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In this IssueCorporate Members News.............13

Health Policy & Legislative Affairs ... 6

Let’s Get Social ...........................13

Members in the News ....................2

NAHN Ambassadors......................4

NAHN Angels.................................4

NAHN Chapter Tidbits ...................5

NAHN Job Board .........................12

NAHN Update................................7

Other News..................................16

Spring 2016 The Hispanic NursesTM Volume 10, No. 1

President’s Message : Guest Postby Celia Trigo Besore, Executive Director

My Dear NAHN Members:

Many thanks to NAHN President Dan Suarez, MA, RN for inviting me to write this Guest Post.

As you read in an e-mail last week, I will be leaving my NAHN family in a month. It was a very difficult de-cision, but the time is right to step away. It has been an honor being part of the NAHN family since August 2010 and to share in its accomplishments.

Many thanks to Norma Martinez-Rogers, PhD, RN, FAAN and her Board of Directors who saw the need to provide continuity and to bring in someone with

association experience, and thus recruited me to become NAHN’s Executive Director. During the presidency of Angie Millan, DNP, RN, FAAN, I worked with her Board to set the infrastructure to take NAHN into a stronger and more se-cure future; Angie and I have continued to collaborate beyond her presidency in the Muevete USA and the NIH SEPA Grants.

After the first two years, in which NAHN experienced considerable growth in projects and financial resources, Jose Alejandro and his Board saw the need for additional human capital resources, so Jose brought in CMI.

Under Dan’s presidency, NAHN achieved new heights. Last year, for example, was the most financially successful year in NAHN’s history.

I am proud of the progress NAHN has made while I have been here. • Membership has grown from around 1,200 members to 2,100, a 75% growth

• The Corporate Membership program was started. NAHN currently has 17 Corporate Members. Our Corporate Members have not only assisted us financially, but have also provided us with education, scholarships and tuition discounts.

• The Council of Business Advisors (CoBA) was created to bring NAHN the benefit of advice on best management practices from leading industry figures.

• NAHN’s peer-reviewed journal, Hispanic Health Care International, moved to a new, more re-sponsive publisher, setting NAHN to become the pre-eminent go-to source of Latino research and evidence-based healthcare best practices.

• The Association has become financially stable. NAHN finished 2009 with a net loss of close to $125,000. We became profitable by the end of

GUEST COLUMN Continues on page 18

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NAHN member and founding president of the Garden State chapter, Alana Cue-to, MSN, RN, CNL, has been named assistant director of graduate clinical part-nerships at New York University College of Nursing. Bravo, Alana!

Congratulations to Pilar De La Cruz-Reyes, MSN, RN, director of the Central Cali-fornia Center for Excellence in Nursing at Fresno State, for being appointed by California Governor Jerry Brown to the California Board of Registered Nursing. She joins the nine-member Board, who are established by law to protect and advocate for the health and safety of the public by ensuring the highest quality registered nurses in the state of California. De La Cruz-Reyes has led a decorated career in the nursing profession, including serving as dean of the College of Nursing at United States University in Chula Vista, from 2011 to 2013, before coming to Fresno State to take leadership of the Center for Excellence in Nursing. Prior to that, she was the project manager at the Hospital Council of Northern and Central California for five years. We are proud of you, Pilar!

Sylvia Estrada, RNC, WHCNP, CBCN, MSN, MSHCM, BSN, clinical program coordinator, Wasserman Breast Cancer Risk Reduction, Program Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, was appointed to the American Organization of Nurse Executives Board of Direc-tors. Great work, Sylvia!

Susana Gonzalez, MHA, MSN, RN, CNML, associate dean of academic operations at Chamberlain College of Nursing, partici-pated in Chamberlain’s BSN graduation in December 2015, where three campuses grad-uated nearly 300 students. Thank you for sup-porting students, Susana!

New York Chapter member Adrian Juarez, PhD, RN, assistant professor, Department of Family, Community & Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Buffalo will be fea-tured as a Jonas scholars in NURSE.COM’s next issue.

Congratulations to NAHN member, Eleanor Marsh, RN, BSN, MN, for being awarded the MLK Jr. Community Service Award by the University of Washington School of Nursing. Ellie works to ensure everyone has access to effective, quality health care, through her lead-ership at Western Washington Chapter and other commitments. Congratulations, Ellie!

Let’s congratulate Ana Nunez, RN, Commu-nity Outreach Chair of the NAHN Westches-ter Chapter, for her recent appointment to the Salvation Army’s Westchester Advisory

Board of Directors. Go Ana! She is the first nurse to have a seat at this table!

NAHN at a Glance...the official publication of NAHN National Association of Hispanic Nurses®

OFFICERSPresident Dan Suarez, MA, RNSecretary Sonia Valdez, BSN, RN, PHN, CVRNTreasurer Armando Riera, MSN, RN, ARNP-BCPresident Elect Anabell Castro-Thompson, MSN, RN, ANP-CImmediate Past President Jose Alejandro, PhD, RN-BC, MBA, CCM, FACHE, FAAN

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mario Alfredo Martinez Chavez, MSN, FNPAdrianna Nava, MSN, RNG. Adriana Perez, PhD, RN, ANP-BC, FAANMaria Elena Ruiz, PhD, RN, FNP-BCVeronica Vital, PhD, RN

Founder Emeritus (1920-2010)Ildaura Murillo-Rohde, PhD, RN, FAANExecutive Director Celia Trigo Besore, MBA, CAE

COMMITTEESStanding Committees and Chairpersons

Awards & Scholarship - Mario Alfredo Martinez Chavez, BSN, RN Bylaws - Veronica Vital, PhD, RNFinance and Audit - Armando Riera, MSN, RN, ARNP-BCPolicy - G. Adriana Perez, PhD, RN, ANP-BC, FAANNominations- Daisy Perez, MSN/Ed,RN, RNC-MNN, PhD(s)

Ad Hoc CommitteesEducation - Elizabeth Florez, PhD, RNEquity, Diversity & Inclusion - Ana-bell Castro-Thompson, MSN, RN, ANP-CMembership - Adrianna Nava, MSN, RN

Mailing Address: 6301 Ranch Drive, Little Rock, AR 72223DC Office: 10 G St NE, Suite 605, Washington, DC 20002501-367-8616 | fax 501-227-5444

info@thehispanicnurses.org http://www.thehispanicnurses.orghttp://www.nahnnet.org

© 2016 NAHN National Association of Hispanic Nurses® - All rights reserved

NAHN Members in the News

Susana González with Chamberlain campus president Susan King and

the National President Susan Groenwald.

Sylvia EstradaAlana Cueto Jackie Rodriguez

Ellie pictured with fellow Diversity Advisory Committee members Victoria Fletcher, Sofia Aragon, WCN’s execu-

tive director, and Jesús Reyna

Pilar De La Cruz-Reyes

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NAHN member and Vice President of NAHN’s Western Mas-sachusetts Chapter, Jackie Rodriguez, was highlighted in a Fall 2015 article on MassLive.com. In From Teen Mom to Nurse Practitioner, Jackie Rodriguez Now Mentors Young Nurses, Jackie’s early life, educational journey and determi-nation to support other young and minority nurses and stu-dents is chronicled. Thank you, Jackie!To read the full article, visit http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2015/10/teen_mom_turned_nurse_practiti.html.

NAHN President Daniel Suarez, MA, RN will be the featured speaker at the 64th annual National Student Nurses’ Asso-ciation conference March 30th to April 3 in Orlando, Fla.

NAHN AngelsIn this section, we recognize the members who have do-nated funds to NAHN. Please thank the following member for his donation and support of NAHN.

