Arkansas Organization of Nurse Executives

The primary goal of Arkansas Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) is to provide a network to advance the development of nursing administration in healthcare institutions. AONE offers a platform for the exchange of ideas, information and materials that are fundamental to nursing executives. The organization promotes leadership, professional development and encourages collaboration to further advance nursing and patient care. AONE is comprised of nurse leaders and aspiring nurse leaders from across Arkansas and is a non-profit organization, affiliated with the American Organization of Nurse Executives and Arkansas Hospital Association.
	Arkansas Governor’s Award 2009 Healthcare Challenge Seminar What happens when you combine a proven method of assessing how your organization is performing in the present economic environment with an opportunity for professional development and benchmarking with leading industries in our state? You have the Governor’s Quality Award Program and five major healthcare organizations in the state joining forces to present the 2009 Challenge Healthcare Seminar. The Foundation for Medical Care, American Data Network, Arkansas Healthcare Association, Arkansas Hospital Association, and Community Health Centers of Arkansas have all partnered to bring improvement and success in the healthcare field in the state. The Intent to Apply deadline to be a participant in the Governor’s Quality Award is just around the corner on Wednesday, April 1. The beginning level of the Governor’s Quality Award is the Challenge Level. This level allows you to challenge your company to start the process to quality improvement with only a three-page organizational summary. You can apply at any level of the program and participate in the Challenge Seminar and Benchmark Tours. The Challenge Healthcare Seminar scheduled for June 10 at the Statehouse Convention Center will be an excellent professional development opportunity for your staff. Ten members of your staff can attend this seminar and gain valuable knowledge about not only improving the healthcare field as a whole but how they can apply those improvements to their individual organizations. The featured speaker is Dr. Carl Couch, Senior Consultant for Clinical Excellence and Medical Director for HealthTexas Provider Network with Baylor Healthcare. Dr. Couch will provide strategies for improvement and professional development through organizational leadership, understanding who your customers are and how to best serve them, measurement and feedback, and employee partnerships at all levels. For over 15 years the Governor’s Quality Award Program has been serving Arkansas’s organizations by identifying business strengths and opportunities for improvement and creating a culture of quality by using the Baldrige Criteria. Through probing questions, the Criteria guide leaders and organizations to discover what is important and how to align everything the organization does to reduce costs, focus on customers and employees, and ensure overall organizational effectiveness. If you’re interested in applying to the program and receiving the benefits of application, go to www.arkansas-quality.org for more information. Please contact Sue Weatter at sweatter@arkansasstatechamber.com or call 501-372-2222 for additional questions.
	American Data Network announces Grant for Leadership and Innovation in Healthcare Quality, Safety, and Patient Care St. Bernards Medical Center, Jonesboro, has been selected to receive the 2008 American Data Network Quality Grant according to President and CEO, Malcolm “Cole” Williamson. The five thousand dollar grant has been awarded in support of St. Bernards’ educational efforts through the development of a National Patient Safety Goal lab. The National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG) were implemented in 2003 by the Joint Commission, an organization which evaluates and accredits more than 15,000 healthcare organizations and programs in the United States. The NPSGs were established to help organizations focus attention on a series of specific actions that lead to medical mistakes. These goals, updated yearly, are modeled after evidenced-based practices and have become pivotal in promoting and enforcing major changes in patient safety. The grant supports St. Bernards’ development of a Patient Safety Lab, designed to complement their annual patient care and competency program. In an effort to improve the educational process and yearly competency evaluations of over 800 nursing professionals, St. Bernards revised their program to focus on the NPSGs and offer hands-on experience in crisis intervention. Through the use of a crisis manikin, St. Bernards’ staff will be able to simulate varying conditions, recognize warning signs of impending danger, and return-demonstrate life-saving skills. “At St. Bernards, we are dedicated to maintaining quality and integrity in the care we provide”, Ben Owens, President, said “and receiving this grant from American Data Network will allow us to continue with our educational efforts focused on patient safety. We are proud to be chosen and I applaud our team on developing an outstanding program worthy of selection.” Click here for more info Cole Williamson, CEO and President, American Data Network presents the grant money to St. Bernards Medical Center representatives, Beth Faught, Sara Lamberson, and Angie Smith