From the Section Chair’s Desk…………..

Our Membership is growing!

Good job recruiting!  Keep it up!

We now have 863 active AWHONN members in Virginia (up from 772 since our last newsletter).  This includes 50 student members.  These new nurses are our future!  They are full of fresh ideas and energy. We want to plant the seeds of AWHONN membership in them early.  They will grow into loyal, active members and will become leaders in nursing.

The 2007 Virginia “Celebrating Excellence in Leadership” conference was a great success!

Thanks to all the conference planning committee members:  Lee Ann Parker, Gerald Lowe, Sheri Simmons and their dedicated team who made this conference happen!

Also thanks to special guest Joe Isaacs, new Executive Director of AWHONN, who came down to meet everyone and to give us an update from headquarters.

We had record breaking attendance:  150 AWHONN nurses from all over Virginia and beyond came together in Fredericksburg for two fun-filled days of learning, networking and good food.  I think we all left the conference reenergized.

Nationally known speakers presented on topics on Leading Nursing into the Future, Mentoring, Celebrating the Leader in You, Abuse in Pregnancy, Near Term Infant, Bereavement, Discharge Brunch, Gestational Diabetes, and High Risk OB. Thanks also to all our Exhibitors and Sponsors:  Bon Secours, VCU, Mary Washington Hospital, Cytec, Abbott, Inova Health Care, March of Dimes, Cord Blood Registry, Matria, Bristol, GE and Clinical Computer Systems.  They helped make the conference fun!

Reports to the membership at the annual conference:

·         Each of the chapters provided summaries of recent and upcoming activities in their areas.  Check the Section Web site for more details:  http://www.awhonnva.org/

• Annita Nelson reported on the fiscal health of our section.

• Sarah Long, March of Dimes, updated us on MOD activities

• Jan Botkin, gave a legislative update

• Mary Hancock, membership chair, highlights easy-pay, automated monthly debits for membership dues

• Cindy Curtis, our VA AWHONN Representative to

      Virginia Breastfeeding Task Force reported on their activities

• Faith Miller, Representative to Virginia Maternal Mortality Review Team provided a written report

 The Jefferson Chapter provided an entertaining skit to promote the upcoming 2008 Conference:  “Race to Safety” to be held next fall in conjunction with the Virginia Foxfield Races in Charlottesville, Sept 29-30

 Awards: 

Chapter Award Richmond chapter for programming and member recruitment

Service Award to Kevin Bowser, our VA Section webmaster for maintaining our web page and for initiating our first online conference registration.

Upcoming Dates

March 15-16    Spring VA AWHONN Leaders Meeting in Charlottesville, VA

June 21-25 National AWHONN Conference in Los Angeles, CA

September 29-30 Virginia AWHONN Conference in Charlottesville, VA

Call for applications for scholarship to the 2008 Nurse In Washington Internship Program (NIWI).  A wonderful opportunity to ignite nurses to become politically active.  This four-day intensive program runs March 9-11 in Washington, D.C.  Virginia AWHONN will sponsor to members.  Contact me now!  Emily Drake @ eje@virginia.edu

Other News:

Cindy Curtis has been named to represent Virginia at United States Breastfeeding Committee, National Conference of State Breastfeeding Coalitions

Emily Drake

Pictured L-R at the VA Leaders Conference, January, 2008
Cecilia Moro, Paula Pippin, Lenore Giovanelli, Barb Moran
Deb Vest, Mary Ann Lucia, Cindy East, Emily Drake
Lisa Klein, Ann Bowser, Annita Nelson

Northern Virginia

·         The Northern Virginia Chapter met on December 18, 2007 and had a guest speaker, Alessandro Ghidini, Executive Medical Director, MFM/Perintal Diagnostic Center, and Inova Alexandria Hospital.  Dr. Ghidinia present the educational program, “Preterm Labor:  Current Diagnostic & Treatment Modalities”>  The event drew attendance by over 35 registered nurse and certified nurse midwives throughout the Northern VA area, and was a huge success!  CEU’s were provided to attendees.

·         The new 2008 chapter officers were introduced.  Sarah Baxter and Melissa Zingaro will serve as co-chairmen, and Vicki Korker will serve as Secretary/Treasurer.  Lisa Klein, past chairman, was acknowledged and honored for her years of service and leadership to AWHONN and to the Northern VA chapter.

·         Northern VA welcomes three new AWOHNN EFM instructors:  Wilma Hogan, Sue Rogers, and Vicki Korker.

·         The next meeting will be held in March.  Look for details on the Northern VA chapter website.

Jefferson Chapter

·         “The Business of Being Born” will be shown at the Augusta Medical Center on Wednesday, February 27, 2008 at 6:30 pm.

·         The VA State Conference

·         "Safety as Culture instead of Priority...Race to Patient Safety"
 
Sept. 28:  Social activity at the Foxfield Races
Sept 29 and 30 Conference
 
DoubleTree Hotel
Charlottesville, VA  
 
Info:  
Paula Markwood Pippin
Asst Nurse Manager OB-Nursery
Martha Jefferson Hospital
434-982-7444

·      The movie “The Business of Being Born” was shown in the Richmond area three times in the past several months.  The movie sold out at least twice, and there was a discussion after each showing.  If you have an opportunity to see the movie, I encourage you to do so!

·      A conference related to breastfeeding:

o     Helping Mothers Breastfeed:  An in-depth look at latch will be held at the Holiday Inn Conference Center at the Francis Scott Key Mall, Frederick, MD on Thursday, April 17, 2008.  Contact Karen Dacey/Birth Place @ Frederick Memorial Hospital-240-566-3880

·       

·      You can now register for the national conference June 21-June 25 in Los Angeles, California.

·      Remember February is Heart Month

·      There is new literature regarding the Near Term Infant on the AWOHNN website.  Please take the time to review this information, you will find it most interesting