The Action Coalition co-lead and key contacts list is updated regularly. The last update to the document was on June 11, 2025.

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How can we make real progress on critical health care priorities like advancing health equity, diversifying the nursing workforce, mitigating the workforce crisis through the recruitment and retention of nurses, and elevating the concept of equity-minded nurses?

“One way is to bring nurses and their champions together to brainstorm solutions to these issues — because nurses are natural problem solvers,” says Susan Reinhard, senior vice president and director, AARP Public Policy Institute and chief strategist, Center to Champion Nursing in America and Family Caregiving Initiatives.

“Then, we can help them create specific action plans to make those solutions a reality.”

That was the thinking behind the AARP Health Equity and Nursing Summit: Turning Commitments into Action, held Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at AARP in Washington, D.C. Hosted by the AARP Center for Health Equity through Nursing^SM (A-CHEN) and the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, an initiative of AARP Foundation, AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the event brought together leaders from around the country to create health equity action plans for their workplaces, communities and networks. More than 150 summit participants were drawn from nursing, health care delivery, business, unions, social services, social justice and consumer organizations.

The conference opened with singer-songwriter Tad Worku, FNP-BC, an emergency department nurse who brings together song and health care to inspire and heal. Worku set the tone for the conference, speaking and singing about finding his purpose in nursing and serving others. He shared his story of leaving a promising career in music, working with musicians and producers who created hits for stars like Beyoncé and Kelly Clarkson, and on the brink of signing a major touring contract for his band, but feeling a lack of meaning his life. So he turned to nursing, and has since combined his two passions of serving others through nursing and singing, and never looked back.

Then attendees rolled up their sleeves and began to hone their plans in interactive workshops that included Becoming an Equity-Minded Nurse, Progressing Seamlessly in Nursing as a Career to Achieve Financial Security, Effectively Addressing the Social Determinants of Health, and the Role Nurses Can Play in Informing the Public of Important Benefits and Services.

In these workshops, participants crafted specific health equity goals, along with metrics and timetables for achieving them. Goals include addressing structural racism to achieve workforce health equity, making health equity a strategic priority within participants’ organizations, developing a loan or debt-free program for rural and/or other underserved communities, increasing the number of American Indian nurses in particular states and creating a network of change agents that connects people, practice, and community partners to achieve health equity goals.

Because few goals can be accomplished alone, workshop members brainstormed potential allies and stakeholders who could help them achieve their objectives. For example, one workshop recommended engaging Historically Black Colleges and Universities’ schools of nursing in population-based approaches to achieve health equity and dismantle structural racism. Other participants decided that forging relationships with key leaders could bring along others who share their mission to advocate for health equity. And, since obstacles can arise in route to a person’s goals, workshop leaders helped participants anticipate educational, institutional and personal barriers that might prevent them from achieving their objectives and think of how to overcome them.

Participants also considered actions they could take to make their goals a reality. Examples included bringing their workshop discussions to their boards for further action, collaborating with their local college Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) organization, implementing cultural competence, diversity and inclusion training programs and workshops for nursing faculty, and deepening expertise in health care payment models to drive economic incentives for better health.

The larger environment in which summit participants must operate to achieve their health equity goals was considered as well. In another panel, Remaining Committed to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, facilitated by Regina Cunningham, PhD, RN, FAAN, CEO, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, leaders from the nursing world, AARP and AARP Foundation examined how attendees could remain committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, given the current climate. They shared lessons they had gleaned from confronting racism in their own workplaces and personal lives.

Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN, president and CEO of the National League for Nursing, recounted how she dealt with racism overseeing a hospital maternal child unit. Her staff shared that a senior white physician on her unit was instructing the black staff not to touch his white patients. The staff said, “You told us you would make things different, so what do you plan to do about this?”  Because the offending physician was very high-ranking, she thought carefully about how to approach him.

Malone finally decided on an indirect approach. In private, she said, “Doctor, there is an unbelievable rumor going around that you told your black staff not to touch your white patients. It is so devastating that that rumor is going around.” He responded, “Oh my goodness, no, I would never do that!” Malone said, “I didn’t think that you would.”  Following their conversation, he never did so again.

Her takeaway?

“We have to find ways to share with people. Civility is very important, but it does not keep you from telling the truth. Whatever you need to do, do it. We must find ways to help others clean up their behavior.”

