Welcome to NOVA Chapter 129 Palo Alto

NOVA Chapter 129 Upcoming Events - Mark your calendar!

April 9-12, 2008
NOVA National Meeting
Boston, Massachusetts

April 14, 2008
Retirement Reception for Alice Naqvi 2-4 Bldg. 101 Auditorium

May 5-9, 2008
Nurse Recognition Week

May 21, 2008
Membership Meeting
Library Conference Room with V-Tel to other sites

July 30, 2008
Membership Dinner Meeting: The Role of Psychotropic Medications in Management of Inpatients

October 22, 2008
APN Conference: Management of Low Back Pain

October 26, 2008
Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC

Contact Info

Links

Chapter Bylaws

Membership Info

Legislative

Newsletter

Recent Educational Conferences

NOVA Chapter 129 Palo Alto - 2008 Annual Meeting: Installation of New Officers

Left to right (seated): Cherina Tinio RN ECS/331, Vice President; Board members Christine Camp RN ECS/100-4C; Susan Dunn RNP ECS/324; and Wanda Tacey RNP/Community Health. 2nd row (left to right): Mary Lou Faustina RN/Clinical Applications/COS, Treasurer; Sonia Olivar RN/ECS, Membership Chair; Mary Montufar RN/Clinical Applications/COS, President; and Gigi Beckner RN/Ambulatory Care, Secretary.

Presidents Message -- Spring 2008:

"Welcome to the Spring edition of the NOVA 129's webpage. Included in this update is a new edition of INNOVATION, the Chapter newsletter. A highlight of the issue is an interview with Alice Naqvi RN MS. Alice has been Chief Nurse at VAPAHCS since 1991, and will be retiring on April 30th after 35 years with VHA Nursing Service. Her perspective and insights on nursing are a deeply appreciated parting gift.

At the same time, we are welcoming new members to the VA Palo Alto campus and hope they will find the information available here useful. A number of new members have come to VAPAHCS as Versant Nursing Residents and have decided to remain as staff members. In fact, at this time one year after initiation of the nursing graduate residency program, all Versant graduates have elected to remain on the VAPAHCS staff. In upcoming editions we hope to profile some nurses, new and "old-timers" who contribute so much to the care of veterans.

NOVA Chapter 129 represents the nine campuses of the VA Palo Alto Health Care System here in Northern California. VAPAHCS nursing staff provide care to veteran patients to Monterey in the south and Sonora in the eastern Sierra foothills. While distance may separate us, the chapter has tried to bring events to all locations via technology of video and phone conferencing. Our annual meeting is held in a central location and is very well attended by upwards of 80 members each year.

As a chapter, we are very excited about being a host chapter for the 2010 Annual NOVA meeting, scheduled to be held here in the Bay Area.

If relocation brings you to the San Francisco Bay Area, we hope that you will consider joining the VAPAHCS staff."

What does NOVA do for VA Nurses?

NOVA provides the following professional services:

A strong lobbying power on Capitol Hill
A quarterly newsletter featuring national and local activities of the organization related to nursing practice within the DVA, including a current perspective by the Secretary of DVA
Timely legislative updates on our webpage and in a quarterly newsletter
Links (personal, electronic and telephonic) to other nursing/legislative organizations
National, regional and local educational programs
Scholarship and research opportunities through the NOVA Foundation
A voice in policy making through our contacts on Capitol Hill, the DVA, the Veterans Service Organizations and Nursing Headquarters