2010 ELECTION BALLOT President-Elect (vote for one) Elizabeth Galik, PhD, CRNP Charlotte Kelley, MSN, GNP, ARNP (write-in candidate) Secretary (vote for one) Gretchen Schumacher, PhD, GNP-BC, FNP, NP-C Barbara Nicole (Nikki) Davis, MSN, FNP-C (write-in candidate) Director-at-Large (vote for one) Mary P. Cadogan, DrPH, RN, GNP-BC Alice Early, MSN, ANP-BC Melodee Harris, PhD, APN, GNP-BC (write-in candidate) Nominating Committee (vote for two) Katherine Abraham, MSN, RN, NP-C Suzanne Ransehousen, RN, BSN, MA, GNP-BC (write-in candidate) Survey Questions: 1.) What are the major challenges in your clinical practice today? 2.) How can GAPNA help you enhance your practice or career? All ballots are due to the National Office by close of business July 2, 2010. GAPNA National Office East Holly Avenue, Box 56, Pitman, NJ 08071 Toll Free Phone: 866-355-1392 Fax: 856-589-7463 Email: GAPNA@ajj.com Website: www.gapna.org
PRESIDENT-ELECT (Serves one year as President-Elect, one year as President, and one year as Immediate Past President) Elizabeth Galik, PhD, CRNP It would be a great honor and privilege to serve as GAPNA s next President- Elect. If elected, my goals would focus on: 1) increasing membership at the national and local level by raising awareness of membership benefits and reaching out to advanced practice nursing students in particular; 2) development of the next generation of leaders at the chapter and national level in conjunction with the Member Services committee 3) collaboration with other national organizations who share an interest in the care of older adults in order to impact policy initiatives at the national level. If elected by the membership, I would draw upon my leadership experiences as the GAPNA Maryland Chapter President and Vice President. During my tenure in these leadership positions, I oversaw chapter bylaw revisions, significantly increased chapter membership, filled vacant leadership positions in the chapter, and increased the number of educational offerings to the membership. I have also served at the national level through participation on the national GAPNA Nominating Committee, Members Services Committee, Research Committee, and regular annual conference attendance and presentations. The position of President-Elect would allow me to serve an organization whose mission of excellence in clinical practice, dissemination of knowledge related to the care of older adults, and dedication to the development of its membership is aligned with my personal beliefs about the role of the gerontological advanced practice nurse. Thank you for your consideration. Elizabeth Galik, PhD, CRNP is a nurse practitioner that specializes in the medical and neuropsychiatric care of older adults. She received her BSN at the University of Pennsylvania, MSN at Villanova University, Post- Masters Adult NP Certificate at Johns Hopkins University, and PhD at the University of Maryland. She is an Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing, where she teaches in the ANP/GNP program and maintains a clinical practice at Roland Park Place, a continuing care retirement community. Currently, she is a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholar whose research focuses on developing and testing interventions to improve functional performance, physical activity, and quality of life among long term care residents with dementia, and clinical knowledge and job satisfaction of nursing assistants. Dr. Galik currently serves as the President of the Maryland chapter of GAPNA and is a member of the Research and Member Services Committee. Previously, she served as a member of the Nominating Committee from 2008-2009, and was the Vice President of the Maryland chapter of GAPNA from 2008-2009.
PRESIDENT-ELECT (Serves one year as President-Elect, one year as President, and one year as Immediate Past President) Charlotte Kelley, MSN, GNP, ARNP GAPNA has evolved over recent years to be a leader as the authority for advanced gerontological nurse practitioners. We have a well established role in long term care and have expanded into Assisted Living over the past 4 years. Our continued presence in the oversight and development of curriculum for the new competency model is critical. As gerontological nurse practitioners, we can have a strong presence as the cohort of aging changes to include the baby boomers to ensure a role in health promotion and wellness for this growing group of elders. As Secretary of GAPNA I have supported these changes in our role. We now have the SIGs in place to be a stronger presence with the involvement of our committed members. I have been privileged to represent GAPNA on the NP Roundtable in Washington D.C. through weekly phone conferences to ensure our voice in development of Health Policy. As President Elect, it is my vision to continue to develop our organization and provide these opportunities for our members, patients and clients. Charlotte Kelley completed a graduate education at the University of Iowa in a curriculum for gerontological advanced practice nursing and is certified through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She serves as adjunct faculty at the University of Iowa. Currently she practices in her own clinic as a nurse practitioner in Primary Care with specialty practice in continence rehabilitation and menopause/andropause management. She has been a member of GAPNA for 10 years and served the last four years as Secretary. She also serves as Website Editor and representative on the NP Roundtable.
