Download - Arthur L Davis Publishing

“Nurses shaping the future of professional nursing 

for a healthier Georgia.” 

The official publication of the Georgia Nurses Association (GNA) 

Brought to you by the Georgia Nurses Association (GNA), whose dues-paying members 

make it possible to advocate for nurses and nursing at the state and federal level. 

Quarterly circulation approximately 108,000 to all RNs and Student Nurses in Georgia. 

Georgia is Awarded RWJF Grant to 

Enhance Efforts to Transform 

Health Care Through Nursing 

By Aimee Manion, PhD, RN, CMSRN 

GNA Director of Leadership Development & GNLC Co-Lead 

Volume 73 • No. 2 

May, June, July 2013 

Celebrate National Nurses 

Week 2013 

Nurses: Delivering Quality & 

Innovation in Patient Care 

On March 20, the Robert Wood Johnson 

Foundation (RWJF) announced that the Georgia 

Action Coalition is one of only 20 states to be part 

of a new $3 million initiative, the Future of Nursing 

State Implementation Program (SIP). The program 

is designed to help states prepare the nursing 

profession to address our nation’s most pressing 

health care challenges – access, quality and cost. 

The SIP bolsters efforts already underway 

in 50 states and the District of Columbia – the 

Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action (www. 

campaignforaction.org) – to transform health care 

through nursing and meet the challenges stemming 

from an aging and more diverse population. A joint 

initiative of AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson 

Foundation, the Campaign for Action is working 

to implement the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) 

evidence-based recommendations on the future of 

nursing. 

“This grant is designed to spur progress in 

Georgia, which already is doing impressive work 

to transform nursing education, practice and 

leadership,” said Susan B. Hassmiller, PhD, RN, 

Georgia Awarded RWJF Grant continued on page 5 

The Georgia Nursing Leadership Coalition 

(GNLC) is pictured with Sue Hassmiller, PhD, 

RN, FAAN Senior Adviser for Nursing and Risa 

Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, MBA President and CEO 

of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation during 

their visit to Washington, DC earlier this year. 

The Georgia Nurses Association (GNA) would 

like to congratulate and thank all registered nurses 

during National Nurses Week 2013, which takes 

place May 6-12. GNA would like to thank you for 

making a difference in the lives of so many patients 

in Georgia! 

The purpose of Nurses Week is to raise awareness 

of the value of nursing and help educate the public 

about the role nurses play in meeting the health 

care needs of the American people. This year’s 

National Nurses Week theme – Nurses: Delivering 

Quality and Innovation in Patient Care – reflects 

the registered nurse’s increasingly prominent role in 

today’s ever-changing health care system. 

In honor of the dedication, commitment and 

tireless effort of the 3.1 million registered nurses 

nationwide to promote and maintain the health 

of this nation, GNA and the American Nurses 

Celebrate National Nurses Week continued on page 3 

President’s Message 

How Do You Measure Quality? 

By Sheila Warren, MHA, MSN, RN 

We hear a lot about 

quality today. Where can you 

get a “quality education”? 

Where can you get “quality 

food”? Where can you get 

“quality clothing”? Each of 

these items comes with their 

own quality measurements. 

Everyone wants to get the 

most and best for their 

money and when the 

consumer is seeking health 

Sheila Warren 

care, quality is still the ultimate goal. But unlike the 

other items which can be touched, tasted and tried, 

how is the consumer going to compare their health 

care experience? How is quality care measured? 

Who measures it and who sets the parameters of 

what is quality vs. substandard care? How is this 

communicated to the average consumer? 

I was reading an article the other day about a 

patient that presented to the ER with a temperature 

and “feeling achy.” The diagnosis was pneumonia 

and the patient was sent home with antibiotics. 

The patient, not feeling any better after a couple 

of days, went back to the ER. They were given 

more antibiotics and again sent home. Eventually, 

the patient did see a physician who diagnosed an 

President’s Message continued on page 4 

Want to join GNA for 

only $17 a month? 

Become a STATE- 

ONLY member today! 

See page 22 for the 

details. 

current resident or 

Presort Standard 

US Postage 

PAID 

Permit #14 

Princeton, MN 

55371 

INDEX 

CEO Corner .......................Page 3 

Names, Faces, Places ...............Page 4 

Nursing Practice . .................. Page 13 

APRN Corner ..................... Page 14 

2013 GNA Conference . ..............Page 6 

Finance Matters . .................. Page 15 

Legislative/Public Policy ............ Page 10 

Membership . ..................... Page 16 

Visit us online at www.georgianurses.org

Page 2 • Georgia Nursing May, June, July 2013 

GEORGIA NURSING 

Volume 73, Number 2 

Editor: Debbie Hackman, CAE 

Managing Editor: Jeremy Arieh 

GNA BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

Officers: 

Sheila Warren, President 

Rebecca Wheeler, President-Elect 

Wanda Jones, Secretary 

Jill Williams, Treasurer 

Directors 

Aimee Manion, Leadership Development 

Melanie Cassity, Membership Development 

Judy Malachowski, Legislation/Public Policy 

Carol Dean Baker, Nursing Practice 

Suzette Brown-Jones, Staff Nurse Director 

Vacant, Workforce Advocacy 

GET YOUR NURSE LICENSE 

PLATE TODAY! 

The Georgia Nurses Foundation (GNF) special nurse 

license plate is now available at Georgia tag offices. 

Each nurse plate sold results in revenue generated for 

GNF, which will be used for nursing scholarships and 

workforce planning and development to meet future 

needs. Show your support for the nursing profession by 

purchasing a special nurses license plate today! Get 

details at http://1.usa.gov/21zNg. 

www.georgianurses.org 

Regional Coordinators: 

Central: Gwendolyn Johnson 

East Central: Melanie Cassity 

North: Cindy Balkstra 

North Central: Debbie Davis 

Southeast: Kathleen Koon 

Southwest: Kimberly Gordon 

ADMINISTRATION 

Debbie Hackman, CAE, Chief Executive Officer 

Donna Heavener, CAE, Vice President of Operations 

Jeremy Arieh, Director of Marketing & Communications 

Courtney Stancil, Governance & Technology Logistics 

Manager 

Shanquilla Haugabrook, Program Coordinator 

Stephanie Scott, Scheduling Coordinator 

Marcia Noble, CE Consultant 

Wendi Clifton, Staff Lobbyist 

Cindy Shepherd, Staff Lobbyist 

For advertising rates and information, please contact Arthur 

L. Davis Publishing Agency, Inc., 517 Washington Street, 

PO Box 216, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613, (800) 626-4081. GNA 

and the Arthur L. Davis Publishing Agency, Inc. reserve the 

right to reject any advertisement. Responsibility for errors 

in advertising is limited to corrections in the next issue or 

refund of price of advertisement. 

Acceptance of advertising does not imply endorsement or 

approval by the Georgia Nurses Association of products 

advertised, the advertisers, or the claims made. Rejection 

of an advertisement does not imply a product offered for 

advertising is without merit, or that the manufacturer lacks 

integrity, or that this association disapproves of the product 

or its use. GNA and the Arthur L. Davis Publishing Agency, 

Inc. shall not be held liable for any consequences resulting 

from purchase or use of an advertiser’s product. Articles 

appearing in this publication express the opinions of the 

authors; they do not necessarily reflect views of the staff, 

board, or membership of GNA or those of the national or local 

associations. 

Georgia Nursing is published quarterly every February, May, 

August and November for the Georgia Nurses Association, a 

constituent member of the American Nurses Association. 

GNA 

3032 Briarcliff Road, Atlanta, GA 30329 

www.georgianurses.org, gna@georgianurses.org 

(404) 325-5536 

Published by: 

Arthur L. Davis 

Publishing Agency, Inc. 

for RN-BSN/MSN Students

May, June, July 2013 Georgia Nursing • Page 3 

More Than An Intersection 

of Common Goals 

By Deborah Hackman CAE 

In both academic 

and work settings these 

days you hear calls for 

“collaboration.” Beyond 

innovation and due to 

the fact that most of us 

are resource starved, 

collaboration is referred 

to as a necessary 

requirement. Wikipedia 

refers to collaboration 

as a recursive process 

where two or more people 

or organizations work 

CEO Corner 

Debbie Hackman 

together to realize shared goals. Collaboration, 

however, is more than the intersection of common 

goals. Stellar collaboration is the deep, collective 

determination to reach an identical objective 

achieved by sharing knowledge, listening (most 

important), valuing the views of others, transparent 

mutual respect and building consensus. While 

leadership is required, the tricky part lies in the 

decentralized power and the egalitarian nature of the 

collaboration process. Who’s in charge? 

This recently completed legislative session was 

the most complex in my recent memory. There were 

a lot of moving parts and legislative initiatives. 

Nursing leaders set out to be collaborative and were 

determined to stay on course to reach the agreed 

upon objectives. To keep all of nursing speaking 

with one voice was central to moving through the 

system complexities and egos involved. It required 

transparency, openness and a bit of vulnerability. 

But, whenever you are speaking truth to power, it 

requires nerves of steel and the willpower to stay the 

strategic course. Patient safety is a core competency 

for the profession and that drives our value system 

above all else. This session was like a masterful 

chess game with layer upon layer of “if this, then 

that” strategy sessions – all aimed at the intersection 

of common goals. We had the deep determination 

necessary and on many fronts we succeeded. So, let’s 

pause for a moment and give nursing a well-deserved 

pat on the back! 

However, we still have some learning to do as it 

relates to “speaking with one consistent voice” and 

how to avoid the pitfalls of decentralized power, but I 

am confident we can get there. 

While keeping the eye on the ball for nursing 

this session, I also had the opportunity for some 

introspection and observance of other professions 

as they worked through their own complexities; it 

was obvious that while collaboration within their 

professions was an advantage they valued, they 

did one thing very different than nursing. These 

professions carefully chose one quarterback to be the 

main messenger – the one who called all the plays 

on the field. They entrusted their one quarterback to 

know which play to call and when. Those professions 

really benefited from that one very important 

strategic differential. My hope is that one day nursing 

can reach that deep level of determination, trust 

and willpower. It is my belief that focusing on that 

one key element will make a world of difference in 

nursing’s capacity to influence. 

In the end, by showing professional respect for the 

role of others, we continue to earn their respect. And 

by valuing long-term relationships rooted in trust, we 

enabled the Georgia Nurses Association to stay true 

to our value system throughout a very tumultuous 

course. After this legislative session ended, we were 

contacted by a number of key legislators and by other 

highly regarded professional organizations including 

GONL, GHA and MAG, as well as professions outside 

of health care, asking us to meet with them and find 

ways of working together. It is a very encouraging 

sign that the Georgia Nurses Association’s efforts to 

collaborate and influence at the highest of levels of 

state government, for the largest profession in the 

state, have been seen, heard and validated. Leaders 

in this state want GNA’s solution-based voice – your 

voice – one consistent voice of nursing – at the table. 

So, I hope you’ll stay tuned – there is still much to be 

accomplished. 

Celebrate National Nurses Week continued from page 1 

Association are proud to recognize professional RNs 

everywhere for the quality work they provide seven 

days a week, 365 days a year. 

Each year for Nurses Week, GNA recognizes the 

difference our members make daily to advance the 

nursing profession as a whole. We hope that all of you 

will join us in saluting RNs in the state of Georgia 

and across the nation. In addition, we hope you’ll 

celebrate National Nurses Week in some way. For 

more information on National Nurses Week 2013, 

including a list of ways to celebrate, visit http://www. 

georgianurses.org/nurses_week.htm. 

GROW 

INSPIRE 

LEAD 

SUCCEED 

It’s time to plan your trip to Augusta! 

See page 6 for information on the 2013 

GNA Professional Development Conference & 

Membership Assembly at the Augusta Marriott. 

Be sure to book your room at the Marriott at 

GNA’s special conference rate of only $129 per 

night! 

SHARE 

our commitment to excellence. 

As the region’s only academic medical center, we’re committed 

to attracting nurses who embrace excellence in patient care, medical 

education and medical research. People, who like us, are committed 

to being on the forefront of patient care. 

Whether you are a new graduate or experienced nurse, we 

offer flexible scheduling, a Graduate Nurse Residency Program and 

career development through our Clinical Ladder. Our Shared Governance 

structure unites all patient care departments in the common goal of 

excellence in professional performance, and builds leaders of the future. 

If you share our values and commitment, this is your opportunity 

to grow with us. 

Call 706-721-3921 or 800-745-0674 

for an information packet or 

visit gru.edu / career to learn more. 

Georgia Regents Health System, Augusta GA 

EEO employer. We value a diverse workforce.


