Major Federal Grant Awarded Ethnic Minority Nurses

The National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurse Associations (NCEMNA) was awarded a significant grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The $2.4 million grant is for a five- year program to increase the number of nurse scientist reflecting the nation’s diversity.

(PRWEB) August 21, 2004 -- Leadership to develop the next generation of nurse scientists from ethnic/racial minority population, as well as, decrease the ethnic/racial nursing shortage is being provided by a unified voice, the National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurse Associations (NCEMNA).    Their achievements have increased diversity in the nursing profession and increased nursing research capacity to reduce health disparities of minority Americans. NCEMNA progress will be celebrated at their 10th Anniversary Reception, in the Congressional Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., November 1, 2007.

At this event, NCEMNA will honor a special "Circle of Friends", whose support has been instrumental in NCEMNA's growth and successes over the last 10 years. Those honored will be: Dr. Clifton Poodry, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH; Ronald A. Williams, Chair and CEO, AETNA; William Lucas, V.P., PHRMA; Derrick Humphries, Esq., Humphries & Partners, PLLC; Dr. Patricia A. Grady, Director, National Institute of Nursing Research, NIH; Dr. Annette Debisette, Director, Division of Nursing ,DHHS; Dr. John Ruffin, Director, National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, NIH; Craig Byrum, Oncology Nursing Society Foundation; and Steve Hauber, Publisher and CEO, GANNETT Healthcare Group.

Honorary Co-chairpersons for this occasion are ethnic minority legislators, Senator Daniel Akaka, (D) Hawaii, Representative Joe Baca, (D) California, (Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus), Representative Tom Cole,, (R) Oklahoma, Representative John Conyers Jr. (D) Michigan, and Representative Carolyn Kilpatrick, (D) Michigan, (Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus).

NCEMNA is made up of the five national ethnic nurse associations: the Asian American/Pacific Islander Nurses Association (AAPINA), the National Alaska Native American Indian Nurses Association, Inc. (NANAINA), the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN), the National Black Nurses Association, Inc., (NBNA), and the Philippine Nurses Association of America, Inc., (PNAA). Dr. Betty Smith Williams, NCEMNA President states "to the best of our knowledge, NCEMNA is the only comprehensive health related ethnic minority coalition in existence."

Incorporated in 1998, NCEMNA is a tax-Exempt, 501 (c) (3) non-profit professional organization that advocates for equity and justice in nursing and health care for ethnic minorities. It is headquartered in Culver City, California. The Coalition gives voice to over three hundred thousand ethnic minority nurses and to the actual health experiences of a constituent population that is often marginalized from the mainstream health delivery systems.

www.ncemna.org

Contact:      Ethan F. Allen, Communications
Office:         310-258.9515   
Fax:         310-258.9513

###