Amy Winiger, DNP, ACNP-BC, FACC

#ACC26 is 1 week away! Join #ACCWIC on Saturday 3/28 3 pm CT for Career Transitions: Stories from Experienced WIC Leaders @ Education Zone Theater 1 #ACCEarlyCareer #ACCFIT

#ACCAdvocacy is calling on @usedgov to reclassify APRN and PA degrees as professional. Misclassification risks worsening workforce shortages and impeding patient access to care. Learn more ➡️ bit.ly/3OPV8jb

When healthcare feels overwhelming, look for one concrete thing you can do. Right now, the Department of Education has opened a public comment period on a proposed rule that would remove nursing from the “professional degree” classification. That sounds technical. It isn’t. If this change goes through, nurses and advanced practice providers could lose access to certain federal loan programs that make advanced training financially possible. That affects who can afford to become a nurse practitioner. It affects who stays in the workforce. It affects access to care. As a reconstructive microsurgeon, I cannot care for the volume of women I serve without the nurses and nurse practitioners on my team. They are not assistants. They are licensed, credentialed professionals practicing at the highest level of their training. They are the backbone of American healthcare. If you care about access to safe, high quality care, this matters. The public comment period is open and closes on March 2nd. Here is how to leave a comment. It takes five minutes: 1. Go to regulations.gov 2. Type into search “reimagining and improving student education” 3. Click “Submit a Formal Comment” 4. Write a short statement. It can be simple. For example: “I support recognizing nursing as a professional degree. Limiting access to federal loan programs will worsen workforce shortages and reduce access to care.” 5. Enter your information and click submit You do not need to be a doctor or a nurse to comment. You just need to care. Small actions matter. Words matter. Please take a few minutes to support recognizing nursing for what it is: a profession.

Honored to present on the ACC 2025 ACS guidelines, fantastic conference⁦@Sochicaroficial⁩ ⁦⁦@HadleyWilsonMD⁩⁦@AtriumHealth⁩

Honored to present on ACC ACS guidelines ⁦@Sochicaroficial⁩ ⁦@AtriumHealth⁩⁦⁦@HadleyWilsonMD⁩

"I’m 79. My name’s Agnes. I walk to Oakwood Elementary every Tuesday and Thursday at 2:45 p.m. Not for my grandkids, I don’t have any. I go for them. The kids waiting for parents who are late. Again. It started three years ago. I saw Miguel sitting alone on the school’s concrete steps, tracing math problems in the dirt with a stick. His mom worked double shifts at the canning factory. His homework was smudged with tears. I didn’t say much. Just pulled a folding chair from my tote bag (I carry it everywhere, bad knees) and sat beside him. "Show me where you’re stuck, mijo," I said. He flinched like I’d startled a bird. But he showed me. I was a teacher for 42 years. Fractions, state capitals, how to hold a pencil, I know them like my own heartbeat. That day, we solved 3 problems in the dirt. When his mom finally rushed up, breathless and apologizing, I just nodded. "He’s got a good mind," I told her. Her eyes got wet. Not from sadness. From being seen. Next week, I brought my old teacher’s stool and a clipboard. Set up under the oak tree across from the school gates. No sign. No fanfare. Just me, my red pen, and a jar of butterscotch candies. Kids started coming. Not all at once. First Miguel. Then Aisha, whose dad’s truck broke down again. Jamal, who whispered, "My grandma’s sick." I never asked why parents were late. I just opened my clipboard. Some days, I only helped one child. Other days, five crowded around my stool. I taught multiplication tables while braiding Maya’s hair. Showed Leo how to write his name in cursive on a foggy window. Never took money. Never called the school. This wasn’t their job. It was ours. Then came Mrs. Chen. She stood at the edge of the sidewalk for weeks, watching her daughter Linh hover near my bench but never approach. One rainy Thursday, Mrs. Chen finally walked over. Her hands shook. "I failed school," she admitted in broken English. "I can’t help her." I slid my stool aside. "Sit," I said. "Today, you do the math. I’ll hold the umbrella." Last month, the principal found me packing up in the rain. "We’ve had complaints," he said gently. "About ‘unauthorized tutoring.’" I braced for the end. But then Linh ran over, dragging her mother. Aisha brought her little brother. Miguel stood tall beside his mom, the one who once cried on the steps. Twelve parents and kids formed a circle around my soggy stool. "This bench stays," Miguel told the principal. "Or we all leave." Today, the PTA provides the folding chairs. Retired nurses check kids’ ears for infections. A barber gives free trims. But the homework bench? That’s still mine. Last Tuesday, Linh placed a college acceptance letter on my clipboard. "You taught me numbers," she said. "But you taught Mama something bigger." She pointed to Mrs. Chen, now helping a boy sound out words. "You taught us we’re not broken." I packed up my red pen that night, my hands steady for the first time in years. Here’s what nobody tells you about growing old, The world doesn’t need your savings or your spare room. It needs your stubborn, ordinary love. Show up. Sit down. Make space. The rest will grow around you like wildflowers through concrete.” Let this story reach more hearts.... By Mary Nelson