SECRETARY (Two-Year Term) Gretchen Schumacher, PhD, GNP-BC, FNP, NP-C GAPNA is the premier practice and academic organization for gerontological advanced practice nursing. Since joining, I am thrilled to become more involved and network with other NPs caring for the world s aging population. After a long standing involvement in other NP and nursing organizations, I have come to see GAPNA as the priority organization for my personal and professional involvement. GAPNA represents the most progressive, organized and enthusiastic advocates for the geriatric community and advanced practice nurses. I have served in many previous leadership roles and in various officer roles at the local and regional level including past president of Sigma Theta Tau Epsilon Phi chapter, current president of the Michigan Council for Nurse Nurse Practitioners (MICNP) Grand Rapids chapter and co-chair of the MICNP state conference planning committee. I possess expert communication technology and computing skills which will enable me to fulfill the secretarial responsibilities for record keeping, accurate minutes, dissemination efforts and strategic plan dissemination. I am known in character for my organization and accountability to a position charge. I would be sincerely honored to use my skills to serve the GAPNA membership and begin a more in depth long term relationship with the organization s efforts. Dr. Gretchen Schumacher completed her MSN-FNP in 1998 at Clarion/Slippery Rock Universities, PhD in nursing at Duquesne University in 2006, and post graduate GNP in 2008 from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. She is nationally certified in both family and geriatrics advanced practice. Her practice history includes rural primary care, emergency, international health and long term care. She is an Assistant professor and the coordinator of the adult/older adult track of the DNP program at Grand Valley State University, Michigan. She maintains current practice and research in rural geriatrics. Since becoming a member, she has presented at GAPNA and actively participated in the GAPNA practice committee.
SECRETARY (Two-Year Term) Barbara Nicole (Nikki) Davis, MSN, FNP-C The office of GAPNA Secretary is a position in which I would serve our membership through development and implementation of our organization s strategic plan. I possess the organizational and leadership skill sets that are required to execute the responsibilities of this office. I have excellent communication skills and an ability to work collaboratively with others. I have a strong commitment to the profession of nursing and to the specialty of advanced practice gerontological nursing. My commitment to GAPNA is evidenced by my work with the 2009 National GAPNA Planning Committee, and my dedication to the local Georgia Chapter of GAPNA, where I served a 2 year term as the founding president and currently serve on the planning committee for the chapter s first annual CE Day. I believe that our membership would benefit from my election to this office, as I will actively work to strengthen GAPNA s commitment to education, health affairs, and research. I will complete all responsibilities as delegated by the President and/or Board timely and effectively. I will help promote ideas to facilitate a growth in our national membership, and to promote GAPNA in the healthcare community. In this time of change and opportunity in healthcare, in consistency with our mission statement, it is my hope that GAPNA will be further recognized as the leader for geriatric advocacy and knowledge. I hope to be an integral part of the following years exciting opportunities for GAPNA by serving the membership as Secretary. I graduated with my BSN from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro in May of 2001. From there, I went on to receive my MSN, with a concentration in the Family Nurse Practitioner Program, from Emory University in December of 2003. I currently work as a Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Advisor for Evercare, GA. My 5 year anniversary with Evercare will be this November. In my current role I provide primary, and sometimes acute care, to geriatric patients in long term care facilities. I was the founding president for the Georgia Chapter of GAPNA, serving a 2 year term. I served on the National GAPNA Planning Committee for the 2009 National Conference, and currently serve on the planning committee for the first annual GA GAPNA CE Day.
DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE (Two-Year Term) Mary P. Cadogan, DrPH, RN, GNP-BC As a nominee for Director-at-Large, I bring to GAPNA over 35 years of continuous clinical experience as a Nurse Practitioner with an exclusive focus on care of older adults for the past 20 years. In addition, I have been teaching NP students at major universities during the past 30 years, including the past 15 years at UCLA School of Nursing where I continue to coordinate the GNP program. My research focuses on quality of care for older adults. I have strong policy experience that includes work on MDS 3.0 and major CMS nursing home quality improvement initiatives. With the passage of Health Insurance Reform I believe that this is the most important and exciting time in our history as APNs. We have a critical role to assume in new health care delivery models and our voices should be prominent at every step of the process. I first joined NCGNP in 2003 and have witnessed the transition to GAPNA and the outstanding record of accomplishments that have occurred. I hope to assume the role of Director-at-Large and work with the Board of Directors and all members to contribute to GAPNA s continued excellence as the leading national organization for all aspects of Advanced Practice Gerontological Nursing. My service in leadership positions within organizations at the state, regional and national levels, combined with my passion and expertise in clinical practice and education of APNs allows me to bring a unique combination of skills to our organization. I have been a Nurse Practitioner since 1974 when I graduated from the NP program at University of Washington School of Nursing. Since that time I have practiced continuously, first as a Family Nurse Practitioner in community settings and for the past two decades my practice has focused on care of older adults in primary care, geriatric consultation clinics, nursing homes and community based senior centers. I received my Doctor of Public Health degree at UCLA School of Public Health in 1993. Since that time I have combined my clinical practice with teaching and research as a Professor at UCLA School of Nursing, where I coordinate and teach in the Gerontological Nurse Practitioner program. My research focus for more than 15 years has been improving quality of care for older adults with a particular emphasis on both nursing home care and end of life care. Currently I have research funding to examine the experiences of older adults who are seen in the emergency department of an urban hospital and discharged home without a hospital admission. I have held leadership and Board positions at the state, regional and national levels in the American Geriatrics Society, The Western Institute of Nursing, and the California Coalition for Compassionate Care. I first joined NCGNP in 2003 and was involved with the CE Approver Unit for three years and briefly with the Research Committee. However, my leadership positions and Board/committee responsibilities in other organizations required me to limit my involvement. I have continued to attend the annual conferences when possible. Fortunately, I have fulfilled my major obligations with other organizations and look forward to full involvement in GAPNA.
DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE (Two-Year Term) Alice Early, MSN, FNP-C I have been a member of GAPNA since 1993 and have been actively involved with the Association. I was the Great Lakes Chapter President from 2006-2009. During my term as President, we sponsored our very successful First Annual Geriatric Conference. Our Chapter membership grew by 40%. Our Chapter was awarded the first NCGNP/GAPNA Chapter Excellence Award in 2008. I have served on the Member Service Committee for three years. Last year, in order to fill a vacancy, I was asked to accept a one year term to the Board of Directors as Director at Large. I willingly accepted the appointment as I believed I would be able to make a meaningful contribution to the organization. I know that GAPNA is an organization with a firm commitment to advancing the care, knowledge to and advancing appreciation the care, of older knowledge adults. I and would appreciation like to continue of older on adults. the Board I would of like Directors as Director at Large to further the goals of the organization, support membership growth, and promote GAPNA as national experts on geriatric issues. I graduated from Wayne State University from the Adult Primary Care Program in 1982 with a Master of Science in Nursing. I have been employed as an Adult Nurse Practitioner working in Geriatrics since 1982. I have worked in a variety of settings including geriatric primary care, geriatric assessment, skilled, long term care and assisted living facilities, geriatric consultation services. I currently work for William Beaumont Hospital in the Division of Geriatrics providing health care services to skilled, long term care and assisted living residents. I have been the President of the Great Lakes Chapter of GAPNA for the past three years, and a member of GAPNA s Member Service Committee for three years. I accepted an appointment to GAPNA s Board of Directors as Director at Large last year to fill a one year term.
DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE (Two-Year Term) Melodee Harris, PhD, APN, GNP-BC The purpose of this letter is to express my interest and nomination as a potential candidate to serve on the Board of Directors as the GAPNA Director-at-Large. I have been an active member of GAPNA since 2004. Since that time, I presented posters at the 2006 and 2008 annual meetings. Currently, I represent GAPNA on the Content Expert Panel for the American Nurses Credentialing Center. I participated in item analysis and referencing for the national gerontological nurse practitioner certification examinations. I am passionate about my career as a gerontological nurse practitioner. I have devoted my time, talents, and energy to caring for older adults. As an active member of GAPNA, I believe I am in a position to advocate for older adults and collaborate with nurses who care for them. I am interested in serving on the Board of Directors as the GAPNA Director-at-Large. I am motivated to interact with the President/Board to achieve goals for the strategic plans for GAPNA. I am willing to submit articles for the newsletter as required. I believe my varied experience would be an asset to GAPNA and the position for the Director-at-Large. I am committed to the purpose, mission, and strategic plan for GAPNA. As the Director-at-Large, I would be proud to join a team of leaders who will make a difference in the lives of older adults. Melodee Harris is a board certified gerontological nurse practitioner with a faculty practice at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in rural Arkansas nursing homes. She has over 14 years of nursing experience. During this time, she worked in clinical, hospital, and academic settings. She is a John A. Hartford Scholar 2007-2009 and completed her doctorate in nursing from UAMS in May 2009. Dr. Harris is a recipient of the National Gerontological Nurses Association (NGNA) Mary Wolanin Graduate Scholarship and was a finalist for the Judith V. Braun Research Award. Currently, Dr. Harris is a Clinical Assistant Professor at UAMS and teaches undergraduate and graduate nursing students. She is active in Sigma Theta Tau Gamma Xi as the Research Chair, Nurses Christian Fellowship, the Gerontological Society of America, and NGNA. She was on the NGNA Advance for Nursing Home Excellence Task Force and is on the Research Committee. She serves on the NGNA Task Force to Revise the Scope and Standards of Gerontological Nursing Practice. Dr. Harris is a founding member and President of the Arkansas Chapter of the NGNA. Melodee Harris has been an active member of the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association (GAPNA) since 2004. She presented posters at the 2006 and 2008 GAPNA annual meetings. Melodee Harris represents GAPNA on the Content Expert Panel for the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE (Two-Year Term) Katherine Abraham, MSN, RN, NP-C As a member of the nominating committee I would work to advance GAPNA by aiding in cultivating new leadership. I am experienced in this role having served as Leadership Succession Committee Chair of Emory University s Alpha Epsilon chapter of Sigma Theta Tau for four years. During those four years, I worked diligently to identify future leaders to grow the chapter. I also implemented online voting which significantly decreased chapter costs and increased voter participation. I managed all aspects of the election including recruitment of candidates, election oversight, ballot counting and delegation to committee members. The chapter continues to thrive with excellent leadership. I have been serving GAPNA as the current President of the Georgia Chapter. Through this role I have met many GAPNA members locally and across the United States. GAPNA has a large pool of talented leaders I will have access to for consideration of national office. I also have an established partnership with the Georgia Medical Directors Association and have served as a speaker at their annual conference. The Georgia Chapter of GAPNA also partners with our state Nurse Practitioner organization. I plan to utilize these established partnerships to aid in growing our GAPNA membership as well as identify new GAPNA leadership. In order to continually advance our organization we must recruit superior nurse leaders to run for GAPNA office. I am committed to the goal of making GAPNA a leader among nursing organizations. Katherine Abraham is a nurse practitioner and clinical advisor currently practicing in geriatrics with Evercare. At Evercare she manages a caseload of long term care patients, provides peer mentorship and new employee training. In addition to Evercare, Katherine is adjunct faculty at Emory University giving lectures and precepting students. She attended nursing school at the University of Memphis and graduated magna cum laude. Her graduate nursing program was at Emory University where she was President of the Graduate Council.. She is President of the Georgia Chapter of the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association. The chapter is undertaking several new projects under her leadership. She is chair of the planning committee for the Georgia Chapter CE day. The Georgia Chapter is also planning a clinical excellence award as well as charity and mentoring projects. Katherine also spoke on End Stage Heart Failure at the 2009 GAPNA conference in Savannah, GA.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE (Two-Year Term) Suzanne Ransehousen, RN, BSN, MA, GNP-BC If I am elected for the board position of Nominating committee with GAPNA, what I hope to achieve is to gain the experience and knowledge associated with serving on a national board. I promise to do my best to entice other members of GAPNA to become more involved in our organization and commit to serving on this prestigious board. I hope to bring my previous experiences of being a chapter president to interested members and use my networking and communication skills to encourage others to participate and serve for office. I will also continue to recruit new members to GAPNA and my local chapter. I will serve as a mentor to guide these new members to board positions locally and hopefully have the opportunity to share my experiences on the national board if I am to be elected to the nominating committee. I received my BSN from the University of Delaware and my MA and GNP from New York University. I currently work for a CCRC in Hockessin Delaware. I am responsible for the primary care of 300 residents including independent living, assisted living and long-term care. I have served as President of the Delaware Valley Chapter for 3 years and am currently holding the position of Past President. I have been on the Member Services Committee for 2 years and am currently on the Practice Committee and the LTC SIG.