• Ruth Amador• Rose Caballero• Virginia Chacon• Cheryl Dunkle• Adelina Garcia• Roberto Gonzalez• Susana Gonzalez• Annemarie Hefferman• Joseph Heidenreich• Daisy Perez• Isolina Pistolessi• Jorge Prada• Armando Riera• Robert Robledo• Guillermina Solis• Teresa Thompson

Special thanks to the Illinois Chapter of NAHN for their generous support of the NAHN Scholarship Fund

Becoming a NAHN Angel is very simple! You can donate money when you renew or donate any time by going to http://www.nahnnet.org/NAHNDonate.html.

You can designate how you want your donation used (e. g. Student Scholarships, Member Education, General Associa-tion Needs, or Unspecified) by indicating your intention in the “Add your message” link on the second donation screen. You may also send us a check!

NAHN AmbassadorsBecome a NAHN Ambassador by recruiting new members!

Thank you to the individuals below, who recruited the follow-ing number of new members from Dec 1, 2015 - February 29, 2016:

• Corina Chick: 40• Alana Cueto: 11

• Ruth Amador: 9• Susana Gonzales: 8• Adrianna Perez: 5• Carmen Feliciano: 5• Jackie Perry: 5• Margaret Avila: 5• Anahi Munoz: 4• Daisy Perez: 4• Lucia Alfano: 4• Lydia Lopez: 3• Maria Krol: 3• Maria Matza: 3• Philip Bautista: 3• Reberto Gonzalez: 3• Sophia Jimenez: 3• Veronica Vital: 3• Angie Millan: 2• Becky Torrez: 2• Dan Suarez: 2• Diana Ortega: 2• Dr. Avila: 2• Elizabeth Florez: 2• Francisco Garcia: 2• Lisa Diaz: 2• Magda Angel: 2• Manuel De la Cruz: 2• Maria Martinez: 2• Robert Robledo: 2• Sylvia Collado Gonzalez: 2• Sylvia Pelroy: 2• Tonie Brown: 2• Yolanda Torres: 2

The following members referred one new member:

Adriana Putens, Alejandra Caienar, Alex Alleda, Allida Valen-tin, Ana Luisa Suarez, Ana Murphy, Andrea Santos, Arman-do Riera, Aylvia Pelroy, Barb Hannon, Bernilda Quinones, Blanca Martinez, Carmen Torres, Carolina Rodriguez, Ce-sar Rivera, Cindy Calvo, Clara Monsivais, Clarke Krugman, Claudia Pagani, Daniel Montes, Daniel Navarro, Diana Yes-enia Ortega, Dolores Acuna, Doreen Cuesta, Dottie Rodri-guez, Dr. Anahi Munoz, Ederlin Casillas, Elizabeth Kolstad, Elizabeth Plata, Erica Castillo, Esmeralda Noriega, Fran-cisco Diaz, Gaby Osorio, Gale Garcia, Hermilia Herrera, Dr. Maria Elena Ruiz, Iris Rosario, Isis Reyes, Isoluna Pistolur, Jenn McGuire, Jennifer Figueroa-Delgado, Joan Gallegos, Johanna Nunez, Jose Alejandro, Jose Pares Avila, Juana Ferrerosa, Judith Cullinane, Julio Santiago, Karla Cabrera, Karla Cabrera, Kate Chesen, Kelly Colindres, Kristen Cole-man, Laura Gonzalez, Leda Garside, Leonardo Santibanez, Levi Calderon, Lorenza Villegas-Murphy, Lori Murphy, Lor-raine Cuesta, Lucia Messa, Ana Suarez, Sophia Jimenez, Ludmila Rotchford, Lupe Hernadez, Luz Marina Bradberry,

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opportunity to teach young children the importance of proper nu-trition and exercise so they may adopt these healthy behaviors for the rest of their lives.

Our chapter is also in the infancy stage of establishing a Hispanic cancer network. Cherry Sloan, ex president of PNAMH, is assist-ing us with the development of the project, as she was instrumen-tal in the success of the Philippine cancer network. This network will assist those families struggling with a diagnosis of cancer via funds, education, nutrition, emotional support, etc.

Massachusetts ChapterThe Nursing Leadership Scholars Program (NLSP), a joint program between The University of Massachusetts Boston and NAHN Massachu-setts, held their mid-year re-treat in January 2016.

The NLSP program started in June 2015 with (6) student nurses and registered nurses who meet monthly to discuss nursing leadership topics (i.e. personal branding, emotional intelligence, networking) and to develop their communica-tion skills in a safe, peer supported environment. This pro-gram focuses on developing the next generation of Hispanic Nurse leaders within the Boston area.

The group of scholars are led by Adrianna Nava, MSN, RN, a 2015-2016 Albert Schweitzer Fellow and current board member of NAHN. NLSP’s six participants are:

To learn more about the program and scholars, please visit: www.bostonnlsp.org.

Mabel Toscano, Marcel Martinez, Maria Lipscomb, Maria Ri-vas, Marie Etienne, Mario Chavez, Marleen Blanco, Michelle Crespo-Fierro, Noelia Pena, Norma Cuellar, Paulina Inigo, Paz Menjivar, Pilar Cook, Rachel Perez, Raquel Diaz, Ruby Martinez, Samantha Garcia, Sandra Herrera, Sandra Villar-real, Sylvia Gonzalez, Sylvia Estrada, Sylvia Gallardo, Sylvia Gonzalez, Tessa Levey, Vilma Del Valle, Violeta Flores, Vir-ginia Chardon, Vivian Torres/Dan Suarez, William Cardona, Winda Rodriguez Ramos, Yamina Alvarez, Yolanda Arroyo, Yolanda Torres and Yolanda Delgado.

Please keep in mind that your name needs to be on the Member Referral line on a NEW member’s application to get credit.

NAHN Chapter Tidbits Garden State ChapterThe Garden State Chap-ter is celebrating be-ing honored with three awards since December!

In December 2015, the Garden State Chapter’s Executive Board accept-ed the New Jersey State Nurses Association’s Diversity Award at the President’s Reception in Atlantic City, NJ.

In early March 2016, Garden State NAHN also received the American Diabetes Association Mission Volunteer Award. Members of Garden State NAHN accepted the honor at half time of the March 5 Rutgers basketball game at center court.

In addition, Garden State NAHN has been selected as the hon-oree to receive the NJSNA/IFN EPIC Award on April 13th. EPIC stands for “Exceptional People Impacting the Community”. The purpose of the award is to recognize individuals or organiza-tions for their efforts to advance community wellness, promote innovative health care initiatives, and/or have an established record of support for the profession of nursing in New Jersey.

Houston ChapterThe Houston Chapter is upholding NAHN’s commitment to students by partnering with Jones Futures Academy. Jones is unique in that it gives high school students an opportunity to graduate with an associate’s degree in nursing. The curriculum is at college level and they have a state-of-the art skills lab. Our chapter’s role is to mentor these students by providing academic, career and skills guidance. Fostering a mentor/mentee relation-ship is important for the student and can help them transition from student nurse to nurse.

We are proud to have been selected by NAHN National to par-ticipate in the 2015-2016 Muevete campaign. Many of our mem-bers have experienced interest in this particular project and we are currently in “teach-the-teacher” phase. We are excited at the

L-R: Alana Cueto, President, Garden State NAHN; Judith Schmidt, NJSNA CEO;

Diana Torres, Advocacy Chair; Viviana Lozano, Marketing Chair; and Norma

Rodgers, NJSNA President.

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NAHN UpdateAnnual Conference Registration OpenEncouragement, Empowerment, and Elevation. What do these words mean to you? Whether you are new to the field of nursing, or a seasoned vet-eran of this impressive practice, those three words can help bring you the next level, as well as shape your future. Where will you do this? At NAHN’s 41st Annual Conference.

Join NAHN and a united nursing profession in July as we ex-plore Hispanic health challenges and shape the future of nurs-ing in the beautiful, vibrant city of Chicago. On this journey of opportunity, attendees will discover cutting-edge tools to shape the future of nursing.

