MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Transcription

1 Volume XV Number 2 Online Edition 15 ELEANOR HOBBS, PH.D., ANP, Editor MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT I hope you are all having a good summer thus far. The weather has been mild and enjoyable with some occasional scattered rain showers (during the week and not on the weekend). Hopefully it will stay this way through the summer! Hopefully everyone knows that Governor Cuomo signed the NP Modernization Act into NYS law. The Governor placed this in his budget last year and again this year. This year it passed. We thank the Governor and the NYS Assembly and Senate as well as all NP s, their families, friends, and patients who supported this effort (and everyone else who supported this legislation). As of January 1, 2015, experienced NP s, regardless of specialty, will no longer be required to have either a signed written practice agreement or send practice protocols to the State Education Department. NP s will still maintain relationships with physicians to collaborate and discuss any issues regarding the care of individuals being seen. This is what we do now when we consult others. This would usually through verbal communication, as needed, which is consistent with Medicare s billing requirements. For more detailed information, please go to our website at I want to thank all of you who attended our annual conference this past April all 375 of you! It was sold out by mid-february! Wendy Wright and Margaret Fitzgerald did an outstanding job once again providing up-to-date clinical information about a myriad of topics. We used Survey Monkey to collect the post conference evaluations and provide attendance certificates. This went extremely well with approximately only 8-10 individuals having a glitch or two with the system. However, that is not bad out of 375! This provided a more efficient way to collect the evaluations and review the responses. Although we had finished another successful annual conference for 2014 under the leadership of Debra Chalmers, Chair of the Annual Conference and Programs Committees, the preparations for the 2015 annual conference started on the following Monday. You may not believe it, but the work of creating and preparing for the next conference starts immediately. The work Debra is required to do for both the conference and monthly dinner meetings is the busiest of all the committees on our Board. Thus, why do any of us volunteer to participate in the NPALI at the leadership level? Whether you are in an elected role or participate as a nonelected member on the Board of Directors or serve on a committee, we are all volunteers. Wilson (2000) defines volunteering as any activity in which time is given freely to benefit another person, group, or cause. Those of us involved on the NPALI Board and in committee work are committed to the role of the Nurse Practitioner (our group or cause) through education, scholarship, research, community service, communication (Advocate, our website, pubic relations, awards), legislation, and the desire to share our vision, mission, and goals to potential and current members through our volunteer efforts. Wilson mentions that there is a difference between being an active participant in a voluntary association from volunteering. The former consumes the goods the organization provides whereas the latter produces the goods. We are all aware of this. However, it also should be noted that those who produce the goods have an opportunity to make a difference for the group or cause, they volunteer for. This is a powerful statement! Oftentimes we may think we don t have the experience or enough knowledge about an issue

2 to get involved. However, this is probably the farthest from the truth! Why? The first time I was President of this organization in 2004 I did not know how to be President of the NPALI. I learned from being on the Board itself and with the help from those who preceded me as well as the other Board members. There was active, kind and thoughtful support. This is true for any position, whether voluntary or non-voluntary, that an individual participates in for the first time. There is a learning curve in anything a person chooses to do. Remember starting to practice as a novice NP? The same occurs when volunteering to participate in an organization for the first time in a leadership role (Board member, committee chair or committee member). I know that many of you already volunteer in other organizations such as your children s school, a committee at work, a church event, or a cause that is important to you. However, we also know that many individuals do not volunteer for various reasons that include: scarcity of resources (time, money, transportation, child care, or health), lack of proper skills (not knowing if they have the skill or can learn the required skill), and/or have little or no motivation (Sundeen, Raskoff, and Garcia, 2007). So, what are some reasons that individuals volunteer? Morrow-Howell, Kinnevy, and Mann (1999) state that the benefits of volunteering fall into four domains: 1) increased social interaction with others; 2) increased productivity; 3) increased life satisfaction; and, 4) being given a chance to experience new endeavors. In their research, the participants in their study perceived the benefits they received in the following order: 1) the opportunity to participate in a new endeavor, 2) feeling of well being and life satisfaction, and 3) at the same level both the increased social interaction with others and productivity or the ability to make a difference. Are you interested in any of the many benefits of volunteering mentioned above? If so, choose to do some volunteer work whether with our chapter or with another organization that you are passionate about. If you want to participate in the NPALI, you can easily start at the committee level. Most committees meet 2-3 times a year and do make quite a bit of difference in other s lives. Just ask anyone on the Community Service committee or the Scholarship Committee! Others who have volunteer experience may want to participate at a more engaged level on the Board. Notice has been sent out this past week about positions that are available on the Board of Directors. Throw your hat into the ring! As a Nurse Practitioner we are all leaders and experts in our field (whether we see this in ourselves or not)! Do most, if not all, of your patients listen to you and follow your suggestions for treatment and management of their care? If you respond yes to this, then you are a leader. Reflect on how you can utilize your leadership skills as a volunteer. You are intelligent, caring, professional, and compassionate Nurse Practitioners and I ask that you continue to lead in this time of change for our profession in New York State as a volunteer. Join us at the annual New York State Fair in August. It is always fun and exciting. There are many opportunities to volunteer in our profession to profile what a Nurse Practitioner is. Something we still need to educate the public about. Yes, the summer is getting off to a good start. I am truly proud to be your President and thank you for your support of our organization and many causes we participate in. Bruce S. Zitkus, EdD, APRN, ANP-BC, FNP-BC, CDE References Morrow-Howell, N., Kinnevy, S., and Mann, M. (1999). The perceived benefits of participating in volunteer and educational activities. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 32(2): 65-80, DOI: /J083v32n Sundeen, R.A., Raskoff, S.A., & Garcia, M.C. (2007). Differences in perceived barriers to volunteering to formal organizations: Lack of time versus lack of interest. Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 17(3), Wilson, J. (2000). Volunteering. Annual Review of Sociology 26: COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMITTEE The Community Service Committee continues to be a very active committee with different activities planned for almost every month. Since the last report we have collected for several deserving organizations. In March, we collected items needed for our Soldiers. The collection brought to Leslie DeMarco, of the Blue Star Mothers $80.00 donated and $89.00 from the 50/50. That money was used to purchase more items. They greatly 2

