Phoenix Oncology Nursing Society
Board of Directors Meeting
Wellness Community
360 E Palm Lane
Phoenix AZ
April 18, 2009
Members Present: September Mitchell, Denice Gibson, Katie Marcean, Patrice Welsh-Benjamin, Debby Skroch, Debbie Green, Sherril Bierman,
Christine Bragg, Brenda Keith, Kristen Derryberry, Toni Marando.
0920: Introduction
Presentation to board members given by Paula Hardison, Executive Director.
Folder of information on activities offered provided to all members present. See attachment #1. This community is 25years old and in 28 cities in the USA. This particular community has recently expanded services to offer a Teen Cancer support group. There are also online supports groups in English and Spanish at www.thewellnesscommunity.org.
Two member of the wellness community shared their stories as a cancer survivor and her caregiver and how the wellness community supported them through their journey with two different cancer diagnosis.
Board meeting called to order at 1010 by Toni Marando.
Minutes from the February 28, 2009 meeting read, changes noted and approved.
(See attachment #2, agenda for meeting)
1. PONS website is not up to date. Debby Skroch will work with Karen Barden to assure future events will be posted in timely fashion on the website.
Extra dinner programs, beyond the usual 2nd and 4th Thursday PONS programs will be scheduled on Wednesdays to enable attendance by those that cannot make the Thursday programs. RSVP’s for the extra events should go through the drug representatives, not the PONS program director.
Discussion was held on ways to determine if people that are not PONS members are paying for the dinners when they attend events. No consistent mechanism has been put into place at this time. Suggestion of having name tags made for PONS membership and having them worn at the meetings was mentioned. No decisions made.
2. Professional Nurses Day will be held at JCL on 5/8/09. Debbie Green requested money to purchase promotional items (pens, pads of papers) as a ‘give away’ for the community booth. Denice Gibson made a motion to allocate $750.00 to purchase promotional items to support PONS in upcoming community and professional events. Discussion followed asking if there should be criteria for the use of such items and whether there is money available from ONS to support community awareness for local chapters. Debbie Green will set up criteria for use of PONS purchased promotional items.
Debbie Green requested assistance with collecting raffle items for the PONS meetings. The money collected from the raffle goes to the ONS Foundation at the end of the year.
Discussion also included the possibility of putting PONS on Facebook. Denice inform the group that ONS requires any Facebook sites to go through the ONS organization. Concern expressed that not all PONS members are aware of Facebook and how to access this site.
Decision made to table discussion and vote until next meeting.
3. Toni Marando shared a copy of the questionnaire (attachment #3) that Lisa Eiler with Chiron will distribute to nurses in oncology offices that she visits throughout the Valley. Lisa will collect them and return completed questionnaire’s to Toni. Discussion followed as to how we could get input from oncology nurses working in the hospital setting throughout the Valley. Katie Marcean will look into a online program called Survey Monkey as a possibility to serve this purpose. Katie will be the board member who will collate the information gather from the questionnaire.
4. Membership update provided by Michelle Acuna. Currently there are 165 members, 4 new members since the beginning of 2009. Membership renewals are coming up in May, what preparation needs to be done?
Brenda Keith shared that PONS board members will have their PONS membership dues paid for them. Thank you!
5. Toni Marando provided the agenda from the upcoming Tucson ONS chapter conference being held 11/09. (attachment #4)
6. Patrice Welsh-Benjamin reminded the board that goals for 2009 need to be set. September Mitchell will scan the copy of 2008’s goals over to Toni in the coming week. Question was also raised of what community organization does PONS want to fund raise/donate to?
7. Treasurer’s report provided by Sherril Bierman. Beginning balance 1/09 was $14,205.66. Ending balance for 3/09 was $14,368.46. Total revenue for the quarter was $318.80 and expenses for the quarter were $156.00.
8. Patrice reminded that PONS does an annual donation to ONS and we need to do this for 2009. Motion was made to send a check for $1000.00 to ONS by Toni and Debbie Green seconded the motion. All members voted yes.
9. No new business.
Meeting adjourned at 1130
Respectfully submitted by September Mitchell, PONS secretary.