Names, Faces, Places 

West GA Chapter participates in Career Day 

The West Georgia Chapter of GNA participated 

in a Career Day event at the University of West 

Georgia in February. Pictured from left to right are: 

Tina Baker, Shanekia McCallum, Megan Bishop, 

West Georgia Chapter Chair Cheryl Moore, GNA 

North Central Regional Coordinator Debbie Davis, 

Kalimantan McCurley, Daina Gibson, Ann Hale and 

Elizabeth Baynes. 

Herth Keynotes 3rd Annual Conference on 

Family & Workplace Violence 

Kaye A. Herth, PhD, RN, FAAN, GNA 

member from Gainesville, delivered the keynote 

address at this year’s Family and Workplace 

Violence Conference speaking on the topic of the 

“Kaleidoscope of Hope” and strategies for fostering 

hope with clients who are victims of violence. Cosponsors 

of the conference included the Southern 

Professional Nurses Network Chapter of GNA, Mu 

Kappa Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International 

Nursing Honor Society, Magnolia Coastlands AHEC, 

and the School of Nursing at Georgia Southern 

University in partnership with the Georgia Southern 

University Division of Continuing Education. The 4th 

Annual Conference is scheduled for January 31, 2014. 

(L-R): Kathleen Koon, RN, PhD, Chair, SPNN 

Chapter, Ursula Pritham RN, PhD, WHNP-BC, 

FNP-BC, GNA member, and Christie Perry, 

Executive Director and Advocate Coordinator, 

Statesboro Regional Sexual Assault Center 

(SRSAC). 

GNA says “Bon Voyage” to Debbie Hatmaker 

In February, GNA hosted a farewell reception 

at Headquarters in Atlanta to recognize the 

contribution of longtime staff member Dr. Debbie 

Hatmaker. After more than a decade as the Georgia 

Nurses Association’s Chief Programs Officer, Dr. 

Hatmaker now serves as Chief Professional Practice 

Officer with the American Nurses Association (ANA) 

in Silver Spring, MD. 

Debbie Hatmaker, Betty Daniels and Wanda 

Jones attend a reception in honor of Dr. 

Hatmaker. 

Past GNA President Chris Samuelson, her 

husband Gil and CEO Debbie Hackman bid a 

fond farewell to Dr. Hatmaker. 

Follow the 

Georgia Nurses 

Association 

on Facebook today! 

Just go to 

www.facebook.com/ganurses 

and “LIKE” our page. 

Boyer promoted to VP of Nursing 

at Memorial Health 

GNA member Karen 

Boyer has been promoted 

to the position of Vice 

President of Nursing at 

Memorial Health System 

in Savannah. Karen has 

been at Memorial for many 

years and understands the 

dynamic forces of nursing 

facing Georgia and more 

specifically Savannah 

today. She will continue 

to work alongside fellow 

GNA member Mary Chatman, who serves as Chief 

Operating Officer and Chief Nursing Officer at 

Memorial. 

Dunbar inducted into International 

Nursing Hall of Fame 

GNA member and 

associate dean at Emory 

University’s Nell Hodgson 

Woodruff School of 

Nursing, Dr. Sandra 

Dunbar has been inducted 

into the International 

Nurse Researcher Hall of 

Fame by the Sigma Theta 

Tau International Honor 

Society of Nursing. 

The Hall of Fame 

recognizes 

nurse 

researchers who have achieved significant and 

sustained national and/or international recognition 

for their work; and whose research has impacted 

the profession and the people it serves. Dunbar’s 

current research focuses on testing integrated selfcare 

approaches for patients with heart failure and 

diabetes and testing interventions that improve 

outcomes for caregivers of heart failure patients. 

In Memory – Karen Weaver 

Associate Professor 

of Nursing at Clayton 

State University School of 

Nursing and longtime GNA 

member Dr. Karen Weaver 

died at her home in March, 

after a year and a half long 

battle with ovarian cancer. 

She was surrounded and 

supported by her loving and 

devoted family. In April, 

there was a Celebration of 

Life ceremony held in her 

honor at the Clayton State School of Nursing. If you 

wish to leave condolences and share your memories 

of Dr. Weaver for the family and faculty, visit http:// 

www.clayton.edu/health/nursing/karenweaver. 

OR Nurse Manager 

RN Required (Georgia) 

Responsible for the delivery of patient care that promotes 

safety and well-being of all patients. Assist in coordinating 

the operation of a shift on the nursing unit. Makes staff 

assignments, gives guidance and direction to personnel, 

provides direct patient care, assists in new staff orientation 

and training and collaborates with interdisciplinary team 

to meet patient care needs. Responsible for recruitment, 

interviewing and selection of competent staff for unit. Plans 

and maintains unit budget. 

Apply online at 

www.tycobbhealthcare.org 

Royston, GA 

President’s Message continued from page 1 

aggressive form of cancer in the chest area. Did this 

person receive quality care? 

We hear a lot about wait times in ERs, doctor’s 

offices and clinics. Should time to be served be a quality 

measure? We have a shortage of nurses providing 

nursing care. Is this a quality measure for the patient? Is 

quality a paper product or action product? 

In nursing, we have several “quality indicators.” 

ANA has developed the Code of Ethics for Nurses as 

a position on quality. Have you reviewed them lately 

and do you agree they define quality? The National 

Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) 

provides nursing metrics to measure quality? Have 

you reviewed them and do they measure quality? 

One can also argue that just because all the I’s are 

dotted and the T’s crossed in a document, this may 

not indicate a quality care product. But should it? 

How does the patient/consumer measure quality? 

Do they care if we give them their medications on 

time or spend time answering their questions? Do 

they care if we graduated at the top of our class or if 

we can recognize when they are in trouble or crisis? 

What is quality to the patient and are we providing 

it? 

Health care is changing and our “quality 

indicators” will also have to change with it. As 

nurses, we need to vigilantly monitor our practice. 

As technology and processes change, we have to keep 

quality and how to measure it in the forefront of our 

profession. 

Sheila Warren is the 44th president of the Georgia 

Nurses Association in 2011. She lives in Hahira, GA.


Georgia Awarded RWJF Grant continued from page 1 

FAAN, RWJF senior adviser for nursing and director 

of the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action. “The 

Foundation is committed to helping states build a 

more highly educated, diverse nursing workforce that 

will improve health outcomes for patients, families 

and communities.” 

The other 19 states to receive the RWJF SIP grant are: 

Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, 

Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, 

Nebraska, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, 

Tennessee, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming. 

Collaborative Statewide Efforts 

Result in SIP Grant Award 

In 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released 

a transformational report on the Future of Nursing. 

Georgia answered this “Call to Action” by creating the 

Georgia Nursing Leadership Coalition (GNLC), of which 

the Georgia Nurses Association (GNA) is a co-lead. 

The GNLC provided a forum for health care leaders 

across the state to collaborate and develop strategies to 

implement the eight IOM recommendations. In 2011, 

GNLC applied for and received recognition from RWJF 

as an action coalition (AC). The Georgia AC operating 

under the name GNLC has continued to make strides 

toward implementing the IOM recommendations. 

Though GNLC formed workgroups to address 

all of the IOM recommendation, four have become 

the current focal point of GNLC efforts. These 

recommendations include: removing barriers to 

practice, doubling the number of doctorate-prepared 

nurses by 2020, creating an infrastructure for workforce 

data collection and dissemination and nurse residency 

programs. 

In 2012, the GNLC co-leads submitted a Future 

of Nursing State Implementation Program (SIP) 

grant application to RWJF for funding to support 

implementation of two these recommendations: 

doubling the number of doctorate-prepared nurses by 

2020 and creating an infrastructure for data collection 

and dissemination. A vital part of this grant opens 

two part-time positions: Program Coordinator for the 

Nursing Workforce Data Center and a Data Manager. 

These positions will be essential to maximizing our 

efforts towards meeting 

the implementation goals 

within the two-year grant 

timeline. GNLC is currently 

accepting applications for 

the Nursing Workforce 

Center Project Coordinator 

position and encouraging 

doctorate-prepared nurses 

with an interest in workforce 

data collection and project 

management to apply for 

this important role. 

The combined efforts 

of the GNLC, Georgia 

Nurse Association (GNA) 

and others, along with 

Aimee Manion 

the commitment of individual nurses and guidance 

from RWJF have led to positive progression towards 

executing the IOM recommendations. As a part of 

continued guidance, RWJF sponsors national summits 

geared toward providing a forum for action coalition 

leaders and other stakeholders to network and exchange 

information related to practice changes, best practices 

and health care reform. Dr. Lisa Eichelberger, Dr. Aimee 

Manion, Dr. Linda McCauley, Dr. Roy Simpson and 

Jane Dubow represented GNLC at the 2013 Campaign 

for Action National Summit in Washington, DC. At 

the culmination of the Summit, GNLC representatives 

returned to Georgia with an expanded professional 

network and renewed determination toward improving 

access to care and creating a healthy future for all 

Georgians. 

GNF takes leadership role in SIP Grant Effort 

By Georgia Barkers, EdD, MBA, MHA, BSN, RN-BC 

President, Georgia Nurses Foundation 

The Georgia Nurses 

Foundation (GNF) has 

actively partnered with 

GNLC to ensure the 

successful award of the 

RWJF SIP grant. Beginning 

in the summer of 2012, GNF 

led a successful fundraising 

campaign in collaboration 

with GNLC that resulted 

in more than $45,000 in 

donations. This funding will 

be used to support efforts to 

implement two of the eight 

IOM recommendations here 

Georgia Barkers 

in Georgia. 

We are excited and 

grateful RWJF has selected the Georgia Action 

Coalition as one of the states to be awarded this 

grant. GNF’s role in the process will be to house the 

grant funds awarded and distribute, manage and 

supervise any reporting on the SIP grant during 

the two-year cycle. In addition to GNF’s other 

ongoing work, such as the special nurse license 

plate initiative, it is truly an exciting time for the 

Foundation. 

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GNA Conference & Membership Assembly 

GROW 

INSPIRE 

LEAD 

SUCCEED 

GNA 2013 Professional 

Development 

Conference – Time to 

Make Plans for 

Augusta This Fall! 

October 23-25, 2013 

Our planning for the 2013 Georgia Nurses 

Association Professional Development Conference 

and Membership Assembly in Augusta, GA, is well 

underway, and we have a great program in store for all 

Conference attendees. For 2013, GNA has selected the 

Conference theme – Grow, Inspire, Lead, Succeed – 

and we hope you’ll join us for this year’s event, which 

will feature thought-provoking speakers and energizing 

opportunities to engage with your fellow nursing 

professionals. 

We are thrilled to 

announce that nationally 

recognized management 

consultant and author of The 

Missing Piece in Leadership, 

Doug Krug, will be our 

keynote speaker for the 2013 

Professional Development 

Conference. 

With more than 

30 years of leadership 

development experience 

with top corporations and Doug Krug 

government agencies, Doug 

knows the true obstacle to progress is the soft, mental 

side of leadership. For 15 years, Doug served as part 

of the MBA program at Johns Hopkins University, 

as well as serving on faculties throughout federal 

government, including Veterans Affairs, FBI, Secret 

Service, DEA, NASA, Labor, CDC, IRA and Interior. 

He brings common sense back to leadership in a 

simple, straightforward way that unlocks and releases 

tremendous untapped potential in people. 

Doug’s robust opening topic, “How to Create the 

Future You Want” will kick off your 2013 Conference 

experience, and he will be featured during two sessions 

as part of your comprehensive learning experience. 

According to Krug, we can expect: 

• A complete shift in relationships between 

members of your team, including higher levels 

of trust and cooperation; 

• An improvement in our ability to influence 

results through others; being equipped with 

a proven system to tap into even higher levels 

of innovation and creativity towards a more 

successful future; and 

• Communicating more openly with each other 

and resolving issues in a supportive and 

responsible manner. 

For more information, be sure to visit Doug Krug’s 

web site at http://elsolutions.com. 

The 2013 Conference will also feature a variety of 

educational topics to round out the program, including: 

• Creating and Maintaining a Positive Work 

Environment 

• Patient Centered Care – Making it Work 

• Pain Management – Pediatric to Geriatric 

• Care Coordination – Bringing the White Paper 

into the Real World 

• IOM Recommendation Implementation in 

Georgia 

• Beyond the Glass Ceiling 

• Fatigue in the Workplace 

• Top 10 Reasons You May Lose your License 

• Nurse Residency 

Of course, we know our members want to have 

fun and this year’s Thursday Evening Banquet will be 

like none before it, as we celebrate Halloween with a 

costume party and karaoke event! Wear your favorite 

costumes and join us for the fun! Who knows, Elvis 

may even drop by! New this year – you’ll have increased 

networking opportunities at the GNA Café. This special 

lounge area will be a place for attendees to congregate, 

network and relax over coffee and snacks. 

