President s Message: Angie Millan, MSN, RNP, CNS

Transcription

1 May 2011 The Hispanic Nurses TM Volume 5, No. 2 In this Issue 2011 NAHN Annual Conference...5 Calendar of Events...4 Get Involved!...4 Health Policy...6 Industry Trends...8 NAHN Mentoring Academy...5 NAHN Headquarters...3 NAHN Ambassadors...3 NAHN Chapter Tidbits...4 NAHN Job Board...4 NAHN Members in the News...2 Nursing News...6 Research Report...6 Save the Date!...7 Student Scholarships...4 President s Message: Angie Millan, MSN, RNP, CNS your voice is being heard. Happy National Nurses Week! We should all be proud to celebrate National Nurses week this month. I am sure you all heard that according to a recent poll released on December 3, 2010, nurses once again outranked other professionals in ratings for honesty and ethics by a wide margin and for the 11 th year. Each year, in honor of Florence Nightingale s birthday, a week is set aside to celebrate nursing and nurses and acknowledge the contributions they make to the healthcare of the nation. At the bedside, in community clinics, hospitals, in the classroom, as mentors, in the military, your role as a nurse is being recognized and We have all heard about the future roles we will be asked to play in national healthcare reform and in implementating the recommendations of the IOM report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. I am sure you are all asking, how can we become involved in the Campaign for Action? The campaign message is that all nurses can and should be leaders because leadership at every level is what is needed to ensure safe and high-quality care. This means that nurses should be involved in making decisions about patient care and other aspects of healthcare delivery in their workplaces and in professional organizations and with policymakers. You, as nurses, know what is best for your patients and should use your power to voice your opinions and concerns. So as we celebrate this week, each in our own workplaces, let s take time out and recognize your own individual contributions to NAHN as members, board members, chapter presidents, and committee members. I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for all your time, commitment, and dedication to NAHN! As you know without you our organization could not exist and continue to grow! Advancing the dream through diverse nursing leaders. Sincerely, Angie Millan, MSN, RNP, CNS President, NAHN 1

2 NAHN at a Glance... the official publication of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses 2 OFFICERS President Angie Millan, MSN, RNP, CNS Vice-President Rosario Medina-Shepherd, PhD, ARNP, FNP-BC, ACNP Secretary Fortuna Borrego, RN, MSN Treasurer Paloma Garza, RN, MPH, FNP-C President Elect Jose Alejandro, RN-BC, MSN, MBA, CCM, ACHE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Founder Emeritus ( ) Ildaura Murillo-Rohde, PhD, RN, FAAN Awards & Scholarships Miriam Mimi Gonzalez, BS, RN Bylaws Adelita G. Cantu, PhD, RN Membership Sonia Valdez, RN, BSN, CVRN Policy Maria E Ruiz, PhD, RN, FNP-BC Development Mirian Zavala, MS, RN, Doctoral Candidate Public Relations Margaret Avila, MSN, MS, RN/NP, PHN Nominating Anabell Castro-Thompson, MSN, RN, ANP-C STAFF Executive Director & CEO Celia Trigo Besore, MBA, CAE Administrative Associate Margaret Farrell 1455 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 400 Washington, DC Fax info@thehispanicnurses.org National Association of Hispanic Nurses - All rights reserved Jose Alejandro Sylvia Gonzalez Members in the News Jose Alejandro, RN-BC, MSN, MBA, CCM, FACHE (Dallas Chapter) recently became a Fellow of the America College of Healthcare Executives, the nation s leading professional society for healthcare leaders. The FACHE credential signifies board certification in healthcare management and ACHE fellow status. Congratulations, Jose, on earning such a distinguished credential. Retired NAHN member Hector Hugo Gonzalez (San Antonio Chapter) provided an oral history of his career on video for the Nursing Archives at the Institute of Texan Cultures housed at the University of San Antonio (Hemisfair Campus). Sylvia Gonzalez, RN (NY Chapter) was chosen as the February 2011 Employee of the Month at Ambulatory Care Network at Audobon Practice. Sylvia is truly and asset and someone patients have grown to trust and rely on, said Audobon Practice Administrator Kim Moore. Luz Huntington-Moskos, MS, RN, CPN, PhD Student (National Member) was featured in the University of Alabama-Birmingham s School of Nursing magazine. Luz was a 2010 recipient of the Avanzamos con Ayuda de United Health Foundation Scholarship, awarded by NAHN. Dr. Norma Martinez Rogers, PhD, RN, FAAN (San Antonio Chapter) has been chosen by the National Diversity Council as one of 20 Most Powerful and Influential Woman of Texas The award was presented on April 7th in Dallas. Congratulations, Norma. Paul Ocon, RN, FACHE (El Paso Chapter) has been named Chief Nursing Officer at El Paso Children s Hospital. He will oversee all nursing functions in the pediatric facility. Ocon has 24 years of experience in pediatric nursing. Elsie Soto Mirian Zavala (l.