Message from the President

President’s Report to ANDSOOHA Membership
November 2009

As I near the end of my two year term as president of ANDSOOHA I reflect on the many opportunities serving our association in this capacity has offered me. The friendships and knowledge I have acquired have indeed been both personal and professional privileges. ANDSOOHA, as a vehicle for a common voice for public health nursing managers in Ontario, is recognized provincially and nationally for its leadership and excellence in public health nursing administration thanks to each one of you.

ANDSOOHA’s leadership in the advancement of public health nursing has been widely demonstrated this year with the broad dissemination of the Orientation: Transition to Public Health Nursing Toolkit. The toolkit was printed and circulated in January to the chief nursing officer in the 36 health units as well as others who contributed to the work or could assist with the dissemination. During the year this work was presented at three national conferences and I hope many of you had the opportunity to participate in the workshop held just prior to the AGM. We are delighted that New Brunswick and the Territories are proceeding with adopting and adapting the toolkit.

During the past year the executive has continued to strengthen the profile, influence and linkages of ANDSOOHA as the voice of public health nursing in Ontario. We maintain our linkages with alPHa, OPHA, RNAO, CHNAC, the Nursing Secretariat and the Public Health Agency of Canada. ANDSOOHA’s participation in the work of CASN continues to promote public health knowledge and skill development in nursing education and practice.

Promoting knowledge and skill development in public health nursing management is a direction the ANDSOOHA continues to endorse as a vital strategic direction. Last fall’s workshop with Gerry Smith on Conflict in an Intergenerational Workplace gave many of us some strategies to walk away with. We are eager to organize similar opportunities for the membership. As you are aware we have altered our traditional delivery of a fall ANDSOOHA workshop to participate in the OPHA conference. The dates have been set for our 2010 Annual conference and AGM to be held Wednesday and Thursday, April 7 & 8 at the Metropolitan Hotel in Toronto.

The executive undertakes various activities in an effort to engage with our membership. The website has been enhanced and we commit to moving forward with this. Opportunities for regional ANDSOOHA meetings exist and we continue to support this strategy. Our 2009 active membership totals 122 which is approximately the same total as last year.

Additional work is also carried out by ANDSOOHA executive and members through committees and board representation. We encourage and invite feedback and insight from you with regards to our activities and direction. In the midst of this pandemic I know that our membership is providing leadership, wisdom, knowledge and skills that are critical to the health and well-being of residents of Ontario.

Respectfully submitted,

Susan Kniahnicki, President
ANDSOOHA – Public Health Nursing Management


Portfolios
  • Annual conference/AGM – Paula Morrison, Claire Warren, Karen Quigley-Hobbs

  • Communication – Jane Hess

  • Website - Claire Warren

  • Education – Jo Ann Tober

  • Membership – Charlene Bain
Committees
  • alPHa Board – Susan Kniahnicki

  • alPHa Advocacy Committee – Jo Ann Tober

  • Joint Provincial Nursing Committee – Jo Ann Tober

  • Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) – Jo Ann Tober

  • OCCHA Board – Penny Lavalley

  • OPHA Constituent Society Representative – Karen Quigley-Hobbs

  • Nursing Graduate Guarantee – Monica Mitchell

  • Nursing Human Resources Planning co-leads – Susan Kniahnicki and Karen Quigley-Hobbs