The power of a single voice for nurses was strengthened by adding the California Action Coalition (CA AC) as a key initiative within HealthImpact. The CA AC was launched in late 2011 shortly after the release of the landmark Institute of Medicine report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health.
HealthImpact brings together seasoned leaders and new graduates representing multiple health care systems, schools, regulatory bodies and industry stakeholders to agree on ways nursing and team-based care may best serve their communities. The outcomes of HealthImpact’s collaborative efforts are used to inform nursing education and workforce planning strategies.
The story of HealthImpact is an unlikely one. A small group of nurse leaders frustrated by the cyclical nursing shortages of the 1990’s in California decided it was time to come up with a systematic approach to the crisis. They were gathered at the annual conference of the Association of California Nurse Leaders (ACNL), having drinks at the hotel bar after a day of meetings.
When Rick Becker graduated from nursing school in December of 2012, he had trouble finding a job. He was interested in a career that extended beyond the acute setting, and sought a way to become better prepared to meet community health needs.
We’ve got a new name. As the California Institute for Nursing and Health Care, we developed strong, diverse coalitions and served as a forum for collaborating, building and sharing what works. Now it’s time for our name to reflect that impact.