Are you ready to learn about : • Healthcare issues facing the Hispanic population, their impli-

cations for nursing in the current healthcare system and the role of new technology in improving care for these patients?

• Ways in which nursing can improve care by using outcomes based research and current best practices and learn how care improvements can be implemented in the clinical setting?

• The value of advanced and continuing education for nurses and quality education for patients in improving care, optimizing outcomes, and increasing satisfaction?

• How to develop a professional leadership development plan that incorporates career goals and important milestones and ap-plies networking and mentorship principles to enhance growth?

If you answered ‘“yes,” you must join us in Chicago, IL on July 12-15 for the nursing event you and your career truly can’t miss!

Learn more and register today at http://nahnconference.org/.

NAHN Member ContributionNAHN would like to recognize the contribution of Judi Cul-linane, RN, MSN, CCRN-K, CAGS for providing NAHN with the theme for the 2016 Annual Conference. We received a wonderful e-mail from her after the 2015 Annual Conference where she shared her thoughts about the conference and NAHN.

On behalf of the Massachusetts Boston Chapter I am extending a thank you for the wonderful experience at this year’s NAHN conference in Anaheim, California. The humility, exceptional innate passion and incredible dedi-cation by all members was palpable. As a nurse of thirty years and one who is very active within nursing leadership in Boston, it brought me great pride to see the profes-sional growth within the Hispanic nursing community from around the nation. As it was stated, much work still needs to be accomplished to make the Hispanic nurse more vis-ible, confident and accomplished.

Therefore, I would like to share a mnemonic that came to me during this experience for creating a voice of the future for us: the E’s of Excellence- Encouragement Empower-

ment and Elevation. All three of these words define the capacity of work that needs our attention.

Encouragement is the act of inspiring, providing support and motivation. Students pursuing a career in nursing and new novice Hispanic nurses need the encouragement and motivation to continue their professional growth. NAHN is and can be that greater source of leadership and guid-ance for the many. These drivers influence and persuade individuals to move forward.

Empowerment provides the source of power, energy or fuel that can enhance an individual’s capability and ability. Building confidence and courage among our nurses is a “must do” if we are move forward with a presence locally, statewide and nationally.

Elevation is the essence of a greater sense of height, movement and advancement. Leaders exist so that fol-lowers are guided to where they need to go. As leaders, we must pave the pathways and also, concurrently bring with us and mold the individuals with raw talent for leader-ship. The purpose: to continue the efforts at the bedside of our patients, the efforts for us as a population and to meet our needs legislatively through health policy.

Thank you again for the experience. I truly know the efforts it take in planning a conference. I look forward to working together with everyone throughout the coming year.

Judi Cullinane, RN, MSN, CCRN-K, CAGS

Thanks, Judi for such inspiring words!

New HHCI Journal Editor-in-Chief AppointedIt is with great pleasure that the NAHN Board of Directors announces that Ju-dith Aponte, PhD, RN, CDE, CCM, APHN-BC has been chosen to become the Editor-in-Chief of the Hispanic Heath Care International (HHCI), the official Journal of NAHN.

Dr. Aponte is tenured Associate Profes-sor and Specialization Coordinator of the

Community/Public Health Nursing (MS) and Community/Public Health Nursing/Urban Health (MS/MPH) Graduate Programs at Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing (H-BSON), Hunter College. She is also a faculty member of the Nursing PhD Program at the City University of New York Graduate Center.

She has received a number of awards and honors, including the 2014 Regional NY/NJ Giving Excellence Meaning (GEM) Award for Advancing the Profession; and most recently, the 2016 Suzanne Smith Mentoring Editors Award by the Inter-national Academy of Nursing Editors (INANE). She is a Fel-low of the New York Academy of Medicine, a Full Member of the Clinical and Translational Science Center and a Faculty Associate of the Roosevelt House.

Dr. Aponte has published book chapters and numerous peer-reviewed articles in nursing, nursing education, and in

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diabetes and its risk-factors affecting the Hispanic popula-tion. She has also conducted many local and international presentations, including the 2013 keynote at the NAHN an-nual conference. Dr. Aponte has conducted extensive edito-rial work and has held many different editorial positions.

She received her BSN and MS from H-BSON; and was the first Hispanic to graduate with a PhD from Columbia Univer-sity School of Nursing. She is a certified diabetes educator, case manager, and advanced public health nurse. Her area of research is on diabetes focused on the Hispanic population.

“The Board is delighted to appoint Judy to be our new Editor-in-Chief,” said Dan Suarez, MA, RN, president of NAHN. “We know that the Journal will continue to flourish under her care.”

Congratulations on a well-deserved achievement, Judith.

Revisit NAHN WebinarsNAHN has been fortunate to host many wonderful presenters dur-ing its webinars over the past year. We encourage you to check them out if you were unable to attend.

Below are links to the most recent ones:

• March 28, 2016 @ 8:00 PM ET: CVS Health: Our Story of In-novation (Recording will be ready on 4/11.).

• March 24, 2016 @ 11:00 AM ET: Protecting Public Health – FDA’s Bad Ad Program and FDA MedWatch: What Nurses Need to Know (http://www.nahnnet.org/2016-03-24_Stories_from_the_PACU.mp4)

• March 24, 2016 @ 8:00 PM ET: Stories from the PACU: Witness-ing the Burden of Oncology Caregiving (http://www.nahnnet.org/2016-03-24_Protecting%20Public%20Health.mp4)

• Feb. 22, 2016 - 2016-2018 Board Nominations Webinar (http://nahnnet.org/2016-02-22Nominations_Webinar.mp4)

• Dec. 10, 2015 - SAMHSA’s Mobile Mental Health Resources for Patient Care (http://www.nahnnet.org/2015-12-10_SAM-HSA_Mobile_Mental_Health_Resources.mp4)

• Nov. 24, 2015 - CRNAs in the ACA and Future of Healthcare: How do I get there from here? (http://www.nahnnet.org/2015-11-24_CRNAs.mp4).

• Nov. 12, 2015 - Metastatic Breast Cancer: A Story Half Told (http://www.nahnnet.org/2015-11-12_Breast_Cancer_%20Story_Half_Told.mp4)

• Oct. 28, 2015 - “JTTRATCOY” – Stress and Compassion Fa-tigue (http://www.nahnnet.org/2015-10-28_Stress_Compas-sion_Fatigue.mp4)

• Sept. 22, 2015 - Integrating Mental Health Into Your Work With Patients (http://www.nahnnet.org/2015-09-22_Integrat-ing_Mental_Health.mp4)

Visit http://www.nahnnet.org/NAHNWebinars.html for more.

New Member Category: Nursing AffiliateAs you may remember, NAHN members approved a change to the NAHN Bylaws in July 2016 that welcomed a new group of un-licensed health care professional as Nursing Affiliate members.

The Nursing Affiliate class includes any unlicensed health care professional (Certified Nursing Assistants, Medical Assistants,

Patient Care Technicians, etc.) who works under the direct super-vision of a nursing (RN/NP) or medical professional (MD/DO/PA). The nursing affiliate supports the mission of NAHN and is inter-ested in exploring career opportunities in the nursing profession.

Let’s start spreading the word in our workplaces! Let’s welcome these new members into our chapters; we know that some of you started your journey towards your nursing career following these paths. You can be a wonderful inspiration and mentor to these potential nurses.

Want to spread the word? Provide them with a paper member-ship registration or send them the link below and ask them to choose “Nursing Affiliate” as the membership category.

To find more information about NAHN memberships, visit http://nahnnet.org/NAHNMembership.html#types.

NAHN Releases Equity, Diversity and In-clusion Statement The National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) Board of Directors and NAHN’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee are pleased to announce the development of a statement on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

Please see below for our official statement: NAHN Statement on Equity, Diversity and InclusionThe National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) is committed to advancing the health of Hispanic communities and to lead, promote and advocate the educational, profes-sional, and leadership opportunities for Hispanic nurses.