⁦⁦⁦@AtriumHealth⁩ Please join us calling all critical care nurses interested in the AGACNP Program, a partnership between atrium health and UNC Charlotte formed 10 years ago!

Congrats @DrOliviaGilbert and @ACCinTouch team on an amazing Quality Summit! The best part of this meeting is that it is only the beginning of significant care transformation ahead!

Thanks for sharing innovative and life savingcare@HadleyWilsonMD@AtriumHealth@SHVI

Over500here in DC at ACC Legislative Conference whileGovernment is out! StillaREMARKABLE conversation with Pres.ChrisKramer, BOTrusteeGeoff Rose,MattMinella,JamesVavricek,Kristin:2026 Proposed Rules.Informed&Ready! @HadleyWilsonMD @ACCinTouch @AtriumHealth

Lee Goldberg Dynamically Updating GDMT for HF at NC/SC ACC mtg with >400 present in Asheville.He Rocks! @ACCinTouch @ACCmediacenter @ACCNCChapter @LeeGoldbergMD8

Congratulations to ACC’s amazing President @ChrisKramerMD on receiving his Honorary Fellowship from the Irish Cardiac Society! Always great to see our Irish colleagues @irishcardiacsoc thanks for all you do Barbara Dalton and Dr.Brendan McAdam!

Have you been practicing for a while as an APP and looking for the next step? This is an excellent opportunity to learn from APP leaders from across the country. shrscontinuingeducation.pitt.edu/programs-depar…

New Faces, Shared Mission: ACC Names Next President, Vice President and Trustees - American College of Cardiology acc.org/Latest-in-Card…

Huge congratulations to our team for leading the 5th Annual ACHD Symposium at #SACS! 👏 From complex case-based discussions to advancing care for adults with congenital heart disease, this collaborative effort is improving outcomes across the country. #ACHD #AdvocateHealth

Kicking off the 2025 @sacsconference with Atrium Health and Advocate Health proudly leading the charge. The Adult Congenital Heart Disease Symposium is back for its 5th year—uniting top minds in ACHD care across the Southeast and Midwest. #SACS2025 #AdvocateHealth #AtriumHealth

Hope to see you in Denver, October 14-16 to collaborate on optimizing quality, maximizing efficiency, & connecting care team members to provide the best care ❤️

The ACC has named Viet Le, DMSc, MPAS, PA-C, FACC, to lead its #CardioSmart patient engagement program. "I'm excited to build on my predecessors' work, providing tools for informed decisions & supporting healthy life journeys." - @VietHeartPA Learn more: bit.ly/4d9hBQp

🚨 Cancer patients are showing up in every cardiology clinic - are you ready? 🧠 Join us for our 2nd Annual Cardio-Oncology Symposium! #cardioonc 🌟 National Experts + Complex Cases 🗓️ Sat Oct 11th 8am-4pm (hybrid) ✅ CME/MOC+APP/Pharm/RN (CE) 👉REGISTER: site.pheedloop.com/event/SHVICard…