1. careers
2. nursing

From the President’s Desk:
Dear Members of District 6:
This letter is to inform you of all the
new and exiting initiatives being
implemented at the State and
District level. The PSNA District
President Web Conference was
presented by our State President,
Dr. Christine Alichnie on March
30th. Nine districts participated on
the
webinar.
Dr.
Alichnie
announced that in approximately
three months the state has exceeded the goal of
obtaining 2500 new members. Steve Neidlinger,
Membership Engagement Specialist, has been very
instrumental in this recruitment. Our District Membership
Chair, Dr. Shirley Smith and I have contacted those new
members from our area personally and are indentifying
strategies to get them participating. One of our new
members is developing a survey monkey so we can
contact our membership to address their interests and
needs. We are therefore implementing our motto of “Each
One, Reach One”. We were notified from the State that
there will be a change in the membership fee on July 1st.
The State Only dues will now be $150.
The young Nurse Professionals Group spearheaded by
Latasha Kast has also been very active in networking,
mentoring, and community service with a coat drive. They
are planning to meet with regional professional groups
and SNAP to increase membership with recent new
graduates. At the District level we are asking our
membership to provide suggestions on what other
nursing organizations we can collaborate with to meet the
goals of our profession.
PSNA is now also on Facebook and Twitter. In November,
we had 1800 followers. A new website is coming for
Continuing Education with interactive sessions. Betsy
Snook is developing nursing education webinars that will
be offered on Twitter. Members will be able to obtain 30
CEs free. I also want to remind you of our District
Continuing Education Session on April 10th, “Medical
Marijuana”. On May 9th we will have our Annual Nurses’
Week Event which will present the required Child Abuse
session (see flyer).
Please see our section on Legislative Update. PSNA is
supporting several significant bills, particularly the Chief
VOL. 74
NO. 28
April / May 2015
District Number Six Pennsylvania State Nurses Association
Nursing Office of the Commonwealth. This is also
supported by Governor Wolf. I hope you will be able to
attend Legislation Day on April 20th so we can be
represented and our voices heard. As always, I want to
hear from you. Please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Mildred Jones, Ph.D., RN, CS
President PSNA District 6
HAPPY NURSES WEEK
Ethical Practice, Quality Care
2015
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Board of Directors Meeting
April 10, 2015 at St. Margaret Hospital
Freeport Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15215
District General Membership Meetings
April 10, 2015
8:00am - 12:30pm
“Medical Marijuana”
· UPMC St. Margaret Conference Center
Freeport Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15238
· Attendance qualifies for 3.0 CNE
May 9, 2015
8:30am - 12:30pm
General Meeting and Child Abuse Presentation
Celebrate Nurses Week with PSNA and District 6
· Life’s Work 3323 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15219
· Refer to flyer for registration information
· Attendance qualifies for 3.5 CNE
Vital Signs submission Deadline to Newsletter Editor
January 1, 2015, April 1, July 1 and October 1, 2015
(6 weeks prior to each General Membership Meeting)
1
LEGISLATIVE ISSUES
After a very hard winter, spring flowers are blooming and the new legislative sessions are in full swing.
STATE
Chief Nursing Officers: A bill introducing a Chief Nursing Officer of the Commonwealth (HB 389) may
come up for a vote in the House Health Committee. HB 389 will give RNs a voice within State government, as
well as directly to the Governor. Request your representative to support HB 389.
Medical Marijuana: "Medical cannabis is a defining patient issue of our time," PSNA Chief Executive Officer
Betsy M. Snook said in a recent news release. Last legislative session, PSNA supported Medical Cannabis
(SB 1182) and will likely seek support to have it reintroduced during this session. The bill would have established
the Medical Cannabis Board to oversee the distribution and use of medical cannabis in Pennsylvania. The
legislation exempted from prosecution any person who carried a valid medical cannabis identification card and
provided a rebuttable presumption that the carrier of such a card is engaged in the legal use of medical
cannabis.
Lobby Day Reminder: Monday, April 20, 2015 will be the annual PSNA Legislative Day in Harrisburg. This is
an excellent learning and advocacy day for all RNs and student nurses. The Day is free to all members and prelicense nursing students. Non-members fee is $20. For more information, contact PSNA Director of Government
Affairs Kevin Busher at 717-798-8908 or kbusher@psna.org. Rebecca Patton, MSN, RN, FAAN, co-author of
Nurses Making Policy: From Bedside to Boardroom and the past president of the American Nurses Association
will present continuing education to RNs during the morning and speak at the Rotunda press conference. There
will be book signing with Rebecca Patton and co-author Dr. Margarete Zalon.
FEDERAL
Home Health: S. 578, H.R. 1342, the Home Health Planning and Improvement Act 2015 has been introduced
for consideration by the 114th Congress. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) introduced
this bill to amend a section of Medicare law to permit advanced practice nurses (APRNs), including nurse
practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and certified nurse midwives to sign home health plans of care and certify
Medicare patients for the home health benefit. Similar bills have been introduced in the past. Hopefully, this will
be the session when it will pass but everyone’s help through calls and e-mails to legislators is needed.
Advance Care Planning: A recent Institute of Medicine forum at the National Academy of Sciences supported
reimbursing physicians who provide end-of-life care planning for patients. Revenue codes under Medicare are
being created to initiate this reimbursement. Calls and e-mails to legislators to support an expansion to include
APRNs would increase access for meaningful end-of-life care discussions with patients.
