Idaho Health Organizations to Hold Conference on Healthcare Reform

Healthcare reform legislation and what it means to healthcare workers in Idaho is the topic of the Promoting a Healthy Idaho conference to be held in Boise September 30 at Boise State University. The conference is jointly sponsored by the Idaho Nurses Association, Idaho Public Health Association, Idaho Rural Health Association and Idaho Student Nurses Association.

Dr. Karen Daley, president of the American Nurses Association, is the keynote speaker. Dr. Daley will speak on "Current Changes and Challenges in Health Care: National Perspectives." Dr. Daley was recently voted one of the nation's 100 most influential people in healthcare in Modern Healthcare's ranking. She spent more than 26 years as a staff nurse at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. She is a past president of the Massachusetts Association of Registered Nurses (MARN), and the Massachusetts Center for Nursing. In addition, she has served on the boards of the American Nurses Association, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and the American Nurses Association Political Action Committee (ANA-PAC).

Dr. Ted Epperly, past president and current board chair American Academy of Family Physicians and CEO of Family Medicine Residency of Idaho, will be the plenary speaker. Dr. Epperly will speak on "Promoting a Healthy Idaho: Changes and Challenges."

Fifteen workshops on diverse topics such as public health and the law, working with refugee populations and promoting green work practices will be offered. Nurses can obtain 6 continuing education credits for attending the nursing track.

Pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, visit www.idahonurses.org, www.ipha.wildapricot.org/ or www.idahorha.org/

Organizations and businesses wishing to have an exhibit or to sponsor a portion of the conference are encouraged to contact one of the sponsoring organizations before September 10.