Last month, a nurse named Dawn Wooten blew the whistle on a series of alleged human rights violations and medical malpractice at an ICE detention facility in Georgia. Among the allegations were a total lack of COVID care or precautions, and a troubling prevalence of hysterectomies.

The National Nurse-Led Care Consortium has composed this letter to publicly thank her for her bravery as a nurse speaking out for her patients and to call on the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General to conduct a thorough investigation. Read this letter below.

Empowering Nurses to Change Public Policy

At the Core of Care

Erin Blair, a home visiting nurse with the Philadelphia Nurse-Family Partnership, joined the At the Core of Care podcast to speak about her experience translating nursing into advocacy. Last year, Erin joined the Lead Free Philly campaign to testify to Philadelphia City Hall about how the city's outdated lead law was impacting the families she serves. Thanks to activists like Erin, Council then voted to strengthen the city's lead laws to protect children from lead poisoning. You can hear Erin speak about her work in this episode.

Public Citizens for Children & Youth (PCCY) and the Alliance for Nurses for Healthy Environments are also featured in this episode.

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This month, the National Nurse-Led Care Consortium's nurse home visiting programs, the Philadelphia Nurse-Family Partnership and Mabel Morris Family Home Visit Program, hosted their 5th Annual Community Action Day. In past years Community Action Day is a one-day, in-person event hosted at a local park or public recreation center in Philadelphia. This year, due to COVID-19 restrictions, Community Action Day was a three-part virtual event presented on July 25, 27 and 29. Our goal was to create a fun, engaging virtual space to discuss community-driven solutions, civic engagement, nutrition, and self-care.

Watch Part 1 of our Community Action Day 2020

Numerous community partners, including Health Promotion Council and The Health Federation, offered resources and services to attendees. In response to this year’s theme, “Grow as we go,” families discussed legislative policies and issues that impact their lives and had the opportunity to hear directly from Philadelphia Councilmember Helen Gym and Anjanette Perry from Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY).

Thank you to everyone who made Community Action Day 2020 a success! 

Black lives matter. As we witnessed the horrific murder of George Floyd and our nation's righteous outrage and sorrow, it's important to say this now and always without reservation or hesitation. Black lives matter. We need to say it, because in this time of pain and anguish, our neighbors, colleagues, patients, brothers, and sisters need to be heard. Black lives matter.

We also know that words are not enough. The United States has never truly reckoned with its 400 year history of racism and the racist systems that were built on slavery and the forceful takeover of native land. We see injustice today acutely through racist policing policies that disproportionately kill black men, women, and children and far too often fail to bring their families justice. Our history is also one of fighting for justice and that fight is not over.

As we confront the enormity of today’s challenges - a deadly pandemic, economic depression, and insecure housing on a massive scale - we must acknowledge that all of these issues are linked and exacerbated by systemic racism. Racism is a public health crisis, and nurses have always shown courage, conviction, and leadership in the midst of public health crises. From all of us at the National Nurse-Led Care Consortium, we stand with you.