The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) committee was cre-ated within the NAHN structure to foster an inclusive and equitable environment that supports and recognizes the contributions of all regardless of national origin, language, race, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, veteran status, and family structures.

As a collective, equity and inclusion initiatives are shown to enhance healthcare delivery, improve workforce perfor-mance and advance community building. Additionally, evi-dence based practice has shown that culturally competent care improves health outcomes, quality of care, and contrib-ute to the elimination of racial and ethnic health disparities.

NAHN ultimately aims to promote equity, inclusion and diver-sity within the profession that leads to quality and excellence in nursing practice. To achieve these goals, NAHN has cre-ated an EDI committee to:• Promote and increase equity, inclusion, and diversity in the

membership body;

• Develop, implement and evaluate policies, practices and initia-tives; and

• Facilitate communications both internally and externally to im-prove awareness throughout the NAHN organization and com-munities served.

These efforts support NAHN’s highest priority to be at the forefront of healthcare, human services and leadership de-

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Care Act (ACA) project. NAHN is currently working on the second year of the grant.

The project promoted health and wellness among Hispanic com-munities, using the ACA as a platform to teach communities about protections, benefits and health insurance options under the law. The project also provided an opportunity for nurses to enhance their teaching, communication, and leadership skills as they worked to strengthen and grow community partnerships and resources culturally relevant for Hispanic health promotion.

Read more about the project by visiting http://nahnnet.org/NAHN_HHS_OMH_ACA_Grant.html.

NAHN & Hispanic Nursing Network Launch-es Second Year of Careers in Nursing/ Carre-ras en Enfermeria CampaignNAHN is proud to announce the second phase of a national bilin-gual campaign to increase diversity in nursing.

This year’s campaign includes the launch of public service style radio messages featuring true stories and personal experiences of 21 real-life nursing students. These students seek to in-spire students to seriously consider the possibility of pursuing a nursing career.

“I want to thank the 21 NAHN role models for volunteering and sharing their personal stories related to their challenges and so-lutions while in nursing school,” said Angie Millan, DNP, RN, FAAN, Project Director of the grant. “NAHN is delighted to have partnered a second year with Hispanic Communications Network (HCN) to create the role model radio and video interviews.”

“Hispanics in Nursing was designed to address the educational and professional disparities in the healthcare field, increasing the exposure of successful Hispanic role models in the nursing pro-fession”, said NAHN President, Daniel M. Suarez, MA, RN.

The goal of the five-year campaign is to inform Hispanic men and women of all ages about careers in the field of health, especially in nursing, as well as the requirements for completion. Although it is aimed at Spanish speakers, many materials and resources will be offered in both English and Spanish.

NAHN was recently informed that the grant has been re-newed for a third year!

Visit www.hispanicsinnursing.org or www.carrerasenen-fermeria.org to learn more about the 2015-2016 NAHN Role Models.

NAHN and United Health Foundation to Fund Scholarships for Students Pursuing Nursing CareersUp to $120,000 in scholarships to increase the number of qualified, bilingual/bicultural Hispanic/Latino student nursesNAHN recently announced its continuing partnership with United Health Foundation, which will fund 17 $5,000 NAHN

velopment by advancing and preparing our membership to meet the challenges of the future pertaining to equity, inclu-sion, and diversity.

You can access the statement under the “Policy Statement” subsection of NAHN’s Publications web page or by clicking here (http://www.nahnnet.org/NAHN_National_Statement_Equity.pdf).

Members of the EDI Committee include:• Committee chairwoman: Anabell Castro-Thompson, MSN, RN,

ANP-C• Raquel R. Díaz, RN, BSN, CMI-Spanish• Claudia Pagani, MSN, RN-BC• Jose A. Pares-Avila, DNP, RN, ARNP• Jorge Prada, ANP, RN, MS• Ludmila Santiago-Rotchford, MSN, APRN, ACNS-BC,PCCN• Veronica Vital, PhD, RN• Celia Trigo Besore, MBA, CAE (Ex-officio, non-voting)

NAHN Position Paper on Harvard-Spon-sored ReportIn February, NAHN published its position paper on the Harvard-sponsored report, “Turning the Tide: Inspiring Concern for Others and the Common Good through College Admissions.”

Many thanks to the NAHN Policy Committee for working on the Position Paper:

• Committee chair: Adriana Perez, PhD, RN, ANP-BC• Adelita Cantu, RN, PhD• Leda I Garside MBA, MSN, RN• Susana Gonzalez, RN, MSN, MHA• Olga Jarrin, RN, PhD• Maria Elena Ruiz, PhD, RN, FNP-BC• Neddie Serra, EdD, CNE, MSN, RN• Advisor: Antonia Villarruel, RN, PhD, FAAN• Celia Trigo Besore, MBA, CAE (Ex-officio, non-voting)

To read the full position paper, visit http://nahnnet.org/2016_NAHN_Position_Statement_on_the_Tide_report.pdf.

NAHN Zika WebsiteIn the wake of the Zika Virus concerns, NAHN has made avail-able a microsite of resources on our website, with information provided by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To visit the site, go to http://nahnnet.org/2016_CDC_Zika_Mi-crosite.html.

Hispanic Nurses Educating Multicultural Communities on the Affordable Care ActThe National Association of Hispanic Nurses was chosen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to receive a grant under the “Partnerships to Increase Coverage in Com-munities” Initiative to implement the Hispanic Nurses Educating Multicultural Communities on the Patient Protection & Affordable

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scholarships to bilingual/bicultural Hispanic/Latino students pursuing nursing careers.

Since 2010, NAHN has partnered with United Health Foundation to help provide 71 scholarships to students.

The “United Health Foundation-National Association of His-panic Nurses Scholarships” will provide up to $120,000 in scholarships and wrap-around services to increase the number of qualified, bilingual/bicultural Hispanic/Latino stu-dent nurses. As the Hispanic population increases in the United States, the need for bilingual/bicultural Hispanic nurses rises. Of the more than 3 million registered nurses in the United States, only about 3.6 percent are Hispanic.

“Our continuing partnership with United Health Foundation is critical to ensuring that more and more students have access to higher education. The accomplishments of the past United Health Foundation scholars have been outstanding, and we know that students chosen this year will continue to represent NAHN with distinction,” said Dan Suarez, MA, RN, president of NAHN.

According to the America’s Health Rankings Spotlight: Pre-vention report, a lower percentage of Hispanic adults report hav-ing a dedicated health care provider compared with non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic black adults. The report, which takes an in-depth look at access and prevention measures across all 50 states, is available online at http://www.americashealthrank-ings.org/spotlight/prevention.

“The Spotlight: Prevention report affirms our belief that we need to create a future health workforce that can meet people’s distinct health care needs and understand the importance of prevention, which are critical to building healthier communities and helping people live healthier lives,” said Chris Stidman, president of United Health Foundation. “We are partnering with NAHN to help increase people’s access to the culturally competent care they need and deserve, which in turn helps reduce disparities in health care and improve health outcomes. We are grateful for the opportunity to support these students who will embark on reward-ing careers that will make a tremendous difference in people’s health and quality of life.”

2016 NAHN ScholarshipsIn addition, the United Health Diverse Scholars Scholarships, NAHN is proud to announce that there are an additional select number of scholarship awards available for 2016.

If you or someone you know is a NAHN member for the last 6 months, is enrolled in accredited LVN/LPN, associate, diploma, baccalaureate, or graduate nursing programs, you are eligible!

The deadline to apply is April 1, 2016, and the recipients of our scholarships will be celebrated at our annual conference in Chicago, IL.

Learn more and apply today at http://www.nahnnet.org/NAHN-Scholarships.html.

