2015 AL State Nurses Association Annual Convention

2015 Alabama State Nurses Association Annual Convention
DISTRICT 2
Julie Jones, MSN, RN-BC
President
What a great year we have had in ASNA District 2! We have made great strides in achieving our goals. We changed
our schedule to quarterly board meetings this year and had two continuing education events. Our quarterly meetings
were held at Northport Medical Center in Northport, AL. We met for dinner prior to each meeting.
We had a guest speaker at our last meeting of the year, Dr. Latrell Peoples, the Clinical Director for the Good
Samaritan Clinic in Northport, AL. She shared with us about the work of the clinic and volunteer opportunities. The
Good Samaritan Clinic is an interdenominational Christian ministry that provides free primary health and dental care,
medication, health information, and spiritual support to people of every race, creed and gender who are indigent and
do not have health insurance. Since opening in 1999 Good Samaritan Clinic has served thousands of patients who
have no other option for life sustaining, non-emergency medical care. Good Samaritan Clinic serves patients who
reside in Tuscaloosa, Greene, Hale, Bibb, Pickens, Sumter, and Fayette counties. Often referred to as “the working
poor,” many of the clinic’s patients are employed full or part-time and do not receive health insurance through their
employment, but are unable to afford to purchase it.
Our annual Christmas party in December was well attended. New board members were inducted and we had a
wonderful time of celebration and fellowship.
In April, we had our ASNA District 2 Continuing Education Day! As usual, we had great refreshments and fellowship.
Great speakers covered issues such as Heath Literacy, Disability, Advanced Directives, Building from Within: Building a
Community-based Hypertension Program, and Care of the Actively Dying Patient.
In April 2015, many members attended FACES in Montgomery. We also sponsored three district nurses for the ASNA
Leadership Academy. We are looking forward to hearing about their progress at Convention in October.
Celebration was the theme for May 2015 with our Celebration of Nursing Event and Reception. ASNA President, Brian
Buchman was our keynote speaker. We presented Dr. Cassandra Ford with a $500 grant for her continued work with
her Community-based Hypertension Program in a rural community in District 2.
We also had a Fall CE Day this year in August. We focused the planning around our convention resolutions. The
event featured presentations on Domestic Violence, Mentoring in Nursing, March of Dimes Alabama Program Update,
and Safe Staffing. We made a donation of $100 to our local organization that helps individuals impacted by domestic
violence.
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