The ANAC Policy Committee is seeking commentary and feedback on the ANAC policy agenda as it reviews and updates it for the period 2022-2026. Please complete this member survey by July 25.

In June, ANAC and Duke University School of Nursing (DUSON) hosted a North Carolina virtual event focusing on advocacy in nursing. ANAC Executive Director Carole Treston, RN, MPH, ACRN, FAAN joined DUSON Dean Vincent Guilamo-Ramos, PhD, MPH, LCSW, RN, ANP-BC, PMHNP-BC, FAAN and other local ANAC members to discuss strategies for promoting nurse advocacy. Interested in planning a similar event? Contact Nakera Dumas at nakera@anacnet.org.

The ANAC Policy Committee hosted a recent webinar, HIV Cluster Detection and Response: Connecting data, partners and programs to identify and close gaps in HIV prevention. Speakers included Demetre Daskalakis, MD, MPH, Director of the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention (DHAP) and Alexa Oster, MD, Detection and Response Branch lead in the Division of HIV Prevention at CDC.

ANAC released two policy statements in Spring 2022:

The Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (JANAC) plans to publish a series of special issues in 2023 and 2024 and is seeking feature articles including original research, systematic/scoping reviews, education and practice briefs, program briefs and quality improvement projects. View the topics and deadlines.

ANAC congratulates John Nkengasong, PhD, who was confirmed by the Senate as Ambassador-at-Large and US Global Coordinator of HIV/AIDS. In that role, Dr. Nkengasong will lead the President’s Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the largest commitment by any nation to address a single disease in history.

ANAC recently held a two-part webinar series on the All of Us Research Program Researcher Workbench. Part one is an introduction to the All of Us research database, including an overview of COVID-19, SDOH, genomics and other data from participants. Part two included a tutorial for researchers and students on accessing the data. Both webinars are available on the ANAC webinars page.

Please join is in welcoming Sheila Tumilty, BSN, RN, ACRN as ANAC Director of Education Programs. Sheila hails from Rhode Island and has been a long-standing ANAC member and leader in the ANAC Rhode Island Chapter. She has extensive experience as an HIV nurse clinician. Her role includes developing ANAC educational programming, engaging ANAC and other expert faculty and working with other ANAC staff in identifying and addressing the educational needs of ANAC members, allies and partners. She can be reached at sheila@anacnet.org.

ANAC members Justin Alves, RN, MSN, Diamond Hale, MHS , Orlando Harris, PhD, FNP, Lisvel Matos, FNP, MSN, MPH and Jeffrey Schaffer, RN were featured in TheBodyPro series “How Can HIV Nurses Help Dissolve Mistrust Between Patients and the Medical System?” 

ANAC member Tavell L. Kindall, PhD, DNP, APRN, FNP was inducted as a Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (FAANP). Established in 2000, the FAANP program is dedicated to the advancement of NPs and the high-quality health care they provide.

ANAC member Sheila Davis, DNP, ANP-BC, FAAN was honored by the ANA Massachusetts State Association as a Living Nursing Legend.

ANAC member Peter J. Ungvarski, MS, RN, ACRN, FAAN, one of the pioneers in nursing care for people with HIV/AIDs, passed away on Jan. 5, 2022. Peter was a graduate of The Mills Training School for Men at Bellevue Hospital in New York City and served in the US Navy in Vietnam. He was a mentor to many and served on the ANAC board from 1993 to 1995, received the Joanne Ruiz Award, became an early ACRN and planned the first ANAC conference memorial, now known as the Celebration of Life. He co-edited multiple editions of the textbook, HIV/AIDS: A Guide to Nursing Care, developed an early AIDS unit in NYC at Cabrini Hospital and the first home care program for people living with HIV, a collaboration between the NYC DOH and the Visiting Nurse Service of New York. Peter is survived by his loving and longtime spouse, James E. Rottner.

The Houston Gulf Coast ANAC Chapter kicked off the 2022 season with a movie night viewing Fauci: A Documentary. The new officers were introduced:

Please send it to Nakera Dumas at nakera@anacnet.org.

Our members in the Great Lakes region met virtually earlier this year to network and discuss issues that impact HIV care in their area. Strong connections and partnerships were made as we planned for nurse representation at the national HIV Biomedical Summit held in Chicago in April. As an outcome of this meeting, ANAC supported Chicago chapter members, John J. Parisot, PhD, MSN, RN, ACRN and Sarah Williams MSN, FNP-BC, ANP-BC to attend and present their workshop, Getting more providers to be U=U and TasP champions.

Keep an eye on our events calendar and your email for a virtual meeting in your region!