Northeast AOHN urges a yes vote to AAOHN bylaw change

An important AAOHN vote will take place from 01/04/19-02/04/19.

AAOHN has decided that to remain viable, they need to focus on corporate and national memberships, leaving the regional, state and local chapters to manage on their own.

Initially your NEAOHN board members were quite alarmed, but after numerous phone calls, emails and town hall meetings, we now feel optimistic that membership in your local, state and regional chapters can continue to provide the collegial relationships and CNE opportunities that NEAOHN and state/local chapters have been providing.  Most importantly, those nurses who were unable to afford the national dues could now be active members of the regional, state /local chapters without joining the national organization.   This opportunity also allows NEAOHN to expand our membership base by redefining who can be a member of our chapters.  NEAOHN remains as committed to our members and their needs as we did 103 years ago, when 13 Industrial Nurses joined together for the first meeting of our organization in Boston, Massachusetts.

We are recommending a Yes vote to AAOHN’s bylaw proposal.  This proposal changes the membership structure of AAOHN.  Voting yes, will allow members who do not want to join national to remain members of the regional, state and local chapters of the northeast.  There will be a separate fee structure to continue membership in NEAOHN and the states, and we will be responsible for collecting dues and maintaining the membership listings.

Voting Yes, will allow you to join only the chapters that you want to join.  You do not have to join National if you want only to belong to your regional/state/local chapters.

NEOAHN, along with your state and local chapters will be reaching out to you as soon as the vote is confirmed (02/04/19).  We believe this vote along with our strategy to remain agile with a strategic business plan, will allow us to continuing serving the Northeast for another 100 years.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to any board member, or check the AAOHN website where the Q&A’s are listed in blog format under the membership tab. 

Sincerely,

Gail Carchietta, RN, MSE, COHN-S, FAAOHN

President NEAOHN

On behalf of your NEAOHN Board of Directors