Albany Day ‘Empowering’ for DNP Students
Seven Columbia Nursing students traveled to Albany this month to learn first-hand about the legislative process and how to advocate for better health and health care at the state level.
The Center for Health Policy supported the trip, which marked the first time that all four Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) schools—Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Mailman School of Public Health, and the College of Dental Medicine, along with Columbia Nursing—participated.
CUIMC’s delegation of 23 students met with Assembly members; Chloe Coffman, the senior health policy advisor to Governor Kathy Hochul; James V. McDonald, the New York State Commissioner of Health, and others.
"Participating in Albany Day was an empowering experience,” said Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) student Michelle Ojo, who spoke with Coffman about the growing need for youth mental health services. “Using my experience as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner student, I advocated for bills addressing the lack of providers and long wait times adolescents face when seeking mental health services. This experience showed me the value that our voices and clinical expertise have beyond the clinical setting and our ability to influence policy in New York."
Erica Wong-Ciriaci, MS ’23, also a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner student, said the day “was a powerful reminder that as future clinicians, our responsibility extends beyond the bedside. We must be active participants in legislative discussions to ensure policies truly reflect the needs of our most vulnerable patients. Through our lens we can help to advocate for the rights of our community, highlighting gaps or barriers to care that we witness in our clinics. This experience ignited a deep commitment in me to make advocacy an essential part of my career.”