Welcome to NPWH's Q4 advocacy newsletter! In this email, you will find:

A message from NPWH President Jessica Wells, PhD, RN, WHNP-BC, FAAN
A synopsis of a two-part workshop series on op-ed writing, developed by the NPWH Advocacy Committee
An overview of the sign-on letters and amicus briefs NPWH signed on to during Q4 of 2025
Resources helpful for your practice and advocacy efforts

Thank you for taking the time to read and investing in our advocacy efforts!

Standing Strong for Women’s Healthcare

Greetings!

As we close out 2025, I would like to reflect on our collective commitment to advancing women's and gender-related healthcare for our patients and communities. Your passion is truly inspiring, and NPWH is grateful to have such a dedicated membership base backing our advocacy efforts every step of the way. Our voice, as an organization and as a profession, only strengthened throughout the year, thanks to your expertise and enthusiasm.

This year was marked by a wide variety of critical policy developments at the state and federal levels, directly impacting APRN practice and women's healthcare rights. As your professional organization, we worked year-long to ensure that your engagement and involvement with us is met tenfold, advocating for you. NPWH serves you, so you can practice and meet the needs of your patients, communities, students, and colleagues.

2025 featured an ever-evolving landscape, and we foresee this continuing into the new year. You are a crucial component in how NPWH navigates such a landscape, and we will continue to champion the rights of our members and their patients. As the new NPWH BOD President, I am excited to serve you and continue to meet your needs professionally!

This year, NPWH signed on to a total of 86 letters, 5 amicus briefs, and 5 bill endorsements. These items varied in content, whether we were expressing concern over practice authority or thanking legislators for introducing critical legislation to safeguard APRN practice.

How We Are Taking Action

Our advocacy includes:

Signing Letters: We support research funding, government programs, and initiatives that protect WHNPs and the patients they serve.

11 sign-on letters this quarter.

Legal Advocacy: We actively monitor legal cases and identify strategic opportunities to submit amicus briefs that defend healthcare rights and protect the scope of practice for WHNPs and APRNs.

1 amicus brief this quarter.

Strategic Partnerships: We work alongside national coalitions and organizations to advance policies that support science, environmental health, research, and clinical practice for women's healthcare.

Your Voice Matters & We Want to Learn About Your Efforts

Advocacy is a core pillar of NPWH’s mission and is integral to our founding and history. We are committed to advocating for your ability to provide the care your patients deserve. Your insights and experiences help us shape policy efforts, educational resources, and outreach initiatives.

Are you involved in advocacy related to the WHNP profession or women’s and gender-related healthcare?
Do you have a story about overcoming legislative barriers in your practice?
Are you a researcher who has been impacted by the cuts and layoffs?

Please share your story with us!

With kindest regards and in hope for our future,

Jessica Wells, PhD, RN, WHNP-BC, FAAN

President of the Board of Directors

The National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health

Op-Ed Workshops

During the final months of 2025, NPWH's Advocacy Committee planned and attended a two-part series of webinars regarding op-ed writing. These webinars, led by Catharine Montgomery of the Better Together Agency, guided attendees through how to write about daily issues WHNPs see in their practice, emphasized WHNPs as thought leaders, navigated the writing process, and taught participants how to pitch their writing to publishers.

This two-part series is available as of January 26, 2026, on NPWH's LMS. These non-CE activities are free for members to enjoy! You must be signed into your NPWH account to view the links below.

Op-Ed Training Workshop Part 1: Understanding Op-Eds and Finding Your Voice

Op-Ed Training Workshop Part 2: Writing, Pitching, and Publishing Your Voice

Amicus Briefs

NPWH actively participates in joining or leading amicus briefs, particularly those that impact the WHNP-BC and APRN practice. An "amicus brief" (Latin for "friend of the court") is a legal document submitted by a party not directly involved in a case, offering information or arguments to aid the court in its decision-making.

Planned Parenthood of Montana, et al. v. State of Montana, et al.

This case concerns an adopted rule by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, prohibiting Medicaid coverage for abortions that are not provided by physicians. Advanced practice clinicians (APCs), with these restrictions in place, would be unable to have their abortion services eligible for Medicaid coverage, despite being healthcare professionals with advanced education and training.

The medical associations on this amici curiae dispute that the APC Restrictions, described above, deprive Montanans of their fundamental right to seek abortion services from a qualified healthcare provider of their choice, despite overwhelming evidence that APCs provide abortion care safely and effectively. As outlined in the amici curiae, such restrictions serve "no legitimate purpose," ultimately compromising women's health and safety, especially for patients whose only access to abortion care may be through an APC.

Furthermore, the Court should rule in favor of the Appellees (Planned Parenthood of Montana, et al.) and affirm the District Court's preliminary injunction (which recognized APC Restrictions as harmful to Montanans seeking abortion care services).

Sign-On Letters

NPWH actively participates in sign-on letters with leading organizations and advocacy groups to amplify our collective voice in support of the Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) profession, Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs), and equitable access to women’s and gender-related healthcare.

By collaborating with these leading organizations and voices, NPWH gains access to a broader network of expertise, insights, and support, ultimately strengthening our advocacy efforts. In signing on to these letters, NPWH ensures that the concerns of WHNPs and their patients are heard and addressed at every level of government.

Below are the highlights from the fourth quarter of this year.

The Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs' (AMCHP's) Letter of Opposition Regarding the Special Projects of Regional and National Significance Appropriations in the Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant for FY2026

Read the full letter here.

NP Roundtable's Letter of Comment Regarding the Definition of "Professional Degrees" in H.R. 1

Read the full letter here.

The Society for Women's Health Research's (SWHR's) Letter of Concern Regarding FY2026 Appropriations for Vital Biomedical Research Amid the Contemporary Government Shutdown

Read the full letter here.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' (ACOG's) Letter of Comment on behalf of the Maternal Immunization Task Force Regarding the Importance of Recommending Recommended Maternal Vaccines

Read the full letter here.

The Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments' (ANHE's) Letter of Opposition Regarding Efforts to Limit States' Power to Ensure the Safety of Food and Food Contact Chemicals

Read the draft here.

NP Roundtable's Letter of Concern Regarding the Department of Education's Proposed Rulemaking Through the Reimagining and Improving Student Education Committee

Read the full letter here.

March of Dimes' Letter of Support Regarding the Passage of the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act (S.1562/H.R.1197) and the Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act (PMDA) (S.2621/H.R.1909)

Read the House version of the letter here.
Read the Senate version of the letter here.

The Alliance for Aging Research's Letter of Concern Regarding the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' (ACIP's) Recommendations Regarding Pediatric and Adolescent Vaccination

Read the full letter here.

The American Nurses Association's (ANA's) Letter of Opposition Regarding the Exclusion of Nursing Degrees from the Definition of "Professional Degrees"

Read the full letter here.

The American Nurses Association's (ANA's) Letter of Concern Regarding Loan Caps for Nursing Degrees as a Result of Nursing Degree's Exclusion from the Definition of a "Professional Degree"