Welcome from the Project Director

Whether you are a first time visitor or frequent viewer of our Web site, I would like to welcome you to Nurses for America. I am Jeanne Matthews, the new Project Director of NFA, an innovative program designed to improve access to nursing and health care for the vulnerable.

I have been on faculty at Georgetown University for the past 13 years, preparing future public health nurses. During the last five years, I have combined my faculty role with one in public health in Arlington County, Virginia, just across the Potomac from the University.

Though newly involved as Project Director, I served as a consultant to the project, as a member of the Advisory Board, and as a faculty mentor to an NFA nurse member. I consider this a wonderful opportunity to partner with our preceptors, members, and faculty mentors, moving NFA ahead in its quest for better care for populations at risk.

As a public health professional, I am reminded each day of the ongoing challenges to health and health care that exist across the nation. Programs such as NFA keep me hopeful! Channeling the talent of nursing professionals, enhancing their knowledge and skills in public health, and linking them to individuals and communities in need will serve the nation well. I am proud of the work of our first cohort, working in many sites around the country, and look forward to sharing with you their wonderful accomplishments.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Barbara Aranda-Naranjo, who gave so much to develop this program. Barbara’s leadership, enthusiasm, and commitment to social justice live through her accomplishments with NFA. While she has moved on to accept new challenges, we are grateful for her insight and energy, and will continue in the tradition that she inspired.

As I begin my role as Project Director, I wish to acknowledge the wonderful team that supports NFA. I look forward to a successful collaboration in the Jesuit tradition of service to others. I welcome your input and ideas. Feel free to contact me at mattheje@georgetown.edu.

Sincerely,

Jeanne A. Matthews, Ph.D., RN