NEW YORK NURSE: November/December 2011
A senior nurse clinician at Maimonides Medical Center, Winifred Kennedy became NYSNA’s 49th president at the conclusion of the association’s most-recent Convention. Winnie is co-chair of her local bargaining unit, former president of NYSNA District 14, a former member of the Delegate Assembly, and a representative to the American Nurses Association (ANA) House of Delegates. She believes that involving all nurses ensures the association will benefit from their creativity and diversity, and that enhancing RN practice and participation can energize the commitment to excellence that is NYSNA’s heritage.
A documentation improvement nurse from Einstein/Montefiore in the Bronx, and former NICU nurse, Pat DiLillo is a passionate advocate for families, as a result of her many years of service in Maternal-Child health. As president of her local bargaining unit, she’s played a crucial role in securing some of the strongest contracts in the state that have protected the standards of the profession. She has served on the Delegate Assembly, where she was known for her astute analytical abilities and problem-solving expertise.
A staff nurse in the Emergency Department of Montefiore’s Moses Division, Judy Sheridan-Gonzalez has extensive experience in several clinical areas. She is president of her LBU, has also been president of the Delegate Assembly, served on multiple NYSNA committees and task forces, and has been an ANA House delegate; and delegate to United American Nurses’ (UAN) National Labor Assembly. She is especially active in community and political affairs, with leadership positions in NY Labor for Single Payer, NYSNA’s Pension Task Force and the Montefiore Nurses Relief Mission to Haiti. She believes in a strong organization that respects all of its members and promotes dialogue, diversity and dignity in its functioning.
Recently retired as a public health nurse for the Suffolk County Department of Health, Mary J. Finnin is committed to maintaining NYSNA as a multi-purpose professional association committed to advocating for patients and advancing the profession. She has been a staff nurse, head nurse, and supervisor at Queens Hospital Center. She’s held elected offices as treasurer of ANA and NYSNA, past president of the Professional Nurses Association of Suffolk County, and trustee of NYSNA PAC. Mary also serves as vice president of the Foundation of New York State Nurses. She is a healthcare advocate and was awarded the League of Woman Voters Liberty Award in 2011 for her public service. She joined NYSNA in 1957. Her career has included service as E&GW program director of the Massachusetts Nurses Association; Executive Director of the Florida Nurses Association, and Associate Director of NYSNA’s E&GW program.
Pat Kane is a cardio-thoracic OR staff nurse and has served as president of her LBU at Staten Island University Hospital, led that committee in successful negotiations to secure staffing guidelines, mandatory overtime restrictions, and reimbursement of retiree healthcare coverage. As vice president of the Delegate Assembly, she expanded the role of its Legislative Committee, leading to NYSNA authoring several labor-oriented bills. She also serves as an ANA House delegate. “What moved me to become involved was identifying with nurses who are passionate about the care they provide but face insurmountable challenges in the workplace to practice the way they want to.”
Recipient of numerous state and local awards for nursing practice and member advocacy, Anne Bové is a clinical instructor at Bellevue Hospital Center. She has served as a staff nurse and head nurse at Bellevue and an instructor at St. Francis College, Hunter College, and the College of New Rochelle. In the community, Anne is a director at large on the Commission on the Public Health’s System and co-chairperson of its Patient Advocacy Committee, serves on Bellevue’s Community Advisory Board, and is New York City chapter chair of the American Critical Care Nurses Association. With NYSNA, she is president of the HHC Executive Council and of her LBU, and treasurer of the District 13 PAC. An ANA House delegate and a past president of NYSNA’s Delegate Assembly, she’s served on numerous NYSNA councils and task forces involving research and education and on the Council on Legislation and has served as vice president of the New York State AFL-CIO. Believing that service is its own reward, Anne is committed to the betterment of the Association and to ensuring that patient care environments are safe and obtainable to the public.
Currently working in the critical care-trauma/burn ICU at Westchester Medical Center, Sam Caquias is a military veteran – having served as critical care nurse with the United States Air Force. He is president of his LBU, a former president of the NYSNA Congress of Bargaining Unit Leaders, and an ANA House delegate. He believes in consulting retired members as mentors, continuing working relationships with staff and members on current nursing issues, and increasing NYSNA’s exposure in every academic nursing facility throughout the nation.
Anthony Ciampa has a history for fighting for change at New York Presbyterian Hospital, where he is a cardiac nurse, specializing in heart failure and wound care. He began his career as a psychiatric nurse for children in Westchester and loved making a difference in their young lives. He is a volunteer for the Medical Reserve Corps and served as chair to the Unit Practice Council on his floor. As an executive committee member, he is dedicated to enhancing the profession at his hospital. Anthony is currently studying at Mercy College. One of his favorite aspects of his job is promoting a positive work environment and being able to connect with his clients and families on a personal level.
An RN with the SVCMC Home Health Agency, Shirley Hunter has worked in med/surg, pediatrics, cardiac critical care, and home-health and patient-service coordinator positions. She has served as vice president and treasurer of the Delegate Assembly, as vice president and grievance chair of her LBU, and as an ANA House delegate. Her community activities include serving as president and a beta sponsor mentor preceptor of the Theta Chi Chapter of the Chi Eta Phi Sorority and treasurer of the Southeast Concerned Civic Association.
A member of the NYSNA Board of Directors and Committee on Finance, Elizabeth Anne Mahoney is a retired professor emerita at the Sage Colleges, and has been a professor of nursing at Columbia University and New Rochelle Hospital schools of nursing. A member of District 9, Betty is vice president of the Capital District Chapter of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. She is on the Nurses’ House Board of Directors and an evaluation team leader of the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. She has been the recipient of several state and local awards, and participated in numerous NYSNA committees and task forces. She has also authored or edited three nursing texts — one of which was translated into Japanese and another into Spanish.
A psychiatric nurse at Bellevue Hospital Center, Grace Otto has served as an elected leader in her LBU and is currently a release time representative for Bellevue and Gouverneur and chair of Bellevue’s joint Labor/Management Committee. She’s a Delegate Assembly member, a member of the Commission on the Public’s Health System, a liaison to Bellevue’s local Community Board, and a member of the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network. She is active in fighting for safe nurse staffing levels. Believing strongly that health care is a human right, she has fought for equality in access to care.
A respected and strong leader and advocate for member empowerment, Veronica Richardson has led her local bargaining committee at Maimonides through four successful contract negotiation campaigns – winning improvements such as establishing a retirement healthcare benefit fund. Veronica led the development of improved opportunities for orientation and staff development in collaboration with management to implement an evidence-based preceptor partnership program that focuses on transitioning employees into the workforce. One of her priorities has been ensuring that staff representing each clinical unit take part in the contractual nursing practice, the staff development fund, and unit based departmental labor/management committees, so that they can have input in decisions that affect their practice. She has served on the Delegate Assembly, as an ANA House delegate and on numerous NYSNA boards, councils, and committees.
Verginia Stewart works with outpatients in the Metropolitan Hospital clinic system and has also served as a head nurse at Metropolitan. She’s served in many roles on her LBU’s Executive Committee, and participated in the HHC Executive Council, and has been an ANA House Delegates and a delegate to the United American Nurses’ National Labor Assembly. A NYSNA Legislative District Coordinator, Verginia is also a member of the Council on Nursing Practice, and vice chair of its Clinical Practice Unit.