New Public Health Nurse of the Year

Awarded to a public health nurse with less than five years practice serving in a public health capacity who has demonstrated the ability to establish community partnerships that resulted in improved utilization of public health programs and/or services.

The recipient of this award is…

Angela Montgomery
Tri-County Health Department

Angela Montgomery started her public health nursing career May, 2008 as a nurse home visitor in the Mother’s First program at TCHD. The Mothers First Program is a home visit program for families that live in Arapahoe County.  The nurses visit in the home to help families with parenting or health questions, finding resources to reach employment /financial goals, have a healthy pregnancy, improve the health of their children and to find community resources.

Angela assumed her role with passion, creativity and demonstrated leadership within a year. This program encounter a change in leadership the next year as their supervisor was promoted to a nursing division position. This was a relatively new program and newly formed nursing team. In addition, the county was requesting an expansion contract for families involved in the social welfare system. It was a difficult time for the team and the program. Angela inquired about assuming the supervisor role and was concerned due to her lack of experience in general public health nursing. However, she was already  enrolled in a Nursing graduate leadership program at Regis University, volunteered on the Emergency Preparedness (ET) at TCHD, assumed numerous special projects such as representing her team on a perinatal assessment project, developing a domestic violence policy, PHN competency development, and career ladder development, just to name a few of her extra projects. She was promoted to the supervisor position in 2009 and has not only developed a strong team but developed a new program that is funded by social services that supports families who have a case that is being closed and needs extra support. That program has been very success. In addition, she was asked to develop another program component to address unintended pregnancy. As a part of that program she has now gained entrance to the Arapahoe County jail and provides classes on STI and birth control to incarcerated men and women who would otherwise receive no prevention education prior to being released. She is one of the only nurses that have been able to partner with Arapahoe County jail and this could become a model practice.

She is a hands-on supervisor and continues to carry a small caseload so that she does not lose site of the challenges her nurses face in practice. She has been known to carry a full caseload for her team and another team while nurses are out on pregnancy and leaves for surgery. Angela graduated from her master’s program and completed the Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence leadership training. She also precepts many nursing students throughout the year. In addition, she is a community volunteer with Big Sister and participates in the MS 150 annually. She is a bright and passionate new public health nurse who will continue to be a leader in nursing, public health and her community.

Army of One

The Army of One Award is given to an outstanding public health nurse from a single-nurse agency.

The recipient of this award is…

Robin Trujillo
Baca County Public Health Agency

Robin deserves the award for Army of One for outstanding work as the Public Health Nurse and Director for Baca County.  It is a frontier county in the far southeast area of the state. There are about 3,600 residents who call Baca County home. It is a very large county, sparsely populated with some tough conditions, wind, and drought. Residents are proud, hardworking folks, who deserve the best public health department they can have and Robin has provided that.  Robin was born and raised in Baca County, her parents and grandparents have lived there all of their lives. Robin went off to school and worked after finishing her BSN in the Colorado Springs area, but Baca County was calling her home to raise her family and give back to the community. Prior to her taking the position Baca County had struggled for several years to find a public health director/nurse after a long time nurse retired. Robin was hired and hit the ground running. She inherited some big responsibilities and some problems that needed resolution. The Friday before she started there was a death in the county south of Baca in Oklahoma of a child from a possible infectious disease. Robin started the following week and quickly went to work figuring out what need to be done and by whom. She immediately stepped in to the world of EPR, working with all of her regional partners to ensure that plans were in place, training completed, and her county was prepared. She has put together PODs and delivered H1 N1, organizing her local partners. She had to deal with several local issues related to foodborne illness, pertussis and rabies, but it did not deter her.

