INSGNA NEWSLETTER APRIL 2009
IN The Scope of Things Volume 1 Issue 1
President’s Message: Dianna Burns RN BS CGRN
Spring has sprung and we are off to another exciting year! I would like to thank everyone for their participation in the Spring INSGNA Educational Course in Indianapolis. The roster of speakers was top notch. A special thank you to LeaRae Herron-Rice and her staff, as well as the Program committee, for all of their hard work. We were able to offer 5.0 out of 6.0 GI specific contact hours for the certified nurses looking for recertification hours. Great job!
I would like to encourage our membership to review and comment on the SGNA House of Delegates Resolutions found at www.sgna.org/Resources. Lea Anne Myers and I will be representing INSGNA in voting on the resolutions at the SGNA Annual Course in St. Louis, MO. The annual course keeps getting closer to home. You have missed the early bird registration but are still able to sign up for the course on May 15-20, 2009. May 15 th and 16 th are optional courses which will be an additional fee on top of the normal registration. The House of Delegates will be meeting on Friday, May 15 th. Everyone is invited to attend. Again, please refer to SGNA’s website www.sgna.org. The cost for transportation and room rates are very reasonable. If you need a roommate, please let us know, and we will attempt to find someone to share a room with you.
The SGNA Annual course in 2010 will be in Orlando, FL from April 30-May 6th, and in Indianapolis May 7-11, 2011. Please note the dates are a bit different-not as many conflicts with graduations!
Please watch the INSGNA website, www.INSGNA.org for upcoming events in 2009: INSGNA Fall Course in Valparaiso-9/19/09, and the Multi-Regional Course in Columbus, Ohio, October 24-26, 2009.
The INSGNA Board would like to take this opportunity to encourage our members to become more involved in the organization. We have room on all committees for members: Program, Membership, and Education/Scholarship. If you are interested, please go to the INSGNA website and contact a board member. We would love to have you join us in continued progress and growth of the organization.
Treasurer’s Report: Lea Anne Myers
It has been a busy first quarter for INSGNA. I have been busy formulating a budget for INSGNA based on what I have learned at the SGNA Leadership Conference this past October. Many of you may not realize that INSGNA has to report all of our income and expenditures to SGNA on a yearly basis as part of our annual re-chartering process. This information has to be broken down into 8 different categories established by SGNA. They are then able to report the information for our federal taxes. I have further broken down each category so that INSGNA can utilize the information to see trends in income and expenses. It helps us to formulate a budget plan so we are able to make informed decisions as to future expenses.
So, what does that mean to you? First, it means that members are able to request financial information about our organization so that you can understand how the money is spent. Next, it also means that more systematic approach is taken when the board makes financial decisions. Third, it also means that anyone considering hosting a spring or fall INSGNA conference has specific financial guidelines to follow, which makes it much easier to decide facilities, food, speakers, etc. Finally, it means that in the treasurer’s absence, another qualified board member could pick up and continue the financial business of our organization without much difficulty.
The financial review of 2008 has been completed and no problems were noted by the reviewer. These statements are available to members upon request. Just email me and I can send those documents to you. Our current balances as reported at the Spring Conference are as follows:
General Operations Account: $20,541.16
Education/Scholarship Account: $3,920.25
Emergency Fund CD: $11,609.46
If budget and finance is something you like doing, I would encourage you to contact me and become part of our Budget and Finance Committee. This is a great way to start getting involved with the organization and you can work your way up to becoming Treasurer (or another elected position). We do require the treasurer to have a minimum of 2 years experience on a committee or previous board position so this would be a great way to get started! Just email me if you are interested!
Website: Lea Anne Myers
We continue to work on the website as ideas are brought to our attention. We are trying to keep the calendar up-to-date with educational events and offerings. If you are having a Journal Club meeting or something of interest, please let me know via email so I can get those entered on the calendar. We are always looking for new ideas as well, so if there is something that you would like to see on the website let me know. All board members email addresses are on the website www.insgna.org. We are also looking for volunteers to work with the website. If that’s “your thing” let me know. Just another way to help you get involved in the organization!
Immediate Past President/Historian/Nominations and Elections Update: Suzanne Buchanan RN BSN CGRN
As Historian, I would love for any of you to send me pictures that you have taken over the years at INSGNA events as well as multi-regional and national events. I would like to create a slideshow to be shown at our 25th anniversary celebration. The more pictures that I have, the better it will be! You can mail them to me or send them by email. My address is 2201 West Ridge Drive, Mt. Vernon, IN 47620. My email address is melbuck@att.net.
As the Chair of the Nominations and Elections Committee, I would like to encourage everyone who would like to become more involved in INSGNA to volunteer to be on one of our committees. By working on one of the committees, the board members would like to mentor you toward one of the elected offices. It is very rewarding to be involved in this great organization. Please let one of the board members know if you are interested in becoming more involved.
Program Committee: Ann Minnicus RN
What a great turn out for the Spring Conference in Indianapolis, hosted by Indiana University Medical Center, Clarian Health Partners. There were 27 vendors present. The program provided 6 CEU’s, 5 were GI specific. LeaRae Herron-Rice and her staff did a terrific job.
Preparation is already underway for the Fall Conference on September 19, 2009 in Valparaiso, IN at the Strongbow Inn. Thanks to Ann Kikkert and her team at ENDO LABS for hosting this event. We hope to see you there!
The INSGNA will be celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2010; we are seeking hosts for both the spring and fall conferences. If you are interested in hosting a conference please contact:
Ann Minnicus, RN
INSGNA Program Committee
4774 N. State Road 25
Delphi, Indiana 46923
765-714-8524
Scholarship Committee: Donita Scott BSN RN CGRN
Congratulations to Loretta Hall. She is the recipient of the 2009 Annual Course Scholarship. I regret to say that there were no other applicants. A big THANK YOU goes out to all who participated in the 50/50 raffle at the Spring Conference. Once again it has proven to be a success. Half of the money received goes into the scholarship fund. The committee remains open to any suggestions, questions, or volunteers willing to serve as a committee member.
Funds remain available to attend the Multi-regional Conference, and for certification as well as re-certification. Criteria for eligibility shall be limited to INSGNA/SGNA member in good standing for a minimum of one year. Scholarship applications need to be completed and forwarded to me.
Scholarship Deadlines:
August 15th – Fall and Multi-Regional Conferences
December 1- Certification and Re-certification reimbursement after successfully passing the exam
Please send to:
Donita Scott
Gastroenterology Department
Indiana University Hospital
Fax 317-278-3178
H 317-359-1340
W 317-274-0984
Membership Committee – Betty Wright
INSGNA has lost 49 members since 11/24/08. Fourteen new members have joined. There has been a loss of 33% of our membership and much work is needed to increase our numbers. These are truly trying times due to the economy, but the learning available to us through INSGNA is bountiful. Any questions regarding membership can be sent to me at eawright@stvincent.org.
Education Committee – LeaRae Herron-Rice
Have an idea for GI education? Then the Education Committee is looking for you! We need new members who are interested in helping the committee to identify our membership needs and provide them with resources. Survey results for the spring conference revealed a need for general information on infection control, scope reprocessing, and more nursing focused presentations. The committee would also like to look at web-based educational tools. If you are interested in joining the committee or have some ideas for topics please contact me at 317-274-2625.
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