-r.): Angeles Valenciano, Texas Diversity Council Vice President of Business Development; Dr. Martinez Rogers; Dennis Kennedy, founder and CEO of the Texas Diversity Council Elsie Soto, RN (NY Chapter) has been named 2011 Clinician of the Year by the Visiting Nurse Associations of America. She has also twice received VSNY s (Visiting Nurse Service of New York) highest honor as the most outstanding nurse in Acute care, Manhattan region and was featured in the April edition of Nursing Spectrum magazine. Dan Suarez, RN, MA, (NY Chapter), was featured in the Meet our Staff column in Nursing Spectrum magazine s April issue. Dan is the associate director of sales for the New York region of Nursing Spectrum and handles recruitment advertising for the magazine and maintains working relationships with local healthcare recruiters and CNOs. Mirian Zavala, DNSc, MS, RN (NY Chapter) was featured in the Profiles in Health Care Leadership column on the Champion Nursing website. Mirian is a university clinical professor and is currently earning a Doctorate of Nursing Science in health at Pace University. NOTE: We would love to hear from you next! Share your successes with all of us by ing info@thehispanicnurses.org

3 NAHN Ambassadors You are the best marketer for NAHN membership! Become a NAHN Ambassador by recruiting new members. There was a tie for most members recruited in this cycle (February-April). Congratulations to Norma and Corina! Corina Chick (Valle del Sol, Phoenix) AZ): 10 new members Dr. Norma Martinez Rogers (San Antonio): 10 new members The runners up were: Angie Millan (Los Angeles) : 9 new members Maria Krol (Connecticut): 8 new members Angelica Flores (Los Angeles): 7 new members Note: Make sure new members write your name on the application where it says Member Ambassador and Referred by. NAHN Headquarters Update New Staff at NAHN The National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) is delighted to announce the hiring of Margaret Farrell as Administrative Associate. Margaret is a recent graduate of the George Washington University s School of Media and Public Affairs in Washington, DC. Previous to coming to NAHN, Margaret studied abroad in Ecuador. She completed an Independent Study project on the topic of Traditional Midwifery in Ecuador, which included living and working with a midwife. Margaret is fluent in Spanish and enjoys practicing her language skills. As the daughter of a dedicated nurse in Buffalo, N.Y., Margaret has admiration for nurses and the important work that they do. Margaret started at NAHN on March 1, She will handle membership and chapter support, as well as other duties as needed. She can be reached at mfarrell@thehispanicnurses.org. NAHN Membership Database We are very excited to inform you that we have completed the conversion of our 127-column membership spreadsheet to a fully-functional relational database. While going through the conversion process, we discovered that some members had multiple records; some members shared the same ID, etc. While we have cleaned up the database extensively, we recognize that this will be a multi-month process. Coming in the future will be the ability for members to update their own records by accessing a password-protected area on the NAHN website. We hope this will improve the data quality. In the next phases of the database deployment, membership records will be automatically created/updated when joining or renewing on-line and we will be able to sell NAHNbranded merchandise online. Chapters will also be able to have an area on the database where they can post agendas, minutes, etc. These new database features will make NAHN more efficient and effective. These activities will be phased in one at a time in the following months. NAHN to Offer By-laws Webinar Please join us for a one-hour NAHN Webinar on the 2010 proposed NAHN By-laws on Thursday, May 19th at 9:00pm EDT / 8:00pm CDT / 6:00pm PDT. Ms. Adelita G. Cantu, PhD, RN, Chair of the NAHN By-laws Committee, will explain the proposed changes to the Bylaws that were presented in Washington, DC during the 2010 Annual Conference in July 2010 (see These