National Black Nurses Association, Inc. 8630 Fenton Street, Suite 330, Silver Spring, MD 20910 · Phone: (301) 589-3200 · Fax: (301) 589-3223

National Black Nurses Association Hosts
15^th Annual NBNA Day on Capitol Hill

The National Black Nurses Association will host its 15th Annual National Black Nurses Day on Capitol Hill, Thursday, February 6, 2003, from 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 106. The theme of National Black Nurses Day is “Nursing Education, Practice and Research: Essential Elements for Positive Health Outcomes”. All nurses and student nurses are welcomed to attend the all day activities.

Chaka Burgess, Senior Associate, Federal Affairs, Government Relations, Eli Lilly and Company will be speaking on “Making Your Capitol Hill Visit a Success”.

Distinguished members of NBNA, Dr. Hilda Richards, NBNA President; Dr. Daisy Alford-Smith, NBNA First Vice President; Past NBNA Presidents Dr. C. Alicia Georges, Dr. Linda Burnes Bolton and Ophelia Long; and former board member Patricia Tompkins will address the issues around funding for the Nurse Reinvestment Act, the nursing shortage and the impact on health care disparities. Nurses from all over the Nation will attend the event to educate their Members of Congress about the implications of the nursing shortage at the local level. The event is open to the public.

U.S. Representative Donna Christian-Christensen (Del.- U.S. Virgin Islands), Chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Brain Trust will serve as the host and will bring greetings. All Congressional Black Caucus members and the House and Senate leadership are invited to bring greetings as are the presidents of the 13 member organizations of the Black Congress on Health, Law and Economics.

The Greater Washington D.C. Area Black Nurses Association will host a health fair for NBNA Day participants, Capitol Hill staffers and employees and the community. Blood pressure, glucose monitoring for diabetes, clinical depression and cholesterol screenings will be conducted.

The National Black Nurses Association, founded in 1971, is a professional organization, representing 150,000 African American registered nurses, licensed vocational/practical nurses and nursing students. The mission of NBNA is to “investigate, define and determine the health care requirements of African Americans and other diverse communities to foster optimal health and health care services commensurate with that of the larger society.”

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