Ashley Darcy-Mahoney, PhD, NNP-BC, FAAN, a neonatal nurse practitioner and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation senior nurse scholar, shared a harrowing experience she had with a close friend who experienced health issues in her second trimester of pregnancy. Her friend, an African American woman, called Darcy-Mahoney complaining of dizziness and feeling unwell after her ob-gyn had instructed her to watch and wait in the face of these concerns. Alarmed, Darcy-Mahoney told her to go to urgent care to be assessed by a clinician. She also advised her friend to introduce herself and her husband with their professional titles (both formally referred to as doctor) to ensure that she was listened to and cared for with less bias. Her friend was treated for hypertension and delivered a healthy baby. Darcy-Mahoney explained

“All the things I had been taught about racism in health care manifested in this situation. I know the system and I wanted her to be safe in that system. For me, how we, in the maternal-child space, listen to people or don’t, have powerful implications on outcomes.”

As panelist Edna Kane Williams, MA, executive vice president and chief diversity officer at AARP observed about efforts to achieve health equity in the current climate, “This work isn’t for the faint of heart. Folks have lost the ability to be civil, persistent, and loud. And to persevere. It is not time to sit on the sidelines. Our way of life is being challenged every day. It is exhausting but so necessary. Whether you are a PhD, an RN, or a DNP – everybody can play a role – yet too many of us have decided to stay quiet.”

To make meaningful progress in advancing health equity, we must also consider those populations that have been most severely affected by racial inequity in health care. That’s why the summit hosted a panel entitled, “Health Equity Across Populations,” to lift up the voices of nursing leaders from LGBTQ+, Asian American Pacific Islander, and Black communities. These leaders highlighted health disparities experienced by the historically marginalized populations they represent and suggested steps we can take to improve health equity for them.

For Kelly Haviland, PhD, FNP-BC, TGNB-C, executive committee member of the Nursing Section of GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ+ Health Equality, the biggest priority is to ensure that we gather data pertaining to LGBTQ+ people for epidemiologic research. These data are needed so that we can understand the health status and care delivery experiences of LGBTQ+ people. Yet, the US Census doesn’t collect them, nor do many other national databases.

“We need to collect data in a consistent way in our electronic health records and do so in a safe, warm and welcoming way,” she said. “Educating nurses about LGBTQ+ health disparities is important, because, if you lack the data, you lack the proof to show that LGBTQ health disparities should be priorities.”

Jing Wang, PhD, RN, FAAN, President of the Asian American Pacific Islander Nurses Association, is committed to building diversity in the nursing profession through recruitment and mentorship. In her role as Florida State University College of Nursing Dean, she says,

“I focus on recruiting leaders from diverse groups and making sure that, as a dean, they are successful in their academic careers. I’ve learned so much from these leaders in my own career and had many mentors teach me how to become a leader and a dean. I was very shy and introverted when I started out, so if I can do it, anyone can.”

Sheldon D. Fields, PhD, RN, FAAN, president of the National Black Nurses Association, is optimistic about the prospects that we can dismantle racism in nursing. He says, “As a profession, nursing has a moral and societal obligation to ensure that we are training a workforce that mirrors the society that we are and are becoming. I look at nursing and ask, how did we get here for so long with the underrepresentation of people of color within this profession? Where did all the gatekeeping to this profession start and how do we dismantle it?”

“For the rest of my career I will do everything I can to diversify the nursing profession. Nursing has a moral and ethical obligation to address this lack of diversity, and we are simply not there yet. But we have finally found the road and we are on it.”

Adrianna Nava, PhD, MPA, RN, president of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, envisions her organization becoming a national leader in Latino health — one that policymakers can look to for advice on Latino health issues. She is building a larger footprint in Washington and at the state and local levels. “Nurses need larger networks and leadership skill sets to be able to bring about policy change. Our organization is helping student and practicing nurses build both of those so we can impact our profession and the communities we serve,” she said.

The summit panelists are hopeful about the changes that nurses are leading to create greater health equity throughout our society. Yet, as Staci Alexander, MPA, vice president, AARP Global Thought Leadership, notes,

“Health equity remains elusive in this country more than two decades after the seminal study by the National Academy of Medicine, Unequal Treatment, was conducted. While we remain more committed than ever to achieving this goal, we need your help.”

