Honoring Excellence, Promoting Inclusion, and Advancing in 2024
By Ann Kriebel-Gasparro
Ann Kriebel-Gasparro, DrNP, FNP-BC, GNP-BC, GS-C, FAANP
President
“Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art.” - Eleanor Roosevelt
Hello, GAPNA family!
As I continue my year as President of GAPNA, I am excited about many things GAPNA is involved in planning and moving forward in.
The Pharmacology Conference is coming up on March 21-23, 2024, at the Chicago Hilton. Registration is now open! For those unable to attend in person this year, pre-registration is available for On-Demand access through the GAPNA Library. I hope to see many of you there!
GAPNA Members On The Move
There are some wonderful congratulations to members who have received accolades:
Midge Bowers, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, has been selected as a fellow of the American College of Cardiology. She is the first advanced practice provider at Duke University to receive this designation. Midge is a past GAPNA Board member and is part of the Carolinas chapter. What a fantastic honor. We're so proud of you, Midge!
Natalie R. Baker, DNP, CRNP, GS-C, CNE, FAANP, FAAN, has been chosen as a Health and Aging Health Policy Fellow, Senate Special Committee on Aging. This is a prestigious one-year fellowship, and we hope Natalie will share her project at the conference in 2025.
Dr. Pam Cacchione, PhD, CRNP, BC, FGSA, FAAN, has been selected as the recipient of the 2024 Norma M. Lang Award for Scholarly Practice and Policy. University of Pennsylvania’s prestigious award recognizes excellence in clinical practice, research, and scholarship. Dr. Cacchione is a past president of GAPNA, an accomplished researcher, and is currently evaluating health failure monitoring socks. This product, developed by Dr. Cacchione, is one of many exemplars that led to her receiving this award.
A few GAPNA members have been recognized as 2023 Distinguished Educators in Gerontological Nursing by the National Hartford Center for Gerontological Nursing Excellence:
- Carli Carnish, DNP, MSN, MN, RN, APRN-BC
- Autumn Henson, DNP, APRN, GNP-BC
- Letha Joseph, DNP, AGPCNP-BC, FFNMRCSI, FAANP
- Donna E. McCabe, DNP, GNP-BC, PMHP-BC
- George Byron Peraza-Smith, DNP, GNP-BC, A-GNP-C, GS-C, CNE, FAANP
- Kimberly Posey. PhD, DNP, APRN, AGPCNP-BC, GS-C
- Laurie Wilson, MSN, APRN, AGPCNP-BC
CONGRATULATIONS to all of our GAPNA members who have achieved these distinctions in the past year! You are what makes GAPNA great!
Earn Your Gerontological Specialist Certification
If you are interested in taking the Geriatric Specialist Certification (GS-C) exam, the Pharmacology Conference is an excellent way to study and earn additional contact hours. If you cannot attend in person, you can pre-register to access the On-Demand recordings after the conference ends.
The GS-C exam can be scheduled online and has many locations for live test taking. The requirements, application, and test sites can be accessed at https://www.gapna.org/certification. I will confess I was a bit daunted by the task of taking another exam, but the study materials and the study webinar available in the GAPNA Online Library were very helpful. I highly recommend taking the exam to become a Gerontological Specialist-Certified!
Thank you to GAPNA’s Volunteer Leaders
I am immensely grateful to all the leaders and members who serve on committees, SIGs, and chapter boards at the state level. Without you, GAPNA would not maintain its status as the premier organization for older adults. Thank you all for your commitment to caring for older adults, and for your wonderful ideas!
How GAPNA Is Moving Forward
This year, GAPNA formed a DEI Task Force, co-chaired by Val Flattes and Sharon Bronner. Over the next year, this Task Force aims to make tangible recommendations on optimizing and sustaining efforts to strengthen GAPNA’s culture, ensuring the inclusion and value of all members and the communities they serve. Read GAPNA’s current Diversity Equity and Inclusion statement on the GAPNA website.
As everyone knows, climate change has resulted in severe weather across the U.S. this past year. Heatwaves, wildfires, floods, and hurricanes have affected vulnerable older adults, causing not only the loss of habitats but also health effects. GAPNA has joined the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE). As the liaison, I hope to bring you education, engagement opportunities, and environmental news to help improve care for our older adults during these events. Please feel free to join any of the initiatives and webinars sponsored by ANHE – they are usually free and educational, and you can become as active as you desire as an advocate for climate action.
The upcoming year will offer more opportunities and campaigns to increase student member engagement. Numerous chapters, committees, and SIGS exchange ideas during our monthly Chapter Leadership meetings. Please join in and share your great ideas.
Your continued membership and service have firmly positioned GAPNA as the leading organization for gerontological APRNs and healthcare professionals. As I continue my presidency, I want to thank all of you for your commitment, leadership, engagement, and compassion in serving the older adult population.
Ann Kriebel-Gasparro, DrNP, FNP-BC, GNP-BC, GS-C, FAANP
President
Ann.kriebel@gmail.com