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KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Rejection against nurse staffing ratios was once again raised Wednesday as the American Nurses Association - Michigan, or ANA-Michigan, opposed legislation that would require mandated nurse to patient ratios.
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American Nurses Association-Michigan Announces Opposition to Nurse Staffing Ratios LegislationAssociation Supports Safe Staffing for All Nurses Across the Care Continuum and Strongly Encourages Legislators Not to Be Hasty in Mandating Staffing Ratios
OKEMOS, Michigan – The American Nurses Association - Michigan (ANA-Michigan) opposes Senate Bill 334 and House Bill 4550, which require developing a staffing plan that mandates ratios for hospital nurses.
ANA-Michigan has been a long-standing advocate for nurses to have safe staffing assignments while ensuring the safety of Michigan patients. Nurses are responsible for facilitating the entire healthcare journey, from hospital admission to discharge and through the community care experience.
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On January 1st, the American Nurses Association (ANA), the premier association representing the interests of the nation’s more than 4.4 million registered nurses, welcomed its newest president, Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN.
She brings more than 25 years of nursing experience to the ANA presidency and has devoted more than a decade of service to ANA, providing leadership in high-profile positions such as ANA Committee Treasurer and service on ANA’s Board of Directors while maintaining membership with the Oregon Nurses Association. Dr. Mensik Kennedy is ready to continue work to address some of the most pressing issues facing nurses: racism in nursing, the health and well-being of nurses, full practice authority for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), and nurse staffing.
“It is a tremendous honor to be elected to serve as the president of the American Nurses Association and as the national, leading advocate for nurses during these unprecedent times in nursing history. The COVID-19 pandemic brought significant challenges to the nursing profession, with workforce issues making national headlines despite decades of existence. I am committed to maintaining this visibility and more importantly, the momentum made to call for real solutions that address safe staffing concerns, workplace violence, and burnout to ensure nurses receive the support they so desperately deserve. I will also ensure that ANA’s work with the National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing and journey of racial reconciliation continues.
Nursing is truly my passion and calling. In addition to tackling the hard issues, I’m simply excited to connect with my fellow nurses across the country. I want to hear their challenges, but I also want to celebrate their vast contributions to society, education, public health, science, research and so much more. Working together, we can support our profession and make health care delivery the best experience it can be for our patients and communities,” said ANA president Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN.
Dr. Mensik Kennedy most recently served as the division director of care management at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon as well as an instructor for Arizona State University College of Nursing and Health Innovation. She is the proud mother of six children, and in her spare time enjoys camping and traveling with her family. To read the complete profile on ANA’s newest president visit American Nurse to read the President’s Column feature.
Dr. Mensik Kennedy is available for press briefings to discuss timely and critical health care and nursing topics and issues. Interested members of the media should email newsroom@ana.org.
ANA-Michigan board member Bethany Skillen participated in a virtual media roundtable with a family physician and a father who lost his daughter to the flu on Wednesday, December 7, as part of an effort to raise awareness for the importance of flu vaccines. Beth did a great job representing nurses across Michigan and the overall media exposure for the association was very positive. Beth is a registered nurse at Trinity Health Medical Group in Grand Rapids.
Read the full press release
Watch the roundtable
Leadership election season is upon us! The time has come to submit your consent to serve for the Call for Candidates. Are you ready to take your involvement with ANA-Michigan to the next level? Are you ready to be an association leader? ANA-Michigan has seven positions total to fill. Each of these positions will serve a two-year term.
The Call for Candidates opens today, November 9, 2022, and will remain open for three weeks until it closes at 7 pm on Wednesday, November 30, 2022.
All interested candidates MUST complete a consent to serve by the deadline provided. Incomplete consent to serves will not be considered.
Learn more and submit your consent to serve here
LANSING, Mich. – To help remove barriers and ensure more Michiganders have access to COVID-19 outpatient treatments, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is offering a Test to Treat program at 13 locations across the state that offer no-cost testing and telehealth services.