I have worked in Public Health for over 30 years and in the 80′s I was in her shoes in Baca County. In fact I gave Robin her vaccinations as a baby! During the past 30+ years I have worked with many nurses and Robin ranks as one of the very best. I have continued to be amazed at her knowledge skills and abilities! She is a great partner to the other public health agencies in the region, as well as her local partners. Since assuming her role, she has been able to complete all of the program deliverables for each program, not just at a minimal level, but with the highest standards and quality, she moved the public health office after collaborating with county leaders, and has established herself as a leader in her county. She is highly respected by all, and I believe she truly deserves this award! Baca County and the SE region is very blessed to have her as part of our work force. We need more young professionals like Robin to assume these roles for rural counties who are just as important as the urban counties. She is an Army of One and is winning the battle in Baca County!

Lillian Wald Award

Awarded to a public health nurse who demonstrates leadership skills among peers and community, has practiced a minimum of five years, is creative, resourceful and innovative in addressing public health concerns in the community, is caring in relationships with colleagues and clients, initiates, implements and evaluates public health interventions that focus on health promotion and disease prevention, shares public health knowledge with colleagues and the community and is a member of PHNAC and CPHA. 

The recipient of this award is…

Christine Schmidt
Jefferson County Public Health

Like Lillian Wald, Christine advocates for public health nurses, safe communities, and health care for the underinsured.  Christine has been a public health nurse for over 30 years with the last 14 years as a Public Health Nurse Supervisor at Jefferson County Public Health. As a PHN Supervisor, Christine has managed the communicable disease programs, including international travel and immunization, and health care access programs. Under her leadership, she has improved the immunization rates of children, adolescents and adults in Jefferson County by implementing immunization clinics for monolingual Spanish speaking clients staffed by bilingual English / Spanish PHNs and administrative support staff; administering the ARRA funded Allied Health Student Project that immunizes students in health related educational programs and educates on immunization practice; working with child care centers to develop immunization record systems to track immunization rates; collaborating with the school district on back-to-school clinics; implementing an immunization policy for JCPH employees; serving on the CDC Childhood Influenza Vaccination Project; and collaborating with Visiting Nurses Association to have them host clinics for seniors at JCPH clinic sites. She led JCPH in its becoming a part of the state immunization registry and its transition to the CIIS II system and supports private providers as they transition into the registry. She responds to calls from other health departments for assistance with disease outbreaks and   participated in numerous immunization clinics in the state in response to disease containment.

She presented at APHA, CityMatCH and Pubic Health in the Rockies on the Allied Health Student Project and her work on the Child Care Centers Health and Safety Project sharing her knowledge to educate the public health workforce on promising immunization practices. She speaks out at Colorado Nurses Association Conferences on employee immunization practices and will present at its fall 2011 conference on the benefits of health workers getting their flu vaccine. Christine has been an active member of the Colorado Children ‘s Immunization Coalition, the Immunization Technical Assistance Task Force, and the Colorado Influenza and Pneumococcal Action Coalition. She has supported legislation to implement an immunization registry, written and received numerous grants that have increased capacity in the county for immunization services, and has had articles published in the ITAT Sharp Shooter on Pertussis, Smallpox and Hepatitis.

Ten years ago, Christine took a leadership role by writing for and receiving a CHP+ Challenge grant that was used to fund a Jefferson County community meeting to identify ways to enroll more children in CHP+. As a result of this meeting, along with feedback from other public meetings addressing the needs of the medically underserved, Christine formed the Jefferson County Health Care Access Coalition. This twelve agency member coalition continues to meet bimonthly and members work together to increase health care access for county residents and to partner on grant applications. Most recently, Christine served in a leadership role on the Aging Well in Jefferson County Initiative. She presented her committee’s findings at the Jefferson County 2010 Aging Summit on “Physical, Mental Health and Well Being in the Aged Population”. Christine serves on the Colorado Nurses Association Health Care Access Committee, where she brings a public health perspective, and presents to groups on health care access issues. She recently was appointed to the CALPHO Health Care Reform Task Force.

