Hello colleagues,

 

Can you believe that summer of 2016 is almost over? Where does the time go? Soon it will be falling leaves, apple cider, back to school and the ENA national conference. I hope that all of you have had a safe, enjoyable summer and set aside time to spend with family and friends.

The wallpaper on my laptop has a picture of a small dog running with his ears flapping and the caption: "Live like someone left the gate open!" We should enjoy the freedom that we have in the United States and along the way thank those who have made it possible.

For those of you who do not know, NYS has received one of ENA's state achievement awards which will be presented at the National conference in Los Angeles. Way to go!!

Also, we have met the ENA State Challenge, therefore we get to name our scholarship, and I have chosen the name: The Empire State scholarship which has been used in the past and accurately covers the entire state. Way to go!!

Jamla Bergman, state secretary attended the 2016 Olympics in Brazil as a member of the medical team providing care for the participants. We have all enjoyed her photos; although according to Jamla coffee is in short supply at times. Way to go Jamla!!

Enjoy all that you do and those you spend time with. I hope to see you at the October meeting in Binghamton, NY.

Proud to be an emergency nurse.

 

Jacquie Glendinning, BSN

NYS ENA President

The following news item concerning the 2015 Adirondack ENA Chapter President was seen in the  Capital region newspaper. The Times Union sponsored a Salute to Nurses and published the 25 winning nominees.

  

Diana Graziano, Ellis Medicine, Medical Center of Clifton Park Emergent Care nominated for Capital Region Nurse of the Year by Catherina Stevens (of Clifton Park Halfmoon EMS)

I feel that Diana deserves recognition for all the positive work she does for patients and the healthcare team.  Diana gives her all, whether you have a cough or you have a life-threatening event.  She goes out of her way to give the best care and utmost respect to all she encounters.

Diana is a very humble person with expert knowledge in her profession.  I have had the pleasure of transferring patients with her for more than 12 years.

The staff here at Clifton Park Halfmoon Ambulance really can't say enough about how professional and caring she truly is.  No matter what the diagnosis is of any given patient, Diana is professional and compassionate.

She has given her time and knowledge to educate the ambulance staff and various topics whether at the bedside or in a formal class.

She has never looked down to those with less training and I have observed first-hand the reassuring and confidence she has in the care she gives.  ~Lori Barker, Adirondack Chapter

 

Congratulations Diana on a well deserved Salute!

Stony Brook, NY, June 20, 2016  --  Connie Kraft, RN, MSN, MS, CEN, who recently received the Registered Professional Nurse of Excellence award from the Suffolk Regional Emergency Medical Services Council (REMSCO) has just been rewarded with the New York State Emergency Medical Services Council Nurse of Excellence award.

Kraft was honored for her dedication to the advancement of emergency patient care at both the pre-hospital and hospital levels in Suffolk County. Throughout her career, Kraft has sought to continually strengthen the relationship and collaboration between Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and the nursing profession.

"This is a well-deserved honor for Connie, and we congratulate her," said Reuven Pasternak, MD, Chief Executive Officer, Stony Brook University Hospital, and Vice President for Health Systems, Stony Brook Medicine. "The community has greatly benefited from Connie's expertise and reputation in her chosen field, and we are lucky to have her on our team."

"I'm so grateful for all the opportunities for growth I've experienced while at Stony Brook," Kraft said when she learned of the recognition.  

As a multi-term officer and President of the Suffolk County Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), Kraft has worked to ensure that EMS is included in many ENA educational programs. She has a unique perspective on both pre-hospital and hospital emergency patient care, which helps the Emergency Department staff have a close working relationship with EMS providers.

Currently, Kraft is a sitting member of the Suffolk County REMSCO for Suffolk ENA. She is also a respected member of Stony Brook University Hospital's Emergency Management team, with responsibility for developing and conducting one of the County's largest full-scale emergency preparedness exercises.

Kraft has been a registered nurse for approximately 30 years. She is certified to teach numerous pre-hospital EMS provider courses, such as CPR, ACLS, Basic and Advanced Disaster Life Support, TNCC and disaster triage classes. She spent the majority of her career as an emergency and transport nurse, and serves as a preceptor for all levels of New York State pre-hospital EMS certification. She also volunteers as a member of the Suffolk County Medical Reserve Corps.

Her expertise is continually sought as an integral part of the County's Emergency Support Function (ESF 8) group, which is responsible for coordinating the county's medical disaster response. She also coordinates the MARO Regional Training Center, which makes emergency preparedness training available to the downstate healthcare community.

Kraft will be presented with the New York State award on October 15 at the Vital Signs Conference of NYS Emergency Medical Services in Syracuse, NY.

The Adirondack Chapter of the ENA encompasses a large area with great distances between member hospitals. The mission of the chapter board members this year has been to increase contact with our membership through different types of outreach. We have taken our meeting "show on the road" to allow different member hospitals to host a chapter activity so that the members in that area can see what the ENA has to offer right in their local area. Officers have also begun to travel to different facilities in our catchment area to meet and greet staff in order to introduce the chapter, gather feedback, and assess the needs of our members. Upcoming meetings include a movie premier at Ellis Hospital in Schenectady in September; and a CEU offering detailing suicide assessment and crisis intervention in the Emergency Department, hosted by Glens Falls Hospital in October.

Another outreach was collaborating with one of our local non- for- profit counterparts at a volunteer clean-up day at Double H Ranch in Lake Luzerne. It was truly an honor for us as caregivers to participate in assisting the staff at this truly magical camp for children with life-threatening illnesses; just take a look at the pictures of this wonderful place! The Ranch will be hosting a chapter sponsored ENPC this October. As president, I have been inspired by visiting the dedicated members that belong to and support our professional organization in the Adirondack region.

Thank you to all for your support of the ENA!