“Early access to these medications helps support faster recovery and decreases the risk of hospitalization,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, MDHHS chief medical executive. “COVID-19 treatments are most effective at preventing severe illness when taken as soon after symptoms start. This program provides Michiganders with limited access to a health care provider the ability to be evaluated and treated for COVID-19, rapidly, confidentially and at no-cost.”
Michigan is the first state to launch this federal initiative at neighborhood testing sites that provide rapid access to no-cost COVID-19 antiviral medications.
“Through a partnership between the State of Michigan, the U.S. Army and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, telehealth is enabling easy access to these life-saving medications," said Matt Quinn, Science Director of the Army's Telemedicine & Advanced Technology Research Center.
Test to Treat sites allow individuals to access testing, a health assessment and medication prescriptions all in one visit. Michigan residents who test positive for COVID-19 at these locations will be able to utilize telehealth services on-site.
The health care provider will talk to the individual who tests positive, and through a confidential conversation that includes reviewing health history and current medications, the provider will determine whether the individual is eligible for antiviral treatment. The provider will then submit a prescription to a pharmacy close to the site, chosen by the individual.
The telehealth testing sites are located as follows:
· Wayne County Community College Northwest Campus, 8200 West Outer Drive. Detroit
· Word of Life Church, 460 West Atherton Road, Flint.
· Albion College-Washington Gardner, 401 East Michigan Avenue, Albion.
· New Beginnings Deliverance Ministry, 2609 E. Genesee, Saginaw.
· Macedonia Baptist Church, G5443 North Saginaw Street, Flint.
· Westwood Mall, 3020 US-41, Marquette.
· New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, 33640 Michigan Avenue, Detroit.
· International Gospel Center, 375 Salliotte Road, Ecorse.
· Bethel Baptist Church, 5715 Holcomb Street, Suite 33, Detroit.
· Southwestern Church of God, 3032 Fort Street, Detroit.
· Christ Temple Church, 412 East Sherman Boulevard, Muskegon.
· Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, 1105 East Main Street, Benton Harbor.
· Calvary Lutheran Church, 8129 Packard Avenue, Warren.
There are many COVID-19 treatment options available. Individuals who are at high-risk of developing severe symptoms from COVID-19 infection are encouraged to discuss these options with the health care provider.
The criteria used to select the communities offering telehealth services include:
A High Social Vulnerability Index.
A high percentage of people over age 50 tested at the identified site.
Locations in with limited access to health care sites outside of emergency departments.
Sites with a high testing throughput.
For more information about COVID-19 testing, treatments and vaccination, visit Michigan.gov/Coronavirus.
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Test to Treat telehealth NR.pdf
LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is announcing the availability of an additional 289,000 COVID-19 tests through its expanded partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation through Project Act.
The expansion will provide COVID-19 tests to 58,000 households located anywhere in the state free of charge. Households will receive one kit containing five tests.
“We are pleased to announce the availability of these additional COVID-19 tests through our partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive. “Testing remains a critical tool in managing the spread of COVID-19 and reduces the risk of spreading the virus to our loved ones and neighbors. We encourage residents to take advantage of these free tests as we head into the fall season when respiratory diseases, like COVID-19, spread most easily.”
As we head into the fall, MDHHS encourage Michigan families to have a COVID plan. This includes keeping a supply of COVID-19 over-the-counter tests and well-fitting masks at home; staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and boosters; and speaking to their health care provider about their eligibility for therapeutics that reduce the risk of severe COVID-19 disease.
All households in the state of Michigan can order their free COVID-19 tests through AccessCovidTests.org. Each household will receive one kit with five tests, typically within a week of ordering. Individuals without internet access can contact 211 for assistance ordering tests.
MDHHS continues to partner with libraries across the state to provide free at-home COVID-19 tests to Michiganders. Click here for a list of participating libraries.