Christine is recognized in Colorado’s public health nurse community for her work on adapting the QUAD Council PHN Competencies for PHNs working in Communicable Disease, Maternal-Child Health, and Reproductive Health Clinics at JCPH. This work was done as her Capstone project for Jefferson County’s Management in Excellence Program. Through her presentations at APHA, CPHA and CPHND meetings and a NACCHO Webinar, state public health nurse consultants, and most recently PHNPC, have used her templates to develop Colorado PHN competencies in various areas of public health nursing. Christine received PHNAC’s Most Innovative Project Award in 2007 for this project. Christine has been Treasurer of PHNAC for the past three years. Her work in this position has resulted in PHNAC obtaining 501c6 status that allows donors to receive a tax credit for donations to support PHNAC’s Scholarship Fund.

Besides sharing her knowledge of public health and public health nursing through her committee, task force and professional association work, published newsletter articles, and conference presentations, Christine serves as a Clinical Scholar for the University of Colorado Denver College of Nursing. She has been a Nightingale Nominee, Colorado Nurses Association DNA 16 Nurse of the Year, and JCPH Employee of the Month. Christine is now deserving of the Lillian Wald Public Health Nurse Award. JCPH and the Colorado Public Health Community are fortunate to have a PHN with Christine’s commitment to quality work, compassion for the underserved, and dedication to community involvement and workforce development.

Most Innovative Project Award

Awarded to an innovative, outstanding and adaptable project developed or implemented by a local public health agency in addressing a public health issue(s) in the community.

The recipient of this award is…

Linda Sobeck
PHNAC Member

Linda is the epitome of a professional public health nurse.  She has taken “lemons” in her life and turned them into wonderful “lemonade.”  Her work on the Environmental Health (EH) Nursing in Colorado project is exceptional.  Although public health nurses are already practicing EH, this project will provide further creditability to our profession and make environmental health a fundamental component of nursing practice.  Thank you, Linda for all your hard work and dedication.  Rock on, sister!!

Cynthia Farkas, RN, FNP, MS
PHNAC Continuing Education Scholarship Recipient

I am very grateful to Public Health Nurses Association of Colorado (PHNAC) for awarding me a Continuing Education Scholarship to attend the Public Health in the Rockies Conference this year.  When I received the call notifying me of my nomination for an award, I was very surprised and thrilled.  The scholarship covered my registration costs and allowed me to attend.  I was honored to have received the Colorado Public Health Association (CPHA ) Lifetime Achievement Award in person.

Attending this conference ignited my enthusiasm and passion for Public Health and renewed the many friendships with colleagues I have worked with through the years.  As usual, the conference speakers and breakout sessions targeted very important Public Health topics of interest to me, i.e. Health Disparities, School Health, Communicable Diseases and Immunization, Access to Care, Advocacy, and more.

Although I retired in July 2010, I have remained active in Public Health Nursing as Part-time Faculty for Metropolitan State College Department of Nursing in the Baccalaureate Registered Nurse Completion Option (BRNCO) program.  I conduct  site visits to students in their Community Health Nursing clinical.  Students are placed in Denver Public and Charter Schools and Kaiser Clinics.  Students must complete a Community Assessment of their clinical site.  As a resource person and mentor, my Public Health experience is valuable in this position.  The CPHA conference provided me with excellent continuing education that I share with my students as relates to Public Health Core Functions.  Encouraging critical thinking skills in relation to the Ten Essential Functions of Public Health enrich their clinical experience, as all of these students come from acute care and long term care facilities.  I also share the PHNAC website with the students, encouraging them to explore careers in Public Health Nursing.

Attending the conference was a very rewarding experience in more ways than one.  I benefited professionally and personally, and I sincerely thank PHNAC and CPHA for the opportunity to strengthen my commitment to Public Health Nursing. 

Cynthia Farkas
10/24/11

Public Health Nursing Practice Research Workgroup
Poster Session – Thursday, September 22 – 10:00 – 11:00 am
Steamboat Sheraton, Tent
Presented by Alix Hopkins, Heather Hageman, Barbara Joyce, Rebecca Persing

This poster will provide a forum for public health nurses to share successes and barriers in developing and conducting public health research as well as the purpose and work of the PHNPC and the Practice Research Work Group.