Our 2o13 site hotel – the Augusta Marriott – is 

located in the heart of downtown Augusta, just steps 

away from the beautiful Riverwalk area. We have 

arranged a special room rate for attendees, and you’ll 

have two room options at the GNA Conference rate of 

$129 per night (plus tax/fees). To reserve your room at 

the Marriott online, go to http://www.georgianurses. 

org/conference.htm and follow the links to reserve a 

room in either the Main Tower or the Marriott Suites 

Tower. If you’d like to make a reservation by phone or 

need more information about the Augusta Marriott, call 

1-800-868-5354 or 706-722-8900. 

If your organization is interested in exhibiting/ 

sponsoring at the 2013 Conference, please download 

and review our exhibitor/sponsor prospectus at http:// 

www.georgianurses.org/conference.htm or contact 

Crystal Amos at crystal@gtconsultantsinc.com. 

Stay tuned for more Conference information via 

GNA’s Members Only E-News! We can’t wait to see all of 

you in Augusta this fall. 

PATIENT CARE IS YOUR PRIORITY. 

PROTECTING YOUR 

FUTURE IS OURS. 

You’re a nurse because you care. You want to make a difference. Malpractice claims 

could possibly ruin your career and your financial future. You always think of others. 

Now it’s time to think about yourself. Set up your own malpractice safety net. 

• You need malpractice insurance because . . . 

- you have recently started, or may soon start a new job. 

- you are giving care outside of your primary work setting. 

- it provides access to attorney representation with your best interests in mind. 

- claims will not be settled without your permission. 

• ANA recommends personal malpractice coverage for every practicing nurse. 

• As an ANA member, you may qualify for one of four ways to save 10% on 

your premium. 

This is your calling. Every day you help others because you care. You’re making a 

difference. Personal malpractice insurance helps protect your financial future so you 

can go on making a difference. 

At South University, Savannah, we celebrate students. Join our 

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Administered by Marsh U.S. Consumer, a service of Seabury & Smith, Inc. Underwritten by Liberty Insurance Underwriters Inc., 

a member company of Liberty Mutual Insurance, 55 Water Street, New York, New York 10041. May not be available in all states. 

Pending underwriter approval. 

CA Ins. Lic. # 0633005 • AR Ins. Lic. # 245544 

d/b/a in CA Seabury & Smith Insurance Program Management 

60482, 60488, 60494, 60497, 60514, 60520, 

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800- 504- 5278 | southuniversity.edu 

See SUprograms.info for program information. Programs, credential levels, technology, and scheduling 

options vary by campus. You can visit us at 709 Mall Blvd., Savannah, GA 31406-4805.



2013 Georgia Nurses Association 

Professional Development 

Conference 

October 23-25, 2013 

Augusta Marriott 

ONLINE REGISTRATION COMING JUNE 2013! 

Official Call to the Membership 

to attend the Biennial Meeting 

of the GNA Membership Assembly 

in Augusta, Georgia 

October 25, 2013 

From Wanda Jones, BSN, MSN, FNP-BC 

GNA Secretary 

This notice constitutes an official call to meeting of 

the 2013 GNA Membership Assembly. The assembly 

will be held Friday, October 25, 2013 (exact time TBD), 

in Augusta, Georgia. The Membership Assembly will 

convene at the Augusta Marriott Hotel in downtown 

Augusta. 

Due to the new structure of the association 

adopted by the 2005 GNA House of Delegates, the 

GNA Membership Assembly is now composed of the 

members of the association thereby allowing each 

member the privilege to vote. Full members 

(ANA/GNA members) may vote on any issue brought 

before the assembly and State members (GNA-only 

members) may vote on any issue that does not have 

national relevance. Each member should study the 

issues thoroughly, attend reference hearings, engage 

in open-minded debate, practice active listening, and 

use the extensive resources and collective knowledge 

made available throughout the meetings to assist 

in making informed decisions. Members of the 

GNA Membership Assembly have a crucial role in 

providing direction and support for the work of the 

state organization. You should come to the assembly 

to work towards the growth and improvement of 

GNA. This requires a professional commitment to the 

preservation and creative growth of the professional 

society at all levels of the organization. Such a 

commitment will benefit the individual member, the 

association and the nursing profession. 

Early Bird 

Members and Students* Registration Pre-Registration Onsite 

(on or before Aug. 31) (Sept. 1-Oct. 14 ) (Oct 23-25) 

Registration includes 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 

snack breaks, CE sessions (½ day Wednesday 

and full day Thursday with Featured Speaker $249.00 $289.00 $299.00 

Keynote and closing session on Friday) and 

Exhibitor Hall 

Thursday Banquet (Costumes & Karaoke)** $ 65.00 $65.00 $65.00 

Thursday Banquet Guest** $65.00 $65.00 $65.00 

Friday Membership Assembly only 

(includes closing luncheon) $32.00 $32.00 $32.00 

Early Bird 

Non-Members Registration Pre-Registration Onsite 

(on or before Aug. 31) (Sept 1-Oct. 14) (Oct.23-25) 

Registration includes 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 

snack breaks, CE sessions (½ day Wednesday 

and full day Thursday with Featured Speaker $419.00 $459.00 $469.00 

Keynote and closing session on Friday) and 

Exhibitor Hall 

Thursday Banquet (Costumes & Karaoke)** $65.00 $65.00 $75.00 

*Students will receive the member discount. Student rate will only apply to full-time students in nursing 

undergraduate programs. A student ID must be presented at the time of badge pick-up. 

**Space is limited. Banquet tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. 

GNA Cancellation Policy: Substitutions are welcome. Cancellations and requests for refunds must be 

made in writing by October 2, 2013. Refunds will be processed less a $75 processing and handling fee. 

No refunds will be made after October 2, 2013, or for no-shows. Refunds will be issued approximately 30 

days after the GNA Conference. GNA is not responsible for any charges or cancellation fees incurred for 

travel or hotel arrangements. 

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GNA/GNF Call for Award 

Nominations 

The Georgia Nurses Association (GNA) is 

currently seeking nominations for the Staff Nurse 

Award, Media Award, Emerging Leader 

Award and Excellence in the Care of Older 

Adults Award. In addition, the Georgia Nurses 

Foundation (GNF) seeks nominations for the 

Innovations in Nursing Practice Award. These 

awards recognize nurses in various disciplines for 

their accomplishments. The deadline for submission 

of nominations is July 1, 2013. 

The Staff Nurse Award recognizes a 

professional nurse who demonstrates excellence in 

providing direct patient care. Past recipients include: 

Sylvia Crawford, Charlene Ashe, Mary Beth Holland, 

Yvonne Smalley-Young, Ella Flournoy, Jeffrey 

Jaudon, Dorethea Peters, Lillie R. Farmer, Telsa 

Graham, Denise Lockamy and Loretta Smith. 

The Media Award recognizes those individuals 

or organizations that have acknowledged and 

addressed nursing issues in their medium. 

The Emerging Leader Award is a new award 

recognizing a nurse and emerging leader who has 

demonstrated leadership to the profession. 

The Excellence in the Care of Older Adults 

Award is new award to recognize a nurse who has 

demonstrated humility and dedication to the care of 

older adults. 

The Innovations in Nursing Practice Award 

was established to recognize nursing pioneers who 

through their creative thoughts and actions have 

made a difference for nurses and nursing in Georgia. 

This award has been dedicated to Mary N. Long, Past 

President of the Georgia Nurses Association and the 

Georgia Nurses Foundation. Past recipients include: 

Mary N. Long, Carol Rittenhouse, Shelby Lacy, 

Catherine Futch, Anicia Biglow and Senator Nadine 

Thomas. 

GNA members are encouraged to submit their 

nominations by the July 1, 2013 deadline. For more 

information, including eligibility and nomination 

forms, visit http://www.georgianurses.org/ 

callforawards.htm. 

2013 GNA Professional 

Development Conference 

& Membership Assembly 

Sponsors 

Call for 2013 Professional 

Development Conference 

Poster Presentations 

The Georgia Nurses Association (GNA) will 

sponsor a poster session during the 2013 GNA 

Professional Development Conference & Membership 

Assembly at the Augusta Marriot Hotel & Suites 

in Augusta, GA. The Conference will begin on 

Wednesday, October 23, and end on Friday, 

October 25, 2013. Exact date and time for poster 

presentations has not yet been determined. 

Posters presented may focus on findings from 

traditional research, or on the development of new 

tools and processes by nurses for improvement of 

patient care within an organization. The Poster 

Session will provide an opportunity for discussion 

of your project with attendees of the 2013 GNA 

Conference. 

• All poster presenters must register for the GNA 

Conference. 

• All travel, hotel, registration and other 

expenses associated with the 2013 GNA 

Professional Development Conference 

& Membership Assembly will be the 

responsibility of the poster presenter(s). 

• Posters must be free-standing for placement on 

a table occupying a space no larger than 6 feet 

in length by 2 ½ feet in width. 

• For submission documents, contact Marcia 

Noble at marcia.noble@georgianurses.org. 

All submissions must be received by 

August 1, 2013. Due to onsite space limitations, 

a limited number of posters will be accepted. 

Notification of acceptance will be sent by September 

10, 2013. 

Melvin M. Goldstein, P.C. 

A T T O R N 

• 

E Y A T L A W 

248 Roswell Street 

Marietta, Georgia 30060 

Telephone: 770/427-7004 

Fax: 770/426-9584 

www.melvinmgoldstein.com 

• Private practitioner with an emphasis on representing 

healthcare professionals in administrative cases as well 

as other legal matters 

• Former Assistant Attorney General for the State of 

Georgia and Counsel for professional licensing boards 

including the Georgia Board of Nursing 

• Former Administrative Law Judge for the Office of State 

Administrative Hearings 

The BesT and 

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The University of West Georgia School of Nursing 

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· Joint curriculum taught by both School of 

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· Mandatory three-day, on-site orientation 

· Classroom instruction delivered primarily 

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· Opportunity for structured mentoring 

· Curriculum reflects core competencies of Nurse 

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Division of Nursing Immediate Faculty Opening 

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a curriculum vitae and all transcripts to: 

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Positions open until filled. 

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The Emory Diabetes Education Training Academy offers a three day seminar that is 

open to professionals of the health care team including nurse practitioners, physician 

assistants, health educators, nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, social workers and others 

with present or planned involvement in the management and education of individuals 

with diabetes. Multi-discipline health care teams interested in organizing or improving 

a diabetes program are especially encouraged to attend. Professionals preparing to 

take the Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) examination will find the course facilitates 

their study. 

Time is allocated for observations in the clinical setting with members of the health 

care team of your choice. Enrollment will be limited to 15 participants per session. 

You will obtain a total of 25 contact hours for continuing education. 

2013 Course Dates 

August 19-20-21 • November 4-5-6 

For more information about the course and to register, go to: 

http://www.medicine.emory.edu/diabetescourse 

Contact: The Director of the course : Britt Rotberg, MS, RD, LD 

Phone: 404.616.7417 e-mail: britt.rotberg@emory.edu 

Location: Emory Faculty Office Building at 49 Jesse Hill Jr Dr SE Atlanta GA 30303 

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24 

CONTACT HOURS AVAILABLE


Nearly 1,000 Nurses Attend 

2013 GNA Legislative Day 

at the Capitol 

GNA’s annual Legislative Day event at the Capitol 

had record attendance again this year, as nearly 

1,000 registered nurses, nurse faculty and nursing 

students from across the state were there. This 

year’s event took place on January 24 at the Capitol. 

The morning speaking program featured remarks 

from Governor Nathan Deal, Senator Buddy Carter 

(Chair of the Senate Public Safety Committee) and 

Representative Sharon Cooper (Chair of the House 

Health & Human Services Committee). Attendees 

also took a group photo with Governor Deal and 

met with their state senators and representatives, 

bringing the priorities of the nursing profession to 

their attention. The 2013 Legislative Day garnered 

significant media coverage from CBS-Atlanta, 

WSBTV, 11 Alive Atlanta and several other print 

outlets. 

Legislative/Public Policy 

Thank You! 

GNA would like to thank the sponsors of our 

2013 Legislative Day – Peach State Health Plan and 

Chamberlain College of Nursing. We’d also like to 

express our appreciation for the many Legislative 

Day volunteers who helped to make this year’s event 

a great success. 

Nearly 1,000 nurses attended GNA’s 2013 Legislative Day event on January 24 at the State Capitol. 

Board of Nursing President and GNA member 

Barry Cranfill and Director of Legislation & Public 

Policy Judy Malachowski. 

GNA members Richard Lamphier and Edward 

Adams served as volunteers during GNA’s 2013 

Legislative Day Event. 

Correct Care Solutions (CCS) is the fastest growing correctional 

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Georgia Department of Corrections. 