Private health insurers are required to cover up to eight at-home COVID-19 tests per month for each person covered by a health plan. Check with your insurer for the most up-to-date information for your specific plan.
For more information about testing, visit Michigan.gov/Coronavirus.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
media@ncsbn.org
CHICAGO – The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), www.ncsbn.org, met in Chicago Aug. 17-19, 2022, to consider pertinent association business with its members.
NCSBN Board of Directors President Jay Douglas, MSM, RN, CSAC, FRE, executive director, Virginia Board of Nursing, noted, “NCSBN’s 44th annual meeting, the first in hybrid format, offered an opportunity for nursing regulators to be inspired and energized by speakers, focus group participation and discussion surrounding Delegate Assembly actions focused on public protection. A key action was the adoption of the 2023-2025 Strategic Initiatives that take into consideration our recent turbulent times and will ensure NCSBN is fit for the future.”
Significant actions approved include:
Approved the strategic initiatives for the years 2023–2025 and amendments to the narrative statements associated with NCSBN values.
Approved the College of Registered Nurses of Saskatchewan (CRNS) and College of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CRNA) as Exam User Members of NCSBN.
Approved the 2023 NCLEX-RN Test Plan and 2023 NCLEX-PN Test Plan.
Elections to the Board of Directors:
President-Elect, Phyllis Johnson, DNP, RN, FNP-BC, executive director, Mississippi Board of Nursing
Director-at-Large, Lori Glenn, DNP, CNM, C-EFM, RN, board member, Michigan Board of Nursing
Director-at-Large, Tony Graham, CPM, chief operations officer, North Carolina Board of Nursing
Director-at-Large, Sue Tedford, MNSc, APRN, executive director, Arkansas State Board of Nursing
Director-at-Large, Carol Timmings, MEd, RN, acting executive director and chief executive officer, College of Nurses of Ontario
NCSBN delegates also elected members of the Leadership Succession Committee (LSC):
Area II Tammy Buchholz, DNP, RN, CNE, FRE, associate director for education, North Dakota Board of Nursing
Area IV Linda Kmetz, PhD, MN, RN, chair, Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing
About NCSBN
Empowering and supporting nursing regulators across the world in their mandate to protect the public, NCSBN is an independent, not-for-profit organization. As a global leader in regulatory excellence, NCSBN champions regulatory solutions to borderless health care delivery, agile regulatory systems and nurses practicing to the full scope of their education, experience and expertise. A world leader in test development and administration, NCSBN’s NCLEX Exams are internationally recognized as the preeminent nursing examinations.
NCSBN’s membership is comprised of the nursing regulatory bodies (NRBs) in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and four U.S. territories. There are five exam user members and 25 associate members that are either NRBs or empowered regulatory authorities from other countries or territories.
The statements and opinions expressed are those of NCSBN and not individual members.
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The state's budget for community colleges passed Thursday includes $56 million allowing certain students to pursue a four-year nursing degree on a community college campus in partnership with a four-year college.
A scholarship program first proposed in the Senate budget did not make it into the final budget but $250 million was put into a fund for a yet-to-determined postsecondary scholarship.
Education groups, including the Michigan Association of State Universities, signed onto the plan earlier this month. It comes as there has been disagreement over how to expand opportunities for individuals to obtain a four-year nursing degree at community colleges.
The focus of the plan is to allow nurses with associate degrees to complete their bachelor's degrees in nursing on community college campuses through partnerships with four-year colleges and universities.
Each of the state's 28 community colleges would be eligible for $2 million in grant funding to implement the program under the proposal. Local employers and local workforce development agencies would also provide input and collaboration under the plan.
The Michigan Community Colleges Association also supported the proposal.
Article by Gongwer News Service
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), Office of Policy and Planning, is seeking nominations for a statewide Community Information Exchange (CIE) Task Force that will launch in August 2022. CIE is a localized effort to create and sustain the technology and relationships required to support Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) needs of both individuals and communities.
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