Public Health Nursing Advocacy
Showcase Program – Friday, September 23 – 9:45 – 10:15 am
Steamboat Sheraton, Storm Peak
Presented by Karen O’Brien, Barbara Joyce, Tsering Dorjee, Brene Belew-LaDue

Colorado Public Health Nurses will receive results from their focus group work during the winter 2011 meeting of the Public Health Nurses Association of Colorado. A qualitative analysis was completed with key themes and messages. The session participants will provide input into the development of marketing tools for a public health nursing advocacy campaign.

Building Capacity for Public Health Nursing Research
Skill-building Program – Friday, September 23 – 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
Steamboat Sheraton, Storm Peak
Heather Hageman, Barbara Joyce, Alix Hopkins, Rebecca Persing, Armando Reyes

This work shop will empower Public Health Nurses and other health professionals to take increased ownership of their practice, to develop research methods and to disseminate findings for the purpose of broadly influencing public health outcomes. Facilitator led small group work will provide participants the opportunity to collaborate to use steps of the research process. Barriers to research and knowledge dissemination will be investigated and a needs assessment will provide momentum for future research based workshops and potential mentorship roles.

For more information on the conference, including a complete agenda, please visit www.coloradopublichealth.org.

Many people don’t know that I am a SCUBA diver.  The other day I was asked how activities in my personal life parallel with activities in my work life.  I started thinking about some cardinal rules in scuba diving and how they relate to what public health nurses do. 

The first cardinal rule of SCUBA diving is to plan your dive and dive your plan.  SCUBA divers never just gear up and jump in.  Diving gear must be methodically assembled; tank is full of air (check), air supply properly hooked up to the regulator (check), air supply turned on (check), and no leaks in the hoses (check).  Before diving, plans for the dive are documented in terms of location, how deep the divers will go, projected length of time the divers will stay under water, and the location and phone number of the nearest hospital (in case of a medical emergency). Likewise, in public health nursing, to prepare for a project or event, we methodically assemble all the things we need to be successful and avert crisis. For example, when preparing for points of dispensing as a result of a vaccine preventable outbreak, you ensure you have enough vaccine, enough supplies, enough skilled personnel to administer vaccine, provide an adequate location, and have a documentation process and a communication plan. You have an overall emergency preparedness plan, but you have to arrange the logistics to carry out the plan.  In this way, you may be under the gun with regard to time, but you are never behind the eight ball. 

Another cardinal rule of SCUBA diving is that you ALWAYS dive with a buddy. While under water you stay close to your buddy and communicate using standard hand signals. If something goes awry at 30 feet underwater, you and your buddy can fix the problem.  In fact, each SCUBA diver is equipped with not one, but two breathing regulators; one for the diver and the other for the buddy. If my buddy communicates to me that their air source is compromised, I have an extra breathing regulator to offer them.  We may have to end the dive early, but we both get to the surface safely.  Similarly, public health nurses rarely work in isolation. We consult with nurse colleagues and/or multi-disciplinary partners. I remember one occasion when my colleague interviewed a Medicaid client who was receiving hospital bills for delivery of a stillborn baby. I was working on delayed processing of presumptive eligibility cases. To help my colleague and friend I notified my contact at Medicaid to try to correct the glitch for the woman who was mourning her loss.  Although my colleague and I could not erase the very personal pain that the client was experiencing, we were able to eliminate at least one source of stress for her.  This may be simplistic example, but I think you get the gist of the analogy: always dive with a buddy and offer them assistance when they need it.

