The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Health professionals honor state Rep. Cook
TORRINGTON — The American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the Radiological Society of Connecticut recently recognized State Rep. Michelle Cook (D-Torrington).
Cook is the recipient of the AANP’s 2019 Advocate State Award for Excellence, and will be honored during the AANP’s 2019 National Conference in June. according to a press release. The annual award is given to one advocate in each state who has made a significant contribution toward increasing the awareness and recognition of nurse practitioners.
“I am honored to be recognized as a 2019 State Advocate by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners for my dedication to key public health issues and those concerning nurse practitioners,” said Rep. Cook said in a statement. “I will continue to advocate for policies that protect Connecticut residents’ right to healthcare and to address issues relating to the scope of practice of nurse practitioners.”
“As a member of the Public Health Committee, Rep. Cook was nominated for her extensive work on issues affecting the health and wellbeing of Connecticut’s residents, particularly Public Act 14-12, which expanded the scope of practice for advanced practical registered nurses (APRN),” association members said in the release.
The Radiological Society of Connecticut recognized Cook for “her advocacy of patients and legislation that will encourage women to have life-saving breast cancer screenings,” according to a press release. The award was timely, since October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The radiologists gave Rep. Cook their “Patient Hero” award during their semiannual meeting in New Haven on Sept. 13.
“Cook was a strong advocate of House Bill 5208 this past session that will enable women to have their annual breast exam using the latest technology without having to pay a deductible or co-pay,” society members said in a statement.
The technology, called Breast Tomosynthesis, is a three dimensional mammogram which enables the radiologist to better determine if small cancers are present in the breast. The test has been shown to reduce patient callbacks for an additional test due to the uncertainty of images by 40 percent.
Rep. Cook serves on the Public Health Committee where she has advocated for many patient-friendly policies.
The legislation passed in both the House and Senate this year and was signed into law by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy as Public Act 18159. It goes into effect Jan. 1, 2019.