3 appreciate our donations and our remembering the soldiers (their children). In April, we enjoyed another amazing conference at the Crest Hollow. The NPA Board works tirelessly and it is greatly appreciated. In May, our collection was for the Suffolk County Coalition against Domestic Violence. NPALI members brought many needed items. We had $ in cash donations, and $ from the 50/50 additionally donated. In June, we collected School Supplies for Long Island Cares. The items collected were brought to their site in Hauppauge. The 50/50 money as well as money specifically donated will be sent to their organization to purchase more school supplies. As always, we thank all our members who are so generous with their donations. They truly are appreciated. Hope you all have a great summer. See you in the fall at the 50/50 table. The Community Service committee will meet again in September. We always welcome anyone interested in joining our committee. If you are interested in joining us, please contact Debbie at or Liz at Debbie Deierlein & Elizabeth Kollar PROGRAM COMMITTEE Practice Issues 2014: Critical Issues & Clinical Updates for Nurse Practitioners, held on Friday, April 11, 2014, at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury sold out in just a few weeks, as in prior years. The member s only policy has really helped to keep our membership numbers robust, and boosts morale for our loyal chapter members, who shouldn t lose out to nonmembers. Practice Issues 2015 will again be at the Crest Hollow on Friday, April 17, 2015, so mark your calendars now! Anticoagulation to Reduce the Risk of Stroke in Patients with Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation held January 23, 2014, was our only non-ce Networking meeting this year, and was at capacity despite the heavy snowstorm just days before. Hepatitis C Update, held in March at the Fox Hollow, Evidence Based Approach to Lumbar Spinal Stenosis, held in May at Insignia, and Treatment of Myelodysplastic Syndromes, held at the Watermill in June were all CE meetings, and all were at capacity. Thanks to all of you for your generous PAC donations in June. The fall schedule of dinner meetings will be posted on the web site in late summer, and announcements will be sent out. Please remember that it is almost impossible to accommodate last minute requests to attend these meetings, as venues typically need a confirmed head count at least a week in advance, so please plan ahead. Debra A. Chalmers, MA, ANP-BC LEGISLATIVE ISSUES As everyone has heard, The Nurse Practitioner Modernization Act was passed by having it inserted into the state budget at the request of Governor Mario Cuomo. With the passage of the state budget on 3/31/14 mandatory written collaboration will no longer be required for NPs with 2 years of full time experience. Written practice protocols or quarterly audits will also no longer be required. There will be a regulation for a statement that the NP will collaborate that will only be placed in a file at the place of employment, or office, or wherever the NP chooses to file it if that NP has a private practice. It will not name any names of a collaborator. It will only state that the NP agrees to collaborate. Additionally, some sort of attestation is necessary to comply with Medicare regulations. The NPA is actively engaged with the NYS education department to develop this document and it is expected to be a simple check-off list. While The NPA has already had several meetings regarding the development of the attestation form with the State Education Department, the NPA wholly expects there to be controversy on the final version. It is well known that organized medicine is attempting to exert pressure in the regulatory realm where they were unable to do so legislatively. Mary Beth Koslap-Petraco attended the AANP Health Policy Conference in Washington, DC on behalf of the NPALI. The conference covered the mechanics of how a bill becomes law, the lobby process, and the federal legislative agenda. Lobby visits were made to Senator Chuck 3