Payments for Care: In March, the House overwhelmingly passed legislation to scrap Medicare's physician
payment formula before a March 31 deadline when doctors who treat Medicare patients would have seen a 21
percent payment cut. The Senate is expected to consider the measure when it returns to work in April. According
to a summary of the bill, the current system would be scrapped and replaced with payment increases for doctors
for the next five years as Medicare transitions to a new system focused "on quality, value and accountability." A
review of this legislation is needed to determine if other health care providers will be at risk with this change.
Legislative sessions are off to a fast start. Budget discussions have begun. We need to act quickly to make a
difference.
Submitted by,
Barbara Kovalcin Piskor
Legislative Committee Member
e-mail: bkpiskor@comcast.net
2
Time to Submit Nominations for
PSNA Awards
Since PSNA has eliminated their Annual Summit and
Awards Ceremony, they are now presenting the annual
Awards at local district sites or at places of employment.
The awards will continue to be given to active PSNA
members and nominations can be done on the PSNA
website by PSNA members.
District #6 has many worthy candidates. Please consider
nominating one that you know by May 31, 2015
The descriptions of the Awards are:
Distinguished Nurse of the Year Award:
The Pennsylvania State Nurses Association Distinguished
Nurse of the Year Award recognizes a member of the
Pennsylvania State Nurses Association who has
demonstrated leadership characteristics and rendered
distinguished service to the nursing profession, and whose
contributions and accomplishments are of significance to
the nursing profession throughout the Commonwealth, the
nation or the global community.
John Heinz Friend of Nursing Award:
The Pennsylvania State Nurses Association John Heinz
Friend of Nursing Award recognizes a nonmember of the
Pennsylvania State Nurses Association who has
demonstrated leadership that has significantly impacted
nursing practice, nursing education, nursing administration,
and/or nursing research within the commonwealth of
Pennsylvania
Life Time Achievement Award:
The Pennsylvania State Nurses Association Lifetime
Achievement Award recognizes a member of the
Pennsylvania State Nurses association who has
demonstrated a lifetime of exemplary service and
dedication to the profession of nursing and/or PSNA. The
nominee’s distinguished career has yielded outstanding
and noteworthy contributions and accomplishments that
are significant to the nursing profession and/or healthcare
arena throughout the Commonwealth, the nation or the
global community. Candidate selection will take into
consideration the entire mosaic of significant contributions
that merit special recognition.
The nomination forms can be accessed on the PSNA
website and be submitted via any of the following:
Email
Hardcopy
FAX
jneidig@psna.org
PSNA, Attn: Awards.
36055 Varton Way
Suite 204, Harrisburg, PA 17110
717-657-3796
Submitted by
Carol Coles, Awards Committee Member
IHCNO Conference Announcement
The International Home Care Nurses Organization
(IHCNO) develops and supports a vibrant worldwide
network of nurses who promote excellence in
providing optimal health and well-being to patients
living in their homes. IHCNO will be conducting its
3rd annual conference at the University of Illinois,
Chicago in July 8-10, 2015. USA and international
nursing leaders in attendance. Highlights:
•
•
•
•
Clinical/ Best Practice
Administration/Leadership
Education
Research
For information contact Barbara Piskor at
bkpisor@comcast.net or to register and attend,
please visit http://www.nursing.uic.edu/events/ihcnoconference. Exhibitor/sponsor opportunities
available. Additional information about IHCNO at
www.ihcno.org.
JOIN US AT DISTRICT 6
Good for You, Good for Nursing,
Good for Patients
It is said that being and staying healthy includes
physical/mental/spiritual well-being, maintaining cognitive
functioning, and sustained socialization. Today, I want to
talk about socialization and the support and friendship that
it offers. We all need all kinds of support and friendship
from various individuals and groups—family members,
work, neighbors, community, worship sites, and yes,
professional nursing organizations. Professional nursing
organizations like PSNA and specially District 6, PSNA
provide socialization, support and friendship through our
meetings, talking with us, being present with us, working
with us on professional issues, attending events like the
April 10 and May 9, 2015 events (see flyers). By
becoming a member, you can expect professional
satisfaction and personal support and friendship that can
sustain you and nourish you in your life as well as in your
nursing career. So take a chance on health promoting
socialization and join us at District 6. PSNA welcomes
you. Join us (send an email to President Mildred Jones
majones@carlow.edu). Join us—it is good for you—it is
good for nursing—it is good for our patients.
Happy Nurses Day
Filomena Varvaro, member PSNA, District 6
filomenavar@verizon,net
3
1323 Forbes Avenue
2nd Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Pennsylvania State Nurses Association
District Number 6
President:
Past President:
President-Elect:
Vice-President:
Secretary:
Treasurer:
Board of Directors Roster 2015
Board of Directors:
Kay Dieckman. MSN, RN
Dian Gardasoni, RN
Carol Coles, MSN, RN
Mildred Jones, Ph.D., RN
Marilyn Zrust, EdD., RN
Jeffrey Rompala, BSN, RN
Peggy Hayden, MSN, RN
Tamara J. Waner, BSN, RN
Linda Frank, Ph.D., RN
Sheila Cloud Woods. MSN, RN
Shirley Smith, Ph.D, RN
Newsletter Editor: R. Helen Ference, Ph.D., RN
Nominating Committee: R. Helen Ference, Ph.D., RN
District Office: Second Floor
1323 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
(412) 281-2866
Shirley P. Smith, Ph.D., RN
Other Important Numbers:
PSNA, District #6 Office 412-281-2866
PA State Board of Nursing 717-783-7142
ANCC
1-800-284-2318