resources and at least 2 outside resources.
Part 1: Agenda Comparison Grid
Use the Agenda Comparison Grid Template found in the Learning Resources and complete the Part 1: Agenda Comparison Grid based on the current/sitting U.S. president and the previous president, and their agendas related to the population health concern you selected. Be sure to address the following:
- Identify and provide a brief description of the population health concern you selected.
- Explain how each of the presidential administrations approached the issue.
- Identify the allocation of resources that the presidents dedicated to this issue.
Part 2: Agenda Comparison Grid Analysis
Using the information you recorded in Part 1: Agenda Comparison Grid on the template, complete the Part 2: Agenda Comparison Grid Analysis portion of the template, by addressing the following:
- Which administrative agency (like HHS, CDC, FDA, OHSA) would most likely be responsible for helping you address the healthcare issue you selected and why is this agency the most helpful for the issue?
- How do you think your selected healthcare issue might get on the presidential agenda? How does it stay there?
- An entrepreneur/champion/sponsor helps to move the issue forward. Who would you choose to be the entrepreneur/champion/sponsor (this can be a celebrity, a legislator, an agency director, or others) of the healthcare issue you selected and why would this person be a good entrepreneur/ champion/sponsor? An example is Michael J. Fox is champion for Parkinson’s disease.
Part 3: Fact Sheet
Using the information recorded on the template in Parts 1 and 2, develop a 1-page fact sheet that you could use to communicate with a policymaker/legislator or a member of their staff for this healthcare issue. Be sure to address the following:
- Summarize why this healthcare issue is important and should be included in the agenda for legislation.
- Justify the role of the nurse in agenda setting for healthcare issues.
By Day 7 of Week 2
Submit your final version of Part 1: Agenda Comparison Grid, Part 2: Agenda Comparison Grid Analysis, and Part 3: Narrative.
submission information
Before submitting your final assignment, you can check your draft for authenticity. To check your draft, access the Turnitin Drafts from the Start Here area.
- To submit your completed assignment, save your Assignment as WK2Assgn+LastName+Firstinitial
- Then, click on Start Assignment near the top of the page.
- Next, click on Upload File and select Submit Assignment for review.
Rubric
NURS_6050_Module01_Week02_Assignment_Rubric
| Criteria | Ratings | Pts | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Part 1: Agenda Comparison GridExplain how each of the presidential administrations approached the issue. Identify the allocations of resources that the two presidents dedicated to this issue. |
|
20 pts | ||||
| This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Part 2: Agenda Comparison Grid Analysis- Address the following:Which administrative agency would most likely be responsible for helping you address the healthcare issue you selected? Why is this agency most helpful?How do you think your selected healthcare issue might get on the agenda? How does it stay there?Who would you choose to be the entrepreneur/ champion/sponsor of the healthcare issue you selected and justify your selection. |
|
25 pts | ||||
| This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Part 3: Fact SheetBased on your Agenda Comparison Grid for the healthcare issue you selected, develop a 1-2-page narrative that you could use to communicate with a policy- maker/legislator or a member of their staff for this healthcare issue.Summarize why this healthcare issue is important and should be included in the agenda for legislation.Justify the role of the nurse in agenda setting for healthcare issues |
|
30 pts | ||||
| This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Resources |
|
10 pts | ||||
| This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Written Expression and Formatting: ParagraphParagraphs make clear points that support well developed ideas, low logically, and demonstrate continuity of ideas. Sentences are carefully focused–neither long and rambling nor short and lacking substance. |
|
5 pts | ||||
| This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Written Expression and Formatting: English Writing StandardsCorrect grammar, mechanics, and proper punctuation. |
|
5 pts | ||||
| This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Written Expression and Formatting: The paper follows correct APA format for title page, headings, font, spacing, indentations, parenthetical/in- text citations, and reference list. |
|
5 pts | ||||
| Total Points: 100 | ||||||