4 Schumer (himself), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (legislative assistant), and Congressman Peter King (legislative assistant since the congressman was called out to a meeting just minutes before we arrived). Senator Schumer, Senator Gillibrand, and Congressman King have ALL signed on to support the home health care bill. The Washington lobby visits were very fruitful! The NPA Capitol Day was held on Tuesday May 6, 2014 in Albany. Susan Marks, Pat Sullivan, and Mary Beth Koslap-Petraco represented NPALI. There was a planning session in the morning before the visits began to go over the Talking Points and meet The NPA lobbyists and discuss what the objective is for the day. Dr. Joy Elwell summarized the journey to get the NP Modernization Act passed which showed how much work was involved with getting the bill passed. Joy thanked all of the members present as well as all of the members throughout the state who worked so hard to see this legislation passed. All of the lobby visits were seen as a victory lap to thank the legislators for their support in getting the NP Modernization act passed. The legislators were very surprised and pleased to have The NPA members visit just to thank them. The battle is not yet over. The NPA will be setting the updated legislative agenda. Mary Beth Koslap-Petraco, DNP, PNP Legislative Affairs Chair, NPALI PUBLIC RELATIONS The summer event season is off to a great start. I recently attended the East Meadow Community Pride Day to provide a presence for the NPALI. We were able to distribute information to over 300 attendees and interact one on one with many of them. I am pleased to see that more people are reporting having personally received care from an NP, and that they are happy with their care. We received warm welcomes from our supporters such as Norma Gonsalves, Presiding Officer of the Nassau County legislature, and Tom McKevitt, NYS Legislator. I was surprised by a visit from NYS Senator Kemp Hannon when he approached our table. He remembered me from my lobby visit with Peg O Donnell last fall. I took the opportunity to thank him for his support for the current budget including the passage of the NPMA component. We had a positive conversation regarding the benefits of this transition to our community, patients and local economy. We have a lovely picture with him joining me in front of our NPALI bannered table. I look forward to other equally productive events this summer and fall event seasons. Apparently our pens write really well because quite a few people have specifically sought me out to tell me how much they love our pens, and that some family member or co-worker (one was even a physician) swiped theirs and can they have a new one. This is exactly what we re looking for, brand identification. For people to remember us, to seek us out, to associate an identity with Nurse Practitioners, even if it s through a favorite pen start small and work up to bigger and better. It s the little things that people remember and that can create the greater connection with them. We are completing creation of an informational brochure for the NPALI to provide a written resource for distribution during lobby visits and other public interactions. Please remember to let us know when an NP is involved in noteworthy activities, big or small, so we can continue to highlight, recognize, and support, our achievements and contributions to our communities. Pictures are always welcome. Thanks to everyone who has given me info on community events for which we can provide an NPALI presence. Please continue to send me info and notices regarding any opportunities, regardless of how small, as grass roots is key and I miss opportunities simply because I don t know about them. Thanks for your help. Susan Marks, MS, RN, ANP-C Chairperson, Public Relations SMarks4NP@gmail.com 4

5 NYS Senator Kemp Hannon, 6th District & Susan Marks, MS, RN, ANP-C, Nurse Practitioner Association of Long Island chairperson for Public Relations at the East Meadow Community Pride Day, June 7th, NYS Assemblyman Tom McKevitt, District 17 & Susan Marks, MS, RN, ANP-C, Nurse Practitioner Association of Long Island chairperson for Public Relations at the East Meadow Community Pride Day, June 7th, Norma Gonsalves, Presiding Officer of the Nassau County Legislature & Susan Marks, MS, RN, ANP-C, Nurse Practitioner Association of Long Island chairperson for Public Relations at the East Meadow Community Pride Day, June 7th,

