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Posted By Ashley Lovelace,
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
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Catherine Giasson, DNP, MHA, RN, NE-BC VA Central Western MA Healthcare System NOVA Chapter 232
 Tim Moran, BSN, RN
Tim Moran, NOVA Chapter 232 Member and Safe Patient Handling Coordinator at the VA Central Western MA Healthcare System, was instrumental in developing Operation Mail Call for the residents of the Community Living Center (CLC). Concerned that the residents who were confined to the unit due to COVID 19 would become depressed, Tim called upon his experience as a Navy Veteran. He remembered receiving mail from home when he was in the service and how it lifted his spirits. Therefore, Tim wanted to do the same for the Veterans who weren’t allowed visitors during the coronavirus pandemic. He developed Operation Mail Call and when other VAs heard about it, they contacted Tim to help them develop the program at their facilities. NOVA Chapter 232 is proud of their fellow chapter member, Tim, for implementing Operation Mail Call which has helped the Veterans combat loneliness and allowed them to remain connected with their loved ones in a time of social distancing and isolation. https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/76578/operation-mail-call-connects-isolated-veterans-world/?fbclid=IwAR02lsL2aQey6lde8iXEn3V2W5PQju-jSB1XV7x7cKdkP2_9TApR6KF1c_8
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Posted By Ashley Lovelace,
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
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Sharon Simpson, MSN Nurse Emeritus
Sharon Simpson retired from the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System after 45 years as a registered nurse. Two and a half of these years were in the Army Nurse Corps and the remaining were at the VA. She graduated from a diploma nursing school and later, while employed as a nurse, obtained her BSN and MSN from the University of Phoenix. Sharon started her VA career working in psychiatry at the Northport VA Medical Center in New York and transferred to the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System in 1981. Throughout her tenure there, she worked in medicine, surgery, geriatrics, neurology, medical intensive care, emergency room), GI lab, and both telephone and face to face triage. Sharon retired while she was working on a Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) Team in 2014. After retiring in 2014, Sharon joined Nurse Emeritus and became one of the administrators of the Nurse Emeritus Facebook page last year. She has been a NOVA member since 1995. Sharon served as a Director and historian on the National NOVA Board from 2007-2011. During her retirement, she has volunteered at Ben’s Bells Project which is an organization which facilitates kindness. Sharon is also a volunteer for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, an organization whose members work to prevent gun violence. She is a volunteer for Be Smart, an organization whose members work to educate the adult population about gun safety and safe gun storage. Sharon also takes classes at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (Olli) and once a year volunteers at the Tucson Festival of Books. This past year, she began helping people sign up for early mail in ballots for the upcoming elections. According to Sharon, “there is no shortage of volunteer opportunities in retirement. I am fortunate to be able to donate my time to help others.”
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Posted By Ashley Lovelace,
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
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Ruth Holmes, MS, BSN, RN NOVA Secretary/Treasurer
Ms. Ruth Holmes, MS, BSN, RN, is an executive level professional nurse with over 40 years of federal service; 32 served in the Department of Veterans Affairs in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and approximately 8 years as a U.S. Air Force Nurse Corps Officer. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey and a Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Her nursing career includes a diverse leadership background with extensive clinical and administrative knowledge and skills, including experience in aero-evacuation nursing, Ob/Gyn, medical-surgical, neurology, geriatrics and spinal cord injury. Ms. Holmes has obtained nursing certifications in Geriatrics and Administration. One month after leaving the Air Force, she began her VHA career at the Hampton VA Medical Center, Hampton VA and while there, served 16 years in several supervisory administrative leadership roles, including Nurse Manager, Associate Chief Nurse and Service Line Associate Chief, Spinal Cord Injury/Disorders.
Ms. Holmes is currently a Clinical Program Manager and Nurse Investigator with the VHA Office of the Medical Inspector (OMI), Central Office VA Headquarters, Washington DC, where she has co-led highly complex Office of Special Counsel, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection and VHA Quality of Care Investigations throughout the 200 plus VHA facilities and clinics for over 16 years. In her role as a Clinical Program Manager and Nurse Investigator for the OMI, she investigates quality of care concerns from Veterans, and whistleblower complaints from providers, nurses and other clinical professionals and VA staff. After completing these investigations, she writes professional reports for the Secretary of the VA, Congress, and the Office of Special Counsel, lawyers who report directly to the President.
