The Pennsylvania Action Coalition will hold its second annual statewide conference, “Step Up and Step In: Your Role in the Future of Health Care,” on April 3, 2014.  It will be held at the Pine Barn Inn, One Barn Place, Danville, PA 17821 from 9:15 am to 5 pm. Join us as we discuss: nurses effecting wide-reaching change in our health care system; progress by nurses implementing IOM recommendations; team approaches to health care; and mentorship and interprofessional practice.

Speakers include:

• Dr. Susan Hassmiller, PhD, RN FANN, Senior Advisor for Nursing Director, Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action
• Dr. Glenn D. Steele, Jr., MD, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Geisinger Health System
• Dr. Steven C. Larson, MD, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Hospital of University of Pennsylvania

Register today! $50 (for professionals); $20 (for students)

Rooms are available at the Pine Barn Inn; please contact them directly for information (570) 275-2071.

This activity has been submitted to PA State Nurses Association for approval to award contact hours.  PA State Nurses Association is accredited as an approver of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

PSNA and PSNA District 2 will hold a Town Hall meeting on March 20, 2014 from 6 pm – 8 pm at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. Stay tuned for additional information as we near this event. Click here for details.

Registered nurses from the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association – Political Action Committee (PSNA-PAC) have endorsed Judy Ward, RN, for the 80^th House District in the upcoming Republican primary. PSNA represents more than 212,000 nurses in the Commonwealth.

A registered nurse for more than 30 years, Ward aims to build a health care system that meets the needs of its citizens and respects the contributions of its health care workers. Through a shared vision, Ward believes that stakeholders – including physicians, nurses, patients, administrators, educators, insurers and government leaders – can identify and address health care deficiencies.

“Ms. Ward will be a tireless advocate for her constituents, patients and nurses of the Commonwealth,” stated PSNA Chief Executive Officer Betsy M. Snook, MEd, BSN, RN. “As a professional nurse, she understands the key role nurses play in health care. Ms. Ward will bring her nursing expertise to discussions at all times.”

“We thank Ms. Ward for her commitment to her fellow nurses and the citizens of Pennsylvania. We firmly believe that in the primary election, there is one clear choice for the voters of the 80^th House District,” Snook added. “We endorse Judy Ward for the 80^th State House District.”

The Pennsylvania State Nurses Association (PSNA) is the non-profit voice for nurses in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Representing more than 212,000 nurses, the Association works to be essential in advancing, promoting and supporting the profession of nursing to improve health for all in the Commonwealth. PSNA is a constituent member of the American Nurses Association (www.psna.org).

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PSNA is looking for volunteers to be beta testers for the PSNA Accredited Provider Unit. PSNA’s Accredited Provider Unit has several self-study continuing education programs that we offer each year. We need PSNA members to volunteer to join the beta testing group to read the articles and complete the post-test for these self-study programs. Each beta tester who successfully completes the reading assignment and passes the post-test with a score of 80% or higher will receive the determined number of contact hours for each review and post-test that they successfully complete. You will receive up to 8 programs per year to review. If you are interested, please send your resume and/or CV to Christine Wertz at cwertz@psna.org.

PA State Nurses Association is an accredited provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

The American Nurses Association (ANA) agrees with President Obama that the Affordable Care Act is making a positive difference in people’s lives.   Already millions of Americans now have access to affordable insurance coverage and a range of health care services, some for the first time.  Consequently, people will enjoy better health and greater peace of mind. Improving the health of Americans creates opportunities for individuals to achieve their full potential and helps strengthen the U.S. economy.

Nurses are both the largest group of health care professionals and the most trusted.  We are working diligently to share accurate and timely information about the law’s robust benefits and health insurance options with individuals and communities. We are also working to fill increased needs for services such as primary care, care coordination and wellness coaching.  I ask each and every nurse to reach out to those who are uninsured, and encourage at least one person to enroll in the Health Insurance Marketplace by March 31.

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ANA is the only full-service professional organization representing the interests of the nation’s 3.1 million registered nurses through its constituent and state nurses associations and its organizational affiliates. ANA advances the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the rights of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Congress and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.

The Pennsylvania State Nurses Association (PSNA), representing more than 212,000 registered nurses in Pennsylvania, supports Senate Bill 1182 “Medical Marijuana” introduced by Senator Mike Folmer. SB 1182 both protects patients from prosecution when seeking the use of medicinal marijuana and protects health care providers who suggest medicinal marijuana to relieve intractable medical conditions or symptoms. PSNA supports the establishment of efficient drug delivery, growing and dispensing systems as contained within SB 1182.

