Letter from the President: Health Equity

We have faced unprecedented challenges these past few months and we are proud of the work you do every day addressing the challenges surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and more recently as we face the effects of racism and violence here in the United States. The death of George Floyd and other unarmed black men and women in the United States is a troubling issue that affects the African American community, which suffers disproportionately from cardiovascular disease.

Our mission at PCNA is to promote nurses as leaders around the world in cardiovascular disease prevention and management across the lifespan- for ALL individuals, regardless of race, gender or age. We also recognize that nurses cannot do the work of preventing and managing cardiovascular disease without addressing psychosocial stressors such as racism, in addition to traditional risk factors, that stand in the way of all individuals attaining optimal cardiovascular health.

We remain committed to social justice and eliminating disparities in cardiovascular health, supported by nurses from diverse backgrounds, through the development of professional and patient education, research, leadership, and advocacy. We stand in solidarity with other cardiovascular organizations such as the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology, among others, in our mission to achieve cardiovascular health equity.

We hope you will join us.

Warmly,

Kim Newlin, MSN, ANP, FPCNA

PCNA President