Nurse practitioner and SEIU Local 521 member Carmen Morales-Board was honored by the Obama administration on Wednesday as a "Champion of Change" for her work promoting the benefits of, and educating nurses about, the Affordable Care Act.
Helping patients and their families understand the benefits and protections they won with the passage of the healthcare law is a top priority for Carmen. The Nurse Alliance of SEIU Healthcare launched "Empowering Patients," a nurse-to-nurse training initiative on the benefits of the law in September of 2011-- and Carmen and her colleagues have been meeting with nurses throughout their communities ever since.
"Our team developed trainings that reached a cross section of nurses -- operating room, emergency room, mental health, advanced practice and rural health," said Carmen. "In turn, the nurses educate patients and families about how the healthcare law helps them live better lives in every day moments as they receive care."
As a Spanish speaker, Carmen's connection to patients in the community is powerful. "Windows open when you speak their language, patients will bring their families and friends to talk to you and you can really change an entire neighborhood," she explains.
Following the ceremony honoring her as a Champion of Change, Carmen met with Leader Pelosi and participated in an event Celebrating the Affordable Care Act on Capitol Hill. View and download more photos from the event on Flickr.
» Find out more about SEIU's nurse-to-nurse initiative "Empowering Patients."
» Read about a past Empowering Patients training held by SEIU Locals 521 and 1000.
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