It is the position of PSNA that medical marijuana is worthy of further rigorous clinical testing. To truly weigh the risks and benefits of medical marijuana, there must be federal-level open discussions regarding the conversion of marijuana from a Schedule I to Schedule II drug classification. Schedule II classification would allow testing of consistent grade medical marijuana in a randomized controlled fashion to ascertain the drug’s risk/benefit profile for a multitude of illnesses and symptoms.

“PSNA would like to thank Senator Folmer for bringing nurses to the table to discuss this important patient-driven initiative,” stated PSNA CEO Betsy M. Snook, MEd, BSN, RN.

This influenza season, CDC has received a number of reports of severe respiratory illness among young and middle-aged adults, many of whom were infected with influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 (pH1N1) virus. Multiple pH1N1-associated hospitalizations, including many requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and some fatalities have been reported. For the 2013-14 season, if pH1N1 virus continues to circulate widely, illness that disproportionately affects young and middle-aged adults may occur. Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for all persons aged 6 months and older, and is the best way to prevent influenza. However, available evidence consistently indicates that antiviral treatment, when initiated as early as possible in patients with confirmed or suspected influenza, can reduce severe outcomes of influenza. During this COCA conference call, critical care physicians will comment on their recent experiences caring for patients with severe influenza, and a subject matter expert will summarize the 2013-14 season to date and review CDC recommendations for health care providers including the use of antiviral medications for the treatment of influenza.

2013-2014 Influenza Season:  Updates and Recommendations for Clinicians

No Continuing Education

Date: Thursday, January 23, 2014

Time:  2:00 – 3:00 PM (Eastern Time)

Dial-In Number:  888-233-9077

Passcode:  8207177

Webinar Link: https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?i=PW3797988&p=8207177&t=c

Registration is not required.

Presenter: Angela Campbell, MD, MPH, FAAP, Medical Officer, Epidemiology and Prevention Branch, Influenza Division National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases-CDC

Clinician Panelists:

Pauline K. Park, MD, FACS, FCCM, Professor of Surgery, Co-Director, Surgical ICU University of Michigan

Lena M. Napolitano MD, FACS, FCCP, FCCM, Professor of Surgery, Division Chief, Acute Care Surgery, Associate Chair of Surgery, Department of Surgery Director, Trauma and Surgical Critical Care University of Michigan

Janet V. Diaz, MD Consultant, Intensive Care and Pulmonary Medicine Department of Critical Care Medicine Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, Martinez California

For additional information and to access call recordings (audio, webinar, transcript), which will be available a few days after the live call/webinar, please visit the call webpage at: http://emergency.cdc.gov/coca/calls/2014/callinfo_012314.asp

On January 8, 2014, the Public Health Agency of Canada reported the first confirmed case of human infection with avian influenza A (H5N1) virus identified in North America. The patient exhibited symptoms while returning from travel to Beijing, China, on December 27, 2013. For more information on this patient’s travel itinerary, please refer to a Public Health Agency of Canada technical briefing at http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/media/nr-rp/2014/2014_0108a-eng.php. The patient was hospitalized on January 1, 2014, and subsequently died on January 3, 2014. Investigations by Canadian public health officials are ongoing. Since avian influenza A (H5N1) viruses have only been rarely, and never sustainably, transmitted from person to person, there is a very low risk of subsequent related cases. To date, no cases of human infection with avian influenza A (H5N1) viruses have been reported in the United States.

Read more here.

The state needs to do a better job including nurses on state appointed healthcare-related advisory boards when legislation creates such advisory boards, said Rep. Pamela A. DeLissio during floor debate Tuesday. DeLissio raised the point while debating a bill to create the Patient-Centered Medical Home Advisory Council, HB 1655, but said the overall need is to ensure that nurses are accorded the opportunity to participate in the ever-evolving direction of the health care environment.  Click here to watch Rep. DeLissio’s statement on the House Floor.

The key word is team, and nurses are an integral part of our health care system, said DeLissio, D-Montgomery/Phila. We seem to pretty consistently overlook the role of our nurses, particularly as health care moves forward, and we need to correct that. This legislation allows for many physician categories to participate and includes only one nurse category.

 There’s not an opportunity to [fix] that here on the floor, but I sincerely hope the Senate will correct this oversight, she added with respect to HB 1655.

HB 1655 cleared the House on Tuesday and awaits consideration in the Senate.

PSNA asks that you contact your State Senator and State Representative and explain to them the role you play in patient-centered medical homes and in the changing health care environment. Click here to find your elected officials.

PSNA District 16 and the Lancaster Anti-Trafficking Network presents Freedom Weekend on January 16-18, 2014. Breakout sessions address domestic and international prevention, rescue and restoration efforts. For more information, contact latn.pa@gmail.com.