Learn more about getting involved with the Campaign for Action.

_{^{Photo credits: Greg Kahn for AARP.}}

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The objectives of the American Indian Alaska Native Mentoring Curriculum are:

• Provide an overview of AI/AN historical, social, and political context and its influence on higher education experiences
• Provide guidance on culturally sensitive and responsive mentoring approaches, and teaching and learning strategies for faculty
• Provide guidance on strategies to support AI/AN student retention and academic success
• Provide information and resources on approaches for recruitment of AI/AN students

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Now we are ready for you to Join Us in an environment of innovative thinking and approaches – town hall meetings – to identify gaps and barriers, thus leading to development and dissemination of educational programming/tools based upon identified needs and approaches to help Action Coalition members prepare and pursue board opportunities and track our results.

We invite your active engagement! The first 20 Action Coalitions to contact us at  nobc@nursesonboardscoalition.org will not only receive next steps i.e., date/time of kick-off meeting, your role, your participation (approximately eight hours), but also a $1,000 stipend for each participating Action Coalition, at the conclusion of the commitment. JOIN US to be a part of raising the tide of nurse trustees pursuing health equity through collaboration and community-based approaches.

Thank you for your consideration.  We eagerly await your response.

The post <strong>Join NOBC to Participate in an Innovation Project to Increase Health Equity!</strong> appeared first on Campaign for Action.

The AARP Center for Health Equity through Nursing^SM (A-CHEN) is seeking nurses, working or retired, to mentor nursing students from underrepresented communities. A mentor is defined as a wise and trusted counselor or teacher, a tutor, advisor, or coach. Mentors can also serve as role models. Nurse mentors are volunteers who commit to serve as a positive, professional role model for nursing students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, and American Indian/Alaska Native schools.

A-CHEN serves as a vehicle for change and a national resource, hosting specific programs and activities that align with AARP’s health equity priorities, including the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, an initiative of AARP Foundation, AARP, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

For the past several years, the Campaign for Action has worked with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration, Indian Health Services, and other federal offices to prioritize diversifying the nursing workforce and support schools of nursing with creating or updating their mentor programs. Most recently, the Campaign hosted a mentor-training workshop with Hispanic and American Indian/Alaska Native-serving Institutions. It also held a nursing track at the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities’ (HBCU) 2019 National HBCU Week Conference.

“The work the Campaign is doing could not be more urgent,” said Deborah C. Stamps, EdD, MBA, MS, RN, GNP, NE-BC, founder and chief executive officer of Deborah Stamps Consulting, LLC. “About half of all Black and Latino students entering four-year colleges fail to complete their degrees. When students fail out of nursing programs, they suffer, our health care system suffers, and stubborn health disparities persist. Mentoring is a proven retention and success strategy. Mentoring is going to get us to a more diverse and representative nursing workforce,” said Stamps, who has more than 30 years of progressive health care leadership and is a recognized authority on workforce development, diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, nursing education, and leadership.

A-CHEN is now leveraging this mentoring program through a partnership with the AARP Office of Volunteer Engagement, which is recruiting mentors to work with nursing students through a portal on AARP’s website. Interested active or retired nurses will be prompted to sign up and then complete a questionnaire that takes about fifteen minutes. It asks about an applicant’s education and professional experience in nursing, their areas of specialty, their hopes for serving as a mentor and concludes with some demographic information.

The AARP mentoring team will follow up with a few more questions, match eligible volunteers with a participating nursing school in their area, then invite the mentors for some trainings in preparation for their service. There are also quarterly learning collaborations and check-ins for every participating mentor.

Mentoring has tangible benefits for the mentor. In addition to the pride in being a part of someone else’s growth and development in the nursing profession, mentors have the opportunity to grow their own skills such as listening, accepting feedback, problem-solving, and leadership. Mentors learn new things about their own fields, about themselves, and about – and from – their mentees.

People who are interested in applying can go to the AARP Volunteer Portal for the Nurse Mentoring Program.

For background on the Campaign’s mentoring program, visit this landing page: /mentor-training/.