Current Openings: 

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CCS is EEO Employer



2013 GNA Legislative Day at the Capitol 

Rep. Sharon Cooper (R-Marietta) speaks 

to attendees. Rep. Cooper is chair of 

the House Health & Human Services 

Committee. 

Ray Williams of Peachstate Health 

Plan greets Legislative Day attendees. 

Peachstate has graciously sponsored GNA’s 

Legislative Day event for several years now. 

GNA leadership joins Gov. Deal and Sen. Buddy 

Carter in a group photo. Gov. Deal presented 

GNA leaders with a proclamation declaring it to 

be Nurses’ Day at the Capitol. 

GNA CEO Debbie Hackman addresses attendees 

during the morning program. 

Rep. Ed Rynders (R-Albany) is pictured with a 

group of Legislative Day attendees. 

State Senator Buddy Carter (R-Pooler) speaks 

during the morning program. 

Several GNA members volunteered to assist staff 

onsite during the event. 

Governor Nathan Deal speaks to attendees.


By Jeremy Arieh, Director of Marketing & 

Communications 

In the waning hours of Thursday, March 28, the 

Georgia General Assembly adjourned Sine Die to 

conclude the 2013 Legislative Session. While this 

session will be remembered by many for the ethics 

legislation that passed or the gun legislation that failed, 

it’s likely that nurses will remember the 2013 session 

as the beginning of a long discussion on how to better 

equip the Georgia Board of Nursing (and other Boards) 

with much-needed resources to keep Georgia’s patients 

safe. GNA was actively involved in the 2013 session, 

advocating on all policy issues that could affect Georgia 

RNs. GNA members were also very active in 2013, 

responding two Action Alerts and contacting legislators 

in grassroots lobbying efforts. We’d like to thank you for 

making this important outreach. 

Adequate Funding for the 

Profession and Patient Safety 

Throughout the session, GNA sought to educate 

legislators and registered nurses on the current state 

of funding at the Professional Licensing Boards (PLB). 

Due to budget cuts and changes in the law regarding 

professional licensure, Secretary of State Brian Kemp 

attempted to restructure the Professional Licensing 

Boards division in 2012 as a cost-cutting measure. 

The proposal was shelved after GNA and several other 

professions, such as accountants, electricians and 

barbers, expressed their opposition to the change. In 

2013, it became apparent early on the PLB was unlikely 

to see any new funding in the state budget. 

In February, GNA and GBON members met with 

Governor Deal’s office, Secretary Kemp, Rep. Sharon 

Cooper, Sen. Renee Unterman, Sen. Buddy Carter, 

Rep. Ed Rynders (House Appropriations Vice Chair) 

and others to express mounting concern related to 

inadequate funding for the operation of the Board of 

Nursing and the implementation of laws to protect 

patients in Georgia, including proposed mandatory 

reporting legislation (Senate Bill 13 and House Bill 50) 

and bills to require continuing competency for nurses 

(Senate Bill 10 and House Bill 315). 

With nearly 115,000 RNs and 35,000 LPNs, nurses 

comprise the largest population of licensed professionals 

in the state. The average net revenue of licensure fees 

collected through the Secretary of State for RNs and 

LPNs totals over $5.1 million per year, while the amount 

allocated for the direct and indirect costs of the Board of 

Nursing’s operation is less than 50% of those revenues. 

The remainder of this funding is being siphoned off and 

used in other areas of the state budget. In conversations 

at the Capitol, GNA articulated the concern that 

lawmakers are ignoring current state law (O.C.G.A 43-1- 

7) in the budgeting process. 

Current statute O.C.G.A. 43-1-7 (2010) states: “Each 

professional licensing board is authorized to charge 

an examination fee, license fee, license renewal fee, or 

similar fee and may establish the amount of the fee to 

be charged. Each fee so established shall be reasonable 

and shall be determined in such a manner that the total 

amount of fees charged by the professional licensing 

board shall approximate the total of the direct and 

indirect costs to the state of the operation of the board. 

Fees may be refunded for good cause, as determined by 

the division director.” 

To ensure patient safety and a streamlined, efficient 

licensure process in our state, the Board of Nursing 

must be adequately funded. In response to GNA and 

others, House Resolution 549 passed creating the 

House Study Committee on Professional Licensing 

Boards. Moving forward, GNA will continue to explore 

all options to ensure adequate GBON funding. We 

will actively participate in this summer’s PLB Study 

Committee and look forward to reporting on the 

committee’s progress in future issues of Georgia 

Nursing. 

Senate Bill 94 – APRNs ordering radiographic 

imaging tests 

After passing the Senate, legislation to allow APRNs 

to order radiographic imaging tests (SB 94) was tabled 

in House Health & Human Services, which killed the 

bill for the year. Current statute allows APRNs to order 


2013 GNA Legislative Wrap Up 

Advocacy efforts on GBON funding to continue 

radiologic imaging tests “in life-threatening situations 

only.” According to GNA’s org affiliate CAPRN of GA, 

Georgia is the only state with such a restriction, which 

was imposed when APRNs gained prescriptive authority 

in 2006. GNA will continue to advocate for the removal 

of this barrier to APRN practice next session. 

Continuing Competency/ 

Mandatory Reporting 

On Day 39, HB 315, sponsored by Rep. Sharon 

Cooper (R-Marietta, chair, House HHS), received 

final passage in the House. For over a year, GNA has 

worked with the GBON and other external stakeholders 

to ensure the passage of continuing competency and 

mandatory reporting laws that promote patient safety, 

but would not be onerous upon RNs seeking licensure 

renewal. 

Upon signature by the Governor, HB 315 will do the 

following: 

• Implement continuing competency requirements 

for RNs and LPNs, beginning with 2016 license 

renewal. 

• Create an “inactive” licensure status for RNs who 

request it. This status would mainly be utilized by 

retired RNs who wish to maintain their licenses. 

• Implement mandatory reporting of any nurse (RN 

or LPN) who violates Georgia’s Nurse Practice 

Act. This portion of the bill can only become 

effective when specific funding is appropriated by 

the Legislature to the GBON for the purpose of 

mandatory reporting. 

Combining LPN/RN Boards 

Legislation to combine the LPN and RN Boards 

of Nursing passed on the final day of the session. The 

change was proposed by the Professional Licensing 

Boards as a move toward further efficiency. The GNA 

Board of Directors voted to support this legislation as a 

move to further streamline BON operations (House Bill 

332). 

2013 Bills of Interest 

HB 50 Nurses; mandatory reporting; require 

By Rep. Sharon Cooper (R-Marietta) 

A bill to require that violations of the Nurse Practice Act 

are reported to the Board of Nursing. 

HB 50 passed the House 152-16 with language making 

its enactment contingent upon funding from the 

General Assembly. The bill was combined with HB 315, 

which received final passage. 

HB 132 Georgia Board of Pharmacy and Georgia Board 

of Dentistry; administratively attached to Department 

of Community Health; provide 

By Rep. Lee Hawkins (R-Gainesville) 

Legislation that pulls the Boards of Pharmacy and 

Dentistry from the Secretary of State’s office and 

attaches them administratively to the Department of 

Community Health. 

HB 132 passed the Senate by a vote of 45-8 and now 

awaits signature from the Governor. Sen. Renee 

Unterman attempted to amend the bill in subcommittee 

to add the Board of Nursing to HB 132, but the 

amendment was defeated. 

HB 178 Georgia Pain Management Clinic Act; enact 

By Rep. Tom Weldon (R-Ringgold) 

Legislation intending to further regulate pain 

management clinics as well as the health care 

professionals who practice in these settings. 

HB 178 passed the Senate by a vote of 44-5 and awaits 

signature from the Governor. 

HB 315 Nurses; continuing competency requirements 

as requirement for license renewal; provide 

By Rep. Sharon Cooper (R-Marietta) 

A bill to require RNs to demonstrate continuing 

competency at the time of license renewal, beginning 

in 2016. The bill will also require that violations of the 

Nurse Practice Act are reported to the Board of Nursing, 

but this provision is contingent upon funds being 

appropriated by the General Assembly. 

HB 315 received final passage in the House by a vote of 

136-37 and awaits signature from the Governor. 

HB 332 Georgia Board of Nursing; reconstitute; 

provisions 

By Rep. Bruce Williamson (R-Monroe) 

Legislation to combine the LPN and RN Boards of 

Nursing. 



HB 372 HOPE; grant at technical colleges or university 

institutions; revise eligibility 

By Rep. Christian Coomer (R-Cartersville) 

A bill allowing more technical college students access to 

HOPE grants by lowering GPA requirements to 2.0. 



HB 546 Public Health, Department of; pilot program 

to assess need for and effectiveness of using protocol 

technicians in areas which do not have access to a 

hospital; establish 

By Rep. James Beverly (D-Macon) 

A bill creating a pilot program within the Department 

of Public Health to create a new category of health 

professional – a “protocol technician.” 

House Health & Human Services Committee 

HR 549 House Study Committee on Professional 

Licensing Boards; create 

By Rep. Ed Rynders (R-Albany) 

A resolution creating a House Study Committee on 

Professional Licensing Boards. 

HR 549 passed the House by a vote of 166-4. 

SB 10 Registered Professional Nurses; provide 

continuing competency requirements as a requirement 

for license renewal 

By Sen. Buddy Carter (R-Pooler) 

A bill to require RNs to demonstrate continuing 

competency at the time of license renewal, beginning in 

2016. 


SB 13 Nurses; require mandatory reporting 

By Sen. Buddy Carter (R-Pooler) 

A bill to require that violations of the Nurse Practice Act 

are reported to the Board of Nursing. 


SB 24 “Hospital Medicaid Financing Program Act”; 

enact 

By Sen. Charlie Bethel (R-Dalton) 

Legislation to authorize the Georgia Department of 

Community Health to levy a provider payment upon 

hospitals. 

SB 24 was signed by the Governor on February 13. 

SB 85 Physicians; authorize the administration of 

vaccines by pharmacists or nurses; vaccine protocol 

agreements 

By Sen. Charlie Bethel (R-Dalton) 

Legislation defining the vaccine protocol agreements a 

physician may enter into with a nurse/pharmacist. The 

legislation also adds to the list of vaccines a pharmacist 

and/or registered nurse may deliver under a vaccine 

protocol agreement. 


SB 94 Advance Practice Registered Nurses; delegation 

of authority to order radiographic imaging tests; revise 

prov. 

By Sen. Fran Millar (R-Atlanta) 

A bill to allow APRNs to order radiographic imaging 

tests. 

SB 94 was tabled in the House Health & Human 

Services Committee after a substitute bill was 

introduced during a hearing on March 20. The bill will 

likely revisited in 2014. 

To review GNA’s 2013 Legislative Platform or 2013 

Legislative Priorities, visit http://www.georgianurses. 

org/current_session.htm. 

To review any of the bills listed above, go to http:// 

www.legis.ga.gov/ and type in the bill type and number.


Nursing Practice 

GNA Joins Georgia Health 

Literacy Alliance Effort 

By Rebecca Wheeler, RN, PhD and 

Judi Kanne, RN, BSN 

The Georgia Nurses Association (GNA) has 

joined forces with representatives of academia, state 

government, pharmaceutical organizations, health 

care providers and others in an effort to improve the 

health literacy of citizens across the state. 

GNA President-Elect Rebecca Wheeler, RN, PhD, 

and member Judi Kanne, RN, BSN are representing 

GNA as part of the newly formed Georgia Health 

Literacy Alliance. From discharge materials that 

correspond with each patient’s language and literacy 

level to lifesaving public health information for 

communities — nurses are at the forefront of how to 

prioritize and provide patient care information. 

“We are pleased to be working with so many 

disciplines in the Alliance,” explains Wheeler. 

Founded in 2012, the Georgia Health Literacy 

Alliance’s goal is to help all Georgians find, 

understand, evaluate, communicate and use relevant 

health information to make wellness and health care 

decisions. The link between limited health literacy 

and poor health is well documented. In 2004, the 

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) 

and Institute of Medicine (IOM) published reports 

with comprehensive reviews of the literature on 

health literacy and health outcomes. Both reports 

concluded that limited health literacy is negatively 

associated with the use of preventive services. 

Too many people struggle to understand the words 

they hear from health practitioners. They also find 

it hard to understand written instructions from 

physicians and insurance companies. Health literacy, 

however, involves much more than an individual’s 

ability to read. According to the IOM’s 2004 report 

Health Literacy: A Prescription to End Confusion, 

it is a complex issue involving individual factors, 

health care professionals and societal factors. An 

individual’s culture, education and language will 

influence how health information is understood, 

as will the health care providers’ communication 

skills. How the media, government and marketplace 

provide health information is equally important, and 

perhaps the most difficult to address. 

