- Michigan: Nursing is a family affair for Christina Harms, a labor and delivery nurse with Spectrum Health System, who celebrated National Nurses Week with her mother—Sue Hoekstra, a postpartum nurse at Spectrum—and grandmother, Mary Lou Wilkins, who retired from nursing in 1991 after working at Spectrum as well. According to ABC News, the three women have a combined 83 years with the Michigan-based health system. Wilkins called it a "once-in-a-lifetime moment" when she and Hoekstra saw Harms graduate from nursing school in 2011 (Kindelan, ABC News, 5/8).
- New York: Mount Sinai Health System and South Nassau Communities Hospital on Wednesday announced they have started negotiating a formal affiliation agreement, which means Mount Sinai could expand its presence to Long Island, Crain's New York Business/Modern Healthcare reports. The deal requires approval from the Federal Trade Commission as well as the state Department of Health. South Nassau CEO Richard Murphy said he expects the affiliation to be finalized in late 2017 or early 2018. If the deal goes through, South Nassau would be the eighth hospital for Mount Sinai (Crain's New York Business/Modern Healthcare, 5/4).
- Pennsylvania: St. Christopher's Hospital for Children has partnered with the Philadelphia Zoo for a three-year initiative focused on helping new mothers and educating the community about health and safety. As part of the initiative, the zoo established a Mamava Lactation Suite, sponsored by St. Christopher's, to provide mothers a private, safe place to nurse their children. St. Christopher's this year will also "sponsor" all new baby animals born at the zoo, work with the zoo on community education efforts, and invest in safety signage on zoo property (George, Philadelphia Business Journal, 5/4).
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It's more important than ever for frontline nurses to be engaged in their work, committed to their organization's mission, and capable of delivering high-quality care in a complex and constantly changing environment.
This report identifies the unique challenges of engaging nurses and equips nurse leaders with five strategies for building a highly engaged workforce.