The New York Academy of Medicine has for the first time named a nurse to be its president: Ann Kurth, PhD, MPH, MSN. Kurth, whose tenure begins January 1, will also be the first non-physician to lead the 175-year-old organization. Kurth is dean of the Yale School of Nursing and professor at the Yale School of Public Health, and an epidemiologist and clinically trained nurse-midwife.

Penn Nursing’s new community care program welcomes Kimberly Strauch, PhD, MSN, ANP-BC, as its first executive director, just in time for the first cohort of fellows this fall. The Leonard A. Lauder Community Care Nurse Practitioner Program, announced in February, is a tuition-free program dedicated to building a workforce committed to working in and with underserved communities.

A new video shines a light on the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action’s successes and plans to advocate for a healthier America for all through nursing. The video spotlights equity goals that guide the Campaign, which is an initiative of AARP Foundation, AARP, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 

Many low-income Medicare beneficiaries are scraping by—or worse, going without medications—because they don’t know they qualify for financial aid. That’s why AARP Foundation is partnering to spread word of federal programs designed to help pay for health care. Medicare Savings Programs “put money back in people’s pockets,” says Nicole Heckman, AARP Foundation’s director of benefits access. (See grant opportunity below.)

A study focused especially on registered nurses shows that a more diverse health care workforce leads to improved maternal health outcomes. The researchers analyzed data from 2017 U.S. birth certificates, finding that the states with the highest nurse diversity were associated with a reduced risk of severe adverse maternal outcomes.

Fans of the Campaign for Action like to learn what’s happening in other states. But we might not know your stories. Help us celebrate your efforts and share details of progress by dropping a note to Aidan McCallion at [email protected]. We’ll spread the news through news posts to our blog, social media, and the Campaign Update.

Calling all community organizations with ideas to engage and inform older adults—especially those in historically underserved populations: AARP Foundation seeks to let low-income Medicare recipients know that they can tap into federal Medicare Savings Programs for many health costs (see item above). The grants are open to organizations in 22 priority states. Deadline: August 3.

Evidence for Action funds grants based on the premise that achieving racial equity is not possible without a focus on the foundational and structural drivers of health. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation program seeks to fund researchers who will focus on the systems, structures, laws, policies, norms, and practices that give rise to health inequities.

The Journal of Professional Nursing seeks to add reviewers to help in its peer review of manuscripts. The need is greatest now for those with expertise in qualitative research methods and statistics, but the publication welcomes applications from others who have proficiency in other areas.

Do you and your team have an idea for redesigning a healthy environment where the workforce can thrive? Pitch your idea for a chance to receive a grant up to $250,000 to bring it to life. Nurse-led nonprofit health systems—ideally, those that are interdisciplinary—are invited to start by completing the eligibility form. Deadline: August 18.

Take a chance on your ideas, says the American Nurses Association in seeking submissions for its 2023 Innovations Award. Awards will be presented to a nurse and to a nurse-led team whose product, program, or practice exemplify nurse-led innovation in patient safety or outcomes. For example: A recent winning idea was for a pop-up clinic. Deadline: November 4. 

Meetings and Webinars

Meetings open to all unless otherwise noted. Follow links for details about fees and registration.