Philippine Nurses Association of North Carolina

by Jesse Stephen Pasion

(Our President's Report for 2006)

It has been an exhilarating and fruitful year for the officers and chairpersons of the PNANC. There had been a plethora of events that transformed the past year into another banner year for our organization.

The past year marked the 2nd successful year that we have sponsored both the annual bowling tournament in May and the basketball tournament in September. These tournaments were headed by Maria and Carl Albano and Amy and Ray Tizon. They have unselfishly devoted a great amount of time assuring that both tournaments are well-organized.

In June of 2006, we have professionally presented our bid to host the 2008 PNA America Annual Convention; however, we were unsuccessful. All is not lost in this bid, as we have serendipitously given impetus for a resolution addressing a more definitive and organized selection approach and protocol. This protocol should be adopted by the organization to serve future participant chapters of the selection process. Furthermore, we have revived a call to have a more united support from each of the member chapters in the eastern region. We thank Monette Mabolo for keeping us company during the annual convention.

A historical milestone has been achieved, as the PNANC awarded its first Louie Pascual Leadership Scholar in the person of William J. Baring, a senior of Arellano University School of Nursing, Louie’s alma mater. This well deserving young man has expressed his gratitude as we paid for his tuition fees covering one and a half semester. Also, we credit the PNANC awards and scholarship committee for its tireless efforts in bringing this into fruition. Dr. Hendrix, the committee chair, has authored out a set of criteria that ensures categorical qualifications of future recipients.

September 9, 2007 saw the PNANC sponsoring its 3rd Biennial Conference held at UNC’s Ida Friday Center. The conference was appropriately entitled ‘Addressing Nursing Challenges: A Booster to Nursing Practice’. This successful conference hosted a convergence of nursing and medical experts from three famed universities: Duke, Emory and Cornell. Based on the overwhelming favorable evaluation, the PNANC is encouraged and will endeavor to maintain its position as one of the best and most affordable provider of professional conferences in the state of North Carolina.

Towards the end of September 2007, several officers and chairpersons represented our chapter in the Eastern Regional PNAA Conference held at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. This well-planned event served as our paradigm for future hosting of conferences in our area. This was also a time for PNANC key personnel for a well-deserved rest and recreation time.

Our search for a deserving school for the PNANC’s Gabriel’s Gift of Books award ended with the selection of St. Mary’s University School of Nursing, Bayombong , Nueva Vizcaya. St. Mary’s University’s Dean Mondala, personally confirms receipt of books and relayed a heartwarming gratitude in behalf of the student body and the faculty of the school.

The PNANC was also successful to have two of our nurses selected to the Great 100 Nurses for 2007. These nurses were Fe Praiswater of the VA Medical Center and Tess Lacara of REX Hospital in Raleigh. We will continue to identify, support and recommend Filipino nurses for recognition in both the Institute of Nursing Excellence and Great 100 nurses on a biennial basis.

To cap our year on a high note, the yuletide season was blessed with the approbation of 501 © 3 federal stature. The PNANC is now a non-profit organization that enjoys both state and federal tax deductions for all its contributors. Finally, we successfully elected incoming officers of the PNANC which assures us of excellent leadership for years to come.