More Than 200 Turn Out for Successful Spring Conference

New Directors and Officers Sworn In
Awards Given to Members

l. to r.:  Incoming Pres. Anne Perry and outgoing Pres. Evelyn Kieltyka

     A strong turnout of 210 nurse practitioners helped make the 2017 MNPA Spring Conference a big success.  Helping to draw in members and non-members alike was a diverse group of topics and speakers, ranging from chronic pain treatment options and hospice and palliative care, to wound injections and a crash course in the legislative process.
     Nationally-known author Shannon Brownlee, author of Overtreated: Why Too Much Medicine is Making Us Sicker and Poorer, was a big hit.  Brownlee is a nationally
known writer and essayist whose work has appeared in The Atlantic, New York Times Magazine, The New Republic, Slate, Time, Washington Monthly, Washington Post, Times of London, Los Angeles Times and BMJ, among many other publications. 
     Brownlee discussed her groundbreaking work on overtreatment and its implications for health care policy. Her book was named the best economics book of 2007 by New York Times economics correspondent David Leonhardt.
     The venue was one of MNPA's favorites:  Point Lookout in Lincolnville, Maine, overlooking the Fox Islands and Penobscot Bay.
     The conference was also highlighted by the elections of new officers to the board of directors and awards to two nurse
practitioners. Elected to the board of directors were:
President-elect - Bethany Jarvis
        Secretary - Terri Taylor
        Member-at-large - Kate Chichester
        Treasurer - Sherryl Kempton (re-election)
        Public Relations & Membership Co-chair - Deb Hoch
        Professional Dev.elpoment Co-chair - Donna Huff
        Legislative Co-chair - Connie Jordan
     Anne Perry is now MNPA's President and Evelyn Kieltyka moves to Immediate Past President.  Leaving the board of directors are Stephanie Small, Kathleen Webster and Tom Bartol. 
     Awards were given to Patricia Hamilton for NP Advocate of the Year award, and to Ann O'Brien for Nurse Practitioner Excellence award.

l. to r.:  Pres. Anne Perry, award recipient Patricia Hamilton, AANP delegate Valerie Fuller

 
l. to r.:  Pres. Anne Perry, award recipient Ann O'Brien, AANP delegate Valerie Fuller    

Two MNPA bylaw amendments were unanimously adopted at the annual meeting:
   1.  Creation of a new group membership category which offers a discount for 10 or more members in a group. 
   2.  Change of committee name from "Public Relations Committee" to "Public Relations and Membership Committee", placing greater emphasis on the committee's role in increasing and retaining members. 
     Additional highlights included a Membership Recruitment Update by Susan Doughty who reported on a four-month long recruitment effort resulting in MNPA's largest membership to date.  Many thanks to task force chair Kathy Coleman and task force members: Susan Doughty, Evelyn Kieltyka, Maureen Harpell and Anne Perry, with staff assistance (see article below).  
    Tom Bartol introduced two board initiatives:  Pilot Project to appoint a NP student to the Board of Directors for a 1-year term, and the development of a Preceptor of the Year Award.
    In an exciting, member-driven move, MNPA revisited our Universal Healthcare Resolution adopted at last year's annual meeting and added single-payer language to the resolution.

 MNPA Member Sara Hayes Featured in
 

     New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof frequently writes about human rights, women's rights, health and global affairs.  His column of March 4th was devoted to examining the likely consequences of  politically-based threats to vital health care for women, in a column titled,"She's 17 and Needs Birth Control. Do We Turn Our Backs?"
     The column features long-time MNPA member Sara Hayes NP of Freeport (above) who works at Family Planning Association of Maine which has clinics in Augusta, Lewiston and Rockland and other Maine locations.  To read the entire column, click here.