What an absolutely delightful 32nd NBNA Annual Institute and Conference, August 4 - 8, 2004 in San Francisco, California. Over 1100 NBNA members, guests, exhibitors and speakers attended the four day conference around the theme of “Research Based Evidence for Successful Aging.” We truly appreciate the commitment and tireless eff orts of the Bay Area Black Nurses Association for their support of the NBNA Conference. We are most grateful to Chapter President Rita Times, and Grace Idowu, Local Conference Chairperson for their astute leadership in making this conference a success. NBNA extends a heartfelt debt of gratitude to the NBNA Members of the Bay Area Black Nurses, South Bay Area of San Jose BNA, San Diego BNA and the Council of Black Nurses, Los Angeles, for their outstanding hospitality and voluntary service during the NBNA Conference. Many thanks goes to Ophelia Long, NBNA Past President who served as a liaison to the Chapter. We appreciate the service of NBNA Immediate Past President and Conference Chair Dr. Hilda Richards; Conference Program Chair Dr. Daisy Alford Smith; NBNA President Dr. Bettye Davis-Lewis; Conference Services Manager Dianne Mance and Exhibitor Services Coordinator Dianne Mance; and the national and local conference committees for running a very successful and smooth educational and networking conference. Thank you to Patricia Gray, Membership Services Coordinator and Board Members
Lt. Col. Beulah Nash-Teachey, Eric Williams, Dr. Rosie Calvin and Joan Bundley for a very smooth credentialing process.

OPENING CEREMONY
NBNA President Dr. Bettye Davis-Lewis made her Presidential Address highlighting her first year’s accomplishments as keynote speaker at several chapters’ scholarship events and galas. She stressed the need to close the health care disparities gap that too often plagues the African American community, especially the most vulnerable, the elderly and the children. Solutions that can be replicated in other communities are most needed. She talked about the nursing shortage and the need for more students in the pipeline, more faculty members to teach and more researchers that can help translate the science into practice. Dr. Lewis highlighted her public policy activities including a men’s roundtable meeting with U.S. Health Secretary Tommy Thompson; attending the Sullivan Commission’s meeting in Houston; and speaking at the 2003 Congressional Black Caucus Legislative Weekend. The evening Opening Ceremony was highlighted by the Opening Keynote speaker Dr. Freda Lewis-Hall, Senior Vice President, U.S. Pharmaceuticals, Medical Affairs, Bristol Myers Squibb. Dr. Lewis-Hall spoke from the theme of “DO IT With Attitude” Building New Relationships in the Healthcare System”. She remarked that nurses may have to have an “attitude” in order to get the appropriate care for their patients. Since the nurses are providing the day to day care, more often they will need to question the orders. And, they may need to light a fi re under the patient to get them to do the right thing for their own health. NBNA was pleased to have greetings presented by the Honorable Gavin Newsome, Mayor of San Francisco. Mayor Newsome presented NBNA with a Proclamation that August 5-6, 2004 as “Heart Truth Days in San Francisco”. The other presenters included The; Dr. Karen Stanley, President, Oncology Nursing Society; Marie Smith, President, AARP; and Dr. Ching-eng Wang, Treasurer, Asian American Pacific Islander Nurses Association.

History was made at the NBNA convention as the Asian American Pacific Islander Nurses Association held its first annual conference in conjunction with the NBNA conference!!! The theme of the conference was “Developing and Networking with other Ethnic Minority Nurses”.

NEWLY CHARTERED CHAPTERS
NBNA would like to welcome members of the Southeast Texas Black Nurses Association, Minnesota Black Nurses Association, and the Northwest Indiana Black Nurses Association.

AETNA SCHOLARS AWARD
NBNA Past President Dr. Betty Smith Williams announced the Scholars Award by the National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurses Association and Aetna to Debbie Ann Jones, RN, MSN, a member of the Fort Bend County Black Nurses Association. She is a doctoral student at the University of Texas-Austin, School of Nursing. Jamise Herbert of the Cleveland Council of Black Nurses was given a continuing scholars award. Jamise is attending graduate school at the School of Nursing, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

CHAPTER AWARDS
Fort Bend County Black Nurses Association captured the award for the Chapter with the largest number of members. Chicago Chapter National Black Nurses Association received the award for the Chapter with the most growth. The Community Service Awards were given to the San Diego Black Nurses Association and Fort Bend County Black Nurses Association. The Rochelle Jeannette Poindexter Youth Service Award was presented to Greater Washington D.C. Area Black Nurses Association. The $500.00 award was made by the Family of Rochelle Jeannette Poindexter for the chapter’s student mentoring program. Black Nurses Association of Baltimore received the 2004 Chapter Membership Campaign Award.

MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN AWARDS
“A Passion, A Commitment, Join NBNA Today” By the time of the NBNA Conference, NBNA recruitment efforts yielded over 1000 new members. NBNA wants to thank all of our members who recruited nurses to join. The winners of the 2004 NBNA Membership Campaign for recruiting the most members are:

Ruthie Bernard, Northwest Indiana BNA
Denise Boutte, Southeastern Texas BNA
Novella Jackson - Greater Washington DC Area BNA
Tonjia M. Reed, Minneapolis BNA
Michelle Shack, Council of Black Nurses, Los Angeles
Dr. Debra Toney, Southern Nevada Black Nurses Association
Eric Williams, Council of Black Nurses, Los Angeles

NEW NBNA AWARD ON AGING
NBNA awarded to Renee Roosa, MSN, BC, FNP, CH, its Nurse Competence in Aging Award. The award was given to a nurse clinician practicing in geriatrics. A grant was provided by the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, New York University.