NAHN Special AwardsThe National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) has established a series of awards to honor and provide special

recognition to Hispanic nurses. Special awards are an op-portunity for NAHN members to be recognized and celebrat-ed for their extraordinary achievements within the discipline of nursing.

We are excited to announce that as of this year, the NAHN Nurse of the Year, NAHN’s premiere recognition, will be hon-ored during the Annual Conference Gala on July 15, 2016 in Chicago, IL.

We invite you to nominate yourself or one of your peers for these wonderful awards.

The awards are:• The Dr. Ildaura Murillo-Rohde Award for Academic Excellence

• The Henrietta Villaescusa Award for Community Service

• The Dr. Janie Menchaca Wilson Award for Outstanding Leadership

• The Sara Gomez Erlach Humanitarian Award

• NAHN Nurse of the Year - Now at the Annual Conference!

• NEW: Hispanic Nurse Legacy Award

The deadline to apply is April 1, 2016. Winners of the Awards will be celebrated at our Annual Conference Gala on July 15, 2016 in Chicago, IL.

Learn more and apply today at http://www.nahnnet.org/NAHNAwards.html.

With just one click...You helped NAHN increase membership and end our year strong! As you all know, we had an end-of-year member recruitment campaign where we asked for your assistance. Thanks to you, our 2015 membership grew significantly. The recruiting member’s name got entered as many times as the number of new members recruited and the winners’ names were drawn.

We are proud to announce our winners! • Armando Riera – Winner of 2 years’ NAHN membership• Veronica Vital – Winner of $100 off her annual conference regis-

tration

We appreciate everyone who took part in our campaign.

By helping to grow NAHN, not only does it increase our reach across the nation, but it also gives us the opportunity to provide more for our members. In addition, it provides you with an ex-panding network of colleagues to help advance your career.

Recruit a member today at http://www.nahnnet.org/NAHN-Membership.html.

Special Scholarship Donation CampaignDo you remember when you first started on your journey of nursing? The uncertainty you faced, the work, and all of the knowledge you were trying to absorb? Now imagine on top of that not knowing if you’ll be able to reach your end goal due to financial stress?

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At NAHN we are not only a community, but a family. It’s our duty to ensure the future of our profession by helping current NAHN members who are students of a two-year associate nursing degree program.

We encourage you, as members, to help current nursing stu-dents finish their journey, by donating to our scholarship cam-paign. Please contribute to help us meet our mission to advance the health in Hispanic communities and to lead, promote and advocate the educational, professional, and leadership opportu-nities for Hispanic nurses. How much we can contribute to their success depends on you, our members.

Imagine, as we are so close to 2,000 members, if each of us was able to make even a small donation. We could ac-complish so much, and give directly to our community, our members, and the future of our profession.

Our NAHN President Dan Suarez, RN, MA has already chal-lenged the past presidents to donate, and several have already contributed (see next column). Won’t you join them as well?

Please donate today at http://www.nahnnet.org/NAHNDo-nate.html.

NAHN thanks you for your generosity.

Every contribution you make to NAHN helps improve healthcare in all of our communities. All of your contributions are tax deduct-ible and NAHN is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization.

NAHN Past President Challenge Scholarship FundNAHN President Dan Suarez, RN, MA has established the Past President Challenge Scholarship Fund to offer schol-arships to unlicensed NAHN members who are enrolled in a nursing program. Applicants will be able to enter into this scholarship competition by using the regular NAHN scholar-ship application form.

We want to thank the following NAHN Past Presidents who have already contributed to the Fund. They will receive a special recognition at the NAHN Annual Gala.

• Hector Hugo Gonzalez, PhD, VR-RN (Retired)• Carmen Portillo, PhD, RN, FAAN• Nilda (Nena) Peragallo, DrPH, RN, FAAN

Be Counted: 10,000 Nurses on Boards by 2020NAHN is a member of the Nurses on Boards Coalition, a co-alition of major nursing association. The goal of the Coalition is to improve the health of our communities by getting 10,000 nurses on boards by 2020. As we announced previously, NAHN President Dan Suarez, RN, MA was distinguished by being ap-pointed as the Co-Chair of the Coalition.

We want to encourage all NAHN members to sign up to vol-unteer to serve on both non-profit and for-profit Boards at the Coalition’s website, which was recently launched.

Be counted if you serve on or want to serve on a board!

For more information go to www.nursesonboardscoalition.org.

Advance Your Medical Spanish SkillsMake sure you have the medical Spanish skills to work com-petently and compassionately with your Spanish-speaking patients to prevent miscommunication errors big and small.

As a NAHN member, you have a discount for Canopy’s Medical Spanish Training Course, developed with fund-ing from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Access your discount here.

Keep Your NAHN Record Up to DateNAHN members can now directly access their membership database record so they can update the information when-ever needed. It is very easy and you can do it NOW!• Go to http://ow.ly/qwIw8. We have also added a link to the

database under the “Communicate” section at the NAHN home page, http://www.nahnnet.org. Look for Members Login.

• Click Login in the left-hand side menu.

• Enter your username as the primary e-mail NAHN uses to communicate with you. Please contact NAHN headquarters if you need help.

• Enter the password: Password1. (The first time you login, it will force you to change your password.)

• Enter the old password as Password1, then enter twice your new password. If you forget it later, you can always take ad-vantage of the Forgot Password? link.

• After doing so, you will be directed to My Information. Click Edit Information to update your record.

• Please make sure to update the demographics labeled at the bottom of the form, including: practice, specialty, work place and type of position.

Why We Need More InformationHaving accurate member information helps NAHN to deliver more relevant and timely information to our membership.

We get occasional calls looking for members to be inter-viewed regarding particular subjects. Knowing your area of expertise will allow us to identify the appropriate member.

We also are invited to nominate members to outside commit-tees and councils. Being able to identify members that would qualify for those appointments facilitates NAHN’s participa-tion in these groups.

Additionally, we need the information to better describe who our members are to potential supporters.

NAHN Job BoardDid you know that NAHN’s Career Headquarters has some won-derful job openings in many different positions around the U.S.?

If you or someone you know is looking for a new opportu-nity, don’t forget to check out the new NAHN Career Center, http://careers.nahnnet.org/.

The Career Center now includes the option for our mem-bers to upload a resume where potential employers can re-

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view. The resumes can be posted privately for the use of the poster, anonymous, so potential employers can look but with identifying information removed, or publicly so everyone can look at it.

If you are looking for a job, please support our Center. Also, let your peers know about the new, improved NAHN Career Center.

Encourage your employer to post job openings on the NAHN Career Headquarters page! Contact Lindsay Harp at sales@thehispanicnurses.org for more information.

Let’s Get SocialWe want to invite our members to “get social” and join the NAHN Social Media sites. Become a fan of the NAHN Face-book page and follow our tweets on our Twitter page.

Click on the links below and join us now!• NAHN Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/nahnnurs-

ing/• NAHN Twitter Page: @nahnnursing or www.twitter.com/nahn-

nursing• NAHN LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/groups/National-Associa-

tion-Hispanic-Nurses-2358996/about

We have also now added additional social sites, including: • NAHN Instagram Site: https://www.instagram.com/nahnnurs-

ing/• NAHN Pinterest Site: https://www.pinterest.com/nahnnursing/

• NAHN Flickr Site: www.flickr.com/photos/101014955@N03/

News from Our Corporate MembersAbbott LaboratoriesNew Research Examines Effects of a Specialized Oral Nutrition Supplement on Hospital Readmissions and Mortality Rates in Malnourished Adults Aged 65 or Older1

Results from a new clinical trial show that a specialized oral nutrition supplement was associated with a 50 percent low-er death rate in older malnourished patients with a heart or lung disease 90 days following hospitalization. The study, published in Clinical Nutrition and supported by Abbott, es-timated that within this population one life could be saved for every 21 patients who received the specialized nutrition supplement, demonstrating it as a highly effective therapy.

