By J. Michael McGuire, CPNP Foundation President
As I sit writing this CPNP Foundation Newsletter, I am in a surgery waiting room watching a surprise snow in middle Tennessee while my wife is in surgery. I am here as a caregiver rather than as a health care professional. I can’t help but think of the health care professionals who are caring for my wife. It reminds me of the importance of the work we all do for those that we care for, many of whom have no family to act as caregivers. I think about the Foundation and our commitment to support our specialty as we care for our patients.
As we enter 2020, the CPNP Foundation is conducting strategic planning in concert with the CPNP Board of Directors. We are working to align the Foundation’s activities with those of CPNP. We began this process in 2019 and will continue our work through 2020. Our goal is to set a plan that will carry the Foundation into the future.
While we plan for the future, we continue the many activities the Foundation has become well-know for. Thanks to our generous donors, we are excited that we have increased the number of student travel grants for the Annual Meeting from 20 to 25. We continue to fund the Defining the Future research grants which will be presented at the 2020 Annual Meeting.
The Foundation is excited about the "Why Care?" campaign at the Annual Meeting. The Foundation is coordinating the assembly of toiletry kits for The Bridge, a multi-service organization that offers basic needs services along with access to physical and behavioral health care for the homeless in the Dallas area. You can participate by donating money or items for the kits, writing encouraging notes and helping to assemble kits at the Annual Meeting. More information on the "Why Care?" campaign can be found at https://aapp.org/ed/meeting/2020/whycare. I would also encourage you to purchase a t-shirt when you register for the Annual Meeting.
The Foundation is so grateful to you, our supporters, for your continued generosity. If you have any suggestions or recommendations on the future initiatives of the Foundation, please feel free to contact any board member.