Legislative Focus
TEXAS’ LEGISLATIVE AGENDA COMES TO LIGHT
The Texas Nurses Association says it is seriously concerned by the state budget. Zeroed out were gains made
previously to invest in nursing education and produce more nursing graduates, according to the state nursing
organization. That includes a nearly $45 million investment in nursing. Quoted: Jim Willmann, Texas Nurses
Association, and Mary Leblond, RN, president, San Antonio chapter of the Emergency Nurses Association.
LOUISIANA NURSING LEGISLATION VERY SPECIFIC
Fiscal concerns top the agenda for Louisiana lawmakers during the 2011 session. The state House and Senate
must set the state budget every other year and can consider five additional pieces of legislation. Quoted: Lisa
Deaton, RN, Louisiana State Nurses Association
Notable Nurses: Special Haiti section –
Nurses who contributed to relief efforts
Texas
University of Texas at Arlington
Methodist Mansfield Medical Center
Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David’s Medical Center, Austin
Any Baby Can, Austin
Florida
VITAS Innovative Hospice Care
Florida Hospital for Children, Orlando
University of Central Florida College of Nursing, Orlando
Florida Hospital, based in Orlando
FHS Celebration Health
Shands HealthCare, Gainesville
Miami Children’s Hospital
Jackson Health System, Miami
Holy Cross Hospital, Fort Lauderdale
Tenet Healthcare - West Boca Medical Center, Delray Medical Center
ARTICLE: Haiti One Year Later
Guerna Blot, RN, MSN, OCN, president of the Haitian American Nurses Association of Florida, and
director of the oncology unit at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Fla., and Lindsey Courage,
RN, BSN, Any Baby Can, Austin, Texas, discuss their travels to Haiti and the ongoing struggles of Haitians
since the earthquake.
Texas Physician Arrested in Whistle-Blowing Case
The Texas attorney general’s office has filed charges against Rolando G. Arafiles Jr., MD, in connection to
the 2009 case that saw two whistle-blowing nurses get arrested after anonymously reporting the West
Texas physician to the state medical board.
ARTICLE: RN Contributes to Home Court Advantage
Lisa Epstein, RN, was working as an oncology nurse in Florida when she started noticing something new
— and unsettling — as patients talked about their struggles. More and more of them were losing their
homes, and many were overwhelmed when it came to understanding the legal jargon in their paperwork.
Her patients’ struggles and her personal difficulties with the mortgage industry led her on a path to
becoming an advocate for fair mortgage practices.
Medical City to host cancer camp in June
Medical City Children’s Hospital’s pediatric oncology patients and their siblings can attend camp this
summer without having to go too far from home. The hospital recently received a Hyundai Hope on
Wheels grant to create the Dallas camp geared toward children diagnosed with cancer.
Colleges, Healthcare Providers Partner to Train Workforce
Several Texas community colleges have partnered with Hospital Corporation of America and Universal
Health Services to provide job training using a $2.5 million grant from the Texas Workforce Commission.
Partners include Hospital Corp. of America, St. David’s Healthcare Partnership, Denton Regional Medical
Center, Medical Center of Arlington, Medical Center of Lewisville, Medical Center of McKinney, Medical
Center of Plano, Medical City Dallas Hospital, North Hills Hospital (N. Richland Hills), Plaza Medical
Center of Fort Worth, National Patient Account Services, Las Palmas Del Sol Healthcare, Bayshore
Medical Center (Pasadena), Clear Lake Medical Center, Kingwood Medical Center, Mainland Medical
Center (Texas City), Patient Account Services-Houston and San Antonio, Methodist Healthcare System,
Universal Health Care Services, Northwest Texas Healthcare System, Texoma Medical Center and
Laredo Regional Medical Center.
Texas Community College Training Providers include Alamo Colleges, Amarillo College, Austin
Community College, Grayson County College, Laredo Community College, Lone Star College, San Jacinto
College and Tarrant County College.
ARTICLE: “Got Sugar?” Glycemic Management in the CICU
The Diabetes Committee in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at Florida Hospital Orlando has been striving
to keep the critical care population within a good blood glucose range since October 2009. The article is
written by FH nurse Natalie Roye.
Held over from last issue:
RNs Explore Alternative Medicine Tradition
Casey Romero, RN, always wanted to practice alternative medicine, but she didn’t know
where to start. That changed two years ago when she visited the Academy of Oriental
Medicine at Austin. Romero discovered there was a place to learn acupuncture and Oriental
medical techniques she could use in her nursing career. The academic program, overseen by
Provost Veronica L. Conners, RN, PhD, EdD, took on five students this past semester after
enrolling only a student a year in 2008 and 2009.
Coral Springs’ Pre-Operative Tour Puts Children’s Minds at Ease
A preoperative virtual tour created by Coral Springs (Fla.) Medical Center nurses and
pediatric specialists has helped put children and their families more at ease before
pediatric procedures.The online virtual tour is designed for children ages 4 to 8 and their
families, and it allows them to explore CSMC’s Outpatient Surgery Center through
pictures and information. From the comfort of their homes, they learn about what will
happen on the day of their surgeries, according to a news release.
Methodist Expands El Centro Partnership
For more than five years, Methodist Health System and the El Centro College AD
nursing program have been in a partnership, with students receiving lecture instruction
from El Centro faculty and clinical instruction at Methodist Dallas Medical Center from
Methodist Department of Education employees who are qualified nursing faculty. In
May 2010, Methodist received a grant from the Texas Board of Higher Education to
expand the partnership program to the Methodist Charlton campus. Methodist
Charlton’s first 10 trainees were admitted as first-semester students into the program in
August.
UTHealth Donors’ Create Fast Track to Easing Nursing Shortage
Ten doctoral candidates are working toward their PhDs in nursing in a three-year pilot
program at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of
Nursing aimed at reducing the Texas Gulf Coast region’s nurse-educator crunch. Donors
provided $2 million toward stipends for the doctoral candidates, allowing them to take
part in the Accelerated PhD program full time and strive to earn their PhDs in three years
rather than the traditional eight years. The accelerated curriculum includes 66 postmaster’s credits and demands the same requirements as traditional doctoral programs.
Aventura Hospital Offers Wisdom on Wound Care
More than 120 local caregivers, healthcare professionals and community members
attended the Aventura (Fla.) Hospital and Medical Center Skin and Wound
Committee’s second annual wound care seminar in September. “Wounds: Words and
Wisdom” offered a four-hour session that included several presentations from wound
care experts.
Facility Mentions: 43