MASSACHSETTS EMERGENCY NURSES ASSOCIATION

STATE COUNCIL MEETING

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 15, 2006

WYNDHAM WESTBOROUGH

 

ATTENDANCE: Robin Walsh, Faye Everson, Laura Raymond, Joan Cooper-Zack, Deb Delaney, Nancy Dryer, Kay McClain, George O’Neil, Deb Donahue, Carlene Kincaid, Barb Foley, Linda Unda, Gina Crocker, Mary Martel, Yvonne Michaud, Julie Bunn

 

GUESTS: Jay Barrett, Debbie Tonelli, Eva Bodio, Phyllis Berg, Deb Pentecost, Barbara McCary, Donna Zimmerman, Dan Kane, Sheila Silva, Kate Whalen

 

Meeting called to order by Robin Walsh at 1740.

Welcome and introductions.

Minutes of November 2005 meeting distributed and approved as written.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT:

  1. There is still opportunity to register for the ENA Austin Leadership conference.
  2. Our board liaison this year is Patricia Kunz Howard, Immediate Past President.
  3. Please consider submitting a bylaws change or resolution. Robin has included a packet with instructions. There is also information available online at the ENA website with examples of suggested bylaws resolutions. North Carolina plans to submit a resolution that retired members of ENA will be dues free. Robin reports that North Carolina is looking for co-sponsors to this resolution. Please contact Robin is there are suggestions or an interest in this area. The deadline for submission of bylaw changes or resolutions is 4/7/06.
  4. ENA Award nominations deadline is 5/4/06. Please consider and forward to Robin a list of possible candidates by 3/5/06.. The awards handout packet has been included in meeting packet. Kay McClain would like to nominate Bill Briggs for the Kelliher Award.
  5. A candidate’s forum will be held 2/25/06 from 12p-1:30p at the Austin conference. This will afford membership an opportunity to meet and listen to those running for a National office.
  6. BOD meeting agendas and minutes can be found on line. This is a result of a resolution at the 2005 Nashville assembly which sought transparency in leadership. Robin reports that the December, January and February voting records are not online. This was brought to the BOD attention that the resolution was not being followed. After group discussion it was determined that Robin would send an e-mail on behalf of the Massachusetts State Council strongly urging the BOD to follow the resolution and include individual voting records in the minutes not just highlights of the meeting.
  7. Sophia Veinoglou Berkshire Chapter representative has written an article in the ENA connection. Please take an opportunity to read it.
  8. Robin has developed a State Awards handout using criteria from other states. This was discussed at the January Executive Committee Meeting. Awards will be presented for Nurse Educator, Nurse Practice Award, Nurse Manager Award and a Behind the Scenes Award.
  9. MENA website needs to be revitalized. Robin requests information about possible ways to do this. If there is anyone who has a talent or knowledge of someone who does please contact Robin. Currently MENA pays $500.00 and this fee applies to all updates to the website. Yvonne Michaud thought $2000.00 would be an amount that would provide a professional update as well as training for some to update it themselves. Robin would like the MENU to be posted on the website but currently there is no ability to do this. Other suggestions were the minutes and agendas of State Council meetings could be posted as well. This would give our State Council transparency to membership as well. The group agreed this should be a priority focus.
  10. MENU contributions are due now.

 

TREASURER’S REPORT

Budget report is deferred until April meeting.     

 Treasury Account as of January 31, 2006

        Karen ONeil Account                                           $  5039.96

        Injury Prevention Account                         $17,453.93

        General Business                                                  $23,771.57

         Three CDs                                                          $26,137.77

 

MENA CONFERENCE 2006 REPORT

Conference will be held March 21, 2006. Julie Bunn reported on vendor activity. As of this date only 2 checks have been received from vendors. She encourages all to seek support from individual hospitals for MENA. Julie sought input from the group as to whether uniform vendors should be allowed, the group agreed. She has a publisher willing to donate books in lieu of vendor fee, the group felt cost of donated books should equal vendor fee. A suggestion form the group that Cambridge Medical Support Stocking Co. be contacted about opportunity to participate.

There is no clear data available at present regarding registrations. Group members took flyers to post at individual hospital sites.

 

NERS 2007 REPORT

Gina Crocker presented a description of the various hotels visited with the pros and cons of each site as determined by her and Julie Bunn. Sites included Radison Hotel in Plymouth, Hawthorne in Salem, Ferncroft in Danvers and Sheraton in Hyannis.

Many questions from the group were put forth about the size of the rooms in the Radison.

Following discussion  the group recommended that a theatre seating arrangement for the Keynote session  would be acceptable.

MOTION FOR VOTE by George O’Neil to vote on a site and date to hold NERS 2007 2nd by _________________

 

Vote results as follows:  Hawthorne, Salem                   0

                                        Radison, Plymouth                23

                                        Sheraton, Hyannis               0

                                         Ferncroft, Danvers              2

                             

                                     Wednesday April 25-Friday April 27           25

                                      Wednesday May 2-Friday May 4                0

 

The NERS 2007 will be held at the Radison Hotel in Plymouth April 25-27, 2007.

Flyers will be developed for distribution at NERS 2006 in New Hampshire. The group recommends the proposal estimate of attendance to be 200 and the room estimate to be 75. The NERS group will have a conference call 3/22/06 at 6pm.

 

INJURY PREVENTION UPDATE

Yvonne Michaud reports that House Bill 229 regarding seatbelts passed. Watch for further calls from this group for support.

 

OLD BUSINESS

GENE-Kay McClain reports that the GENE plan is as follows: A series of 4 web seminars will be delivered 3pm EST April and May each will last 1-2 hours. The cost will be similar to the current price. The Wednesday before San Antonio General assembly GENE will be presented. Finally a computer home study program will be developed at the current cost.

LEADERSHIP 2007-Maureen Curtis-Cooper is the local liaison

 

NEW BUSINESS

North Carolina Bylaw Amendment was again discussed as per president report. Please contact Robin if there is an interest in MENA supporting this resolution.

 

Meeting adjourned at 1845.

 

Respectfully submitted by,

 

Laura Raymond, Secretary