SSPRING 2012 ISSUE 4, VOLUME II

Transcription

1 San Diego Central Chapter Quarterly Newsletter SSPRING 2012 ISSUE 4, VOLUME II

2 President s Message Board of Directors President Michelle McCurdy President Elect Jan Sebring Treasurer Barbara Lome Secretary Eva Miller Education Chair Cheyenne Richardson Membership Chair Renaldo Barrios Health Policy & Practice Chair Susan Tancredi Marketing & Communications Chair Summer Tekippe Time to Renew? Renew Your Membership View Member Benefits State Newsletter Post or See Current Job Postings Dear members, This month marks the end of my term as president. I've learned so much from the experience and am particularly pleased to have had the opportunity to serve during such an exciting time in our profession. I thank the Board for their support and for being such a fun group with which to work. I also want to acknowledge Debra Palmer and Sue Hoyt for their encouragement in getting me involved in this eye-opening experience. The results of this month's election for our new BOD are included in this newsletter. I would like to extend a warm welcome to our two new board members - Carolyn Moss, our new Treasurer, and Vicki Mcleod, our new Secretary. I greatly applaud their willingness to serve - such members make it possible for us to grow and strengthen as a Chapter as well as an Association. I would also like to thank our out-going Secretary, Eva Miller, who has made some very creative contributions instrumental in strengthening our Chapter. Earlier this month, I was invited to speak to the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors about SB491. They are in the process of trying to decide whether or not to publicly support the bill. While this bill quite clearly is good for business - and I feel we made a strong case emphasizing that aspect of the bill - there is a distinct possibility they will either not support or not take a position as among them exist some vociferous opposition. The Executive Director has promised to keep me appraised so I will certainly pass on any updates I receive. Below is a link if you would like to read my comments: The fact that SB491 has made it this far is an extremely exciting turning point for the NP profession. Many important and influential groups as well as the public are finally paying attention

3 and are interested in understanding exactly what we do. That is why it is more important than ever that each of you become involved in contacting your local representatives and encourage your friends, family, and colleagues to do the same. The notices you receive from our State leadership make it extremely easy to do so - just literally takes a couple of clicks. The current political and healthcare climate is a unique opportunity which will likely not come again for some time. Generations of NPs worked extremely hard to get us to where we are today - and it is now our turn to advance our practice for the next generation. Warm Regards, Michelle More Detail on Legislative Updates Contact Your Legislator Newly Elected Board Members We are pleased to announce the election results of the open BOD positions. Please join us in welcoming Vicki Mcleod, our new secretary, Carolyn Moss, our new treasurer, and Barbara Lome, our new president elect and out-going treasurer. Carolyn Moss, FNP works in cardiology at the office of Dr. Alberto Chavira in San Marcos, CA and also works in internal medicine at the Logan Heights Clinic of Family Health Centers of San Diego. Prior to Delving into cardiology, she had 4 years of NP experience in family practice and internal medicine. She attended the University of California, San Francisco for both her RN and Masters and studied public health at Johns Hopkins University prior to that. Vicki Mcleod, DNP has been in nursing since Her clinical focus is mental health. She worked as adjunct faculty for USD (psych-mental health) and for National University (med-surg). She works per diem at Sharp Mesa Vista. Barbara Lome, DNP has been a nurse practitioner for over 10 years in San Diego and active member of CANP the entire time, serving on the board as secretary, treasurer and now president elect. Barbara currently works as a trauma nurse practitioner at Scripps Mercy, a role she personally championed and created.

4 Have any ideas for our newsletter? Contact Us Senate Passes SB 491; Bill Now Moves to Assembly Senate Bill 491 (Hernandez) was passed May 29, 2013 by the State Senate. It is one of three health reform-related bills intended to address California's medical provider gap. The proposal to remove practice barriers for nurse practitioners in California, allowing them to work autonomously without physician supervision, will now move to the State Assembly for consideration. The measure was approved by a Senate Floor voice vote of 21-12, the minimum needed for passage and for the bill to move to the Assembly. In response to concerns raised by a number of Senators, Senator Hernandez agreed to consider a number of amendments on the Assembly side. CANP will continue to engage in these discussions along with other stakeholders. Many thanks to the thousands of CANP members and allies who combined to send nearly 15,000 messages of support to Senators during the bill s progression through the upper house. The process will begin anew next month, when the bill is referred for its first Assembly policy committee hearing. Please continue to write and/or meet with your legislators If you are unsure in which Senate or Assembly District you reside, you may go to talking with your colleagues, and working with your CANP Central Chapter. ECG CEU Course More on NPs in the News San Diego Central Chapter is pleased to announce that we are working with Tanna Thomason, and will be offering a continuing education ECG review course Saturday morning, July 27 th from 8:30am-12:20pm. More information on registration will be forthcoming. The class will include review of common dysrhythmias, treatment priorities and quick review of STEMI and Non STEMI ECG changes on the 12 Lead ECG. We hope access to this class will be an added bonus to your membership with CANP. Membership Contest!

