On this 25th year anniversary of HANA, the founders, members, the community and supporters of HANA have a lot to celebrate and be proud of.  Indeed, I am honored and privileged to be the incoming president to partake in this auspicious celebration.

Today, the work of the founders continues to grow while the new board is pledging to continue to keep the mission of HANA alive for many more years. HANA is pleased to announce that we provide one of the most fundamental of all human rights, which is the right to health and well being.  Many of us know the right to health is a not privilege to many people living in the United States and around the world, but HANA, with its limited resources is making a difference in the lives of many individuals.

HANA has grown tremendously, for many years we have had active members throughout Florida and other states. Recently, HANA partnered with Ms. Berthilde Dufrene to create a new chapter in Rockland, New York. We look forward to work with this enthusiastic group of professionals while providing necessary guidance to help them sustain the mission and vision of HANA.

As the new executive board members embark on this great journey for the next two years, we pledge to continue the legacy of all the past presidents. We also promise to bring innovative ways and ideas to take HANA to another 25 years and beyond. One of my pressing goals is to continue the healthy campaign for the community by providing health services and education to hypertension and Diabetic patient the two most common diseases that are affecting African American. We also want to continue our strong partnership with all the supporters of HANA especially the American Cancer Society, Primary Medical Staffing, inc. (PMSi), Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, and Island TV. In addition, we will strive to increase visibility in the nursing schools to mentor students and new nurses.

This year’s National Nursing theme is “Nurses: Building a Healthy America” This theme fits the description of what nurses do everyday in the workplace.  Therefore, under this leadership team I ask all HANA members to embrace their responsibilities by staying active, recruiting new members and staying committed to the affairs of the association. In this time of change where the future looks uncertain, we need to stay abreast of current developments to ensure HANA continued growth and success in the community.

Happy Jubilee Year HANA!
Guerna Blot, RN, MSN, MBA/HCM, OCN
President