Ms. Holmes is loyal to NOVA, serving on the NOVA Board of Directors for over 8 years in several capacities, including Director and currently as the Secretary/Treasurer of NOVA, of which she has served two terms. She serves as a member of NOVA’s Executive Board, Education, Poster Review, and Legislative Committees and is the Chair of the Finance Committee. Ms. Holmes has been a planner for the annual NOVA conferences and presented twice at the conferences; in 2014 at the 34th annual Meeting titled The Role of the Office of the Medical Inspector in Ensuring Quality, Safety and Value in VHA, and in 2016 at the 36th annual Meeting on Mentors: The Underrated Gems in the VA, Why We Need Them. She is a VHA Certified Mentor and has been a NOVA mentor since the program began in 2016. Ms. Holmes has mentored numerous VHA leaders across the VA. She presented a NOVA Webinar entitled, The Importance of Mentoring for VA Nurses: Introduction of NOVA’s New Mentoring Program. She was the keynote speaker at the Hampton VAMC’s 2012 Nurses Week Program and presented on Nurses, Advocating, Leading, Caring.
Ms. Holmes is active on committees and task forces in the VA and other federal organizations as well as in her local community. She has served on the VHA Diversity and Inclusion Subcommittee for over 10 years and is a graduate of numerous VA and Federal Leadership Development programs, including: Federal Executive Institute for Executive Nurses; Executive Career Field Candidacy program; Healthcare Leadership Institute; Leadership VA; VISN-6 Leadership Development Institute; and others throughout her 32 years in the VA. In the community, Ms. Holmes currently serves as a Board Director for the Southeastern Virginia Health System (SEVHS) where she serves on the Finance and Performance Improvement Committees. She is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, and a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Nurses Honor Society.
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Posted By Ashley Lovelace,
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
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Kelly D. Skinner, DNP, APRN, NP-C, GNP-BC, CRRN, WCC, CFCN
NOVA Chapter 226
VA Boston Healthcare System
NOVA’s Journal Club Coming Soon
Ceci McVey, Associate Director, Nursing/Patient Services at the VA Boston Healthcare System and NOVA Past President, has graciously agreed to kick-off NOVA’s first Journal Club call on Monday, September 14, 2020 at 1:00PM EST to all NOVA members. Mark you calendars!
Ceci McVey, MS, RN, FAAN
New NOVA Chapter 226 Members
Celebrating Opening Day
According to Danielle Newman, NOVA Chapter 226 Director, “sports have always been a great distraction to help get us through the tough times and give us a reason to come together as a team and celebrate milestones. Due to the pandemic, we have not been able to gather or come together as a group and laugh and smile as we talk about our beloved Boston Sports Teams. That all Changed on Opening Day! This was the first time we were able to get together and show our Red Sox Pride. It was a refreshing change and of course a little different with social distancing but it did just that, distracted us for just a little while. The Boston Red Sox showed their appreciation for nurses on May 6, 2020. Their team logo with a heart and the word ‘nurses’ was mowed into the outfield at Fenway Park. The VA Boston staff in the Executive Suite and Education Suite at the Jamaica Plain Campus, including Theresa Presley and Danielle Newman, reciprocated by showing their support for the Boston Red Sox. They celebrated Opening Day which was delayed this year but finally took place on July 24, 2020.”
NOVA Chapter 226 Board of Directors Participating in the #IWearAMaskFor America Social Media Campaign
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Posted By Ashley Lovelace,
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
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TJ Wilcox-Olson, MHS, RN VA Portland Healthcare System NOVA Chapter 333 
Organ donation is very rare because there are a few key requirements to be eligible to be a donor. These requirements include: - Need to be in a hospital
- Receive ventilated support
- Have a diagnosis of brain death or non-survivable injury
Everyone can register! However, only 1% of those who check the box on their driver’s license truly become an organ donor. There are over 100,000 waiting for lifesaving transplants! Every 10 minutes there is someone new in need of a transplant. There are many factor when matching donors to recipients: health, tissue type, donor distance, body size, blood type and time spent waiting. Fact: Ethnicity, gender, religion, and financial status do not affect the donation process. As more people check the box, more people can get a second chance at life! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4bS7YZjqhY
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Posted By Ashley Lovelace,
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
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Dear NOVA Members,
Dr. Richard Stone, Executive in Charge of the Veterans Health Administration, announced the #IWearAMaskFor America social media campaign. On behalf of NOVA, I am asking you who do you wear a mask for? Send a message to NOVA via Facebook Messenger or email NOVA at
nova@vanurse.org with your photo, name, title and VA facility, as well as who you wear the
mask for. Your photo will be displayed on the NOVA Nurses Participating in #IWearAMaskFor America banner on the
NOVA website: https://www.vanurse.org
. Don't forget to use the #IWearAMaskFor
in your social media posts.
Without hesitation, the national NOVA Board of Directors jumped right in to participate in this social media campaign. Understanding how important this call to action is, we donned our
masks and shared who we mask up for. Please join us in this effort to save lives and inspire others to do the same during this public health crisis.
