This week we are talking about sustaining the environments we create. Sustaining ideas and policies within health care can be challenging. It takes support, innovative thinking, commitment, team effort, and motivation. Health care is changing more now that it ever has. As distruptive innovation drives the health care industry to transform to a more affordable and accessible service, the workers themselves have to embrace that change. We have to focus more on innovative ways to get the services to a wider population for less money (Townsend, 2013). We have shift our thinking to that of traditional based health care services to more community based centers (Townsend, 2013). Emergency contraception policy has done just that, it has evolved and grown to become more available to a wider population. It has only been able to do that through the work and commitment of those people who value its theory and support its use. As health care providers we have the obligation to provide services to our community. To sustain this policy change and make it even more accessible it requires supporters and those willing to speak their mind and demand better, more affordable care.
Townsend, J. (2013). Disruptive innovation: A prescription for better health care. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/ashoka/2013/04/23/disruptive-innovation-a-prescription-for-better-health-care/
Emergency Contraception 
I agree, in order to sustain any policy change, it needs continued support. We must continue to pay attention to current policies that could affect our causes either directly or indirectly. Consumers play a pivotal role in sustaining this change. Prester et al. (2006) recognizes several ways consumers contribute to this process. They enhance state decision-making by ensuring that programs and services better meet the needs of those who use them. Consumer involvement also helps to increase public confidence by alleviating the fear and distrust that arises when consumers have limited contact with government officials involved. Lastly, increased knowledge and information sharing between consumers and government officials helps to establish clear goals and a core set of mutually identified principles.
Priester, R., Hewitt, A., and Kane, R. (2006). State strategies to build and sustain consumer advocacy. Retrieved from http://www.hpm.umn.edu/ltcresourcecenter/research/rebalancing/attachments/topicpapers/Topic_1_Building_and_Sustaining_Consumer_Advocacy.pdf
NPs need to educate their patients! JMar