6 CALL FOR NOMINATIONS Executive Officers In accordance with the By-Laws, a call for nominations is being issued for elections in 2014 for executive officers. All members have the right and privilege of submitting their names or the name of a consenting colleague as nominees for board positions to be filled this year. Mentoring is readily available. Requirements: Active Membership with Nurse Practitioner Association of Long Island and New York State Nurse Practitioner Association Brief statement from nominee supporting their nomination Resume/CV Available positions for 2014 are: President Elect (3-year total commitment: President Elect, President, Past President) The President Elect shall: Assume the office of the president at the completion of the President s Term of Office. Perform Duties as assigned by the President. Attend various committee and board meetings. Name: Home Phone #: Work #: Secretary (2-year term) The secretary shall: Attend board meetings Take and distribute minutes to all board members from board meetings. Maintain records of meetings. Name: Home Phone #: Work #: Nominations are to be sent to: Nominations Committee c/o Susan Aiello 9 Brookfield Lane South Setauket, N Y Deadline October 17, 2014

7 REGION 7 DIRECTOR S REPORT The NPANYS is thrilled to announce that the MODERNIZATION ACTS PASSED!!!! A huge thank you to the NPs of Long Island, who were instrumental in the passage of this bill. Please feel free to contact any NPANYS board member if there are any questions about this legislative victory. On June 7th, Long Island leaders participated in the NYSNPA sponsored Leadership conference. It was an excellent one-day conference, which allowed for the free exchange of information about a multitude of issues that face NP leaders. Jeanne Martin presented on conflict negotiations, and Peg O Donnell presented on Preceptor issues. Jean Marie Osborne and Bruce Zitkus also participated, and provided valuable insights on the power of positive leadership, communication strategies, building membership, and fostering an environment of growth and inclusiveness. NPs in the news: We have enjoyed a significant amount of news coverage. Please refer to out website thenpa.org, for UTD public relations initiatives. This media coverage is greatly due to the generous contributions to the Legacy Fund from the NPALI. The 30th Annual conference in Saratoga is starting to book already! On-line registration is now open Do not forget the NYS Fair! The NPA is looking for volunteers. It is a beautiful place to visit in August, and a tremendous service to our organization. Have a wonderful summer! Peg O Donnell DNPs, FNP, ANP, FAANP Region 7 Director, NPANYS Southern NYS Rep, AANP Peg O Donnell s induction as a Fellow into the American Association of Nurse Practitioners pictured here with her co-sponsors. Left: Dr. Joy Elwell, DNP, FNP BC, FAANP, Treasurer and Chair of Legislative Affairs, NPANYS; Center: Peg O Donnell, FNP, ANP, FAANPnew inductee, NYS South Representative, AANP. Region 7 Director, NPANYS, and Right: Dr. Mary Beth Koslap-Petraco, DNP, PNP, FAANP Board of Directors, NPALI. NPALI members join one of the AANP founding members: Jan Towers, Director of Health Policy, at the AANP National conference in Nashville, TN What an honor! From left to right: Jenny Delaleu FNP, MS, RN, SNCH APNICC BOD, Jeanne Marie Osborne, DNPs, ANP, NPA LI President-Elect, Mary Beth Koslap-Petraco DNP, PNP, FAANP, NPALI Chair Legislative Affairs, Peg O Donnell DNPs, FNP, ANP, FAANP, Region 7 Director NPANYS, Jan Towers, PhD, NP-C, CRNP, FAANP AANP Director of Health Policy, Susan Smith, ANP, MS, RN NPALI Chair Informatics, Cheryl Rosner FNP, MS, RN, SNCH APNICC BOD, Susan Marks, DNPs, ANP, MS NPALI Chair Public Relations 7

8 Mary Beth Koslap-Petraco wins The American Association of Nurse Practitioner s State Award for Excellence. Pictured here from Left to right: Tammy Austin-Ketch, PhD, FNP, FAANP Northern NYS representative AANP, Peg O Donnell, FNP, ANP, FAANP, Southern NYS representative AANP, Region 7 Director, NPANYS, Dr. Mary Beth Koslap-Petraco, DNP, PNP, FAANP, NYS State NP Excellence Award winner, and Dr. Angie Golden, DNP, FAANP Co-President, AANP Board of Directors President Bruce Zitkus Past President Linda Aumock President- Elect Jean Marie Osborne Secretary Anne Klassert Treasurer Jeanne Martin Advocate Eleanor Hobbs Awards Anne Klassert Community Service Debbie Deierlein Elizabeth Kollar Finance Committee Donna Willenbrock Informatics/Website Susan Smith Carol D Abbraccio Legislative Affairs Mary Beth Koslap-Petraco Membership Diane Santangelo Nominations Susan Aiello Programs Committee Debra Chalmers Public Relations Susan Marks Research Scholarship Student Scholarship Lisa Horvath Regional Director Margaret O Donnell