Stay safe and healthy!
With appreciation,
Kelly D. Skinner, DNP, APRN, NP-C, GNP-BC, CRRN, WCC, CFCN
#IWearAMaskFor America Social Media Campaign
Dr. Richard Stone: #IWearAMaskFor America
https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/77334/dr-richard-stone-iwearamaskfor-america/
National NOVA Board of Directors Participating in #IWearAMaskFor America Social Media Campaign
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Posted By Ashley Lovelace,
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
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Have you published an article in a journal in the last 8 years? If so, please send the journal article citation to
NOVA at nova@vanurse.org
.
We would like to recognize our NOVA members who have published. Thank you for contributing to the advancement of health sciences!
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Posted By Ashley Lovelace,
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
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If you plan to retire from the VA within the next six months, please consider joining as a NOVA Nurse Emeritus Member. https://www.vanurse.org/page/join GOVERNANCE
The Nurse Emeritus Group is composed of NOVA members who have retired from the Department of Veterans Affairs or who are planning retirement within the next calendar year. The Group is an established group within the Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs (NOVA) and, as such, adheres to all policies and practices as governed by the Bylaws of NOVA. MISSION STATEMENT
The Nurse Emeritus Members exist to support the mission and vision of NOVA through continuing engagement of nurses who have retired or have immediate plans to retire from active employment in VA. The Nurse Emeritus Group: Seeks to recognize and value the expertise of retired VA nurses through projects that support the working VA nurses and the Veterans they serve. Strives to acknowledge and celebrate the contribution of retired VA nurses through positive affirmation programs and projects. Participates in projects such as NOVA membership promotion and fundraising efforts to support nursing scholarships.
The dues for NOVA Nurse Emeritus members are $50 per year. NOVA is welcoming Nurse Emeritus applications. https://www.vanurse.org/page/join
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Posted By Ashley Lovelace,
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
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Together with Johns Hopkins University Hospital, Miro Health is conducting a nationwide study to examine the effects of COVID-19 on the brain. Because nurses are at a high risk for exposure to COVID-19, we hope to enroll nurses into the study. Study participation takes less than an hour and participants will receive a full cognitive, neurological, and psychiatric performance summary at the end of the study.
At the beginning of the study, there is a consent form to be filled out. At the end of the study, you will receive non-medical information on your brain function as well as study findings and publications made possible by your participation. All the information can be found here https://www.mirohealth.com/event/
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Posted By Ashley Lovelace,
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
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Teresa Morris, Director, Advocacy & Government Relations
Greetings NOVA Members –
We have made it to August, which means that Congress is on recess and working in their District/State offices for the entire month. It is particularly
important this year as the November elections are looming and many will be on the campaign trail – most likely in a different format than we are used to because of the pandemic – discussing issues important with their constituency.
I urge all of you to watch their websites and plan to join the conversation and a take part in our 2020 August Recess Challenge. Be an advocate for VA healthcare and
what you do every day for our Nation’s Veterans.
NOVA continues to be the leading advocate for VA nurses. How to find your Representative and Senators local office information, and guidance on How to
Schedule a Meeting with Your Member of Congress and other critical information can be found on the NOVA website under the Advocacy/2020 August Recess.
NOVA continues to remind Congress the importance of passing a robust budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure the delivery of timely, quality healthcare and other services for Veterans. We support and stand by the recommendations of the Independent Budget (IB).
The IB, is put together by Veterans Service Organizations - DAV, PVA and the VFW – it is recognized as an accurate assessment of what is needed by VA to provide care for Veterans. Recommendations for FY 2021 and FY 2022 Advance Appropriations are
all assessed and projected.
As stated in their opening remarks the IBVSOs believe that “the ever-growing demand for health care and benefits, particularly with more health care being provided in the community purchased by VA, certainly validates the continued need for sufficient funding. Although VA has fared better than most federal agencies in budget proposals and appropriations, the real measure should be how well the funding matches the demand for Veterans’ benefits and services.
http://www.independentbudget.org/116-congress/
I urge you to take a look at the all of Advocacy links on the NOVA website and our August Recess Toolkit to be prepared for August.
Educate yourself on our 2020 Legislative Priority Goals and ask the tough questions.
Stay tuned to our Social Media sites for other important legislative updates as we move through August and get ready for the final months of the 116
th Congress.
As always, all the COVID news and resources continue to be available on the Department of Veterans Affairs and both House and Senate VA Committees’ websites and social media with up to date information on the pandemic for Veterans and those taking care of them.
Thank you again for all you do and for your heroism every day!
Stay Tuned!
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