The NOURISH (Nutrition effect On Unplanned Readmis-sions and Survival in Hospitalized patients) study – one of the largest nutrition clinical studies of its kind – was a pro-spective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The study was designed to build upon the body of evidence demonstrating that oral nutrition supplements may reduce complications, mortality and hospital readmissions in mal-nourished patients. Participants in the NOURISH study included 652 malnourished adults, aged 65 or older, who were admitted to the hospital and suffered from heart or lung

disease. Researchers compared the effects of a specialized nutrition supplement with high protein (20 grams), HMB* (a muscle-preserving ingredient) and Vitamin D to a placebo supplement on rates of readmissions or death 90-days after leaving the hospital.

Results showed no significant differences between the two groups for the primary composite (i.e. combined) endpoint of hospital readmissions or death. However, the study indi-vidual components and additional analyses showed:• A significantly lower (50 percent) death rate for those patients

who received the specialized nutrition supplement. This lower incidence of death began at 30 days and continued for 90 days after participants left the hospital.

• Similar rates of hospital readmissions between the two groups.

• Improvements in other health outcomes including body weight, nutritional status and Vitamin D levels at 30 and 60 days after leaving the hospital, and continued body weight and nutritional status improvements at 90 days for the group taking the spe-cialized nutrition supplement.

“The NOURISH study clearly reinforces the power of nu-trition in impacting health outcomes. For the people in this study who were ill and malnourished, nutrition was critical to survival because it helps keep your body, especially your muscles, functioning properly,” said Nicolaas E. Deutz, MD, PhD, Center for Translational Research in Aging & Longev-ity, Department of Health and Kinesiology, Texas A&M Uni-versity, and lead study author. “This is more proof that we need to change the standard and include nutrition as an inte-gral part of care, much like flu shots or aspirin, to help older adults who already have or are at risk for malnutrition and chronic illness.”

Related Links: http://www.abbott.com/newsroom/news/the-power-of-nutrition.html and http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7732751-abbott-laboratories-clinical-nutrition-study/ 1Deutz N et al. Clin. Nutr. 2016; published online 18 January 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2015.12.010

https://ensure.com/enlive

CVS HealthFor NAHN’s New Partners at CVS Health, Enhancing Life and Work for Hispanic Patients and Professionals is Part of the Company’s DNAFor CVS Health, diversity and inclusion is a key element to the company’s culture and how it succeeds against its pur-pose of helping people on their path to better health. With nearly 10,000 pharmacies and more than 1,100 in-store MinuteClinic locations, the company has become a one-stop community health resource for patient populations across the United States, including the Hispanic/Latino community.

At its MinuteClinic subsidiary, patients can get everything from flu shots to cholesterol screenings to urinary tract infec-tion diagnoses, helping to ensure all patients have access to primary care. If patients don’t have a primary care physician, MinuteClinic’s network of nurse practitioners refer them to

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one of the 60 health care providers that CVS Health is af-filiated with across the country to further enhance access to quality, affordable care.

Through an initiative called Project Health — or Proyecto Salud in Spanish — the company hosts hundreds of in-store events each year to provide customers with a variety of free health-risk assessments, including screenings for blood pressure, body mass index, and glucose levels. In 2015, 750 events delivered more than $10 million worth of free health services to multicultural communities reaching a significant number of uninsured or underinsured individuals.

“These events also featured our comprehensive and unique-ly personalized smoking cessation program and offered par-ticipants information about their health insurance options throughout the open enrollment period,” said David Casey, VP workforce strategies and chief diversity officer at CVS Health. “Participants received on-site consultations with bi-lingual nurse practitioners and CVS pharmacists, and refer-rals to nearby no-cost or low-cost medical facilities if follow-up care was needed.”

With the company’s 2014 acquisition of Miami-based Navar-ro Discount Pharmacy ― the largest Hispanic-owned drug-store chain in the U.S. ― CVS Health rebranded 11 existing stores and opened a new one, all named CVS/pharmacy y más (CVS/pharmacy and more). The “y más” signifies the availability of more products and services that are important to the Hispanic consumer and a shopping experience more tailored to Hispanic customers.

Even with these expansive services and notable improve-ments to health care delivery in the U.S., health disparities that affect Hispanic/Latino communities remain. As a group, they have the largest number of uninsured, and are often dealing with various language, cultural and access to care is-sues. While there are a variety of factors that cause these health disparities, the under-representation of minority nurses in health care is considered a significant part of the problem.

Fortunately, companies like CVS Health are also doing their part to grow minority nursing populations, recognizing the strong connection between nurses with culturally diverse backgrounds and the ability to improve access to quality, culturally-competent patient care.

Through its partnership with NAHN, CVS Health is expand-ing career opportunities for Hispanic nurses, including: Nurse Practitioners who see patients through the company’s MinuteClinic network; Nurse Patient Care Specialists who serve the company’s specialty patients; Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) Nurses who provide in-home education and infused medication therapies; and Patient Education Nurses who deliver disease education and case manage-ment to patients over the phone.

“Having a culturally competent nurse really makes a differ-ence in terms of compliance and patient outcomes,” said Casey. “Patients really respond when they have a provider who understands their culture.”

For CVS Health, all of these activities are about more than Hispanic parity in the health care workforce.

“It’s about helping our Latino patients on a path to better health, today and in the future,” said Casey.

For more information about career opportunities in nursing at CVS Health, interested candidates should visit jobs.http://cvshealth.com/NAHN.

United Health FoundationNew report highlights disparities in use of preven-tive services Disease prevention is key to a healthy life for individuals and communities. But a new report from United Health Founda-tion’s America’s Health Rankings finds that fewer Hispanic adults access preventive health services and interventions, compared to non-Hispanic white or black adults.

The troubling finding is part of America’s Health Rankings Spotlight: Prevention, the first of a series of focused spot-lights on health topics to be released this year. It took an in-depth look at three key health measures - Access to Health Care, Immunizations and Chronic Disease Prevention - across all 50 states, and found differences in use of routine health screenings and services by race, income, education and geography. Among the report’s highlights: • Significantly fewer Hispanics (59.2%), have a dedicated health

care provider than non-Hispanic whites (82.1%), or non-His-panic blacks (76.5%).

• Only about half of Hispanics (51.7%) receive colorectal can-cer screenings, compared nearly 70% of non-Hispanic blacks (67.7%) and non-Hispanic whites (68.3%).

• Fewer Hispanics, 62.2%, get cholesterol screenings, compared to non-Hispanic blacks, 75%, or non-Hispanic whites, 79.5%.

Adults with higher education and higher incomes also get more of the recommended screenings than those with less education and lower incomes. Immunization rates vary widely by state and across age groups, but most fall below the U.S. Health and Human Services’ Healthy People 2020 goals. For instance, childhood immunization rates range from 84.7% in Maine to 63.4% in West Virginia. Nationally, 71.6% of children aged 19-35 months have received all rec-ommended childhood immunizations – short of the Healthy People 2020 goal of 80%.

Significantly, the report found that states that score well in one category of prevention generally score well in the other two categories examined in the analysis. That suggests that a holistic approach to prevention is important to better public health overall. An example is the New England states, which excel in prevention in all three categories and could be a model for best practices.

Additional information can be found at http://www.ameri-cashealthrankings.org.

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Walden UniversityCOMMENDING COMPASSION: Celebrating Your Nurses during Nurses WeekWalden University would like to pay homage to nurses and their contributions to the nursing profession. During the month of May, Walden will be hosting various appreciation events and activities to celebrate nursing staff across the country and the contributions they make every day. As one of our valued partners, we would like to share with you some of the activities available to you and your system. These activities include:• Sweet Treats giveaway – a taste of what Walden has in store

for your nursing units

• From Exhausted to Extraordinary: Strategies to Reverse Nurse Fatigue – live continuing nursing education program. These live webinars will be held on three dates, May 6th, 10th, and 16th at noon EST.

