Download Newsletter fall 2014

Northern Virginia Chapter ONS
Fall Newsletter 2014
Editor: Fran Cecere
President’s Message
Membership News
Northern Virginia Chapter Information
Nominating News
Legislative News
Program News
Scholarship News
Special Programs
Virtual Community Administrator
Archivist/Historians News
Chapter Mission: The mission of our chapter is to create a culture within
our community that promotes excellence in oncology nursing and quality
cancer care.
Board Contact
Chapter Vision: The vision of our chapter is to advance the role of the
oncology nurse in the continuum of cancer care which includes prevention,
screening, early detection, treatment, palliative care, research and education.
Local Meetings are usually held on the fourth Monday of every month
Go to FaceBook for listing of all meetings
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Message from the Chapter
President Donna Meyer
President’s Message
To the Members:
What a beautiful time of the year. Trees line my neighborhood with such
magnificent colors. The cool and refreshing air is so very welcome.
As we face another season of change there are many opportunities for
you to participate and enjoy a variety of Chapter events. The Board and
Committee Chairs have been diligently working to provide quality programs
for our members.
The October meeting will be a time for you to donate to the Silent
Auction so the Chapter will benefit from the funds raised. This will be so
much fun and a good time to purchase gifts for the upcoming Holidays.
November will bring the Links to Cancer (LTC), Nurses' educational
program. At the August meeting the membership selected the programs to be
presented at this event. Now we all need to set aside Nov. 1st to attend this
educational opportunity and show chapter support. Sentara N. VA
Medical Hospital has provided the space for this worthwhile learning
opportunity.
AND don't forget now is the time to step forward and run for a Board or
Committee Chair position. We had our first teleconference meeting that was
very successful. This method of conducting several Board meetings will
allow you to participate while staying in your home. In addition there are
other benefits of being on the Board. It will enhance your resume’, enable
colleague building, offer you the opportunity to present your ideas, and it is
a great way to promote the Chapter's continued success.
December will be a time to give to our cancer survivors. We are
accepting toys or books from the Chapter members for our community
project. This is an opportunity to show how much we care. Your donations
are distributed through our local health-care providers to give to their cancer
survivors. We have been coordinating this project for years and each time,
thanks to your generosity, the number of gifts increases.
I appreciate all of your their thoughtful cards and beautiful flowers as I
recover from surgery on my patella. I am looking forward to getting back to
our meetings. Lisa Cawthorne, President Elect has kept the Chapter moving
in the right direction and we are fortunate for her leadership skills. Thanks to
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all the Board members who continually work diligently to make our Chapter
the best ever!
Donna Meyer
President, N. VA ONS Chapter
Board Meeting for 2014
November 1, 2014
12 Noon
Any member of Northern Virginia ONS can attend a Board Meeting. This
Board meeting is at Sentara, immediately after the Links to Cancer
Meeting. Contact Donna Meyer for more information.
Membership News
Brenda McClafferty
National members now pay dues to a local Chapter closest to where they
live. This has increased our membership to 316 people and has changed our
designation from a medium to a large Chapter. The most exciting news is
that we have already had new members join us at our monthly meetings and
we look forward to more attendance in the future.
Brenda McClafferty
Membership Chairperson
Northern Virginia ONS
Chapter Information
At the October 27th meeting we will be having a silent auction. Please
make, bake, or bring a donation to the meeting. where we hold our annual
auction! Great fun and for a great cause...our survivor conference and
learning opportunities for our own nurses. Attached is a letter that you can
use to give to businesses (restaurants, spas, you name it!). If you have any
questions, please contact Lisa Cawthorne at [email protected].
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You will have a chance to buy any of the items which will make great
Holiday gifts. Bring something and buy something. See you on October 27!
Last year’s auction items.
Nominating News
Mary Kay Mecca-Brudnicki
Dear Fellow ONS Members,
We are rapidly approaching Election of New Board Members in
November! The Open Board Positions are as Follows: President-Elect,
Secretary, Newsletter Chair, Membership Chair, and Legislative Chair.
Please take a moment to look at what the Board Positions entail, and
consider joining the Board!
Some members have expressed interest already which is fantastic news!
Consider sharing your knowledge and expertise with the Chapter! Contact
me via e-mail [email protected] if you are considering a position, I
would love to hear from you!