2004 LIFE TIME MEMBERS
NBNA honored all of its Life Time Members at the Closing Session of the Conference. The New Life Time Members:

CONTINUING EDUCATION:
Considered the most important person of the conference is Pamela Moore of Cedars Sinai Health System, in Los Angeles. Cedars provides the CEUs for the conference. Pamela, along with NBNA Conference Services Manager Dianne Mance and the volunteer monitors of the Bay Area BNA chapter and other California BNA chapters helped to ensure that the CEU process was a smooth one. Thanks a million for helping our members and other nurses maintain their nursing license. Your work was exemplary.

EXHIBITING:
117 exhibitors showcased their products, information and services in a wide range of industries including schools and colleges of nursing, health care systems, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, publishers, communications companies, medical equipment and clothing.

NBNA “HEART TRUTH” WALK
We were delighted to have Dr. Barbara Alving, Acting Director, National Heart, Lung and Blood, (NHLBI), NIH, lead over 100 NBNA members, guests and employees of the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero Hotel on an early morning 2 miles “Heart Health Walk” through the Embarcadero. NHLBI sponsored the Cardiovascular Institute. Dr. Alving was the lead speaker on the theme of “Cardiovascular Fitness in Early Adulthood.” On Friday, August 6, 2004 NBNA members dressed in red in recognition of the “Heart Truth” Campaign. The goal of the campaign is to educate women and men about heart disease. The target group is women ages 40 to 60 when a woman’s risk of heart disease starts to rise. NBNA was the first nursing association to become a national partner in the “Heart Truth Campaign”. For more information on the campaign go to the website at www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth. You will find activity ideas, on-line campaign materials and “Heart Truth” events. Keep NBNA posted on your chapter’s activities.

NBNA HEALTH FAIR
NBNA hosted its annual health fair at the Bayview Hunter’s Point Adult Day Care Center in San Francisco. The Bay Area Black Nurses Association along with other health and medical societies conducted health care screenings. A luncheon was provided for the senior citizens.

NBNA CAREER FAIR
NBNA hosted a career fair for Bay Area youth and persons interested in nursing as a second career. Eugene Allen, LPN and financial executive, Citibank Investment Services, Gene McGowen, RN, a flight nurse, Shriners Hospital for Children, and Carlos Kithumi, African American Scientific Institute talked about careers in nursing. The attendees visited the NBNA Exhibit Showcase.

NBNA FORUMS
Informal specialty forums gathered for NBNA members to share ideas and network. They included the Student Forum, Military, LPN, Genetics, Advanced Practice Nurses and Direct Members.

NBNA MEMBERS FEELING GOOD FROM THE INSIDE OUT
WALK IN THE NBNA FASHION
Thanks to Dianne Mance, Exhibitor Coordinator who collaborated with exhibitors and NBNA members and guests for an impromptu fashion show. Arabesque Man, Quinn Brodie, escorted the NBNA models down the runway.

NBNA TRAILBLAZER AWARDS
NBNA honored two of our Nation’s outstanding leaders at the President’s Gala with the NBNA Trailblazer Award. Edith Irby Jones, MD, FACP, Medical Director, Universal Healthplan of Texas, was the first women president of the National Medical Association; the only female founding member of the Association of Black Cardiologists; and the first black female chairperson of the Board of Trustees for Knoxville University, where she earned her bachelor of science degree. Dr. Jones resides in Houston, Texas. Ruth Ann Terry, RN, MPH is the Executive Officer of the Board of Registered Nursing for the State of California. Prior to assuming the executive officer position, she was the Board’s Supervising Nursing Education Consultant where she reconstructed the regulatory approach to nursing education.

NBNA LIFE TIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
NBNA presented the NBNA Life Time Achievement Award to Stella Pecot Robinson, PhD, RN, Retired. Among her many honors she was appointed by President John F. Kennedy to the EEOC Advisory Committee and named one of 15 persons who had made the most outstanding contributions to the University of Michigan School of Nursing in the last 100 years of its existence. She is a member of the Council of Black Nurses Los Angeles. Barbara Sabol, RN, MA, Program Director in Health, W.K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek, Michigan. She develops and reviews programming priorities and recommends proposals for funding. She assists the Vice President in implementing health goals and strategies. She served as commissioner for New York City’s Human Resources Administration serving more than one million New Yorkers, managing a budget of over $15 billion and over 15,000 employees. She was responsible for the programs and policies in welfare, Medicaid, child welfare and services for homeless adults and families. She is a member of the Kalamazoo-Muskegon Black Nurses Association.

NBNA CLOSING SESSION SPEAKER
Mary Holt Ashley, PhD, RN, CNAA, BC, Associate Administrator and Chief Nursing Officer, Harris County Hospital District, Ben Taub General Hospital, Houston, TX was the Closing Session Keynote Speaker. Her address was entitled “Capturing the Wisdom of Graying Nurse Leaders”. Dr. Ashley discussed the importance of creating a culture that values the contribution and potential roles of older nurse leaders. With the current nursing shortage, the potential of future chaos is greater without sufficient numbers of experienced leaders. Mentoring new leaders requires that the organization ensure that mature leaders are valued because they are needed to help shape the future.