The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps - we must step up the stairs. Vance Havner
It takes a big man to admit when he's wrong, and an even bigger one to keep his mouth shut when he's right.IN THIS ISSUE, FOR YOU:
ON THE SCHEDULE AND DISTRICT MEETINGS
CALIFORNIA NURSES UNION HAS BIG PLANS FOR LONE STAR STATE
AACOM ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP ELECTIONS
ONLINE CONSUMER RATING SERVICE ADDS HEALTHCARE CATEGORIES TO ITS WEB SITE
OR YOUR INFORMATION: PATIENT AMENDMENTS TO THEIR MEDICAL RECORDS
MAKE YOUR WEB SITE PATIENT-FRIENDLY
PHYSICIAN WORKFORCE CRISIS? WRONG DIAGNOSIS, WRONG PRESCRIPTION
CMS RELEASES FINAL E-PRESCRIBING RULE
AOA HEALTH POLICY NOTES
THE COST OF PUSHING PILLS
APRIL IS NATIONAL HUMOR MONTH; LET'S CELEBRATE
ON THE SCHEDULE AND DISTRICT MEETINGS:
District 13 Thursday, April 17th, 6:30 p.m.
Sullivan's Steak House
11795 N. Dallas Parkway
Dallas, TX
District 7 Thursday, April 17th, 6:30 p.m.
Shoreline Grill
98 San Jacinto
Austin, TX
District 4 Saturday, April 19, 2008, 12:00 noon
Cypress Street Station
(Downtown Abilene)
158 Cypress Street
Abilene, TX 79601
TOMA PRESIDENTIAL VISIT
District 8 Thursday, April 24th, 6:30 p.m.
Viet Nam Restaurant (Please note this CHANGE)
Corpus Christi, TX
District 10 Tuesday, May 27th, 6:30 p.m.
Lubbock Country Club
Lubbock, TX
District 7 Friday, August 8th
Reception and Mixer to welcome incoming residents
TOMA Building, 1415 Lavaca
Austin, TX
District 7 Thursday, August 21st
April 24, 2008 DO Day on the Hill
American Osteopathic Association (AOA)
Registration forms can be found at D.O. Online.
April 26, 2008 (Saturday) TOMA House of Delegates
Sheraton Hotel,
701 E. 11th St. (I-35 & 11th St.),
Austin, TX
May 17th Graduation, UNTHSC, Fort Worth, TX
June 19-22, 2008 Joint Annual Convention - TOMA & TX ACOFP
Intercontinental Hotel, Dallas, TX
REGISTER TODAY.
Earth Day April 22, 2008
Administrative Professionals Day April 23, 2008
National Volunteer Week: April 27-May 3, 2008
CALIFORNIA NURSES UNION HAS BIG PLANS FOR LONE STAR STATE
Local union not happy about Texas' newest player
HOUSTON- The California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, which last month became the only union to represent nurses at a private hospital in Texas, is embarking on an aggressive campaign to recruit nurses across the state.
Ed Bruno, national organizing coordinator for NNOC, says the CNA is the only union in the state raising public awareness to win legislation to mandate lowered nurse-to-patient staffing ratios. "This is the first step toward organization. In Texas there is no organization for nurses to speak of. There is the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, but they only represent the public sector and they don't have collective bargaining rights," he says.
Although Bruno says the union is the only one of its type, Greg Powell, administrator for the AFSCME Local 1550, says the AFSCME has been representing nurses here for 40 years and his union resents the CNA's methods of entering the Texas market. "Initially we were happy they came in, they promote legislative and global issues that all nurses are interested in, and we wanted to work with them, but they weren't interested in that. They are raiding an already existing organization," says Powell.
Bruno says his group is not interested in infringing on an already existing union, but says it's important for the state to have a union that represents nurses exclusively. "We can offer nurses legislative and organizing clout that extends beyond the public sector," he says. Although he says he cannot identify specific hospitals or markets the group is targeting, he expects the union will eventually represent all of the major markets in the state. CNA represents 80,000 nurses nationwide. - Kathryn Mackenzie
From: Texas Healthflash, by HCPro, Inc., www.healthleadersmedia.com
AACOM ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP ELECTIONS
The American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) is proud to announce results from its annual leadership elections. Michael Adelman, DO, JD, was elected Chair of the AACOM Board of Directors; Anthony Silvagni, DO, PharmD, was elected Chair-elect; Marc Hahn, DO, was elected Secretary-Treasurer; and Kendall Reed, DO, was elected to the Executive Committee, joining Silvia Ferretti, DO, John Fernandes, DO, and John Ferretti, DO, Chair of the AACOM Assembly of Presidents. Congratulations!
