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Black Nursing Association celebrates 40 years
Members of CFBNA attending the scholarship luncheon.
BLACK NURSES CELEBRATE 40 YEARS
BY DR. JUNE ROBINSON AND DR. JENNIFER SANKEY
PHOTOS BY TED HOLLINS PHOTOS
On Saturday September 24, 2022, Central Florida Black Nurses Association of Orlando, Inc., (CFBNA) celebrated its 40th Ruby Anniversary and 38th Scholarship Awards Luncheon, marking a remarkable achievement: reaching a significant milestone in the history of the organization. The celebration was held at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel in Orlando with more than 300 guests in attendance to mark this special occasion. The special speaker was Tiffany Moore Russell, Orange County Clerk of Courts, who spoke about management of self-health and wellness. She praised CFBNA for continued advocacy of encouraging the community to make their own health and wellness a priority. The two living founders of CFBNA, Bernice Edwards and Susie Forehand, attended the event and received recognition and honor for 40 years of service. The third founder was Mercedes Clark. CFBNA also acknowledged former scholarship recipients from Orlando and across the nation. They tout CFBNA for being instrumental in their success as professional nurses who provide quality health care to the country. Building on the number of recipients, CFBNA awarded nine new scholarships during the luncheon to: Bernard Edouard, AdventHealth; Laura Florestal, Polk State College; Faith Gerrick, University of North Florida; Dawn Leeds, Keiser University; Rose Miguel, Valencia; Gabrielle Phillips, Seminole State College; Peter Serrano, Lake Technical College; Trinity Shaw, Palm Beach Atlantic University; Alaysia Flowers-Sims, City College. Each scholar received a certificate and a monetary award toward their nursing education. Each year Dan Kirby and his sister, Toni Watson, select one recipient to receive the Mrs. Eliza Kirby Scholarship. The late Kirby was a president of CFBNA. Her children honor her work and commitment by generously awarding an annual scholarship in her memory. Recipient Gabrielle Phillips has a goal to become a nurse anesthetist, following in the steps of Kirby. Luncheon guests had the opportunity to browse several vendors and purchase their wares. Vendors sold hats, jewelry, and many other gift-worthy items. The vendors represented Absolutely Beautiful Boutique, Katrina’s Cupcakes, Black Brew Bros., Health Wellness and Beauty and 5 Star Healthcare Consultants. The Ocean Breeze Band performed a beautiful blend of music during the event. At the end of the luncheon, they entertained with their dance music, topping off the day with their smooth jazz sound, sending guests home with a happy heart and dancing feet. While CFBNA has completed 40 years of service, for which members praise God, members commit to continued advocacy for heath equity to communities now and in the future. For more information on Central Florida Black Nurses Association of Orlando, Inc. please visit our website at cfbnaoforlando.org.
HISTORY OF CFBNA
Looking back over the past 40 years, the Central Florida Black Nurses Association (CFBNA) of Orlando Inc., has come a long way. It seems like only yesterday (1982) that the founders, Mercedes Clark (deceased), Bernice Edwards and Susie Forehand identified a need to organize a local group of Black nurses. Action was quickly taken to form an association to address issues unique to Black nurses and to the minority community in Central Florida. Over the years, CFBNA has continued to develop, flourish, and grow stronger. In May of 1994 under the leadership of President Juanita Green, we became a chartered chapter of National Black Nurses Association
Tiffany Moore Russell, Orange County Clerk of Courts, Guest speaker; Eloise Abrahams - CFBNA Scholarship Chair. Susie Forehand, a CFBNA founder; Lois Wilson, CFBNA past president; and Bernice Edwards, a founder CFBNA.
CFBNA awarded nine scholarships during the luncheon.
(NBNA) at the annual conference held in Las Vegas, NV. Our name became officially Central Florida Black Nurses Association of Orlando, Inc. As a professional organization of Registered Nurses (RN), Advanced Registered Nurses Practitioners (ARNP), Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN), and Student Nurses (SN), the purpose of our local chapter is to support our community to improve the quality of life for consumers of health care, and assist minority nurses in attaining their highest level of professionalism. The association has recruited new members, partnered with other health related agencies and maintained an active presence in the Central Florida community. Our members volunteered over 1,000 hours annually in community service hours. Through community service hours we reached and touched the lives of over 2,000 people for whom we provided health services, namely cardiovascular assessments, blood pressure checks, and provided education on lifestyle practices to prevent and manage chronic diseases. Within the organization, the president’s challenge of Walking for Wellness has motivated the nurses to take care of their own health, so they can better care for the health of others. National and local recognition from several organizations indicates that we are fulfilling our mission of advocacy to attain health equity for all. In July 2022, the CFBNA of Orlando received four awards for community services and membership retention, growth, and membership size from National Black Nurses Association and local recognition “Come and Get It” for our involvement in Orange County. Recently, we received the esteemed provider status from the Florida Certification Board that permits the CFBNA nurses to teach Community Health Workers (CHW). The CHWs are extenders helping the nurses to serve individuals in the community. Additionally, we have provider status from the Florida State Board of Nursing, giving us the permission to offer Continuing Education needed by nurses to renew their license. The CFBNA realizes the importance of keeping the community and members informed of activities and events. This year, we updated our website and have been published in the newspapers. Recently, there have been over five articles published in the “Orlando Times,” “Apopka Chief,” “Planter,” and “ONYX Magazine.” Internally the CFBNA of Orlando members have begun receiving newsletters to highlight the mission-related activities. We have videotaped over 12 YouTube videos. These communication methods have increased our visibility and enriched our relationships with the community and improved our retention of members. The nurses of CFBNA of Orlando offer free continuing education hours to members. Our nurses are highly engaged in pursing higher education keeping them current with medical knowledge which is a benefit for members and the community. The CFBNA of Orlando has an Advisory Board and community partners who provide exceptional support of our mission. We work closely with: • Orlando Health • 100 Black Women Coalition/ RISE Community/Hispanic • Jimmy Williams • Kevin Collins • Bishop Frank Thompson • Advisory Board Members • Mt. Sinai Seventh-Day Adventist Church • Women’s Voter League of Orange County • Orange County Supervisor of Elections • UCF Soldier to Scholar • Natera Central Florida Black Nurses Association is moving into the 21st Century with our primary focus still being to bring health services and health education to communities in need. We are proud of our special group of “Under 40” members who work full time, some have families, may be in school, but still have time to volunteer with CFBNA. They bring a youthfulness to the team that keeps us energized and up to date on the latest in social media. In 2022, we have almost 90 members and have a diverse group of RN’s, LPN’s, both female and male nurses, all ethnicities, cultures and ages. Student nurses, retired nurses, and those in-between, are welcome as members.
