Society Of Pediatric Nurses
LOS ANGELES CHAPTER
Fall/Winter 2012
Message from the Incoming President
Cassie Garretson-Dunkel RN,BSN
Hello fellow SPN members! It seems the winds of change are
upon us once again as I take my new position as President and
Kathy Kelly accepts her new office as Vice President/President
Elect. I could not be happier to be stepping into this new role
with such dedicated members by my side as well as the
continued support of past Presidents. I am comforted as I
embark on this new adventure that I will not be alone! We as
RN’s continually work together striving, not only for the very
best for ourselves professionally, but for the very best for our
patients and families as well. In my opinion this cannot be achieved alone! So I ask you, loyal and
dedicated members, what can SPN do to help you achieve your goals? What can we do to help our
community? And lastly, what can we do together to achieve the continued success of SPN? I would love
nothing more than to watch our membership grow but this cannot be done alone. It will take dedication
and hard work, as all growth does, but I know with each one of us working hard we will continue to help
one another meet our individual goals as well as our organizational goals.
In closing, I would like to say a great big “Thank You”, to our outgoing President, Flora Yuen, who has
been so dedicated to SPN! Without her and her commitment, we would not be where we are right now.
Thank you Flora! I look forward to having your continued support and your instrumental participation as
an active member. Flora has ingenious ideas and works hard to make SPN better for each one of its
members. I hope to carry the torch onward into a new horizon with the same dedication and
commitment that Flora has shown us. Flora has been a great inspiration and mentor and I thank her and
SPN for this opportunity of leadership!
Message from the Outgoing President
Flora Yuen, RN, BSN
Farewell....
Little did I know what a journey I would embark upon when I was encouraged by my
then manager, Karen Pugh (current SPN Treasurer) to join SPN 9 years ago when I
was a young new nurse. She told me I could get involved, join SPN, network with
others in the pediatric community, share my knowledge of pediatric nursing, and
learn from others. I have done that...and so much more. These last 4 years serving
on the board of LA-SPN has taught me so much about leadership, organization, and
teamwork. I am so proud of all the work that we have accomplished as an organization these past 4 years. None of it
would have been possible without the dedication and volunteerism of all our members. Our members have shared our
pediatric knowledge and expertise through presentations at the local and national SPN conferences. We have expanded
our local membership to over 150 members in our chapter, extending our membership throughout the Los Angeles area.
We have hosted meetings and provided educational opportunities for pediatric nurses at Kasier Woodland Hills Medical
Center, Queen of the Valley Medical Center, Children's Hospital Los Angeles and UCLA-Santa Monica Medical Center.
Our community service members are constantly finding opportunities for us to engage the pediatric community by
collecting toys and items for drives, representing the pediatric nursing community at school career fairs, and many other
events. None of this work would be done without the support of each and every one of our members.
As I leave office (just leaving office, not leaving SPN!) I encourage all of you to continue to support our incoming
President Cassie Garretson-Dunkel and our President-Elect Kathy Kelly as they continue to do the work of LA-SPN. We
have great ideas and great plans for the next year to come and we invite you to join us. I want to extend an invitation to
you, as Karen Pugh so graciously invited me to join her 9 years ago. Let's get involved in SPN!
Message from the Newly Elected Vice President
Thanks to all of you that voted for me and I am honored to serve on your behalf. Hopefully I will hear from
many of you on ideas that you think would make our professional organization stronger. Your energy and
contributions are welcomed and appreciated.
Kathy Kelly, RN
Making Halloween a little brighter for children in the
Foster Care System
The Department of Children and Family Services this year sponsored a Halloween Party for children in the
foster care system in the San Fernando Valley. Volunteers from our local SPN, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
and Masters in Social Work students from Cal State Northridge came out to volunteer and help make the
children’s Halloween a little brighter. Volunteers helped sort costumes that were donated from the
community including from our own costume drive. They also helped the children along with their foster
parents to pick out the costume that was just right for them. Some of our volunteers even brought their
children to help in the festivities. The children got to go trick or treating, play carnival games and had a pizza
party. Over all, it was a fun filled day for everyone!
From left to right Krystel Berio, Jennifer Chung, Nancy Nowak, Marisa Martinez, Marina
Sabia, Efren Monterroso, and Mirna Figueroa
Save the Date!!
SPN Holiday Luncheon
Sunday, December 16
Noon to 3 pm
Potluck * Fun * Toy Drive
(Bring a new unwrapped toy for the Firemen’s Toy Drive)
Contact Gloria Verret for directions
gverret@chla.usc.edu
SPN-LA Chapter Newsletter
Gloria Verret
Editor
Marisa Martinez
Circulation and Website Manager
Jesi Bernardo
Production Manager
To join the newsletter committee,
submit articles or letters to the
editor or please
contact Gloria Verret at
gverret@chla.usc.edu