5 We are offering a contest to increase our chapter membership. The member who recruits the most new members from June 1st through July 1st will be given full reimbursement of the cost of the ECG course. If there is a tie for first place, the BOD will draw the name of the winner. If you recruit any new members, please inform Renaldo Barrios, Membership Chair of your name and the name of the new member. Renaldo can be contacted by at rbarriosnp@gmail.com. Membership Update June 30 means that many of us will have our memberships up for renewal. As of June 1 we have about 119 members which include 17 new members in the last 90 days. State wide we have about 2,558 members with about 16,000 NP's registered in the BRN, which means we need to reach to over 13,442 NP's in the state. I am asking my fellow Central San Diego 118 members to reach out and recruit every NP and remind them that if it wasn't for CANP we wouldn't have a voice in Sacramento. If anyone has any ideas on how to reach out to our fellow non CANP members and get them to sign up please contact me or anyone of your chapter leaders. Having said that, I want to thank you for continued support and welcome to our new members and returning members. Regards, Renaldo rbarriosnp@gmail.com Bill AB154 Seeks to Expand Providers of Abortions SACRAMENTO, Calif. Women could go to a medical professional other than a doctor to end some pregnancies under a bill advancing through the state Legislature. The bill by Assemblywoman Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, would allow nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives and physician's assistants to perform so-called aspiration abortions during the first trimester. The method involves inserting a tube and using suction to terminate a pregnancy. Atkins said her bill, AB154, would help expand access to abortion services in areas of the state that have few physicians. Half of California's counties do not have abortion providers, she said.

6 "The growing shortage of abortion providers creates a significant barrier for women's access," Atkins said. "Authorizing trained health professionals to provide early abortion services remove those barriers." Under a state pilot program created in 2007, 8,000 aspiration abortions have been provided by non-doctors. Four states Oregon, Montana, Vermont and New Hampshire already allow nurse practitioners to perform these abortions. Nurse practitioners also are allowed under state law to administer medicine to induce an abortion. Republicans said expanding who can perform abortions would increase the risk to patients. Comparing abortion to outpatient surgeries, they said women should have health professionals with the most training performing the abortion procedures. "Just because we are more rural, just because we are higher in poverty, does not mean we deserve less access to high-quality medical care," said Assemblywoman Kristin Olsen, R-Modesto. Atkins and other supporters said data from the trial showed both doctors and non-doctors performing the procedures with low error rates. The Assembly passed the legislation Tuesday on a vote of 48-24, with one Democrat, Assemblyman Rudy Salas of Bakersfield, joining Republicans in opposition. The bill now heads to the Senate. Outreach Planning Committee Wanted! The BOD is currently looking for anyone interested in forming a group of member volunteers to help organize outreach events; group 5k/walk/run, community education projects, volunteer opportunities, health fair booths, etc. If you are willing to help with outreach work please Marketing & Communications Chair Summer Tekippe at summertekippe@gmail.com. Education Committee wanted!

7 The BOD is currently looking for anyone interested in assisting the Membership Chair in educating NP students about CANP. This could include presentations at local NP programs, mentoring student CANP members and/or finding ways to increase student involvement in CANP events. If you are interested please contact the Membership Chair Renaldo Barrios at Connections Newsletter Connections is the California Association for Nurse Practitioners monthly electronic newsletter, delivering news about what s going on at every level of the organization, from individual chapters to statewide administration. It also includes items gleaned from the news media on topics of interest to CANP members. Link to recent Connections Newsletters! New CANP Website! CANP launched a new website in late spring which allows each chapter to have their own web page, discussion groups, event registration, and more. In addition, each member has a personal account allowing tracking of CEUs, joining or starting discussion groups and other features. To login, type in your address as your username, and the first letter of your first name followed your last name all in caps as your password. So if, for example, your name is Anne Shirley, your password would be ASHIRLEY. Legislative Update The number one way to have legislative impact is to contact your elected officials. Click here for tips on how to talk to your legislator. CANP follows bills that: 1. Affect NP s scope of practice, or that of other advanced practice nurses 2. List who may be reimbursed for a medical procedure or services

8 3. Define the practice of medicine or nursing 4. Deal with prescribing of drugs 5. Use the term physician instead of provider 6. Impact our patient population AB209 (Pan-D) Would require the State Department of Health Care Services to develop and implement a plan, as specified, to monitor, evaluate, and improve the quality and accessibility of health care and dental services provided through Medi-Cal managed care. The bill would require the department to hold quarterly public meetings to report on, among other things, performance measures and quality and access standards, and to invite public comments. The bill would be implemented to the extent that federal, private, or other non-general Fund moneys are available. SB62 (Price-D) Would expand provisions to require a coroner to make a report when he or she receives information that indicates a death may be the result of prescription drug use and to require the coroner to additionally file the report with the California State Board of Pharmacy. SB128 (Emmerson-R) Current law, the Health Care Professional Disaster Response Act, states findings of the legislature regarding the shortage of qualified health care practitioners during times of national or state disasters, and allows a physician and surgeon, whose license has been expired for less than 5 years ad who meets specified criteria, to obtain a license without paying fees. This bill would make a technical, non-substantive change to those provisions. SCR8 (DeSaulnier-D) This measure would proclaim the month of March, each year, as Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month and encourage all citizens to participate in prevention programs and activities and to pledge to Spread the Work One Pill Can Kill. Preceptors Needed! Several students have come to us expressing concerns regarding difficulty finding clinical placements. While taking on a student can be challenging given today s stressful pace, keep in mind the myriad benefits including, the opportunity to try out a potential employee, keeping appraised of the most recent research, earning enough free CEUs to satisfy license renewal requirements,

9 developing strong relationships with future NPs in the community, and the gratification that comes with teaching and knowing you are playing a vital role in advancing our profession. If you are interested in becoming a preceptor, please contact us. News and Articles of Interest

10 Some of My Best Friends Are Germs Expanding the Role of Advanced Nurse Practitioners-Risks and Rewards Scope of Practice Bills Sail Out of Senate See Events Page