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Another Great Conference is Behind Us, and The Next Big Events Are Coming Soon
The dust has barely had a chance to settle following last week’s tremendously successful conference in San Diego, but we’re already off and running with planning a number of upcoming events and undertakings.
But before diving into what’s ahead, I want to extend a sincere thank you to all those whose efforts, contributions and mere presence helped to make our 41st Annual Educational Conference the latest in a long line of stellar events. Each year we strive to make the conference bigger and better than the one before, and this year hit a new high – the energy of the crowd, the quality of the presentations and posters speak to the growth of our profession as clinical experts and professionals who realize that we are lifelong learners.
We also know how to celebrate our profession! Everyone on the harbor cruise had a great time on the dance floor or just enjoying each other’s company. We had multiple alumni receptions and the enthusiasm was everywhere!
This year’s event set an all-time attendance record. You can revisit some of the highlights elsewhere in this edition of Connections, including a feature on this year’s CANP Award winners (congrats to Beth Haney and Judy Harris), and a fantastic gallery of photos. We’ll be right back at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina next year, so make plans now to help us set another record in 2019!
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The Next Big Event(s) – In just a little more than a month, we’ll be gathering again – this time in Sacramento for the biennial meeting of the House of Delegates (HOD). Composed primarily of selected representatives from each CANP chapter, the HOD is the legislative and policy-making body of the Association.
The HOD has the authority to elect the CANP President Elect (who automatically ascends to the seat of President following a two-year term), Vice President of Finance, Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Speaker of the House. All of those offices are up for election this year. In addition, the HOD provides direction and guidance to the Board of Directors concerning professional practice issues and priorities, in part through its ability to act on resolutions submitted by either a chapter, a CANP committee, the Board of Directors or a group of ten delegates.
Every HOD meeting is an example of democracy in action, featuring spirited discussion mixed with parliamentary protocol. If you’re a delegate this year, we look forward to seeing you. HOD is a great example of the passion and commitment members share for our organization and our profession. It all takes place April 30 at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel. Be sure to book your hotel accommodations by April 11 to take advantage of the group discount.
On May 1, the day after HOD, we’ll re-convene at the Sheraton for CANP Lobby Day 18. This is our annual opportunity to bring NPs face-to-face with legislators at the State Capitol. It’s a critical part of our ongoing efforts to educate lawmakers about just what a nurse practitioner is and the vital role that NPs play. Lobby Day is an opportunity to show strength in numbers at the Capitol and foster productive relationships with elected officials at the state level.
As in years past, the Lobby Day agenda features insight from our Legislative Advocate Kristy Wiese on this year’s priority legislation, the political landscape heading into an election year, and tips for being an effective advocate. The program will also include the presentation of our Advocate of the Year award, which this year goes to Sen. Jeff Stone in gratitude for his commitment and willingness to work with us on legislation that secures an NP's role in providing medically assisted therapy to those struggling with opioid addiction.
Lobby Day officially kicks off on the evening of April 30 with a Legislative Reception. The program and a jam-packed schedule of legislative office visits then take place on May 1. If you haven’t yet, there’s still time to register for Lobby Day (and to book your hotel accommodations at the Sheraton, with discounts available until April 11).
As important as grassroots outreach is throughout the year, we like to say that “Every Day is Lobby Day.” What better way to put that philosophy to work than attending Lobby Day itself? Don’t miss out! We need your voice as part of the chorus. And if you can’t make it to Lobby Day, be certain to contact your local chapter leaders to learn how you can get engaged in CANP grassroots outreach taking place in your local area.
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Tell Us Your Story – As you may recall from the November 2017 edition of the President’s Update column (or as you may have heard me say during the conference), CANP has been engaged in a proactive media outreach campaign, growing our reputation by highlighting the important work that NPs do, and in the process helping to educate policymakers about where and how NPs practice.
This effort has already reaped dividends, further positioning nurse practitioners as health care leaders, both in the policy environment and the public eye. It helps that so many NPs in California have such great stories to tell about the unique ways in which they are serving their communities, such as the ways in which Jennifer Ballard-Hernandez and her colleagues at the Department of Veterans Affairs Long Beach Healthcare System have implemented full practice authority at their facilities, and in the process have elevated the level of service they’re able to provide to their patients.
Since mentioning this campaign at the conference, several members have shared with me their own amazing stories. In addition to material for generating stories in the media, we’re also looking to develop some of these stories as articles in future editions of Connections. If you’ve got a story to tell, we need to hear it! Contact me (tullrich@earthlink.net) or Communications Director Jeff Wagner (jeff@canpweb.org) to get things started. Be sure to include your name, your phone number, your workplace, and a description of how your work is taking a fresh or unique approach to filling a need in your community.
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Expanded Influence – We’re very proud that the work of members throughout our organization has contributed to CANP’s emergence as one of California’s truly influential voices in the field of health care policy. We’re now ready to take that influence to the next level.