proposed By-laws were tabled and not rejected or approved at the Business Meeting. Therefore, the NAHN Bylaws committee under Dr. Adelita Cantu will put them out for a vote at the 2011 Annual Conference Business Meeting in Las Vegas on July 21,2011. The purpose of this webinar is to assist us in understanding these proposed bylaws and to allow us to cast an informed vote. Also present in the call will be NAHN President Angie Millan, MSN, RNP, CNS and NAHN Legal Counsel Tom Hyatt. There will be a Q&A session at the end of the webinar. I would like you to submit your questions ahead of time so that Dr Cantu can reply to as many questions as possible. Since the webinar will be recorded, we encourage anyone who can t make the webinar s initial broadcast to also send in questions ahead of time to be addressed during the Q&A session. Please send your questions to director@thehispanicnurses.org. To sign-up for the webinar, please visit: NAHN Webinars NAHN will soon be able to offer free webinars to our members. NAHN President Angie Millan is exploring being able to offer Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for these webinars. If you are interested in becoming one of our presenters, please let Celia Besore know, as well as the topic for the webinar at cbesore@thehispanicnurses.org NAHN Awards Deadline Extended It is not too late to nominate yourself or someone special to one of NAHN s prestigious Awards to be presented at the Annual NAHN Conference. The Award Application Packet is available at AwardsApplicationForms.doc. Deadline is June 1,

4 NAHN Chapter Tidbits New Chapter Boards Illinois Chapter President: Adrianna Nava, RN, BSN Vice President: Isis Reyes Secretary: Elizabette Nava, RN, BSN Treasurer: Nancy Garcia-Naranjo, RN, BSN Portland Oregon Chapter President:Judy Ulibarri, RN, BSN Vice President: Alicia Guzman, RN, BSN, MBA Secretary: Patricia Solis, RN, MSN, MBA, HCA Treasurer:Veronica Gonzalez, RN, BSN Assistant Treasurer: Maria Solaita, RN, BSN Congratulations and good luck to the new boards. Thanks also to the departing officers! NAHN Portland Video on Youtube NAHN s Portland, Oregon Chapter has worked with Univision to create a Public Service Announcement (PSA) promoting NAHN. The commercial is now on Youtube and was produced with support from the Northwest Health Foundation, Oregon Center for Nursing, and the Portland Medical Center-Veterans Affairs. Spanish version: English version: NOTE: We would love to feature YOUR Chapter next!!! Share your successes with all of us by ing them to nahnnews@thehispanicnurses.org. Calendar of Events NY Chapter Hosts Dinner Dance Fundraiser 4 Scholarship Dinner Dance at TIAN at the Riverbank Restaurant 145th Street and Henry Hudson Parkway, N. Y., N. Y. May 19, :00pm to 10:30 pm Join us for dinner, dancing, auction and most of all to help raise funds for Nursing Student Scholarships. $70 per person includes: cocktail hour, dinner, dessert, wine, music and dancing. Come take your work shoes off, put your dancing shoes on and share in another wonderful fun filled event. If you are new in our circle of friends, we invite you to soak in the beautiful view of our NYC landscape, experience the Latino culture. Let us break bread together and get to know each other and discuss our culture, its people, and the Association s vision for the future. RSVP to Hilda Morales at hmorales13@msn.com or Maria Elena Pina Fonti at pinafonti.nynahn@gmail.com. Get Involved! Join the NAHN Public Relations Committee Margaret Avila, MSN, MS, RN/NP, PHN, chairperson of the PR Committee, is seeking a member from the Northwest (Washington or Oregon) and a member from the Midwest to join the committee. Please contact Margaret Avila at mavila04@gmail.com to volunteer. NAHN Job Board Did you know that NAHN s Career Headquarters has some wonderful job openings in many different positions around the U. S.? If you or someone you know is looking for a new opportunity, don t forget to check out jobpress/. Below are some of the most recent jobs. Night/Evening Registered Nurse (2 Positions Available) at Boston Health Care for the Homeless Programs (Boston, MA) Nurse Practitioner, Bilingual (English/Spanish) at Temple Physicians Inc. (Philadelphia, PA) Chief Nursing Officer at Holy Cross Hospital (Fort Lauderdale, FL) Clinical Applications Specialist - Monitoring Solutions at GE Healthcare (Indiana or Ohio) Also, don t forget to encourage your employer to post job openings on the NAHN Career Headquarter page!! Our fees are very reasonable and the money collected benefits YOU, our members! Student Scholarship Available HRSA Nursing Scholarship Program The Health Resources and Services Administration s (HRSA) Nursing Scholarship Program (NSP) application cycle is now open. What is the NSP? The NSP awards scholarships to students enrolled or accepted for enrollment in accredited RN training programs. Scholarship recipients receive tuition, fees, other education-