The AARP Center for Health Equity through Nursing serves as a vehicle for change and national resource for advancing health equity.  CCNA is an initiative of AARP Foundation, AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and it runs the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, an initiative of the same organizations building a healthier America through nursing. Since its founding in 2007, CCNA has created national and state multi-sector networks to stimulate collaboration, innovation and spur action for better health and well-being through nursing.

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On February 2, 2023 the Pennsylvania Action Coalition had the pleasure of attending the 35th Annual National Black Nurses (NBNA) Day on Capitol Hill with students from the Pennsylvania Action Coalition Cohort of Exchanged Learning (PA-ACCEL) Mentorship Program. The PA-ACCEL Mentorship Program was created by the Pennsylvania Action Coalition’s Nurse Diversity Council (PA-NDC) in partnership with Lincoln University’s Department of Nursing with the goal of bolstering nursing students’ capacity to be successful both in nursing school and in their transition to professional nursing practice.

The NBNA forum was dedicated to congressional health issues and policy.  Student mentees from the PA-ACCEL Mentorship Program, learned about seven key legislative priorities advancing health equity. These legislative topics included:

1. Ensuring Health Equity: Supporting the Nursing Workforce
2. Gun Violence: America’s Continued Crisis
3. Obesity: America’s Health Calamity
4. Suicide: A Mental Health Catastrophe
5. Equity and Wellness:  Climate and Environmental Justice
6. Criminal Justice Reform and Health Inequities
7. Time to Reckon with Black Maternal Health

The nursing students, along with members of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Area Black Nurses Association, educated legislators on these advocacy topics. They heard from Congressional Black Caucus members regarding promoting health equity. It was especially poignant to hear from Representative Lauren Underwood, herself a registered nurse from Illinois. We also heard from the following representatives: Summer Lee (PA), James Clyburn (SC), Terri A. Swell (AL),  Jonathan Jackson (IL), Jasmine Crockett (TX), Donald Payne (NJ), Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE), Robin Kelly (IL), and Bennie G. Thompson (MI).

We were carried away by the energy of these esteemed guests, but it was even more inspiring to hear from the students about their experiences.

Elizabeth Gomez, a senior nursing student at Lincoln University said, “This experience will always remind me of my duty as a nurse, to serve and lead people to better health while ensuring equity. I’m thankful to be part of such leadership.”

Her classmate, Jordyn Sanders, shared that, “Capitol Hill was a great eye-opening experience on public health crises that we as nurses can aid in demolishing! Great networking!”

We look forward to offering this experience to more students in the cohort for the upcoming academic year. We will be expanding our PA-ACCEL mentorship program to also include students in the Independence Blue Cross Foundation’s Healthcare Scholars Program. The Healthcare Scholars Program creates a regional pathway from local high schools to college to increase underrepresented groups in the nursing profession. Through this program, underrepresented students pursuing an undergraduate degree in nursing will receive full academic scholarships. Selected nursing schools in the Southeastern Pennsylvania region participating in the Nurses for Tomorrow grant will be awarded up to $35,000 per year for funding for tuition and fees for undergraduate nursing students pursuing an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). The PA-ACCEL Mentorship Program is funded by the Independence Blue Cross Foundation and the PA Action Coalition and receives in-kind support from the PA-NDC. The PA-ACCEL Mentorship Program Support Team is led by: Monica J. Harmon, MSN, MPH, RN;  Adriana Perez, PHD, CRNP, ANP-BC, FAAN, FGSA; Vilma Davis, PNP, BC, PHD; Chavon Crampton, MSN, RNC-MNN, CLC, EFM-C; Shukriyyah Mitchell-Hinton, BSN, RN; Saumya Ayyagari, MSN, MPH; Zaharaa Davood, MPH; and Jennifer Gimbel, MBA.

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The school district developed a video about the program, watch it below.

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Created by the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, the toolkit is based on the nursing process—the five steps known as ADPIE:

Assessment

Diagnosis

Planning

Implementation

Evaluation

This ADPIE framework lets health professionals assess how ready they are to take action to improve health equity locally, as well as measure their community’s needs.

Each section of the toolkit stands on its own, which means it’s user-friendly—nurses,  as well as Action Coalitions and their partners, can pick and choose elements that are appropriate for the level of engagement, experience, and the specific needs of their community.

If you have questions about the toolkit, please contact Jazmine Cooper, at jncooper@aarp.org.

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