The Board of Directors recently adopted an official policy regarding endorsements sought by candidates for elected statewide and/or legislative offices. The policy outlines a process including candidate questionnaires and face-to-face interviews in order to assess the candidate’s alignment with our commitment to expanding access to health care and advancing the profession of nurse practitioners.
Last April, we announced that CANP had endorsed Sen. Ed Hernandez for the office of Lieutenant Governor. That was an easy call, considering that Sen. Hernandez has been a longtime champion for NPs, including his authoring of full practice authority bills in 2013 (SB 491) and 2015 (SB 323).
With an official endorsement policy now in place – a non-partisan approach that places no weight on political party affiliations – we have reached out to the top six candidates for Governor to begin a process that we hope will lead to an official endorsement from CANP. Democrats Gavin Newsom, Antonio Villaraigosa, John Chiang and Delaine Eastin, and Republicans Travis Allen and John Cox have all been provided our questionnaire. Based on their responses, we’ll then look to schedule interviews with our Endorsement Review Committee. Stay tuned for what promises to be big news!
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Yes, It’s an Election Year – There are a number of elected positions at stake a little closer to home, as most of our CANP chapters will be choosing new leaders this year. Chapter leadership is your gateway to full-fledged engagement in all that CANP is about. If you’re ready to take that next step, contact your chapter leaders ASAP and let them know you’re ready to toss your hat into the ring.
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Planning and Policies – Back in August, we began work on our five-year Strategic Plan update. The process begins with preliminary research in the form of one-on-one interviews with board members and chapter leaders from across the state. The information gleaned from those interviews then leads to a series of planning sessions among staff and members of the board, which culminates in the adoption of a new five-year plan.
The process culminated during the Board’s January 20 meeting with the official adoption of CANP’s 2018-2022 Strategic Plan. The document defines strategic goals related to Membership, Leadership & Governance, Communications, Advocacy & Government Relations, and Education & Professional Development. Each goal outlines a set of objectives and desired outcomes, tactics through which to achieve those objectives, and indicators to assess to what degree the goals have been met.
In addition, we’ve also recently completed updates to the Board Policy and Procedures Manual, a document that establishes the framework under which the Board of Directors and Association operates. The manual has been updated twice this year, once to clarify the role of the President Elect in conference planning and to institute a media relations policy, and again to adopt the new candidate endorsement policy.
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A Fellow Member Needs Our Help – Many of you may know Lenora Lorenzo, a nurse practitioner, a longtime CANP member, and a frequent participant at our conference as an attendee, as a speaker, and as the person who for many years now – and again this year – has so graciously donated the use of her home in Hawaii as a prize in our PAC raffle drawing.
Some of you may know that Lenora has not once, but twice battled and beaten lung cancer. However, about a year ago she learned that the cancer had returned. With few advanced treatment options available in Hawaii, Lenora was accepted into an experimental treatment study at the City of Hope. Unfortunately, that means traveling back and forth from Hawaii to California for treatment every two to three weeks for up to two years.
Lenora’s family has established a Go Fund Me account in order to help defray the costs. We want to encourage everyone to consider making a donation through gofundme.com/lenoralorenzo.
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Advanced Practice Appointees – During the conference, I briefly acknowledged that some of our members had recently been appointed by the Board of Register Nursing to serve on the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Committee. The committee includes NPs, Certified Nurse Midwives, Clinical Nurse Specialists, and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, and is charged with providing recommendations to the BRN on issues regarding APRN practice.
The BRN recently received 32 nominations for the 10 seats on the committee. Among the four NPs who have been appointed are two CANP members, Charlotte Gullap-Moore of the Channel Islands Chapter, and Mitchel Erikson of the San Francisco Bay Area/Golden Gate Chapter. Our congratulations to Charlotte and Mitchel!
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More Honored Members – Each year, a select number of nurse practitioners are inducted into the Fellows of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. The program was established by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners in 2000 to recognize nurse practitioner leaders who have made outstanding contributions to health care through NP clinical practice, research, education or policy, and to provide a forum to extend and enhance such efforts.
The list of 2018 inductees was released earlier this month, and two CANP members are among those who were honored. Our congratulations to Theresa Brown and Surani Kwan, both of whom long ago demonstrated their commitment to the profession through their service as CANP Presidents, Theresa from 2006 to 2008, and Surani from 2010 to 2012.
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“Next-Level” Website – As we’ve been reporting, we are well down the path toward launching a newly-enhanced CANP website and electronic communications later this year. Among the key features will be a more contemporary design and structure, mobile responsiveness to improve functionality on phones and tablets, and an overall more engaging appeal to members and prospective members. With guidance from our professional staff, web developers, database consultants, graphic designers and a volunteer committee of CANP board and chapter leaders, this project is primed to take our online presence to a new level. Look for the new canpweb.org coming this summer.
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Thank you for your continued support of your profession as evidenced by your membership in CANP – the only voice that advocates for all nurse practitioners in California!