Announcement

President's Report
by: Rod Betit (May 04, 2007)

Summary: Brenda MacKinnon, ASHNHA Office Manager, has announced her retirement effective July 31, 2007. Brenda began her career at ASHNHA on January 15, 1995. Brenda has been a mainstay at ASHNHA through that period, keeping ASHNHA grounded through 5 different C

Full Story: el PRESIDENT’S REPORT May 4, 2007 ________________________________________ Update as of May 3, 2007:  HB 4 Certificate of Need - As reported last week we do not expect any more committee action on CON this year. Focus will now shift to interim public testimony to the House and Senate HES Committees over the next 6 months.  HB 228 Workers Compensation Rates - ASHNHA’s initiative to address medical rates for workers compensation claims continues to move forward. The measure has passed the House and been referred to the Senate. The Senate made only one committee referral to Labor & Commerce. With only one committee assignment we should see HB228 make it through this year. Governor Palin has added this bill to her ‘must pass’ list which is also a big help.  SB62, establishing the Advisory Committee on Public Reporting of Health Care Associated Infections, remains in Senate Finance. No hearing scheduled at this time.  SB 28 Mandatory Nurse Overtime - this bill was heard and held in Senate Labor & Commerce last week. There was heavy testimony from both sides of this issue. It is expected that this bill will be brought back up again the week of May 7 but at this time there are no hearings scheduled.  HB 71 Licensing of Rad Techs - Still in House Labor and Commerce with a hearing. There are no additional hearings scheduled at this time. Overall we are accomplishing the Board’s top 2007 legislative priorities (passage of WWAMI, delay of further CON discussion until the interim, extend worker comp rate freeze with CPI index, and resist nurse overtime mandates). I am not expecting any major surprises in the final two weeks of the Session. ________________________________________ ________________________________________ Frank Sutton, V.P. SEARHC, wanted me to thank each of you for your messages of support during his recent illness. His recovery is progressing well. Frank greatly appreciates the cards, phone calls, thoughts and prayers. He is now doing some work from home but is kept on a pretty tight leash by his physician. ________________________________________ Thomas Ashenbrenner, President, and Judith Woodruff, Nursing Program Director, of the Northwest Health Foundation were in Alaska last week to conduct site visits related to Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Partners Investing in Nursing's Future program. This grant funds the development of the Rural Generalist preceptor program and the RRANN (Recruitment and Retention of Alaska Natives into Nursing) project in Bethel that ASHNHA is managing. Thomas and Judith visited all the partners in the project and made a trip to Bethel to see, first hand, how the program operates in a rural community. They were also treated to a visit to Kwethluk to better understand the very rural communities. The visit was very positive and gave the Northwest Health Foundation a complete picture of what Alaska is doing to make this grant a success. They were very impressed with the amount of work that has been accomplished on the grant to date. ________________________________________ Brenda MacKinnon, ASHNHA Office Manager, has announced her retirement effective July 31, 2007. Brenda began her career at ASHNHA on January 15, 1995. Brenda has been a mainstay at ASHNHA through that period, keeping ASHNHA grounded through 5 different CEOs since 1995. Brenda advanced to Office Manager in 2003 upon Rod Betit’s arrival, and has proven repeatedly the wisdom of that promotion. Brenda has been a key figure in the financial revitalization of ASHNHA, insuring that the grants and dues funded activities are meticulously accounted for. We are stunned by her decision to retire and announce this now only because our pleading for her to stay on has had no effect on her decision. Those of you who know Brenda will not be surprised by this! Upcoming Meetings of Interest: • AHA Annual Meeting (D.C.) - May 6 through 9, 2007 in Washington, D.C. • National Rural Health Association Meeting (Anchorage) - May 14 through 17, 2007 in Anchorage, Alaska. • ASHNHA 2007 Annual Meeting (Petersburg) – to be held in conjunction with education sessions August 6 through August 9, 2007 in Petersburg. The ASHNHA meeting will take place on August 8 & 9. • ASHPIN Board Meetings: - May 15, July 11 and August 7 in conjunction with the Annual Meeting in Petersburg.

Downloads
May 4 2007.pdf