NEW YORK NURSE: June 2011
by Alison Munday
The New York University College of Nursing’s Gerontological Nurse Practitioner program received top national ranking in the U.S. News & World Report annual analysis of graduate schools. Each year, U.S. News ranks professional-school programs in business, education, engineering, law and medicine. Rankings are based on two types of data: expert opinions about program excellence and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school’s faculty, research, and students. The data come from surveys of administrators at more than 1,200 programs and some 13,000 academics and professionals, conducted for the most recent report during the fall of 2010 and early 2011. The National Institute of Health ranked the college 11th in research funding, and its doctoral program was recognized by the National Research Council, ranking 7th among the nursing programs they evaluated.
Ulster County Executive Michael H. Hein was named as the recipient of the District 11/NYSNA Honorary Recognition Award for his commitment to providing caring and compassionate healthcare services that are culturally sensitive, client-centered, safe and affordable to all county residents. Hein was lauded for his efforts to increase public awareness about making good health a priority since taking office in January 2009. Hein and his staff were commended for creating the Healthy Ulster program; reorganizing the county Health Department and appointing public health specialists; developing public awareness campaigns on Lyme disease and domestic violence; collaborating with the Department of Health on preventative immunization clinics in anticipation of an H1N1 outbreak and focusing on men’s health; working with the Ulster County Tobacco Free Coalition to prevent the marketing of tobacco products to youth, and working toward a county-wide ban on smoking in public recreation areas. The award was presented at District 11’s Nurses’ Week dinner on May 11. The director of the Ulster County Health Department, Dr. Lamar Hasbrouck, delivered the keynote address, “The Public Health Approach and Healthy Ulster County.”
The ANA has announced an organizational refocus to maximize benefits to its members. Amy Garcia has been appointed as Chief Programs Officer, assuming responsibility in areas such as ethics and human rights; nursing practice and policy; government relations; nursing quality and safety; occupational and environmental health; and continuing education programs. Garcia brings more than 30 years of varied healthcare and leadership experience to the ANA, and previously served as executive director of the National Association of School Nurses, Inc., where she was responsible for daily operations, programs and budgets for the association. A well-known speaker on healthcare safety and school nursing issues, Garcia has worked extensively with the media to advance issues of workplace safety and children’s health. Wylecia Wiggs Harris, ANA’s current chief of staff and special projects officer, will now turn some of her attention to developing integrated products and new services for members. To assist in spearheading that effort, Terri Gaffney has joined ANA in the newly created role of senior director of new products development and continuing education. Gaffney draws from more than two decades of nursing organization experience, both as an ANA staff member and volunteer leader, and from the for-profit nursing products and publishing arenas.