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Who We Are and Our History
Hudson Valley New York Black Nurses Association, Inc. is a non-profit organization incorporated/charted with NBNA that represents nurses. The mission is to provide a forum for collective action by African American nurses to represent and provide a platform for Black nurses to advocate for and implement strategies to ensure access to the highest quality of health care for persons of color. The non-profit organization is committed to excellence in policy and advocacy, addresses community/county needs and education, and conducts continuing education programs for nurses and allied health professionals throughout the year. Our organization also understands the global aspects of health and is devoted to combining local and global perspectives in our population health approach. In addition, the association provides annual scholarships for members—Collaborates with private and public agencies.
Vision Statement: To impact collegial relationships, global nursing, and our communities.
Our theme: We are Built differently: empowering each nurse and improving our communities for better health.
Hudson Valley New York Black Nurses Association, Inc. adheres to The National Black Nurses Association, Inc. (NBNA.org) to provide leadership to advance nursing practice and improve health care for all Americans, particularly the un-served and the underserved, shape health policy for accessing and delivering health care services. We are actively engaged in the many issues currently challenging the nursing profession. There is no better time than now that African American nurses need to work together in their professional associations to survive and prosper in this time of change in the reform of our health care system.
Although nurses anywhere can join, the chapter region spans the following counties – Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, Delaware, Westchester, Columbia, Greene, and Bronx. In addition, we accept any nurse and affiliate outside the counties who want to join the chapter.
Our Founders
Founder: Angela A. Appiah
Ph.D., DNP, MPH, RN, COA, FAACM
Co-Founders:
Denise Robinson, DNP, MPH, RN, WOCN
Joelle Coq, DNP, RN, NEA-BC
Chapter
Building on the National Black Nurses Association, Inc., the Hudson Valley New York Black Nurses Association, Inc. was founded to bring the purpose, objectives, goals, vision, and mission to the Hudson Valley, especially for those who live in the area.
In 2021 to 2022, Dr. Angela A. Appiah examined the counties surrounding the Hudson Valley and reviewed the Community Health Needs Assessment for each County within the Hudson Valley. Since most nurses in the Hudson Valley work outside the Valley, Dr. A. Appiah examined how all nurses in the county can come together to address the global concerns among the population and health. She recruited Drs. Denise Robinson and Joelle Coq joined her in drafting a solution to collaborating with other organizations to collaboratively impact the social and health concerns within the Hudson Valley. The nurse leaders envisioned a better healthcare system, population health, community and global approach to the concerns. They took action and founded the chapter.
The founding of the Hudson Valley New York Black Nurses Association, Inc., as an incorporated chapter of the National Black Nurses Association, Inc., marked a significant milestone in the history of black nurses in the Hudson Valley, making a difference in social factors, social and physical determinants of health, policy, and advocacy, and physical conditions of the environment where they are born, live, learn, play, work, and age which impacts a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes.
Some of the critical issues identified in the Hudson Valley in New York were the need to maintain contact, share ideas, support, and expertise with each other, and identify other black nurses interested in discussing and impacting counties' issues, problems, needs, and ideas. For community needs, we used the Community Health Needs Assessment collaboratively conducted by the counties organizations and hospitals
https://sullivanny.us/sites/default/files/departments/PHS/2022%20REGIONAL%20CHA.pdf
https://www.montefiore.org/documents/communityservices/MMC-2022-CHNA-CSP-Report-FINAL.pdf
https://www.bronxcare.org/fileadmin/SiteFiles/Images/1-About_Us/d-Community_Service_Plan/CSP_2022_12.15.22_FINAL.pdf
https://www.columbiamemorialhealth.org/capital-region-community-health-needs-assessment/
https://www.healthycapitaldistrict.org/content/sites/hcdi/2019_CHNA/2019_HCDI-Community-Health-Needs-Assessment.pdf
Interim officers were elected, and committee chairs were selected between August 2022 to 2023. Additionally, the many tasks needed to establish the chapter as a formal chapter were identified and completed by Dr. Angela Appiah. The following officers and committee chairpersons were selected. The leadership and members present during the formation agreed to the following executive board leadership positions:
- Dr. Angela A. Appiah, Founder, President & Parliamentarian, mentoring program
- Dr. Denise Robinson, Co-Founder, 1st Vice President
- Dr. Joelle Coq, Co-Founder, 2nd Vice President
- Mary Chatfield, Secretary
- Sabrina Newton, Membership Chair
- Ellen Adu-Menkah, Membership Co-Chair
- Treasurer Irene Ondieki & Angela Appiah
- Policy and advocacy, Stephanie Degraft
- Scholarship, Awards, Planning, Stephanie Degraft, Joelle Coq, & Denise Robinson
The Founding Members included 45 Nurses as Follows:
The founding members of the Hudson Valley New York Black Nurses Association, Inc. understand that to make a difference in the quality of life in our counties, communities. With nurses across the Hudson Valley, our collective voice needed to be heard, and each of us contribute to improvements.
