The National Black Nurses Association is pleased to announce Ena Williams, MBA, MSM, BSN, RN, CENP, of Yale New Haven Hospital and Otis Rolley of The Rockefeller Foundation as the official keynote speakers for the 49th Annual Institute and Conference to be held virtually on August 4-8, 2021. The theme of this year’s conference is “Celebrating 50 Years of Innovative Community Service, Practice, Education, and Research in Nursing.”
Otis Rolley is the Senior Vice President, U.S. Equity and Economic Opportunity Initiative (US EEO) at The Rockefeller Foundation. Recognizing low wage workers as essential, even prior to COVID-19, Otis is directing all U.S. work focused on enhancing the ability of every working person to meet the basic financial needs of their family and have a path to a better future. With a focus on equity, Otis provides stewardship for U.S. grant making and investing that is aligned to strategic levers to fill key economic opportunity gaps in tax and budget policy design and implementation; access to capital and asset ownership; and worker coalition-building and advocacy.
Immediately prior to joining the Foundation in 2019, Otis served as a North America Managing Director for 100 Resilient Cities, a major project sponsored by The Rockefeller Foundation. There he provided urban resilience (economic, environmental Sustainability and community development) technical assistance and portfolio management for 29 cities throughout the U.S. and Canada. A true urbanist, Otis’ career has been dedicated to advancing equity, economic and community development in cities, and leading organizations in the for-profit, public, and non-profit sectors.
Opening Ceremony and 50th Anniversary Celebration:
Equity First: Prioritizing People in Covid Testing & Vaccination
Thursday, August 5
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Ena Williams, MBA, MSM, BSN, RN, CENP, is the Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut – a 1541 bed ANCC 3-time Magnet ® designated, level I trauma, academic medical center. She has oversight of nearly 6000 nurses and clinical staff, with responsibility for practice, quality, workforce, nursing resources, patient experience and general operations. Ena assumed the role of chief nursing officer in 2018 and has since led the team through an ANCC accreditation of the Vizient Nurse Residency Program in 2018 which was recognized with 12 best practices. As CNO, she also led the team through the COVID-19 pandemic, leading clinical and operational teams across the health system, and caring for nearly 7000 COVID patients. Most recently she led the team through their 3rd Magnet designation.
Closing Keynote:
Addressing Health Equity through Innovative Nursing Leadership
Sunday, August 8
10:00 am to 11:00 am
About the Virtual 49th Annual Institute and Conference
Expecting more than 500 nurses and nursing students to attend the conference, registration is now underway. To register for the virtual conference, members and nonmembers go here. More information about the conference and detailed agenda is located at https://www.nbna.org/conf.
The conference will provide the opportunity for attendees to receive up to 35 contact hours and attend two days of NBNA workshops, mentorship sessions, Under 40 events, development programs, lunch and learns, and so much more!
Conference Objectives:
• Discuss the importance of a nurse’s ability to be resilient and practice self-care.
• Discuss disruptive trends in health care delivery and inequity in healthcare.
• Examine emerging opportunities for transforming the future of nursing through innovative
nursing/interdisciplinary practice, education, research, and policy advocacy.
• Identify new models of care to reduce inequities in health care and improve health outcomes for minority and underserved communities.
To join the conversation on social media, follow NBNA on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook and use the hashtags #NBNACelebrates50Years, #NBNAResilient, #NBNAConference21.
About the National Black Nurses Association
Founded in 1971, the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) is a professional organization representing 308,000 African American registered nurses, licensed vocational/practical nurses, and nursing students in 108 chapters and 34 states. The NBNA mission is “to serve as the voice for Black nurses and diverse populations ensuring equal access to professional development, promoting educational opportunities and improving health.” NBNA chapters offer voluntary hours providing health education and screenings to community residents in collaboration with community-based partners, including faith-based organizations, civic, fraternal, hospitals, and schools of nursing. For more information, visit nbna.org. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter! #NBNAResilient, #NBNACelebrates50Years, #NBNAConference21
Media Contact:
Keisha Ricks, NBNA Marketing and Communications Manager
[email protected]
#NBNAResilient #NBNACelebrates50Years
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