Thank you.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Kay Mecca-Brudnicki R.N. B.S.N.
Nominating Committee Chair
President-Elect: term length one (1) year followed by serving one (1) year
as President:
· Prepares for the role of chapter President
· Assumes the role of the President in the absence of the President
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· Attends Board of Director meetings and Chapter Standing Committee
meetings as delegated by the President
· Oversees the planning and implementation of the May Oncology Nurse
Recognition Celebration and the Fall Fund Raiser for the Oncology Nursing
Foundation
· Consults with the President throughout the term of office to provide
continuity and smooth transition of Chapter leadership
· Performs other responsibilities as designated by the Chapter Board of
Directors and the National ONS
Secretary:
· Maintains chapter proceedings through record-keeping of all official
activities of the chapter
· Maintains and manages official chapter records associated with the
office of Secretary according to procedures established by the National ONS
· Along with the historian, maintains an official copy of the chapter
Standing Rules
· Implements an effective communication plan among the chapter
membership, Board of Directors, chapter Standing Committees, and the
National ONS
· Attends chapter Board of Director meetings as a voting member
· Records minutes for all meetings of the chapter, Board of Directors, and
the general membership
· Distributes minutes of the Board of Directors and general membership
meetings as requested
· Maintains a current roster of chapter members, Standing Committees,
and the Board of Directors
· Performs other responsibilities designated by the Board of Directors or
the National ONS
Newsletter Chair:
· Publishes a chapter newsletter three to four times a year, highlighting
chapter membership activity, communication from the chapter Board of
Directors, and news from the National ONS
· Gathers news articles from the chapter Board of Directors to keep
chapter membership updated of chapter activities
· Initiates chapter membership contribution of news for the newsletter
· Ensures the newsletter is sent electronically to the chapter membership
via the Program Chair’s membership distribution list
· Ensures that the newsletter will be posted on the National ONS website
under the local Northern Virginia chapter site
· Attends chapter Board of Directors meetings as a voting member
· Maintains copies of chapter newsletters for the newsletter records
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Membership Chair:
· Promotes initial and renewal membership in the National ONS and the
chapter
· Assures currency of National ONS membership as a criterion for
chapter membership
· Selects members for the Membership Committee in consultation with
the President and Board of Directors
· Strategizes a plan to recruit and retain membership in the National ONS
and the chapter
· Maintains a current chapter membership roster
· Submits a report on the current membership status and activities of the
Membership Committee to the Board of Directors and general chapter
membership meetings
· Attends chapter Board of Directors meetings as a voting member
· Submits newsletter articles to the chapter newsletter
· Submits an end of the year report to the chapter Board of Directors to be
included in the chapter Annual Report
· Maintains the records of the Membership Committee according to the
procedures established by the National ONS
Legislative Chair:
· Informs chapter membership of national and local legislative activity
related to oncology nursing and healthcare issues
· Encourages advocacy from chapter members on legislative issues
· Attends chapter Board of Directors meetings as a voting member
· Submits newsletter articles to the chapter newsletter
· Maintains records of the Legislative position
Mary Kay Mecca-Brudnicki
Nominating Chairperson
Legislative News
Legislative News
Alana Jaffe
Information from the Capitol Connection Blog via ONS
U.S. Senators Hatch (R-UT) and Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced the
Regulatory Transparency, Patient Access, and Effective Drug Enforcement
Act, which aims to streamline the development of new drugs and protect
patient access to necessary medications.
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Key Provisions of the Regulatory Transparency, Patient Access, and
Effective Drug Enforcement Act
•Amends the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to require the Drug
Enforcement Agency (DEA) to schedule a drug or substance that has never
been marketed in the United States within 45 days of receiving a scheduling
recommendation from the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS)
•Speeds the development of new therapies by allowing researchers to
indicate on their DEA application that the controlled substance will only be
used for clinical trials of a drug
•Clarifies terminology in the CSA for the terms “consistent with the public
health and safety” and “imminent danger” to improve the ability of the DEA
to work collaboratively with distributors and other stakeholders to prevent
drug diversion
•Allows CSA registrants who face having their registration revoked or
suspended to submit a corrective action plan
•Requires the secretary of HHS to submit a report to Congress assessing how
enforcement activities may impact patient access and identify how
collaboration between agencies and stakeholders can benefit patients and
prevent prescription drug abuse
“This bill takes several important steps toward making the approval
process for important new therapies more efficient, transparent, and
consistent, while also ensuring patients have access to medications in a
timelier manner,” Hatch said.