Nationally, health literacy is gaining in 

importance. The Affordable Care Act (2010) has 

provisions addressing the clear communication of 

health information and cultural competencies. The 

Plain Writing Act (2010) requires all documents from 

the federal government be written in ways “that the 

public can understand and use.” Also in 2010, the 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

initiated the National Action Plan to Improve Health 

Literacy, a collaboration of public and private sector 

organizations that will develop plans for health 

literacy research and action. 

Individual states are also ramping up their 

efforts to improve health literacy. Many states have 

established coalitions that are working to determine 

what they can do to address this issue. Some, like 

Florida, have advanced to specific action; their 

coalition provides grants to projects promoting heath 

literacy and develops and distributes health curricula 

for adult education students. These are all issues the 

Georgia Health Literacy Alliance plans to address in 

future meetings. 

In January, the group met at Morehouse School 

of Medicine. Planning to date includes developing 

flyers and posters to alert attention to health literacy 

needs around the state. February’s meeting took 

place at Georgia Health Care Association’s facility in 

Stockbridge. The group will meet again soon, so look 

for updates on the Alliance’s work in future issues of 

Georgia Nursing. 

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Would you enjoy working in a clinic-like setting 

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Immediate Opportunities Available 

Coffee Correctional Facility, Nichols, GA: 

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APRN Corner 

Primary Care Workforce 

Shortages: Nurse Practitioner 

Scope-of-Practice Laws and 

Payment Policies 

NIHCR Research Brief No. 13 

By Tracy Yee, Ellyn R. Boukus, Dori A. Cross, 

Divya R. Samuel 

Amid concerns about primary care provider 

shortages, especially in light of health reform 

coverage expansions in 2014, some believe that 

revising state laws governing nurse practitioners’ 

(NP) scope of practice is a way to increase primary 

care capacity. State laws vary widely in the level of 

physician oversight required for nurse practitioners, 

with some states allowing NPs to practice 

independently, while others limit NPs’ authority to 

diagnose, treat and prescribe medications to patients 

without supervision. 

In six states with a wide range of scope-of-practice 

laws—Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Maryland, 

Massachusetts and Michigan—the laws in and of 

themselves do not appear to restrict what services 

NPs can provide to patients, according to a new 

qualitative study by the Center for Studying Health 

System Change (HSC). However, scope-of-practice 

laws do appear to have a substantial indirect impact 

because requirements for physician supervision 

affect practice opportunities for NPs and may 

influence payer policies for nurse practitioners. 

Such policies include whether NPs are recognized as 

primary care providers and included by health plans 

in provider networks and whether NPs can bill and 

be paid directly. States with more restrictive scopeof-practice 

laws (such as Georgia) are associated 

with more challenging environments for NPs to bill 

public and private payers, order certain tests, and 

establish independent primary care practices. To 

ensure effective use of NPs in primary care settings, 

policy makers may want to consider regulatory 

changes beyond revising scope-of-practice laws, such 

as explicitly granting NPs authority as primary care 

providers under Medicaid or encouraging health 

plans to pay nurse practitioners directly. 

This article is available at the National Institute 

for Health Care Reform web site by visiting www. 

nihcr.org. 

APRNs Serve 30% of Medicare FFS 

Beneficiaries 

By Peter McMenamin, PhD 

Senior Policy Fellow, American Nurses 

Association 

In previous postings on the ANA NurseSpace 

Blog One Strong Voice (www.ananursespace.org), 

I have provided information on the participation of 

APRNs in directly billing Medicare Part B carriers 

for services provided to their Medicare patients. This 

included information on total approved charges; 

primary care incentive payments awarded to NPs 

and CNSs; bonuses for high-quality and electronic 

prescribing awarded to APRNs in each of the four 

roles; and also Medicaid incentive payments to NPs 

and CNMs for electronic health record installation 

and use. Recently, I received some new Medicare 

data not previously published with respect to counts 

of individual patients who received services from 

those APRNs. 

These important data show the increasing 

involvement of APRNs in caring for patients. Not 

only are there increases in the numbers of APRNs 

directly billing Medicare Part B, those nurses are 

providing services to an increasing number of 

patients in the program, representing increasing 

percentages of patients. In 2011, 100,585 APRNs 

directly billed Part B carriers for $2.4 billion in 

approved charges for services provided to 10,385,355 

Part B fee-for-service beneficiaries. To some 

observers – given Medicare Part B’s $126 billion total 

budget – the APRN share may merely be Medicare 

dust, but it ain’t peanuts. Thirty percent of patients in 

traditional (fee-for-service) Medicare received one or 

more services from an advanced practice registered 

nurse. 

Thousands of Medicare patients in each of the 

50 states are acquainted with an APRN as a source 

of Part B services. In most states it is hundreds of 

thousands. APRNs are a substantial and growing 

clinical presence in the Medicare program. Despite 

hurdles to APRNs being able to practice to the full 

extent of their education and experience there is an 

increasing patient acceptance and satisfaction with 

receiving Part B services from an advanced practice 

registered nurse. APRNs may only be nine percent 

of all Medicare Part B providers, but they treat more 

than three times that percentage of all fee-for-service 

patients. 

The Data 

The Medicare terms of art for these new data 

are “persons served” and “persons served per 

thousand.” These concepts have actually been 

employed by Medicare since the beginning of the 

program, and they involve counting (a) the number 

of unique patients who have had one or more claims 

for service approved by Medicare carriers and/or 

intermediaries, and (b) total Medicare eligibles that 

could have used such services. To compute these data 

one used to have to wait until well after the end of a 

calendar to identify all of the unique beneficiaries 

ever enrolled in Part B and all of the unique 

beneficiaries with respect to a particular set of 

services. Thus, while counts of services and approved 

charges were computed within months following the 

end of a year, the reported persons served data often 

lagged by several years. Better computer services 

have vastly shortened those lags. 

Persons served can be computed across all 

services or for particular services such as the 

services of a particular type of provider. For example, 

since early in the program approximately 20 percent 

of Medicare beneficiaries have been hospitalized 

in any one year. This percentage includes some 

eligibles who were hospitalized two or more times. 

In calendar year 2010, the official hospital statistic 

for “persons served per thousand” was 211, i.e., 21.1 

percent of Medicare eligible were hospitalized at 

least once. Across all Part B services, persons served 

per thousand elderly in 2010 was 988. (At nearly 99 

percent very few Part B eligibles did not have a claim 

for service that year. In 1975 the figure was 536; in 

1966 it was approximately 360.) 

The table below shows the 2009 to 2011 values for 

participating APRNs, persons served and persons 

served per fee-for-service eligible. (Approximately 

25 percent of Medicare eligibles are enrolled 

in Medicare Advantage plans and thus are not 

considered eligible for treatment under fee-forservice 

Medicare.) Over that time frame the total 

number of APRNs directly billing Part B carriers 

increased from about 82,000 to 100,000; persons 

served increased from 9 million to 10.4 million; 

and the persons served percentage increased from 

26 percent to 28 percent to 30 percent. Increases in 

participation, persons served, and the persons served 

percentage can be observed for all of the years for 

each of the APRN roles. 

Variable YR NPs CRNAs CNSs CNMs 

# APRNs 2011 59,196 36,600 2,564 2,225 

2010 52,062 34,946 2,519 1,931 

2009 46,386 33,151 2,421 1,746 

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Persons served 2011 5,780,000 4,356,743 226,576 23,016 

2010 5,218,035 4,158,556 217,869 19,168 

2009 4,806,124 3,946,619 204,411 18,910 

Persons served % 2011 16.5% 12.5% 0.6% 0.1% 

2010 15.1% 12.1% 0.6% 0.1% 

2009 14.1% 11.6% 0.6% 0.1% 

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APRNs Serve 30% of Medicare FFS Beneficiaries continued on page 15 

Faculty Vacancy 

Asst/Assoc Professor – Athletic 

Training 

Applications are being accepted for the founding director for B.S. in Athletic 

Training program. Doctoral degree required in Athletic Training or related 

field. The successful applicant must be eligible for licensure in the state of 

Georgia. 

Applicants should submit a letter of application; curriculum vitae; unofficial 

copies of transcripts; and names, phone numbers and email address of three 

references electronically in one email to: hrapplicant@piedmont.edu. No phone 

calls will be accepted. www.piedmont.edu. EOE.


APRN Corner 

APRNs Serve 30% of Medicare FFS Beneficiaries continued from page 14 

[The persons served percentage for CNMs should 

have an asterisk. The data only include total feefor-service 

eligibles rather than the gender and age 

specific data one would want, particularly for the 

Medicare disabled population.] 

The 10.4 million beneficiaries who did receive 

APRN services in the traditional Medicare program 

were spread across the country. The number in 

each State was a function of both the number of 

beneficiaries and the number of participating 

APRNs. Florida had the highest number of persons 

served, at 873,278, followed by Texas at 702,257. 

Thirty one states each had more than 100,000 

Medicare persons served. Hawaii was the state with 

the smallest number at 7948. The persons served 

numbers for each state were relatively stable over 

these years with typical average annual growth rates 

between 5 to 11 percent. 

Across the U.S., 30 percent of Medicare feefor-service 

beneficiaries were persons served 

with respect to APRN services. In fact, one must 

acknowledge that this is a lower bound estimate of 

the percentage of Medicare patients who received 

APRN services. Some fee-for-service beneficiaries 

receive APRN services in physician practices or 

clinics where a physician practice identifier or only 

the practice specific National Provider Identifier 

(NPI) is used for billing. In such instances those 

services will not be counted as APRN services, so 

those encounters would not contribute to the APRN 

persons served statistics. In addition, it is well 

known that many Medicare Advantage plans make 

substantial use of APRNs. Those patient encounters 

are simply not recorded at all in the Part B database. 

In terms of persons served per thousand, 

Tennessee was the state with the highest value, at 

580. North Dakota was second at 554. Thus, we 

observe two states where more than half of the feefor-service 

beneficiaries received services from 

an APRN. The states at the high end of the persons 

served spectrum are more likely to be perceived as 

relatively rural with more urban states at the low end 

of the spectrum. This is not a strict rule: relatively 

rural Delaware, Nevada, Oklahoma, Wyoming and 

Montana are among the 15 states at the bottom of the 

spectrum. 

To reiterate, thousands of Medicare patients in 

GA persons served statistics: 

every state are acquainted with an APRN as a source 

of Part B services. In most states, it is hundreds of 

thousands. In all but five states at least one (FFS) 

beneficiary in five received covered services from an 

APRN enrolled as an independent Medicare Part B 

provider. This is not a fad or passing fancy. Despite 

hurdles to APRNs being able to practice to the full 

extent of their education and experience there is an 

increasing patient acceptance and satisfaction with 

receiving Part B services from an advanced practice 

registered nurse. APRNs may only be nine percent 

of all Medicare Part B providers, but they treat more 

than three times that percentage of all fee-for-service 

patients – a share that recent statistics confirms is 

growing. 

GEORGIA Year NPs CRNAs CNSs CNMs APRNs 

2009 1,181 1,170 49 39 2,439 

# APRNs 2010 1,329 1,226 59 40 2,654 

2011 1,524 1,239 66 61 2,890 

2009 127,452 137,376 6,429 327 271,584 

Persons served 2010 130,533 132,761 6,461 363 270,118 

2011 143,044 139,555 6,490 382 289,471 

2009 12.57% 13.55% 0.63% 0.03% 26.79% 

Persons served % 2010 13.41% 13.64% 0.66% 0.04% 27.74% 

2011 14.45% 14.10% 0.66% 0.04% 29.24% 

Finance Matters 

Know Your Financial Vital Signs 

Before You Look 

By Jim Williams 

President, Southern Highlands Mortgage 

We have potential 

customers contact us 

daily asking the question, 

how do I qualify for a 

mortgage? The answer 

is, “Do you know your 

financial vital signs”? You 

see, there is somewhat 

of a correlation between 

the vital signs of a patient 

and the financial vital 

signs of a borrower. A 

nurse would not dream of Jim Williams 

making rounds to check 

on a patient without a history of the patient’s blood 

pressure, respirations, pulse and temperature. By the 

same token, a lender will have a particular interest in 

three areas when reviewing a borrower’s request for 

a mortgage – credit, capacity and collateral. 

One of the first steps a lender will take after 

receiving a loan application is to pull the credit on a 

borrower. You should be aware of your credit before 

you look for a house or inquire about a mortgage. 

For a free copy of your credit report, go to www. 

annualcreditreport.com. Lender loan programs have 

differing credit guidelines, so accessing your credit 

before you start looking for a home is important. The 

knowledge you obtain by reviewing your credit will 

provide real value during the home-buying process. 

