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Well-Being at the Center of Life

The Nurses Culture of Health Alliance advocates independent nursing practice as the foundation for building a culture of health at the community level and healthcare reform that reduces the incidence of health disparities and health inequity.

Generic Blueprint for Establishing Independent Nursing Practice

The Nurses Culture of Health Alliance

Health policy, enacted through legislation, directs the provision of healthcare in this country. In Massachusetts, the absence of policies and procedures that support citizen’s natural tendencies to remain or regain health led to an initiative, a series of actions, by a small group of nursing professionals with a passion for identifying and preserving health as a natural condition; a realistic expectation for people everywhere. Hence, influenced by national foundations and local authorities, the group set out to meet the challenge to find ways to build a culture of health in alliance with cross-sector allies. The challenge culminated in creating a virtual campus on a website dedicated to teaching and learning in an environment of change in the delivery of healthcare. A summary of the Massachusetts Healthcare Law, AKA Chapter 224, as written in 2013 when the initiative was conceived can be accessed by following link in the Resources Tab under Legislation.

Early Supporters and Founders of a Nursing Initiative

From the beginning of this endeavor, Dr. Vanetzian emphasized the critical need to define, initiate and promote foundational ideas which evolved to become the Nurses Culture of Health Initiative. These emphasized the responsibility of nurses for health promotion and illness prevention in all settings with attention to determinants of health. Early members of an exploratory group included:

E. Ann Sheridan, EdD, RN, NP, nurse educator, colleague, and Living Legend in Massachusetts Nursing with whom the vision was initially explored with strategies to match early ideas. Her introduction to Camille Ballestri, MS, APRN brought an aging perspective to conversations on health and wellness.

Susan Megas, DNP, RN, whose practice is in the Neuropsychology Division, Memory Disorders Program at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA. Dr. Megas expressed interest and support for expanding the foci of nursing practice.

Winona Moeller is a U.S. Army Nurse LTC [Ret] who served with the American Red Cross in Europe during the Vietnam War. With decades of nursing practice experience, Mrs. Moeller has consulted in public health throughout the United States.

Amanda Stone, RN,Amanda Stone, RN former president of the Massachusetts Association of Public Health Nurses (MAPHN) and director of a successful and valued town-funded hybrid community/public health nursing practice in Mattapoisett, MA. Amanda served as a member of the first core leadership group. She was instrumental in advancing the organizational structure of the Nurses Culture of Health Initiative to that of an Alliance, she brainstormed mission & vision statement and designed the official NCHA logo.

Victoria Palmer-Erbs PhD, RN, has a long-standing involvement with nursing education, community and mental health nursing, and school health nursing at the Cambridge Public Health Department and the Cambridge MA Public Schools. Dr. Palmer-Erbs, expressed an interest sharing the Nurses Culture of Health Initiative’s early work with other state-wide nursing groups, such as the Massachusetts School Nurse Organization (MSNO) and an Annual Meeting of ANAMASS.

MaryEllen Doona, PhD, RN, historian, keeper of records documenting nursing practices and at the time, author of Clio’s Corner of the Massachusetts Report on Nursing, left a handwritten note for Dr. Vanetzian at the poster session of an ANAMASS Annual Meeting. Dr. Doona provided reference to early community nursing practices known as district nursing, precursor to home nursing care in Boston, Massachusetts.

Mary Grant, MS. RN, former legislator to the Massachusetts House of Representatives and fellow member of the nursing's professional association, served concurrently as a member of ANAMASS Board of Directors. Mary and Amanda brainstormed the NCHA Vision/Mission statement. She served as a member of the first NCHA Core Leadership Group.

Cheryl Bartlett, RN, former Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health accepted an invitation to join based on the recommendation of a former colleague at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. She served as a member of the first NCHA Core Leadership Group.

Victoria Grimes-Holsinger, DNP, RN, PHN. CRNI, has expertise in population health and the impact of stress, policy and ethics on the health of nurses. Dr. Grimes-Holsinger served as a member of the first NCHA Core Leadership Group.

Eleanor Vanetzian, PhD, RN, CS is a nurse educator with years of clincal and classroom teaching experience at entry, advanced practice, and doctoral levels. Years of educating sudents to the care of individuals, families and groups with minor and terminal illnesses caused her to convene the group and turn nursing's focus onto illness prevention and health promotion, which hold the potential for individuals, families and groups to live their healthiest lives.

It is well known that a rising tide lifts all boats and we move toward shore as one. In the same way, building a culture of health raises the level fof health for everyone living in a given community. Health disparities and health inequities are reduced or removed as everyone moves, intentionally together to higher levels of wellness.

Dr. Vanetzian convened a meeting of nurses with an interest in health and healthcare reform. The group first met in-person at the College of Nursing on the University of Massachusetts campus in Amherst. Three nurse educators; a school nurse; an APRN in gerontology and a public health nurse attended. Discussion focused on short-comings of the Massachusetts healthcare law and how to draw attention to the absence of health as an organizing concept in the law. A suggestion by the public health nurse to contact someone from the Massachusetts Association of Public Health Nurses (MAPHN) led Vanetzian to access the MAPHN website along with access to the Robert Wood Johnson (RWJF) National Culture of Health Initiative. This, and recommendations of the Future of Nursing Report (IOM, RWJF, AARP) greatly influenced future thinking and ideas considered by the Interest Group.

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