5 al costs and a living stipend in exchange for at least 2 years of post graduation service at a health care facility with a critical shortage of nurses. Who is Eligible to Apply? U.S. citizens (born or naturalized), nationals or lawful permanent residents enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a professional RN program (baccalaureate, graduate, associate degree, or diploma) at an accredited school of nursing located in a U.S. state or territory may apply. How Does Someone Apply? Visit to learn more about the program and begin the application process. Applications are due on June 1, 2011 by 5:00pm EDT. Source: HRSA Nursing Scholarship Program , 4/18/11 National Association of Hispanic Nurses Mentorship Academy By: Vivian Torres-Suarez, Academy Director The National Association of Hispanic Nurses Mentorship Academy has been preparing for the Pre-Conference Session scheduled for July 19th, We have received more than 12 applications for the mentors and more than 6 for the protégés. The mentors are from various locations throughout the nation, such as Texas, Maryland, New York, Massachusetts, Arizona and Oregon. They have a vast wealth of knowledge with experience in community health, nursing administration, women s health, case management, and academia. The Academy is designed to assist in the development of a mentoring relationship that will support participants in setting and advancing their career goals. The process will begin with the 3 hour pre-conference session where the protégés will have the opportunity to select a mentor though a Speed Networking session. During the year-long process which will include monthly interactions with the protégé, the mentor will guide, support, coach, and inspire the protégés to achieve the goals that they have set. Mentors will encourage protégés to put their ideas into action and allow the protégé to draw on the mentor s experience. The process will be monitored and reported back to the Advisory Board. The National Association of Hispanic Nurses Mentorship Academy created an advisory board to provide guidance, support and act as a resource and mentor to the development of the academy. I would like to thank each one of them for their contributions and support. The NAHN Mentorship Academy Advisory Board members are Wanda Montalvo, Caroline Ortiz, Jennifer Figueroa, Elsie Soto, Michele Crespo-Fierro, Helen Ballestas and Dan Suarez. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) Future of Nursing report (2010) has challenged us all to mentor those that come after us to guide them to excel in the nursing profession. Douglas M. Lawson said We exist temporarily through what we take, NAHN President Angie Millan was invited by House of Representatives Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to participate at a press conference celebrating the first-year anniversary of the passage of the Affordable Care Act. Angie is standing behind Leader Pelosi. Also attending the event were Arilma St. Clair (first right on the second row) and Carmen Ramirez from the NAHN DC Chapter (second right on the second row). but we live forever through what we give. This is what the mentorship academy will focus on giving back to others and sharing from our own experiences with the protégés. The NAHN Mentorship Academy is poised and ready to accept the challenge to mentor our Hispanic nurses to excel in the nursing profession and improve the healthcare of our Hispanic communities NAHN Annual Conference Save the date: July 19-22, 2011 Registration Now Open Join us on July 19-22, 2011 at the Flamingo/Harrah s Las Vegas Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada for the 36th NAHN Annual Conference: Assessing and Advocating for Equality and Quality for Hispanic Health Care from Health Care Reform. Registration is now open for the meeting. To register for the conference, visit Early-bird registration deadline is June 1, To receive a discount on registration, please join the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) at before registering online. Conference Hotel To make your reservations call Don t forget to specify the group rate for NAHN. The Flamingo Hotel is a self-contained casino and resort offering everything an adventurous conference attendee could want; including a Wildlife Habitat and a 15-acre Caribbeanstyle water playground. Set on the famous four corners of Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road, this hotel com- 5