• Sponsorship Meals – an engaging breakfast, lunch, or dinner to recognize star nurses

Walden hopes members of NAHN will find these small tokens of appreciation beneficial. Please contact Jamila Winder at jamila.winder@waldenu.edu directly if you are interested in participating in one or more of these activities.

Walden University is working to make education even more accessible to the hard-working nurses within NAHN. We look forward to supporting you, your colleagues and their education needs not just during Nurses Week but through-out the year.

To learn more about your 20% tuition reduction and Walden’s partnership with NAHN, visit www.waldenu.edu/nahn.

Thank You To Our Corporate Members! NAHN would like to give a special thanks to all of our Corporate Members (as of 3/11/2016), listed below. Thank you for all of your support!

• NEW: Abbott Laboratories• Abbvie• Astra Zeneca• Cancer Treatment Centers of America• Center for Nursing Advancement, UnitedHealth Group• Children’s Mercy Hospital and Clinics• Cord Blood Registry®• NEW: CVS Health• Eli Lilly• Excelsior College• Pfizer RxPathways• Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers

of America (PhRMA)• The Coca-Cola Company• Transitions Optical• University of Phoenix• Walden University• NEW: The Wonderful Company

Excelsior’s School of Nursing has been designated an NLN Center of Excellence in Nursing Education three times, and is a five-time recipient of the American Assembly for Men in Nursing Best School Award.

A trusted leader in nursing education.▶ RN-BS in Nursing ▶ RN-MS in Nursing ▶ MS in Nursing

Special tuition for NAHN Members!

Online: excelsior.edu/NAHNCall: 844-843-9296

ACCREDITED | NONPROFIT | ONLINE

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Health Policy & Legislative Affairs2017 State Innovation Waiversby Dr. Mirian Zavala, DNS, RN

Section 1332 of the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act will provide the states discretion in providing healthcare through innovative strategies, redesigning their models for their healthcare delivery system. The state must preserve the basic protection of ACA to their residents, the access to optimal quality care while simultaneously providing health insurance coverage that is affordable. The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Treasury Department will provide information for the appli-cation process, which includes that the states must allow public input prior to submitting the waiver application.

The states may modify or abolish the individual mandate, re-place their current marketplace with other options, modify cov-ered benefits, subsidies, modify or remove the requirement that the large employers offer affordable health insurance coverage. This new innovative program must remain “deficit neutral to the federal government” and include a comprehensive plan with a timeline. The HHS and the Treasury Department will provide initial feedback to determine if the application is complete after 45 days. The final application outcome will be made about 180 days after the application is complete. Effective dates for the waivers will be available after January 1, 2017 according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Other NewsCDC Urging Dialysis Providers and Facilities to Assess and Improve Infection Control Practices to Stop Hepatitis C Virus Transmission in Patients Undergoing HemodialysisThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has received an increased number of reports of newly acquired hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among patients undergo-ing hemodialysis. Infection control lapses in dialysis care could expose patients to HCV. Any case of new HCV infection in a patient undergoing hemodialysis should prompt immediate ac-tion. CDC is urging dialysis providers and facilities to:• Assess current infection control practices and environmental

cleaning and disinfection practices within the facility to ensure adherence to infection control standards;

• Address any gaps identified by the assessments;

• Screen patients for HCV, following CDC guidelines, to detect infections, determine treatment potential, and halt secondary transmission; and

• Promptly report all acute HCV infections to the state or local health department.

A recent publication describes a dialysis facility where an outbreak of HCV continued for five years before being de-

tected, highlighting the importance of HCV screening to identify these infections early and prevent further transmis-sion. HCV transmission can be prevented when proper in-fection prevention and environmental disinfection practices are consistently followed.

Review educational resources for patients (http://www.cdc.gov/dialysis/patient/index.html) on dialysis safety and hepatitis C (http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hcv/cfaq.htm) provided by CDC and other partners.

AHRQ Evidence Review: The Final Report on Contrast-Induced NephropathyThe Effective Health Care (EHC) Program at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has completed evidence reviews on Contrast-Induced Nephropathy: Comparative Effects of Different Contrast Media and Contrast-Induced Nephropathy: Comparative Effectiveness of Preventive Measures.

For more information on The Effective Healthcare Program visit http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/

FDA takes Additional Action to Better Understand Safety of EssureThe FDA announced actions to provide important informa-tion about the risks of using Essure and to help women and their doctors be better informed of the potential complica-tions associated with implantable forms of sterilization.

Since Essure’s approval in 2002, the agency has continued to monitor Essure’s safety and effectiveness by reviewing the medical literature, clinical trial information, post-approval study data and medical device reports submitted to the agency.

The FDA intends to require changes to product labeling, in-cluding a boxed warning and a Patient Decision Checklist to help to ensure women receive and understand informa-tion regarding the benefits and risks of this type of device. The FDA has issued a draft guidance to provide the public an opportunity to comment on the proposed language to be included in these warnings.

The draft guidance issued aims to increase patient and phy-sician understanding of the potential risks associated with this type of device and provides the public with an opportu-nity to comment on the language that once finalized, will be included in the product labeling to communicate to health care practitioners and patients the potential serious compli-cations that can occur in some women.

The Agency intends to require a mandatory boxed warning on the product explaining the adverse events that have been associated with these devices, including their insertion and/or removal procedures.

The draft guidance also includes proposed language for the “patient decision checklist,” for doctors to discuss with patients to better communicate risks and help to ensure an informed decision-making process. The checklist will also

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help doctors discuss the importance of undergoing a “con-firmation” test three months after the device is implanted to determine whether the implants are properly placed and that scar tissue has formed to prevent pregnancy. The checklist should be completed and signed by the patient and physi-cian prior to proceeding with a permanent hysteroscopic sterilization procedure, such as Essure.

The FDA has also issued a new, mandatory clinical study for Essure to determine heightened risks for particular women.

The FDA has also ordered Bayer, the company that manu-factures Essure, to conduct a new postmarket surveillance study designed to provide important information about the risks of the device in a real-world environment. Bayer will be required to develop and conduct a post-market study that will provide data to help the agency to better understand the risks associated with Essure and compare them to laparo-scopic tubal ligation. This includes the rates of complications including unplanned pregnancy, pelvic pain and other symp-toms, and surgery to remove the Essure device. The study will also evaluate how much these complications affect a patient’s quality of life. Additionally, it will collect information to identify reasons for why some patients don’t have a confir-mation test to ensure that Essure has been properly placed three months after insertion. The FDA will use the results of this study to determine what, if any, further actions related to Essure are needed to protect public health.

The FDA is seeking comment from the public, industry, and other stakeholders on this draft guidance. The dock-et will be open until May 03, 2016 and can be accessed at http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FDA-2016-D-0435-0001.

For more information, visit FDA News Release; FDA Medical Devices; FDA: Essure Permanent Birth Control; Information for Patients; 522 Postmarket Surveillance Studies; 522 Post-market Surveillance Studies – Frequently Asked Questions

Information provided by the Office of Health & Constituent Affairs, Office of External Affairs, U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Melnyk’s New Study Reveals One Reason Hospitals Fall Short on Outcomes, CostsA new study led by Bernadette Melnyk, PhD, RN, CPNP/PMHNP, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN, sheds light on why many hospitals continue to struggle with quality, safety and costs. The study, which appears in the February issue of World-views on Evidence-Based Nursing, found that the use of evidence-based practice among chief nurse executives and their hospitals is relatively low, and many of the hospitals in the study reported poor scores on key performance mea-sures, such as falls and pressure ulcers.