A third cardinal SCUBA rule is to document and share your dive experience. How much air did you use for the dive? How long did you dive? How deep did you dive? What was the temperature of the water? How many feet of visibility did you have? What great things did you see and do? SCUBA divers de-brief together after every dive.  Our scope of practice requires that we document our activities. I encourage you to go beyond the required documentation. Share your experiences (in compliance with HIPPA, of course!). De-brief and learn from each other’s triumphs and defeats. Public health nurses working in all environments see and do a lot of great things. We work in rural settings, in urban settings, for local health departments and for the state.  Each of us has a professional focus that is unique. Our common thread is that we all care and want to make a difference in our communities, towns, cities, counties and state. So, celebrate your great work and the work of others, share successes and defeats no matter what environment you work in. Learn from each other. Talk about problematic situations and find solutions together. And, should a nurse colleague run out of air at 30 feet under water, offer them yours so you can both make it back to the surface safely. 

Recently I have been considering this question.  As a public health nurse I have been directly involved with immunizations for over 18 years, so I clearly look through syringe style glasses on this issue!  I know vaccinations make a difference in our community every day.  Yet, I hear questions and concerns about vaccines from nurse colleagues that are alarming.  So, I started to ask myself what’s reasonable?  What should I expect from my colleagues?  And what should I do to communicate my expectations?

While this may sound odd, I think this is a critical issue.  Recently the American Nurses Association launched a new public service announcement (PSA) on the value of immunizations.  The PSA features a registered nurse as an immunization advocate, clinician and role model – not just to her patients but to her family and colleagues. It’s the first PSA produced specifically for nurses nationwide that demonstrates how nurses are influential, trusted promoters of immunization.

I was impressed and surprised by the PSA release.  I am thrilled my national nurse association is taking a positive position to promote nurses and their influence through vaccination advocacy.  Yet, this is counter to what I have observed recently in my discussions at the capitol on mandatory flu vaccinations for health care workers.  The Colorado Nurses Association (CNA) president was outspoken against any mandate that would require nurses to be vaccinated with influenza vaccine.  While she indicated CNA does not have a policy on other vaccinations, she did say they oppose an influenza vaccination mandate.  The rationale provided included: nurse’s rights to decline; potential personnel consequences for nurses who refuse and concerns about the vaccine safety.  I also asked an ANA representative at a recent meeting, what the ANA position was  on influenza vaccination, she indicated they defer to the States to determine that. 

Personally, I think ALL nurses should have routine vaccinations as a condition of employment.  Vaccines save lives, money ($10.20 is saved for every $1 invested) and protect others, patients, family and friends that are unable to be vaccinated (due to medical conditions or treatments).  Nurses are educated in a science based program, but often what I hear from nurses who oppose vaccines is not science based, but it is based on anecdotal information and emotional. 

So, back to my original question:  What should we expect from our nurse colleagues?  How should we communicate our expectations?  I propose:

1. We should expect:
   1. all nurses to be informed on vaccinations and to provide unbiased evidence-based information for their patients. . 
   2. all nurses to be vaccinated with routine vaccines (Tdap, MMR, Varicella, Influenza, Hepatitis B) as a condition of employment
   3. all nurses to advocate for prevention at all levels, starting with primary prevention through routine childhood, adolescent and adult vaccinations
2. We should communicate our expectations through all possible venues, meetings with nurses, letters to our associations, passing a resolution in PHNAC and other nurse organizations. 

So, now I would love to hear from you, what do you think we should expect?  How should we communicate our expectations?

Operations
Member/Marketing
Finance/Silent Auction
Bylaws
Scholarship/Nominating

Legislative Advocacy
Legislative Committee

Practice/Workforce Development
PHNPC
Workforce Development
Fall/Winter Conference
Education Committee
Mentoring

Please  post a comment  to let us know what you think about the proposed sections!

Please read this Case for Action document for your reference.  I will report more about the action steps that I have taken so far at our winter membership meeting on February 27th after the winter conference. I want to invite you to respond to this message with your individual input into this process.  It is my intention to represent your voice and your views on this important issue. Please take time to express your input so that I can include it as I move forward during the upcoming months. Thank you for your support and insight.

You can contact me at rbeam@tchd.org or respond to this blog.

Rita Beam, MS, RN

President, PHNAC 2008 – 09