The second financial vital sign is your capacity 

to pay monthly obligations as a percentage of gross 

monthly income. Lenders typically refer to this as 

your debt ratios. Much like a patient’s blood pressure, 

there is an acceptable range for borrower’s debt 

ratios. The first debt ratio is your housing payment 

as a percentage of your gross income. A second debt 

ratio includes the housing payment and your monthly 

installment loans, as well 

as credit card payments. 

The maximum total 

debt to income range is 

typically 41-45 percent 

of gross monthly income 

with some lenders going 

as high as 50 percent. 

A home is the 

collateral being used to secure a mortgage. Before a 

lender will extend credit to a potential borrower, an 

appraisal will be ordered to determine the property 

value. The lender is required to order the appraisal 

from an independent party with no interest in the 

transaction. 

If you are interested in learning more about your 

financial vital signs, please contact One Lender for 

Life at www.onelenderforlife.com, by email olfl@ 

southernhighlandsmtg.com or by phone 888-213- 

4602. 

Experienced Nurses Only 

Opportunities, BSN Preferred 

New Grad Opportunities, 

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Behavioral Health, Case Manager, 

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Mother/Baby, Neuro ICU, Neuro Med/Surg, 

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Positions available at 

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Additional opportunities include: 

• Director, ER 

• Bariatric Coordinator (RN) 

• Patient Safety Coordinator 

Atlanta Medical Center 

www.atlantamedcenter.com 

To apply, please contact 

Cheryl Beasley, Nurse Recruiter 

303 Parkway Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30312 

(404) 265-3341 

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912-478-5166 • GeorgiaSouthern.edu/nursing


Membership 

GASN Renews Org Affiliate 

Membership with GNA 

The Georgia Association of School Nurses (GASN) has renewed its 

organizational affiliate membership with GNA! By becoming an org affiliate 

member of GNA, organizations can enjoy great benefits, such as one voting 

seat in the GNA Biennial Membership Assembly, space for an article in our 

newsletter, Georgia Nursing, and more. For information on how to become 

an organizational affiliate of GNA, please contact Jeremy Arieh, Director of 

Marketing & Communications at jeremy.arieh@georgianurses.org. 

In Memory… 

Karen Weaver 

Sheryl Peavy Farmer 

Mae Alawayne Simmerson Nessmith 

Eleanor Panelli-Bigay 

Donna Bozeman Long 

Leah Marie Otto 

Claire Ritchie 

Martha Barnard 

Martha Frances Giles Ahearn 

Johnnie O. Lomax 

Jimmie Lee Chidester 

Truman David Littleton 

Agnes Koonce Wright 

Dorothy Ann Davis McDaniel 

Betty C. Poole 

Billy Stephens 

Sherlene Burkhart 

Melba H. Chastain 

Mary Olivia “Billie” Privette Early 

Georgia Nurses Foundation 

Honor A Nurse Recipients 

The Georgia Nurses Foundation (GNF) wishes to express gratitude to the 

following individuals for their generous contributions to GNF in honor of friends, 

family and colleagues: 

Gwen Deary, RN, CCRN, honored by Sharon Abdel-Khalick, RN, CCRN 

GNF would also like to recognize Irene H. Mahony for her generous 

donation to GNF. 

Honor a star nurse by making a minimum donation of $35.00 to the 

Georgia Nurses Foundation. A personal acknowledgement will be sent to the 

person designated. Your tax-deductible contribution will also help support the 

important programs of the Foundation. Let a rising or guiding star know they 

made a difference today! 

GEORGIA NURSES FOUNDATION 

HONOR A NURSE 

We all know a special nurse who makes a difference! Honor a nurse who has touched 

your life as a friend, a caregiver, a mentor, an exemplary clinician, or an outstanding 

teacher. Now is your opportunity to tell them “thank you.” 

The Georgia Nurses Foundation (GNF) has the perfect thank you with its “Honor a 

Nurse” program which tells the honorees that they are appreciated for their quality of 

care, knowledge, and contributions to the profession. 

Your contribution of at least $35.00 will honor your special nurse through the support 

of programs and services of the Georgia Nurses Foundation. Your honoree will receive 

a special acknowledgement letter in addition to a public acknowledgement through our 

quarterly publication, Georgia Nursing, which is distributed to more than 100,000 

registered nurses and nursing students throughout Georgia. The acknowledgement will 

state the name of the donor and the honoree’s accomplishment, but will not include the 

amount of the donation. 

Looking for an exciting career in nursing? 

Discover what the UTC School of Nursing has to offer. 

Bachelor of Science in Nursing 

Traditional Admission options available plus a 

RN to BSN Program. 

Contact April Anderson at (423) 425-4670 or at 

April-Anderson@utc.edu for more information. 

Master of Science in Nursing 

Concentrations in Family Nurse Practitioner with flexible 

scheduling and in Nurse Anesthesia with distance learning 

available. 

Contact Sarah Blackburn at (423) 425-4750 or at 

Sarah-Blackburn@utc.edu for more information. 

Doctor of Nursing Practice 

Completely online program offering a Post Master DNP 

and a Post Baccalaureate option. 

Contact Sarah Blackburn at (423) 425-4750 or at 

Sarah-Blackburn@utc.edu for more information. 

www.utc.edu/Nursing 

UTC is an EEO/AA/Titles VI & IX/ADA/ADEA/Section 504 institution. 

Let someone know they make a difference by completing the form below and 

returning it to the following address: 

Georgia Nurses Foundation 

3032 Briarcliff Road, NE 

Atlanta, GA 30329 

FAX: (404) 325-0407 

gna@georgianurses.org 

(Please make checks payable to Georgia Nurses Foundation.) 

I would like to Honor a Nurse: 

Honoree: 

From: 

Name: ________________________________________________ 

Email: ________________________________________________ 

Address: ______________________________________________ 

State/City: _____________________________ Zip: ____________ 

Donor: ________________________________________________ 

Email:________________________________________________ 

Address: ______________________________________________ 

State/City: ____________________________ Zip: _____________ 

Amount of Gift:__________________________________________________ 

MasterCard/Visa #: _____________________________ Exp Date:___________ 

Name on Card:___________________________________________________ 

My company will match my gift? _YES (Please list employer and address below.) ______ 

NO 

Employer: _____________________________________________ 

Address: ______________________________________________ 

The Georgia Nurses Foundation (GNF) is the charitable and philanthropic 

arm of GNA supporting GNA and its works to foster the welfare and well 

being of nurses, promote and advance the nursing profession, thereby 

enhancing the health of the public.


Byrdine F. Lewis 

School of Nursing & 

Health Professions 

Faculty Position 

Everyday our faculty and staff at Georgia Southern University’s 

Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health equip students to make a 

real contribution to the public health education of 

rural and underserved communities. 

For more information visit jphcoph.georgiasouthern.edu or schedule a visit by 

calling 912-478-2674 

Dr.P.H. 

M.P.H. 

Biostatistics 

Biostatistics 

Community Health Behavior 

Community Health 

and Education 

Environmental Health Sciences 

Public Health Leadership* 

Epidemiology 

M.H.A. 

Health Policy and Management 

*hybrid (mostly online) 

Associate Professor (tenure track): Full-time faculty position. 

Minimum requirements: graduate degree in Nursing; PhD in Nursing 

or related field (required for tenure track position). The School of 

Nursing seeks faculty members with a strong background and 

professional scholarship in nursing informatics. Full-time nursing 

faculty are expected to have a knowledge of quality and safety as it 

relates to informatics research, and knowledge of the workflow of 

healthcare systems. Teaching experience in area of specialization 

preferred. Salary and rank commensurate with credentials and 

experience. 

Interested parties should, please submit a letter of application and curriculum vitae to: 

Joan Cranford, EdD, MSN 

Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing 

PO Box 4019 

Georgia State University 

Atlanta, GA 30302-4019 • jcranford2@gsu.edu 

Applications accepted until filled. An offer of employment will be contingent upon successful 

completion of a background investigation. 

Georgia State University, a unit of the University System of Georgia, is an equal opportunity 

educational institution and an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. 

Nursing at 

• RN-BSN 

• RN-MSN 

• MSN 

• MSN-MBA Dual Degree Program 

• Graduate-level Certificates in 

–Nursing Administration 

–Nursing Education 

Thomas University 

Experience the Difference 

Courses are offered through a combination 

of traditional and online instruction. 

The best of both worlds! 

Thomas University is proud to offer our “Future of Nursing Scholarship” equal to 20% of the cost of 

tuition each semester to all students enrolled in our RN-BSN and RN-MSN programs. 

• Thomasville, GA 

• Moultrie, GA 

Classes meet 

just one day 

per month! 

• Tallahassee, FL 

www.thomasu.edu 

toll free 

800-538-9784 

ext. 1114 

direct line 

229-227-6925 

AUBURN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NURSING 

Clinical and Tenure Track Faculty 

The School of Nursing at Auburn University, located in Auburn, Alabama, invites 

applications for two full-time 12-month, faculty positions to begin August 16, 2013. 

Depending upon experience, qualifications and interest, successful candidates may be 

appointed to either tenure-track (Assistant/Associate Professor) or non-tenure track 

(Assistant/Associate Clinical Professor) positions. Job responsibilities will differ based 

on whether the appointment is tenure or non-tenure track. 

Minimum Qualifications for Clinical Track; Masters degree in Nursing. Must have 

current clinical skills and teaching experience. Desired Qualifications: Doctorate in 

Nursing or related field. Teaching experience in a baccalaureate program. 

Minimum Qualifications for Tenure-Track; Masters degree in Nursing, Doctorate 

in Nursing or related field is required for tenure .Must have current clinical and 

teaching experience. Evidence of scholarly productivity and record of funded research. 

Desired Qualifications: Doctorate in Nursing or related field, baccalaureate teaching 

experience. 

For a complete job description and application information, 

please visit our website: 

www.nursing.auburn.edu 

All applicants must be eligible for an Alabama RN license, meet eligibility requirements to work in the U.S. 

at the time the appointment is scheduled to begin and continue working legally for the proposed term of 

employment; excellent communication skills are required. 

Review of applications will begin April 30, 2013, and continue until a qualified candidate is selected and 

recommended for appointment. 

Auburn University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. 

Minorities and women are encouraged to apply. 

Phoebe Putney Health System 

celebrates National Nurses Week 

honoring all nurses. 

Thank You! 

Become a Phoebe nurse. 

Explore our careers page and 

apply online at 

www.phoebeputney.com 

or contact our 

Recruitment team at 

Recruitment@ppmh.org 

or 

1-877-376-4396 

Visit us in Boston at NTI 2013—AACN’s National 

Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition 

Volunteer to Assist with 

Georgia’s Disaster Recovery 

SERVGA is a statewide 

secure database of precredentialed 

healthcare 

professionals and other 

volunteers who want to 

help in case of a public 

health emergency. 

Registering at 

www.servga.gov is 

quick and easy and can 

be done within minutes. 

To register online for SERVGA, go to: 

www.servga.gov. 

REGISTER TODAY . . . 

READY FOR TOMORROW 

For additional information e-mail 

the SERVGA system coordinator at 

servga@dhr.state.ga.us 

EXCELLENCE AT THE 

RIGHT PRICE 

RN TO BSN 

MASTERS OF SCIENCE 

• Nursing Education 

• Nursing Leadership 

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www.gsw.edu 

Americus, GA 31709 

229-931-2275


Membership 

Georgia Nurses Association Regions and Chapters 

Central Region Gwendolyn Johnson, Regional Coordinator gfjohns57@yahoo.com 

Columbus Chapter of GNA VACANT VACANT 

Old Capital Chapter of GNA Patrice Pierce, Chair balkcom@centralgatech.edu 

East Central Region Melanie Cassity, Regional Coordinator mcassity@armc.org 

Athens Area Chapter VACANT VACANT 

Central Savannah River Area Chapter Sandy Turner, Chair sturner@georgiahealth.edu 

North Region Cindy Balkstra, Regional Coordinator ngakats09@gmail.com 

Consauga Chapter Cindy Gilbert, Chair ctgilber1957@yahoo.com 

North Georgia Virtual Chapter of GNA VACANT VACANT 

Northwest GNA RNs Vera Brock, Chair vbrock@highlands.edu 

North Central Region Debbie Davis, Regional Coordinator davis107@charter.net 

Atlanta VA Nurses Chapter of GNA Sandra Dukes, Chair sandra.dukes@va.gov 

Metro Atlanta Chapter of GNA Karen Rawls, Chair itsmekr@yahoo.com 

Northwest Metro Chapter Catherine Futch, Chair cfutch8360@aol.com 

Southern Crescent Chapter of GNA Betty Lane, Chair bettylane@clayton.edu 

West Georgia Chapter of GNA Debbie Davis, Chair davis107@charter.net 

Southeast Region Kathleen Koon, Regional Coordinator kjkoon@nctv.com 

First City Chapter Cherie McCann, Chair mccanncl@plu.edu 

Professional Nurses’ Network Chapter Kathleen Koon, Chair kjkoon@nctv.com 

Southeastern TLC’ers VACANT VACANT 

Southern Coast Chapter Deborah Wright, Chair dowright@comcast.net 

Southwest Region Kimberly Gordon, Regional Coordinator kimberly.gordon@sgmc.org 

Nursing Collaborative of South Georgia Robert Keen, Chair robert.keen@sgmc.org 

Southwest Georgia Chapter of GNA Pamela Amos, Chair mike.pam.amos@gmail.com 

Shared Interest Chapters 

GNA Informatics Chapter Roy Simpson, Chair rsimpson@cerner.com 

GNA Informatics Chapter Kaye Dawson, Co-chair kdawson@armc.org 

Nursing’s Future Leaders Chapter Saunique Bucknor, Co-chair saunique.bucknor@va.gov 

Nursing’s Future Leaders Chapter Akosua Sedenu, Co-chair akosua.sedenu@va.gov 

Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Chapter Monica Tennant, Chair man0032@yahoo.com 

Join GNA Today! 

