2016 MS YB 16_Web

2016 Mississippi Nurses’ Association Annual Convention
Position of Director, Council on Health Affairs
Candidates who have qualified for this position:
Alice Messer, DNP(c), MSN, RN, FNP-BC
Biographical Profile: I am running for the Director of the Council on Health Affairs position with the
Board of Directors for the Mississippi Nurses’ Association. I received a Bachelor’s
Degree in Nursing from Mississippi College in 1992 and graduated with honors
from the Mississippi University for Women with a Master’s Degree in Nursing in
2003. I am also currently seeking a Doctor of Nursing Degree from the Mississippi
University for Women with a current grade point average of 4.0.
My career has focused primarily on adult health and I have experience in
Emergency Room, Intensive Care, and Physical Medicine/Rehabilitation. My
position as nurse manager at the Mississippi Methodist Rehabilitation provided
me with leadership and management skills as well as treating patients with a wide
range of physical disabilities. With my current position as nurse practitioner with
Newsouth Neurospine I have facilitated collaborative relationships with the Drug
Enforcement Agency, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Pharmacy Board, and the
Mississippi Division of Medicaid. I have also been appointed by the Governor
of Mississippi to serve on the Drug Utilization Review Board for the Mississippi
Division of Medicaid.
As an advocate for both patients with chronic pain and those with substance use
disorder, I solicited local law enforcement to hold drug take back days for the
disposal of unused medications. This included meeting with the Rankin County
superintendent of schools to distribute educational material to every child in the
Rankin County school district as well as several private schools in this area.
Statement of Intent: I, Alice, Messer, request consideration for the position of Director of the Council
on Health Affairs. I believe I possess the necessary skills needed to serve in this
position effectively. I have worked with government officials and committees with
the Centers for Disease Control in Washington, DC regarding opioid abuse, and
also serve on the Drug Utilization Review Board of the state of Mississippi.
If elected, I will pursue further legislative issues that pertain to the state and national
health affairs and policies. I believe through my contacts with other agencies I will
be effective in keeping the highest standard of care possible for our state.
I am very self-motivated, and when a challenge is presented I go full force in
pursuing options to address these challenges. In the area of opioid abuse, I took it
upon myself to establish a collaborative relationship with local law enforcement, the
DEA, MBN, the Mississippi Board of Nursing, MNA, and the Pharmacy Board. I also
took it upon myself to better my community by contacting the police department
in my community and arranging a drug take back day. In setting this up I met with
the superintendent of Rankin County schools to discuss the issue and was allowed
to send educational material home to every student in the Rankin County school
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