Adding to the sentiment, Whitehouse said, “Ensuring that patients have
timely access to treatments is an important goal, and I’m glad to be working
with Senator Hatch to craft legislation to help.”
FDA Updates Congress on Access to Opioid Pain Medication Safety Effort
..- See more at: http://connect.ons.org/columns/capitol-connection/senators-preserveinnovation-and-protect-patient-access-to-medications?utm_campaign=capitolconnection&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=14320459&_hse
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NDvQqSHpK2WH7VadnxNpckZA5Rg&_hsmi=14320459#sthash.SvpxLuLV.dpuf
Palliative Care and the Role of the Oncology Nurse
As the closing bell rang on the end of the 113th Congress’s second
session, ONS held its first Congressional briefing, and it couldn’t have been
more topical—"Palliative Care and the Role of the Oncology Nurse." Before
members could rush home to campaign for the November 2014 elections,
ONS convened a panel to discuss our members’ position in the provision of
health care, particularly as it pertains to cancer treatment and care.
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The meeting was held in the veterans affairs room in the U.S. House of
Representative’s Cannon office building. ONS Board member Laura
Fennimore, RN, DNP, acted as keynote speaker and ONS Executive
Director for External Affairs Michele Dietz, RN, MSN, emceed.
U.S. Representatives Eliot Engel (D-NY) and Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO)
spoke passionately and personally about the need for improved patient care.
Their respective pieces of legislation—Palliative Care and Hospice
Education and Training Act (H.R. 1339) and the Patient Centered Quality
Care for Life Act (H.R. 1666)—ask for increased bipartisan support in
palliative care.
Palliative care is a relatively new medical specialty focused on improving
a patient’s quality of life by providing patients with relief from the
symptoms, pain, and stress of a serious illness. Drawing from expert
knowledge in its upcoming Emerging Trends in Palliative Care conferences,
the ONS briefing discussed the increasing importance of education, training,
and research in this field. As a result of the briefing, five additional members
of Congress signed onto the palliative care legislation.
ONS will be a lead supporter of these two bills in the next U.S. Congressional session.
Stay tuned to the Capitol Connection blog for how you can contribute to these and other
important issues, and visit ONS’s Legislative Action Center for more information.
- See more at: http://connect.ons.org/columns/capitol-connection/ons-hostscongressional-briefing-on-palliative-care?utm_campaign=capitolconnection&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=14320459&_hse
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From Donna Meyer for Alana Jaffe
Legislative Chairperson
Program Report
Kristen Smiley & Tricila Ronquillo
Kristen Smiley and Tricila Ronquillo
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Dinner meetings and N. Va. ONS Special Events
topics for 2014 (subject to change)
October 27, 2014 - Understanding Myelofibrosis: A Perspective for the
Oncology Professional. We will also be holding the Silent Auction.
Remember to bring something for the auction (craft item, gift card,
home baked dessert, etc.), and your checkbook or cash to buy something
for yourself or as a gift.
November 1, 2014 - Links to Cancer and Board Meeting.
November 17, 2014 - "An Update on Pancreatic Cancer.
December 15, 2014 - Myeloma (CEU program).
Look What You Are Missing. Chicken, Steak, and Dessert.
Kristen Smiley and Tricila Ronquillo
Programs Co-Chairs
Scholarship News
Anne Bush
Our Chapter scholarship fund has money to award for continuing
education. Need some help with college fees, for ONS programs, or for our
Chapter’s nursing program “Links to Cancer” in November?
For questions or an application, email Anne Bush at
[email protected] or catch up with me at our Chapter meetings. National
ONS also has funds to award scholarships for its members to attend
oncology programs. For information, go to the ONS website under awards,
grants and scholarships.