Application on page 22 

or join online at 

www.georgianurses.org 

Happy 

Nurses’ Week 

In recognition of the heartfelt passion you display this 

week and all year long, Select Specialty Hospitals and 

Regency Hospitals wish you a Happy Nurses’ Week. 

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Ask about possible sign on bonus! 

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The University of Memphis Loewenberg 

School of Nursing offers an online Bachelor 

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while working closely with faculty, nurses 

and patients — at times and locations 

that are most convenient for you. 

All students are eligible for in-state tuition. 

To apply and learn more about one of the 

nation’s top nursing programs, log on to 

memphis.edu/rntobsn. 

Contact Mary Sutliff, Regional Recruiter 

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Across the United States, Select Medical’s knowledge 

network includes 110 long-term acute care hospitals. 

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Preparing leaders. Promoting health.


I Want to Get Involved: 

Creating a Chapter 

Are you interested in nursing informatics? 

Palliative Care? Pediatric oncology? 

Whatever your nursing passion may be, Georgia 

Nurses Association (GNA) can help you connect 

with your peers locally and across the state. 

Becoming involved in your professional association 

is the first step towards creating your personal career 

satisfaction and connecting with your peers. Now, 

GNA has made it easy for you to become involved 

according to your own preferences. 

Through GNA’s new member-driven chapter 

structure, you can create your own chapter based on 

shared interests where you can reap the benefits of 

energizing experiences, empowering insight 

and essential resources. 

The steps you should follow to create a NEW GNA 

chapter are below. If you have any questions, contact 

the membership development committee or GNA 

headquarters; specific contact information and more 

details may be found at www.georgianurses.org. 

1. Obtain a copy of GNA bylaws, policies and 

procedures from www.georgianurses.org. 

2. Gather together a minimum of 10 GNA 

members who share similar interests. 

3. Select a chapter chair. 

4. Chapter chair forms a roster to verify roster 

as current GNA members. This is done by 

contacting headquarters at (404) 325-5536. 

5. Identify and agree upon chapter purpose. 

6. Decide on chapter name. 

7. Submit information for application to become a 

chapter to GNA Headquarters. Information to 

be submitted includes the following: 

• Chapter chair name and chapter contact 

information including an email, 

• Chapter name, 

• Chapter purpose, and 

• Chapter roster. 

8. The application will then go to the Membership 

Development Committee who will forward it to 

the Board of Directors. The Board will approve 

or decline the application and notify the 

applicant of its decision. 

Membership 

Department of Nursing 

MGSC invites applications for tenure track faculty positions 

in the baccalaureate and associate degree nursing programs. 

The consolidation of Middle Georgia College and Macon 

State College has resulted in significant growth in the nursing 

programs. Applicants for the BSN program must have an 

earned doctorate in nursing, education or related field and a 

master’s degree in nursing. Applicants for the ASN program 

must have a master’s degree in nursing. All candidates 

must hold a current unencumbered Georgia Registered 

Nurse license or meet eligibility requirements for licensure 

in the state of Georgia. For specific job information contact 

Dr. Darrell Thompson, Department of Nursing at darrell. 

thompson@maconstate.edu. To apply, visit 

http://www.mga.edu/human-resources/jobs/faculty.aspx 

EEO/AA/M/F/V/D


Follow the 

Georgia Nurses 

Association 

on Facebook today! 

Just go to 

www.facebook.com/ganurses 

and “LIKE” our page. 

Membership 

GN-PAC DONATION FORM 

The Georgia Nurses Association Political Action Committee (GN- 

PAC) actively and carefully reviews candidates for local, state and 

federal office. This includes their record on nursing issues and value 

as an advocate for nursing. GN-PAC promotes the improvement 

of the health care of the citizens of Georgia by raising funds 

from within the nursing community and friends of nursing and 

contributing to the support of worthy candidates for State office 

who believe, and have demonstrated their belief, in the legislative 

objectives of the Georgia Nurses Association. 

Your contribution to GN-PAC today will help GNA continue to protect 

your ability to practice and earn a living in Georgia. Your contribution will also support candidates for 

office who are strong advocates on behalf of nursing. By contributing $50 or more, you’ll also becoe an 

official member of GN-PAC. To contribute, complete the form below and return it to: 

GN-PAC 

3032 Briarcliff Road, NE 

Atlanta, Georgia 30329 

PH: (404) 245-9475 

FAX: (404) 325-0407 

george.sneed7@gmail.com 

Please make all checks payable to GN-PAC 

From: 

Name: _____________________________________________________________ 

Address: ____________________________________________________________ 

City/State: __________________________________________________________ 

Zip Code:_________________ Email: ___________________________________ 

Online DNP PROGRAM 

Georgia Southern’s totally on-line Post-MSN 

APRN DNP Program prepares you for leadership, 

scholarship, and health policy development. 

Fall 2013 DNP application deadline: March 1, 2013 

Phone: _____________________________________________________________ 

Employer:___________________________________________________________ 

Amount contributed: _____________________ 

MasterCard/Visa #:_______________________________ Exp. Date: __________________ 

912-478-0017 • GeorgiaSouthern.edu/nursing 

Name as it appears on Credit Card: _______________________________________________ 

Nurses... 

looking for 

a bright future, 

with brighter prospects 

for scheduling, and 

the brightest 

nursing team 

in the region? 

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Activ. Fee: $36/line. Credit approval req. Early Termination Fee (sprint.com/etf): After 14 days, up to $350/line. Port-in Instant Credit: Offer ends: 7/11/13. $100 instant credit applied towards purchase of qualifying 

Samsung Galaxy S II or Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone. May require port-in from an active number (wireless or landline) and activation at time of purchase. Excludes Nextel Direct Connect devices, tablets, upgrades, 

replacements, and ports made between Sprint entities or providers associated with Sprint (i.e., Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance), all CL and plans $10 or less. Phone Offer: Offer ends 7/11/13. 

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N135303 

MV1234567


Membership 

Welcoming New & Returning GNA Members 

December 2012 

Allison Lloyd, Grovetown, GA 

Amanda Cooper, Americus, GA 

Audrey Dickson, Atlanta, GA 

Barbara Carty, New York, NY 

Carmen Booth, Hahira, GA 

Cassandra Whitehead, McDonough, GA 

Catherine Yates, Macon, GA 

Charlotte Hand, Saint Simons Island, GA 

David Grinstead, Macon, GA 

Debra Glasheen, Lilburn, GA 

Denise Britt, Alpharetta, GA 

Diana Dalrymple, Carnesville, GA 

Elena Morales, Columbus, GA 

Erica Eyer, Valdosta, GA 

Heather Giles, Evans, GA 

Helen Baker, Portland, OR 

Lakesha Scotton, Fairburn, GA 

Misty Burkhalter, Rome, GA 

Nancy Elder, Hampton, GA 

Orlin Marquez, Buford, GA 

Patricia Kraft, Brunswick, GA 

Rebecca Poole, Colbert, GA 

Renelle Minifield, Atlanta, GA 

Robin Goodwin, Atlanta, GA 

Robin Newberg, Atlanta, GA 

Ruth Francis, Johns Creek, GA 

Sabrina Lee, Stockbridge, GA 

Stephanie Dixon, Jonesboro, GA 

Tammy Barbe, Chamblee, GA 

Teresa Mayo, Lithonia, GA 

Tyler Blomquist, Atlanta, GA 

Uloaku Azubuike, Jonesboro, GA 

January 2013 

Abigail Gerding, Atlanta, GA 

Alaseye Kaede-Ann Yero, Lithonia, GA 

Amber McMahan, Rocky Face, GA 

Andrea Townsend, Hephzibah, GA 

Angela Lintz, Macon, GA 

Arica Carter, Newnan, GA 

Brenda Reynolds, Pearson, GA 

Brenda Strane, Newnan, GA 

Caroline Caudle, Canton, GA 

Catherine Blow, McDonough, GA 

Christina Gary, Grovetown, GA 

Christy Primo, Lula, GA 

Debra Glenn, Lilburn, GA 

Diana Grant-Rawls, Stockbridge, GA 

Edward Adams, Fort White, FL 

Felicia Trawick, Milledgeville, GA 

Flor Sauceda, Bishop, GA 

Geraldine Crawford, Hampton, GA 

Heather Davis, Peachtree City, GA 

Jacqueline Blue, Columbus, GA 

Jaimi Allers, Roswell, GA 

Janet Williams, Grayson, GA 

Jennifer Jones, Kennesaw, GA 

Jessica Miller, Milton, GA 

Jummy Abdul, Jonesboro, GA 

Justin Heusser, Bogart, GA 

Karen Schmalenberger, APO, AE 

Karlene Wright, Midland, GA 

Kathryn Singletary, Boston, GA 

Kimberly Young, Decatur, GA 

Laura Green, Ringgold, GA 

Laurie Parkman, Milledgeville, GA 

Louisa Kalinke, Peachtree City, GA 

Maloma Greene, Ellenwood, GA 

Marcella White, Kennesaw, GA 

Marguerite Bobon, Suwanee, GA 

Mathew O’Dell, Valdosta, GA 

Maureen Howard, Cairo, GA 

Miriam Edouard, Fort Belvoir, VA 

Mona Fontaine, Buford, GA 

Monica Williams, Stockbridge, GA 

Myra Duhon, Carlton, GA 

Patrice Little, Duluth, GA 

Renee Turner, Baxley, GA 

Roberta Axson, Stockbridge, GA 

Rosemary Lane, Dacula, GA 

Sandra Petzelt, Grayson, GA 

Sawanarry Forrest, Lithonia, GA 

Selena Howard, Atlanta, GA 

Sharika Seabrooks, College Park, GA 

Sharon Hogue, Cedartown, GA 

Sheara Tillman, Oconee, GA 

Sheri Carey, Savannah, GA 

Stephanie Cook, Pembroke, GA 

Traci Kelley, Chickamauga, GA 

February 2013 

Alison Gilmore, Locust Grove, GA 

Amanda Ekanem, Covington, GA 

Angela Connell, Omega, GA 

Anne Fortenberry, Cleveland, GA 

Ashley Amon, Tifton, GA 

Betsy King, Roswell, GA 

Brandy Brown, Snellville, GA 

Carol Elliot, Portsmouth, NH 

Carol Maiyer, Ellijay, GA 

Cheryl Laughlin, Peachtree City, GA 

Cheryl Moore, Newnan, GA 

Chioma Okereke, Acworth, GA 

Christopher Perry, Athens, GA 

Christy Gazdziak, Johns Creek, GA 

Conny Jackson, Columbus, GA 

Corrine Abraham, Marietta, GA 

Dale Bowers, Newnan, GA 

David Wiley, Canton, GA 

Deborah Walton, Powder Springs, GA 

Donna Everett, Snellville, GA 

Donna McCloud-Forbes, Conyers, GA 

Ethel Santiago, Snellville, GA 

Gwendolyn Curtiss, Lithonia, GA 

Gwendolyn Fryer, Evans, GA 

Helen Ette, Jonesboro, GA 

June Sangala, Decatur, GA 

Karen Jackson McClary, Kathleen, GA 

Karen Minyard, Atlanta, GA 

Karen Rawls, Lawrenceville, GA 

Karen Steely, Calhoun, GA 

Kathy Wilcox, Macon, GA 

The relationship between the 

clinician and the patient is at the 

heart of everything we do. So you 

are not part of a system. You’re 

part of a family. 

