BOARD OF DIRECTORS – 2007
Executive Committee:
President Marge Patzer
President Elect Ruth Swiggum
Past President Kim Digardi
Secretary Lynn Hemrick
Treasurer Muffy Ratto
Directors at Large Ronni Cline
Mariann Cosby
Melony Carlton
Karen Juncker
Tracy Albee
Marilyn McDonald
Newsletter Editor: Ruth Swiggum
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Can you believe that the first quarter of the year is already completed and Spring is finally here!
We have had a very successful beginning to this year with MaryLou Hazelwood presenting an interesting program in March. The class reviews were great. One of the gems I heard from MaryLou was to…. “never say no to a case”. If you can’t take the case yourself, always be prepared to refer the case to a colleague who specializes in that area of practice. Thank you Marilyn for coordinating the class.
We are very fortunate in having Tracy Albee as a Director at Large (DAL) for AALNC. Tracy will serve the California chapters; while MaryLou Hazelwood will continue as our DAL. Congratulations Tracy! We are proud to have a GSAC member at the national level.
As a reminder, we have an exciting program on elder abuse law planned for May 19 at 12:00 noon with the dynamic team of Susan Acquisto RN, MS and Michael LaVange, Attorney at Law. Please invite your colleagues and attorney friends to attend this special event. See your flyer for more details. All members are invited to stay after the educational to participate in the Board meeting to be held immediately after the educational program in the same location.
Our next Board Meeting will be on June 27 at 6:30 PM at the home of Muffy Ratto in Stockton. Dinner will be provided while we complete our work relaxing by the lake. All members are invited so be sure to let Muffy know if you will be able to attend the meeting at 209-955-897 or muffy_ratto@msn.net. Please bring ideas for future GSAC projects, educationals, etc to this meeting so we can get a jump-start on planning for 2008.
Stay tuned for more great programs planned this year. We will keep you informed regarding the location of each program when confirmed. Your help and participation in programs and projects helps make the chapter successful. Thanks to all of you!
Marge Patzer
President, GSAC – AALNC
GSAC-AALNC COMMITTEES
Bylaws:
Chairperson: Kim Digardi
Finance:
Chairperson Muffy Ratto
Holiday Party:
Chairperson: Karen Junker
Membership:
Chairperson: Tracy Albee
Nominations:
Chairperson: Kim Digardi
Policy and Procedure:
Chairperson: Ruth Swiggum
Public Relations:
Chairperson: Ronni Cline
Publications:
Newsletter Editor: Ruth Swiggum
Web Spinner: Tracy Albee
Education:
Chairperson Marilyn McDonald
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
Leslie Mueggenburg
Phone: (916) 944-2678
Email: lesliebsrn@comcast.net
Miscellaneous
GSAC’s BRN number is available for $25.00 per class session for those who are in need of offering contact hours for their instructional event.
JCAHCO had been renamed as of January 2007 according to their web site: http://www.jointcommission.org/AboutUs/brand.htm
The Joint Commission launches new branding initiative.
In January, The Joint Commission unveiled its new branding initiative with an abbreviated name and a newly redesigned logo. The logo graphic contains four colored triangles representing the four elements of the cycle for performance
improvement (plan, do, study, act). The four triangles form an arrow pointing upward to reflect The Joint Commission's commitment to continuous improvement. Other changes include:
* The name has been shortened from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations to The Joint Commission.
* New logos for The Joint Commission, Joint Commission Resources, Joint Commission International, and the International Center for Patient Safety. New Gold Seal of Approval(tm)
http://www.jointcommission.org/AccreditationPrograms/PublicityKit/gold_seal
Submitted by: Mariann Cosby
PAST EVENTS:
GSAC Luncheon Meeting on March 3, 2007
Mary Lou Hazelwood AALNC DOL presented:
“AALNC Appreciations of the Past, Challenges in the Present and Commitments to the Future”’
Ms. Hazelwood provided us with valuable information for improving business practices and for advancing our practice of Legal Nurse Consulting. We are pleased that Ms. Hazelwood will continue to be our national DAL for the upcoming year.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
GSAC Luncheon Educational
May 19, 2007 12 Noon @
Scott’s Seafood 545 Monroe Street Sacramento
Defending Elder Abuse presented by:
Michael J. LeVangie, Attorney at Law
and
Susan Acquisto, MS, RN
GSAC Board and General Meeting
June 27, 2007 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Location to be announced.
Members to share ideas for finding the surprise in the case….i.e. what the attorneys (defense and plaintiff did not expect)
MEMBERSHIP ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
Congratulations and Thank You to Tracy Albee for running for DAL at the national level and ‘winning’. Tracy is the first GSAC member to be elected to the National Board. We are extremely proud of her and look forward to her contributions to the profession of Legal Nurse Consulting at the national level.
Mariann Cosby MPA, MSN, RN, PHN is one of the authors of School Nursing: A Comprehensive Text that recently won three national awards from the American Journal of Nursing (AJN); 2006 book of the year award in the categories of Advanced Practice Nursing, Maternal-Child Nursing and Childbirth, and Nursing Education and Continuing Education. The AJN book of the year program is a prestigious competition that garners the attention of 342,000 readers, as well as librarians and faculty who are not subscribers. Receiving this award in three categories is a unique and special achievement. It is the first edition of the only text of its kind developed and endorsed by the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) with recognized authority on school-age children and school health issues. Living up to its name, School Nursing highlights the role of the school nurse in coordinating comprehensive school health program. It addresses the best practices to care for children while in school and how the school nurse can be a vital link in the clinical management of child healthcare. Drawing upon her expertise in emergency nursing, school nursing, and legal nurse consulting, Mariann co-authored the chapter regarding episodic illness entitled Acute Measures for Emergent Problems.
2007 AALNC National Educational Conference in Austin, TX. Attendees from GSAC were Mariann Cosby, Melony Carlton, Anne Noder, Ruth Swiggum and Tracy Albee.
The conference this year was superb and the attendees will be sharing information at upcoming GSAC meetings about the valuable lessons we learned related to Legal Nurse Consulting and leadership ideas!