Executive Director's Report

Executive Director's Report

Sep '08

September '08...

I. Networking, Linkages, Relationship Building -

A. The President, with help from the Communications Coordinator, widely distributed the announcement of the hiring of an Executive Director. ASTHO then distributed this announcement to all of its affiliates. In follow-up there were several follow-up e-mails of congratulations, stating the desire to work together. ASTHO ED Paul Jarris has suggested a meeting in Washington DC to orient the new ED to ASTHO and the affiliates. He has also offered space, should ASTDN need it, at ASTHO headquarters.
B. ASTHO/NACCHO Meeting
The President and the Executive Director attended the joint ASTHO-NACCHO Annual Meeting. Several good connections were made at the meeting, including contacts with CDC and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Dr. Steven Solomon of the CDC has suggested a contact for Coordinator Mary Pat Couig relative to trying to get the $100K left in the CA appropriated to us. There is the potential that ASTDN will be “adopted” by the Coordinating Center for Health Information and Service. Also, we were assured that our communication with RWJF has started the conversation about public health nursing. These are positive developments.
We learned that former ASTDN President Sharon Moffatt has recently been hired as the Chief of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention for ASTHO. Congratulations, Sharon! We look forward to her advocacy for public health nursing within ASTHO.
C. Healthiest Nation Alliance – ASTDN has signed on to this multi-partner initiative.

II. Resource and Infrastructure Development

A. Potential Funding
The ED is currently investigating foundations as potential sources of funding. RWJ Foundation has posted an opportunity under “Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future.” This initiative requires matching funds from another foundation. The Project Officer at RWJ was contacted and believes the case could be made for a national public health nursing leadership initiative or an initiative that focuses on retention and recruitment of public health nurses. Proposals are due October 2nd, for this round. If we are unable to make the deadline for this round, it appears there will be other rounds of funding.

B. Johnson and Johnson
Several attempts were made to contact Johnson and Johnson, without success.

III. Liaison and Membership Activities

A. The ED worked with the Communications Coordinator and the webmaster to update materials on the website.
B.

IV. Organizational Initiatives

A. Public Policy Workgroup

Zenobia Harris has agreed to co-chair the committee. We are still waiting to hear from Diana McMaster as to whether she would like to be the other co-chair.
Two issues were sent to the PPW this month:

1. APHA is expressing opposition to Provider Conscience regulations, citing the potential for depriving clients of needed reproductive and other health services.
2. A communication went out to all leaders from APRN stakeholder organizations who have participated or have been invited to participate in meetings or sessions on the APRN Consensus Process, and the formation of the Consensus Model for APRN Regulation: Licensure, Accreditation, Certification, & Education (July 2008). The letter was from Horacio Oliveira, Education Policy and Special Projects Assistant, American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
   Attached was the draft consensus document, completed through the collaborative work of the APRN Consensus Work Group and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing APRN Advisory Committee. They are requesting endorsement letters prior to October 31, 2008. The names of all organizations who endorsed the document will begin to be added to the document in early November. ACHNE (Pamela Kulbock) was contacted. They will be discussing their response next week. QUAD Council is formulating a response and correcting some misinformation. According to Jeanne Matthews, it is not certain how Quad Council will frame their opposition. Many PHNs do not think our opposition be very meaningful, since the paper is aimed at the individual level of care. Any questions related to the request or the contents of the document should be directed to Joan Stanley, at the following email address: jstanley@aacn.nche.edu.

It is very concerning that the definitions are not inclusive of the population-level of care.

B. Health Equity Paper

Final edits are being made by the ED, and the committee hopes to have final product to the Board by the next meeting in October.