6 bines heart-pounding Las Vegas excitement with hospitality and service that s second to none. Exhibitor/Sponsor Information The Exhibitor/Sponsorship Prospectus is available on the NAHN website. Exhibitors and Sponsors may sign up online. Health Policy & Legislative Affairs Affordable Care Act: One Year Later, Reducing Health Disparities By Mirian Zavala, DNSc,MS, RN Slightly more than one year has passed since President Obama signed into law the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services Department stated, children are now protected from being turned away by insurers because of pre-existing condition and seniors enrolled in Medicare now have the freedom to get preventive care-such as mammograms and colonoscopies-for free. ACA addresses healthcare disparities by requiring the states Medicaid program to focus on preventive and wellness care, offering immunizations and Americans with Medicare benefits can receive personalized preventive plan of care. Community health centers will provide health care to approximately double the number of clients and many more small businesses will be able to provide health insurance which ameliorates the health care disparity. ACA serves as a foundation for initiatives undertaken by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). HHS Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities was announced on April 8, This action plan provides clear directions to guide the public and private sectors to reduce health disparities. In addition, this initiative will focus on making preventive healthcare and wellness healthcare a national priority. The commitment between the HHS Action Plan and America is to have a nation free of disparities in health and healthcare. This will be accomplished by HHS monitoring the outcomes of programs and policies impacting racial and ethnic healthcare disparities. 6 US Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments on Physician Prescriber Data Law On April 26, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case, Sorrel v. IMS Health. The case relates to a Vermont law that bars drug companies from obtaining and using a doctor s prescribing data for marketing purposes unless the doctor grants prior permission for companies to use the data IMS Health and other data mining firms collect this data and sell it to manufacturers The suit was brought by three data-mining companies and PhRMA, claiming the law violated their free-speech right by imposing restrictions on a form of commercial speech A federal judge upheld the law, but an appeals court ruled 2 to 1 that it violated First Amendment protections Source: Alliance Development and Philanthropy US Health Policy News Update Nursing News Hospitals Focus on Nurse-Doctor Teamwork to Reduce Errors Hospitals are implementing a handful of initiatives to reduce medical errors and avoid missed or delayed diagnosis. Abington Memorial Hospital in Philadelphia is ensuring that both a nurse and a doctor will see patients jointly, while Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston has implemented a trigger system that checks five vital signs during triage. Sixteen hospitals participating in a project by Crico/RMF Strategies will organize emergency departments into different areas, among other strategies, to boost nurse-doctor communication. Source: ANA SmartBrief, 5/10/11 Research Report Growth in U.S. Drug Spending Slows Hits $307 Billion in 2010 IMS released its final assessment of 2010 drug spending, revealing a substantial slow-down in growth to 2.3% versus 5.1% in The IMS report, The Use of Medicines in the United States, Review of 2010 includes the following information regarding the pharmaceutical industry: Total drug spending in 2010 reached $307.4 billion last year vs. $300 billion in 2009 Total spending on branded pharmaceuticals declined by 0.7% while spending on generics increased by 21.7% The number of prescriptions dispensed grew by 1.2% to 3.99 billion prescriptions The percentage of prescriptions dispensed through commercial coverage decreased to 63%, while total prescriptions through government Medicare and Medicaid programs grew to 30%. The Medicare Part D segment had stronger growth of 6.4% in dispensed prescriptions and represented 22% of all prescriptions in Spending on small-molecule drugs increased by 0.5% to $240 billion while spending on biologic drugs increased by 6.6% to $67 billion. Source: Alliance Development and Philanthropy US Health Policy News Update, May 5, 2011.