Registered Nurses 

• One-on-one patient care 

• Specialized training 

• Competitive benefits package 

1.866.GENTIVA 

shea.parker@gentiva.com 

Kimberly Bennett, Pooler, GA 

Kristen Watson-Globerman, Moultrie, GA 

Lekeya Foston, Macon, GA 

Lillian Pryor, Lawrenceville, GA 

Linda O’Sullivan, Lithonia, GA 

Lucy Parlor, Atlanta, GA 

Marie Gay, Newnan, GA 

Marsha Ward Roberts, Lizella, GA 

Megan Austin, Acworth, GA 

Monica Hendrickson, Conyers, GA 

Nancy Curdy, Snellville, GA 

Nia Simmons-Roland, Atlanta, GA 

Onyebuchi Nwaokolo, Hampton, GA 

Pamela Gordon, Suwanee, GA 

Patricia Waggener, Snellville, GA 

Paula Tillman, Richmond Hill, GA 

Priscilla Johnson, Hephizibah, GA 

Rachel Andrews, Warner Robins, GA 

Rebecca Pinney, Brentwood, TN 

Rebecca Scruggs, Ringgold, GA 

Richard Boggan, Martinez, GA 

Robyn Hicks, Locust Grove, GA 

Rosemary Morris-Heckstall, Fairburn, GA 

Sally Lee, Rocky Face, GA 

Sandra Yam, Atlanta, GA 

Shandra Slaughter, Columbus, GA 

Sharnee Straub, Woodstock, GA 

Sonia Hoffman, Rocky Face, GA 

Sonya Dutton, McDonough, GA 

Sonya Ramsue, Atlanta, GA 

Susan Longley, Dalton, GA 

Tonya Adbul-Shaheed, McDonough, GA 

Torri Wiggins, Cuthbert, GA 

Tracy English, McDonough, GA 

Tunisia Love, Warner Robins, GA 

Valerie Johnson, Atlanta, GA 

Veronica Sewell, Gray, GA 

I believe in 

working for 

a company 

that’s built 

around its 

clinicians. 

Now Recruiting 

Nurse Practitioners 

Turning Point Care Center, a 200+ bed facility, is a leading 

provider of behavioral health care in Moultrie, GA. We 

provide both inpatient and outpatient care. For the 

past 27 years the facility has provided 24-hour care for 

individuals in need. We are currently recruiting for two 

full-time, licensed Nurse Practitioners. Candidates must be 

graduates of accredited nursing schools and possess valid 

GA licensure. 

To learn more about this opportunity or to apply, 

please visit our website at 

http://turningpointcare.com/about-us/careers/.


Some of the many great services, 

discounts and opportunities you’ll access as 

a member of GNA/ANA: 

The LARGEST Discount on initial ANCC 

Certification – GNA/ANA members save $120 on 

initial certification. 

The LARGEST available discount on ANCC 

re-certification – $150 for GNA/ANA members. 

The ONLY discount on ANCC Review/ 

Resource Manuals – GNA/ANA members only. 

GNA Members-Only E-News and 

Legislative Updates – Members gain access 

to informative GNA and ANA E-news messages, 

including timely updates during the legislative 

session, national news & policy updates and vital 

information for all nurses. 

Member Discounts on GNA Conference 

Registration – GNA members receive special 

discounts on all GNA events, including the 2013 GNA 

Professional Development Conference & Membership 

Assembly! 

Journals & publications – Free subscription 

to The American Nurse – a $20 value – and free 

subscription to The American Nurse Today, an 

$18.95 value. Free online access to OJIN: The 

Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. Members also 

have the first opportunity to access OJIN & TAN 

content online! Free quarterly GNA newsletter – 

Georgia Nursing. 

Access to ANA’s www.nursingworld.org 

– Become a member, you’ll gain immediate access 

to the members-only areas of ANA’s web site www. 

nursingworld.org! NursingWorld features a 

plethora of resources for nurses, including position 

statements, press releases, white papers and more. 

This includes ANA NurseSpace, the online 

networking site for nursing professionals. 

GNA Career Center – Find a new 

opportunity on GNA’s online career center, www. 

georgianurses.org. 

Free Webinars & CE opportunities – GNA/ 

ANA members can now access several educational 

webinar offerings from ANA at no cost to the 

member. This includes ANA Webinars and GNA’s 

Power Webinar Series. Members will also be the first 

to hear about free and low-cost CE opportunities 

being offered both virtually and face-to-face. 

New leadership opportunities – Get involved 

with GNA! Statewide recognition and professional 

development. Become a chapter chair, participate in a 

task force or committee or run for elected office. 

Mosby’s Nursing Consult, ANA Edition 

– GNA/ANA members now have access to this 

customized, evidence-based resource tool for clinical 

decision making, education, training and staff 

development. 

GNA web site – 24/7 access to information on 

our web site, www.georgianurses.org. 

ANA SmartBrief – GNA/ANA members receive 

ANA’s SmartBrief electronic newsletter via email 

on a weekly basis. SmartBrief provides members 

with up-to-date nursing news and information in a 

convenient format. 

Connect with Leaders in the nursing 

profession – GNA/ANA members will find 

numerous opportunities to connect with peers 

through special events, chapter involvement, the 

GNA web site and other services. 

Membership 

GNA/ANA Benefit Brief 

Annual Legislative Day event at the State 

Capitol – Our successful annual event with 

legislators at the State Capitol is FREE for members 

and students. 

Shared-interest and local chapters – Get 

involved with GNA at the chapter level and you’ll 

have the opportunity to connect with nursing 

professionals who have the same interests/specialty 

as you! 

Dedicated professional staff & lobbyists 

– By joining GNA, you’ll gain access to a staff of 

dedicated professionals and skilled lobbyists, who 

advocate for you at the state and federal level. 

Other Great Member Discounts 

on Products/Services: 

ANA Group Dental Insurance – New ANA 

dental benefit will pay all costs of more than 155 

dental care services, after reaching the deductible 

and much more. 

ANA Wireless Center – Many FREE phones 

and savings up to $100 on selected wireless phones. 

Auto Rental and Travel Discounts – 

Discounts on auto rental through Avis and Budget, 

savings on hotel stays and more. 

Bank of America products – Enjoy all of the 

benefits of banking with Bank of America through 

the GNA-branded checking accounts and GNA credit 

card programs. 

Crocs shoes – ANA members please enjoy 25% 

off of your purchase of select models of Crocs. 

Dell Computers – Receive discounts on the 

purchase of Dell Computers. 

Tafford Uniforms and Scrubs – ANA 

members receive 10% off of Tafford scrubs, uniforms 

and lab coats. 

Whirlpool Discount Program – Get discounts 

on Whirlpool products through this recently added 

GNA/ANA benefit.


DNS 

Preparing nurse educators and scholars for 

leadership roles in nursing education, health policy 

related to vulnerable populations, and research. 

For more information about the 

DNS program, please contact 

Jerryl Morris 678-797-2030 or 

jmorr132@kennesaw.edu 

WellStar College of Health and Human Services 

WellStar School of Nursing 

Faculty Opportunities 

Troy University School of Nursing 

Tenure Track Assistant/Associate/Full Professor of Nursing 

Troy University School of Nursing, Phenix City campus invites applications for a tenure 

track position with primary responsibilities in the Graduate Nursing/Doctor of Nursing 

Practice Programs. The position is primarily responsible for teaching graduate online 

nursing courses. Minimum Qualifications: Doctoral preparation in nursing or a related 

field or a masters degree in nursing and enrolled in a doctoral program, eligibility for RN 

licensure in Alabama. 

Tenure or Non-Tenure Track Assistant/Associate Professor of Nursing 

Troy University School of Nursing invites applications for full-time tenure or non-tenure 

track positions with primary responsibilities in the Undergraduate BSN (Troy) and RN-BSN 

(Montgomery) Nursing Program. Minimum Qualifications: MSN degree, RN license in the 

state of Alabama, Minimum of five years of nursing experience. 

To apply, submit application via the Troy Employment System at 

http://www.troyuniversityjobs. Applications will require: Resume/CV, 

Cover Letter, Unofficial Transcripts and a List of References. Rank 

and salary are commensurate with qualifications. Contact 

Dr. L. Diane Weed at 334-670-3745 or email lweed@troy.edu. 

http://trojan.troy.edu/ 

healthandhumanservices/nursing/index.html 

Troy University is an EO/AA employer. 

The BesT and 

BrighTesT go wesT. 

Accepting applications for Fall 2013 

100% online Master of Science in Nursing Program 

New curriculum coming in Fall 2013 

• Health Systems Leadership, Clinical Nurse Leader 

• Health Systems Leadership, Leader/Manager 

• Nursing Education 

Choose Health Systems Leadership to oversee 

patient groups as a clinical nurse leader or prepare for 

a variety of nursing management/leadership positions 

within the ever-revolving healthcare arena. 

Select Nursing Education at the MSN or Doctoral 

level to develop expertise in health education, 

patient education, higher education, or professional 

development. 

Post-masters certificates available. 

For more information, contact Embry Ice at 

eice@westga.edu or 678-839-5115. 


ranked 34th in the nation for “Best Online Graduate 

Nursing Programs” (U.S. News & World Report, 2013). 

www.westga.edu/msn 

Go West 

Georgia Baptist College of Nursing 

of Mercer University, the oldest accredited 

nursing program in the state, now offers the 

Doctor of Nursing Practice. 

Mercer’s DNP program prepares nurses with advanced nursing skills for leadership roles in health care 

delivery and proposes solutions for improvement in health care outcomes for individuals and society. 

Five great reasons to choose the Mercer DNP 

• Engaged and encouraging faculty 

• Interactive online classes 

• 3-5 visits to campus per year 

• Part-time and full-time options 

• Inter-professional collaboration 

APPlICAtIoNs Now BEING ACCEPtED. 

thE CollEGE oF NUrsING Also oFFErs: 

• BsN Pre-licensure track • rN-BsN Completion 

track (for licensed nurses) • MsN program with Nursing 

Education, Clinical Nurse specialist or The Family Nurse 

Practitioner Focus • PhD in Nursing 

(678) 547-6700 • nursing.mercer.edu 

3001 Mercer University Dr., Atlanta, GA 30341


Help Aging Georgians and Their Caregivers Thrive through 

Self-Management Programs 

Chronic disease takes an enormous toll on peoples’ lives. It causes pain, disability, decreased 

physical activity, and poor emotional health, which can seriously compromise the quality of daily life. 

Fortunately, there are community empowerment programs that can help people with chronic diseases 

and their caregivers learn how to manage symptoms and maintain active and fulfilling lives. You 

can help people in your community thrive by learning about and engaging in evidence-based, selfmanagement 

programs. 

The Chronic Disease Self-Management Program is proven to enhance the physical and psychological 

well-being of persons with chronic conditions and their caregivers, through encouraging behavior 

change. In addition, this is a low-cost intervention that complements clinical treatment and extensive 

research shows it to make a difference in the lives of your patients! 

Living Well Workshops are for adults with any chronic condition or for caregivers of persons with 

chronic conditions to learn tools to combat the symptoms commonly experienced (such as pain, 

fatigue, depression, stress/anxiety, tense muscles, difficult emotions, and trouble sleeping) and to 

better manage life in general. 

Workshops of only 10-16 participants meet 2 ½ hours, once a week, for 6 weeks. These workshops 

are facilitated by 2-3 trained Leaders. 

Stanford University designed and tested this Evidence-Based program to empower persons and 

caregivers of persons with any type of chronic condition to be managers of their overall health and to 

become expert managers of their lives. 

How to Get Involved 

Stanford University’s Chronic Disease Self Management Program 

(CDSMP) is called the Living Well Program in Georgia 

• Become trained as a Lay Leader 

• Refer participants to the 6-week workshop 

• Recommend possible locations to host 6-week workshops 

For additional information contact Megan Moulding memoulding@dhr.state.ga.us 

Visit www.livewellagewell.info or call 1-866-55-AGING to register 

Funding provided by the U.S. Administration on Community Living (formerly Administration on Aging) and managed by the 

Georgia Department of Human Services Division of Aging Services. 

Be part of a great healthcare employer, dedicated to pushing beyond ordinary jobs...to extraordinary careers. DeKalb Medical 

is proud to be an environment teeming with opportunities for you to learn, grow and advance in your field. 

DeKalb Medical (with 3 campus locations) 

is seeking Experienced Registered Nurses to join our team! 

• ER/CDU • Long Term Acute Care • ICU • OR • Heart and Vascular • Nephrology • Labor and Delivery 

Educator Positions 

• CNS, NICU • Clinical Educator Telemetry 

At DeKalb Medical, we push beyond ordinary healthcare, into the realm of the extraordinary. To see a complete 

listing of our openings and to apply, visit us online at: www.dekalbmedical.org/careers. EOE 

Check out DeKalb Medical 

on Facebook and Twitter.

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