Anne Bush RN, OCN
Scholarship Chairperson
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Special Programs
Julie Pierce
Links to Cancer Topics
“Updates and Controversies in Cancer Screening”
“Difficult Communication in Oncology Nursing”
“The American Nurse,” an ONS Movie
Saturday November 1, 2014
Registration starts 8:00 AM
Program: 8:30 AM-12:30 PM
Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center
Hylton Education Center
2300 Oritz Blvd., Woodbridge, VA 22191
For directions: www.Sentara.com/northern-virginia
$30 per participant, $15 for students
Payment options: Online, cash, or checks (made payable to Northern
Virginia ONS
3.0 Contact hours
For questions about the program email: [email protected]
Julie Pierce
Special Projects Chair
Virtual Community Administrator
Christine Helou
Important Information from Our Webmaster
If you are an active National ONS member then you are automatically
a local member with Northern Virginia and you should be getting our
emails from Tricila or Kristen, our 2014 programs chair. The emails are now
being generated through the ONS site directory. This means if your
information is not correct on your ONS profile then you may not be
getting the invites and emails.
Please follow these instructions:
1) Please make sure to log onto your ONS profile. If your username and
password are correct and working then GREAT!
2) Please look over your profile and make sure your email is correct.
3) Check to make sure you're listed under the Northern Virginia Chapter.
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4) Make sure you are NOT UNSUBSCRIBED from receiving emails.
If any of the information above is not correct and you cannot correct it
yourself then please email [email protected].
If you are still having difficulties or have any other questions then please
email me at [email protected].
Christine Helou
Virtual Cummunity Administrator
Archivist/Historian News
Marsha Komandt
NVA ONS 2014 Fall Newsletter Article from the Chapter’s Archivist/Historian
As the Chapter’s Archivist/Historian, I am responsible for documenting
the history of the chapter through pictures and words. Being that we’re in the
midst of planning and advertising the Links to Cancer educational forum, I
thought I would share with you some historical background of this annual
fall event.
Links to Cancer is now a spin-off from the original ACS (American
Cancer Society)/ONS Nurses’ Institute. In 2006, we celebrated 50 years of a
joint partnership with ACS in this event. ONS member Barbara Murphy,
dressed in her vintage nursing uniform, cape and cap, giving a wonderful
overview of nursing and the Institute through the years.
You may wonder how could we celebrate a half-century when the ONS
chapter had only existed for 30 some years. It’s because it started out as a
joint venture with various nursing agencies in the community, George
Mason University and Northern VA Community College. After the local
ONS Chapter was formed, we joined the group and become an active part of
the planning. We worked closely with ACS until they no longer could
support us with logistical and financial planning.
The group of us involved that year in 2006 decided sadly that it was time
to disband, have a break and see what developed in the meantime. What DID
develop was the first Survivors Educational and Healing One-Day Retreat
only for breast cancer survivors that year. It was spearheaded by Lisa
Cawthorne, who is now President-Elect. She applied for and received an
ONS national grant. The event became a part of the newly established and
elected Special Projects Chair and committee.
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Three years later, in 2010, it was decided that the Special Projects
Committee would an event similar to the Nurses Institute to continue the
tradition of offering a program providing CEUs all nurses in our community,
not just oncology nursing. The “Links to Cancer” concept was born.
As we head into its fourth year, an invitation is extended to members of
ONS to attend THIS year, to join the planning process for NEXT year and to
become a part of a group of dedicated nurses who are committed to offering
educational events to our colleagues in the fall and to our cancer survivors in
the spring. What better way to get involved in the chapter when the purpose
is two fold: for yourselves and your patients?
With my Co-Historian Paulette Komarny having left the area, I would
welcome anyone who would like to assist me in this ongoing compilation of
memories. You too can collect memories through the years as I have for the
past three decades! Thank you.
Marsha Komandt
Chapter Historian
2014 Officers and Board
Please contact a board member with any ideas or suggestions
TITLE
President
President Elect
Past President
Secretary
Treasurer
Legislative Chair
Membership Chair
Newsletter Chair
Nominating Chair
Programs Chair
NAME
Donna Meyer
Lisa Cawthorne
Lois Sutphin
Joann McNally
Bunny Tigerman
Alana Jaffe
Brenda McClafferty
Fran Cecere
Mary Kay MeccaBrudnicki
Kristen Smiley
Scholarship Chair
Special Programs
Tricila Ronquillo
Anne Bush
Julie Pierce
Archivists/
Historians
Marsha Komandt
Virtual Community Admin
Christine Helou
EMAIL
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
or [email protected]
[email protected]
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