7 Lifestyle Has Not Been Proven to Alter Alzheimer s Risk According to an NIH panel, while several studies on links between Alzheimer s disease and lifestyle changes are available, the evidence is insufficient to conclude that lifestyle interventions would reduce the risk for the illness, said. Report: Mississippi Has Worst Eating Habits in the U.S. The panel said old age and family history are still the most reliable indicators of Alzheimer s risk, noting a need for large, longterm, population-targeted investigations on how to slow or stop Alzheimer s progression. Mississippi ranked last among 10 States with the Deadliest Eating Habits, according to a study on unhealthy food consumption. Alabama ranked second-to-last. People in Alabama consume an average of 77 gallons of soft drinks annually and spend $649 on fast food per person each year, according to researchers. Source: ANA SmartBrief, 5/9/11 Source: ANA SmartBrief, 3/31/11 Hot Flashes Can Last for More Than 11 Years A study involving almost 400 women found that hot flashes lasted an average of 11.5 years and moderate to severe symptoms lasted an average of almost 10 years -- more than double previous assumptions. Women who experienced hot flashes at an earlier age and before menopause suffered longer, while African-american and normal-weight women reported having more moderate to severe hot flashes, according to the study in the Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Industry News New Alternative Medicine Online Resource The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has launched a new online resource, nccam.nih.gov/health/providers, specifically designed to give healthcare providers easy access to evidence-based information on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). This portal is tailored to fit the needs of all healthcare providers physicians, nurses and nurse practitioners, physi- Source: ANA SmartBrief, 5/8/11 7

8 cian assistants, and CAM providers. It includes information on the safety and efficacy of a range of common health practices that lie outside of mainstream medicine natural products such as dietary supplements, herbs, and probiotics as well as mindbody practices such as meditation, chiropractic, acupuncture, and massage. With this new resource, NCCAM hopes that you will now have the tools necessary to learn about the various CAM practices and products and be better able to discuss the safety and effectiveness of CAM with your patients. For more information, please visit Chemical Policy Reform: Nurses Must Say YES By Barbara Sattler, RN, DrPH, FAAN Over the last several years, we have all been hearing and reading about toxic chemicals that are in a variety of products that we use every day. Bisphenol A (BPA), flame retardants (PBDEs), and phthalates are hazardous chemicals that can be found in our foods, mattresses, baby pacifiers, and personal care products, respectively. The range of health risks that they create include cancer, infertility, and a host of endocrine-related problems. States around the country are passing legislation to ban these and other individual and categories of toxic chemicals. I invite you to join me and other nurses who are working with the national campaign for safer chemicals ( by working with the Advocacy and Policy Work Group of the new Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments ( In our daily work, we care for people when they are at their most vulnerable. We need to add another element to our professional practice a concurrent engagement in an effort that is truly designed to prevent diseases. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has been sampling urine and blood from a cross-section of Americans for the presence of toxic chemicals. They ve been finding that we are awash in chemicals that are associated with cancer, birth defects, neurological disorders, learning disabilities, depression, and a broad range of other common and uncommon diseases. These chemicals should never be found in the human body. They are clearly trespassing. HHS Announces Plan to Reduce Health Disparities The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on April 8, 2011 launched a strategic plan aimed at reducing health disparities. Goals of the HHS Action Plan include transforming health care and expanding access, building on the provisions of the Affordable Care Act related to expanded insurance coverage and increased access to care. The plan also calls for more opportunities to increase the number of students from populations underrepresented in the health professions, train more people in medical interpretation to help serve patients with a limited command of English, and train community workers to help people navigate the system. For the first time, the United States has a coordinated road map designed to give everyone the chance to live a healthy life, said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. We all need to work together to combat this persistent problem so that we can build healthier communities and a stronger nation. Local groups can use the National Stakeholder Strategy to identify which goals are most important for their communities and adopt the most effective strategies and action steps to help reach them. For more information about the plans and the National Partnership for Action, visit: Don t forget to send us your news! Next newsletter will be published in August Source: Dr. Sattler is Professor, Director of the Environmental Health Education Center at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. She also serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE). Thanks to Dr. Norma Martinez Rogers for submitting this article. 8