Melnyk’s research team surveyed 276 chief nurses across the United States to gauge how evidence-based practice ranks as a priority in their institutions. Findings from multiple studies sup-port that evidence-based practice results in high-quality care, improved population health, better patient experiences and low-er costs. While most chief nurses who participated in the survey said they believe in the value of evidence-based practice, more

than half reported that it is practiced in their organization “not at all” or only “somewhat.” When asked to list their organiza-tion’s top three priorities, they ranked quality and safety first and second. Evidence-based practice was ranked among the low-est. The study points to a disconnect among hospital leadership as the root of the problem. To read more about this study, visit nursing.osu.edu.

Melnyk serves as associate vice president for health promotion, university chief wellness officer and dean of the College of Nurs-ing at The Ohio State University, and is a professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at Ohio State’s College of Medicine.

The 2nd Annual Latino Nurses Network Symposium Please join Penn Nursing Science for a day of networking and dialogue that will bring together Penn Alumni and future Alumni, area chapters of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, and campus and community partners engaged in supporting the work of nurses to im-prove health in Hispanic communities. This event is free and open to all. This year we will focus on Latino Health Policy. Distinguished speakers from many disci-plines will stimulate our conversation during breakout sessions, a panel discussion, and buffet luncheon.

Penn Nursing Receives Future of Nursing Scholars Grant to Prepare PhD NursesMulti-funder initiative aims to help reach institute of medicine goal to build the next generation of PhD pre-pared nursing leadersThe University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nurs-ing) is one of only 32 schools of nursing nationwide to receive a grant to increase the number of nurses holding PhDs. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Future of Nursing Schol-ars program will provide financial support, mentoring, and lead-ership development to nurses who commit to earn their PhDs in three years. Penn Nursing will select two nursing student to receive this prestigious scholarship.

“We are proud and appreciative that Penn has been selected to participate in the Future of Nursing Scholars program,” said Penn Nursing Dean Antonia M. Villarruel, PhD, RN, FAAN, who is also a NAHN member and past president. “As the impact of nursing on health and healthcare expands, the types of support available to Future of Nursing Scholars is critical to preparing the next generation of researchers and leaders.”

For the full press release on this grant, visit http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-03/uops-pnr030316.php#.VtyvlMhBf.

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SaludToday Blog: More Cancer Research Needed Across Hispanic Ancestry GroupsA new study hoped to learn more from the data about the health risks, such as smoking, on cancer diagnoses in the Latino com-munity. More than 16,000 Latinos participated in the study, and 4% reported instances of some type of cancer.

Cancer has surpassed heart disease as the leading cause of death among Latinos, yet researchers still know little about how specific risk factors affect Latinos across ancestry groups.

The researchers, part of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, did not find a significant relationship between smoking and cancer prevalence among Latinos. How-ever, it is the belief of the researchers that the lack of a connec-tion can be due to the “cross-sectional nature” of the study. The authors believe that more research is needed to determine the risk factors among various Latino ancestry groups.

According to the findings, Mexicans have the lowest can-cer incidences among the ancestry groups surveyed. Puerto Ricans consistently showed the highest rates, especially in cervical, liver, and stomach cancers.

Due in large part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), gather-ing data for such surveys will become easier to gather, col-lect, and analyze.

For the original article, visit http://www.saludtoday.com/blog/more-cancer-research-needed-across-hispanic-ancestry-groups/.

CDC Reports on Effective Strategies for Reducing Health DisparitiesResults From a Prospective Cohort of 4582 Hospital-ized Baby BoomersCDC’s Office of Minority Health and Health Equity is excited to share with you the recently published MMWR Supplement Strategies for Reducing Health Disparities — Selected CDC-Sponsored Interventions, United States, 2016. The purpose of the supplement is to evaluate and report on interventions and strategies that reduce health disparities. Reducing disparities is a major goal of public health and this report demonstrates that we can make progress in overcoming health disparities through meaningful community and local health authority involvement. Programs designed to build health equity are a smart invest-ment for improving health outcomes.

The supplement contains eight articles that highlight effective and promising strategies to eliminate health disparities, including:

• A report on the Traditional Foods Project, • A description of Boston Children’s Hospital’s Community

Asthma Initiative, • A report on evidence-based interventions to improve levels of

screening for colorectal cancer,• A report documenting the reduction of disparities in hepatitis A

virus (HAV) infection,• Two reports outlining HIV prevention interventions, • A report describing three community-level interventions linked

to reductions in youth violence, and

2012, and finished 2015 with a net profit of over $113,000. NAHN is close to being a two-million-dollar organization.

• NAHN has received two additional federal grants--a five-year NIH SEPA grant and a one-year HHS OMH ACA grant, now renewed for a second year under the leadership of Adriana Perez, PhD, RN, ANP-BC, FAAN. NAHN also has continued to receive support from the Coca Cola Foundation for Muevete USA for five years.

• NAHN’s scholarships have also grown, with the United Health Foundation increasing its support to our scholars from $40,000 per year to $120,000 per year for the last three years.

• NAHN has developed a strong webinar program to educate our members outside our conference. NAHN offered 14 webinars in 2015. Webinars are recorded and available on the NAHN website.

Even more important is the growth in NAHN’s reputation and in the recognition of the important contributions that NAHN and Hispanic nurses have made and can make to Healthcare. There has been an incredible growth in the number of organizations wanting to work with us and seeking our support.

These are not my accomplishments alone, nor those of the three Boards I served under, nor those of the members. They were made possible by all of us working together to-wards a brighter future for NAHN.

Although I am sad to leave, I feel better in knowing that NAHN is in a much stronger position that when I came, and I am con-fident that it will continue to grow in prominence and influence.

My thanks to all whom I have work with, my staff, my CMI colleagues, the Chapter Presidents, NAHN partners, NAHN Committee members and the Board members, and I wish you all the best of luck!

Buena suerte y cariños,

Celia

GUEST COLUMN from page 1

• An evaluation of the Living Well with a Disability program.

We invite you to view and share the web site and infograph-ic describing each of the interventions and their outcomes in more depth. See the next page for the full infographic. This information is provided by CDC.

2016 NURSE Corps Scholarship ProgramThe 2016 NURSE Corps Scholarship Program application cycle is now open and will close on May 5, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). Please refer to the 2016 Application and Program Guidance for all of the program requirements at http://www.hrsa.gov/loanscholarships/scholarships/Nursing/index.html.

NURSE Corps Scholarship Program enables students ac-cepted or enrolled in a diploma, associate, baccalaureate or graduate nursing programs, including RN to BSN, RN to MSN-NP, Direct Entry MSN-NP program to receive funding for tuition, fees and other educational costs in exchange for working at an eligible NURSE Corps site upon graduation.

19

REACHING FOR

Health EquityReducing health disparities brings us closer to reaching health equity. The programs

below are examples of how addressing disparities can advance health equity.BE

ST HEALTH

POSSIBLE

BEST HEALTH

POSSIBLE

FutureStrategies

Case management and home visits by community health workers decreased asthma-related hospitalizations

Expanded vaccination recommendations eliminated some disparities in Hepatitis A disease

Curriculum for living well with a disability improved quality of life

OngoingEfforts

Personalized counseling reduced HIV risk behaviors

Tribally driven efforts to reclaim traditional food systems increased dialogue about health

Client and provider reminders and patient navigators increased colorectal cancer screening rates

Programs and policies supporting better neighborhood conditions reduced violence

Lay health advisors reduced HIV risk behaviors

PROGRAMS

POPULATIONS

Black and Hispanic children

Racial/ethnic minority groups

People living with disabilities

Men who have sex with men

American Indian and Alaska Native

populations

Low income populations and Alaska Natives

High risk communities

Hispanic and Latino immigrant men

HEALTH EQUITY is when everyone has the opportunity to be as healthy as possible.

HEALTH DISPARITIES are differences in health outcomes and their causes among groups of people.

EXAMPLE: African American children are more likely to die from asthma compared to non-Hispanic White children.

Learn more about these programs at: http://www.cdc.gov/minorityhealth/strategies2016/CS262907