What’s New at the Nurse Practitioner Association of Greater Rochester

April 2014
 

News and Updates

Starting on January 1, 2015 the Nurse Practitioner Modernization Act will officially take effect! This is a tremendous step forward that advances greater patient access to care and recognizes the important role that Nurse Practitioners play as independent, autonomous health care professionals in New York State. This new law removes the requirement of a written practice agreement between an experienced nurse practitioner as a condition of practice.

There is still time to help recruit new members for the NPA and be rewarded!!!! The Annual Membership campaign will end on April 30th. Remember that each new and referring member will receive a $65 voucher to be used towards 2015 membership or at the 2014 annual education conference. In addition, the NPAGR will award a $100 gift certificate to the Delmonte Spa to whoever recruits the most new members!

The NPA website (at www.thenpa.org ) has officially been upgraded! As a result of the upgrade, each member was sent a letter with your login & password to use on your first time logging in – it is important to change your password during this first visit. Note that your login has remained the same. If you have any questions or difficulties accessing the new site, call the NPA office at 518-348-0719 or email info@thenpa.org for help.

Upcoming Programs & Events:

(Additional information and sign-ups for each of these events can be found on our website at http://www.npagr.org )

April:

• NPAGR membership meeting and presentation on Hepatitis C. April 23rd at 6pm at Rochester Yacht Club.

May:

• 21st Annual Pediatric Nursing Conference. May 2nd at 7:30am at University of Rochester School of Medicine.
• Nursing Lobby Day. May 6th in Albany, NY. Travel to our state capital with fellow NYS Nurses and NP’s to thank our legislators for passing the Nurse Practitioner Modernization Act and discuss issues/concerns. Contact Mel Callan at callannys@yahoo.com or Marilyn Dollinger at mdollinger@sjfc.edu for more details.
• Questions Answered: Doctoral Education for Nurses. May 29th at 5pm at the Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency on University Avenue. The program will include a presentation on the different types of doctoral programs available for nurses (PhD, DNS, DNP, EdD) and feature a panel of nurses with doctoral education who will share their choices and experiences

June:

• Updates in Head Lice, a sponsored program. June 10th at 6pm at Pomodoro’s in Pittsford, NY.
• Gastrogenterology/Hepatology and Primary Care – Update on Issues in Everyday Practice. June 14th at 6:30pm at Double Tree Hotel in Rochester, NY.
• 2014 AANP (American Association of Nurse Practitioners) National Conference. June 17th-22nd at the Opryland Convention and Resort Center in Nashville, TN.
• Use of Massage in patient care – especially for patients with pain issues. Program planned with Albert Dedicke, LMT from Roc City Wellness. Date, time and location TBD.

October:

• NPA Annual Conference. October 20th -26th at the Saratoga Hilton and City Center in Saratoga Springs, NY. Contact Sue Hubbard at shubbard@thenpa.org for more details.

November:

• Nurse Practitioner Week is from Nov 10th – 16th. See AANP website for more details.
• NPAGR Regional Conference on November 15th. Stay tuned for location and time details.

Currently we are planning a panel of NP’s to discuss the implications of the ACA on NP practice. Please contact David Goede, our education chair for any suggestions on additional topics.

2014 NPAGR Board Information

A reminder that all are welcome to attend our NPAGR monthly board meetings. Each meeting is held at the Neurosurgical Center on S. Clinton Ave at 6pm. Meeting dates are as follows: April 28th, May 19th, June 23rd, Sept 22nd, Oct 10th and Dec 1st.

Here is a list of your 2014 NPAGR Board Members:

• President: Heather Cook-Smith 
• President-Elect: David Goede 
• Treasurer: Laura Markwick
• Secretary: Diane Salipante 
• Communications/Website: Cynthia McCloskey and Julie Albert 
• Education: David Goede, Kathy Davis and Kim Proto-Conroy 
• Legislation: Marilyn Dollinger and Mel Callan 
• Nominations: Susan Smith 
• Marketing /Public Relations: Erin Howe 
• Membership: Jane Tuttle and Christina D’Agostino 
• Bylaws: Barb Schrage and Andrea Avidano 
• Past President: George Fox 
• Student Representative: Jessica Henneman

Our Region One Representative is Dee Krebs. Dee is our voice at the NPA state meetings – please contact Dee with any concerns or issues for the state board of NPA. Dee can be reached at regional@npagr.org