The Chapter Founding Members are:
| Dr. Angela A. Appiah Akua Tiwaa Adomako Ellen Adu-Menkah Charlene A. Bethel Golda Boahene-Nartey Sylvia Boamah Anita Boateng Mary Bonsu Alicia Brown Mary Chatfield Dr. Joelle Coq Stephanie Degraft Beatrice Donkor Dr. Audrey Graham-O'Gilvie Kerisha Gran |
Lisa Hilton Mirel Mingo Sabrina Newton Dr. Irene Ondieki Natasha Rhett Dr. Denise Robinson Ashley Smith Bibiane Sykes Danielle Terry Dr. Nichola Watkins Ernest Opoku Acheampong Habiebbah Benton Nana Yaa Donkor Sharon Dudley Hermlande Gardere |
Dr. Baleisha Johnson Lanette Mays Dr. Kayanne McKenzie Nadine McSween Dr. Naomi Neequaye Dr. Gloria Nimo Joy Paul-Bhatnagar Belinda Shalders Betty Silchenstedt Dr. Johnetta Miner Michelle Lawrence Wanda Mayo-Robinson Noily Nezbeth Tierra Oliver Gretchen Quill |
Official National Charter
The chapter received its official national charter on August 3, 2023, during the NBNA Institute and Conference held in Atlanta, Georgia. At the time, the chapter had 45 members.
Chapter Motto
The membership chose the following as its official chapter motto/theme, “We are built differently, collegial relationship and serving our communities, while making global impact,” which highlights our commitment to each other, our community, and the global impact we can make.
County Representatives/BOD
In January 2023, the idea of county representatives/Directors-at-large was added and amended into the bylaws. The county representative's idea is to include all regions within the Hudson Valley so that we can meet the community's needs for nurses and the people that live in each county by looking at the Community Health Needs Assessment and implementation programs to close the gap of concern. The county representatives are the leads who collaborate with the board and different committees to meet the needs of the county they represent.
Chapter Logo & Colors and Symbol
The chapter logo was chosen to represent Hudson Valley, New York. It features a landscape of Hudson Valley, the global continent of Africa, to represent and honor our ancestral ties to the African diaspora, the name of our chapter, and the year of our founding year. Our colors: Red, Green, Yellow/Gold, and Black
Our Name: Hudson Valley New York Black Nurses Association, IncThe short version of the Name: Hudson Valley NY BNA (HVNYBNA)
Symbol of what units the Hudson Valley and Bronx counties are, the Hudson River (River) flowing between all the counties. The continent of Africa within a globe symbolizes our heritage/diaspora and a global perspective. Our official chapter colors are Black, Red, Green, and Yellow/Gold, illustrated in our logo.
Chapter Bylaws, Name, and Formation
On January 2023, the general chapter meeting was held via Zoom, and during this meeting, the membership unanimously approved the following motions:- A formal motion to accept the chapter name as submitted to NBNA: Hudson Valley New York Black Nurses Association, Inc. (HVNYBNA)
- A formal motion to approve the Bylaws of the HVNYBNA
Mission, Organization, and Structure
In addition to the NBNA's mission is “to serve as the voice for Black nurses and diverse populations ensuring equal access to professional development, promoting educational opportunities and improving health.” Our chapter offers voluntary hours providing health education and screenings to community residents in collaboration with community-based partners, including faith-based organizations, civic, fraternal, hospitals, and nursing schools. We aim to support each nurse through mentoring, coaching, sponsorship, advancement, sharing of knowledge, and general support.
Statement of Philosophy and Purposes and Objectives:
Philosophy
We believe in the general philosophy, purpose, and objectives (https://www.nbna.org/history) of the NBNA and the established founders. In addition, in the Hudson Valley, we hold the following from the NBNA and our chapter: Population health improvement for all, policy and advocacy, education, needs assessment, closing the gap to the underserved, and disparities in health and social factors.
As a collective body, we, the nurses of the Hudson Valley, have the understanding, knowledge, education, and skills to identify resources, intervention, interest, concern, and experiences to make a significant difference in the healthcare status of our global communities.
Collaborative Community Health Model
Since its inception, improving African Americans' health through providing culturally competent health care services in community-based health programs has been the cornerstone of the National Black Nurses Association. NBNA is proud of its Collaborative Community Health Model developed by Dr. Linda Burnes Bolton and Dr. C. Alicia Georges, NBNA's past presidents. This model is the basis for the collaborative partnerships and health programs that are the hallmark of the National Black Nurses Association. The Hudson Valley New York Black Nurses Association, Inc. (HVNYBNA) is one of the primary mechanisms through which the national, state, and local community-based programs are successfully implemented.
For example, our chapter provides numerous preventative health screenings and health education, including high blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol, HIV, pandemic education, diabetes, cancer, sickle cell, and mental health.Collaborative Partnerships
Working in partnership with community-based organizations, corporations, and other organizations, our chapter sponsors health fairs and health education and outreach with global, local, and national organizations to benefit populations and communities through collaborative impact.
We encourage collaboration with all nurses with attention to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous Other People of Color ) nurses with the adoption of the goals of NBNA into our chapter, which includes support for the development of a cadre of ethnic nurses reflecting the nation's diverse; advocacy for culturally competent, accessible and affordable health care; promotion of the professional and educational advancement of ethnic nurses; education of consumers, health care professionals and policymakers on health issues of ethnic minority populations; development of ethnic minority nurse leaders in areas of health policy, practice, education, and research; endorsement of best practice models of nursing practice, education, and research for minority populations (https://www.nbna.org/who).
Please visit the national website NBNA.org, “who we are” section for details on our tenants for incorporation https://www.nbna.org/who and the Hudson Valley New York Black Nurses Association, Inc.