WELCOME 2024!
HERE'S WHAT'S NEW ON CCBN'S HORIZON
Our 50th year was a great adventure and a springboard into the advancement of the profession of Nursing. With new leaders come new innovations. With CCBN's new president, Vel Garner RN at the helm, the adventure is only picking up speed.
Click HERE to See the Leaders of 2024!
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UPCOMING FEATURED EVENTS
DON'T DELAY...SIGN UP TODAY
Click Here to Sign Up for the next Public CCBN Meeting
Click Here to Apply for a CCBN Scholarship (Feb 1st - July 1st)
Scroll Down To See How We Promote Culturally Competent and Equitable Healthcare for All
ONE RACE
should not be burdened with determining the health standards for
ALL RACES
COMMUNITY OUTREACH: WE SERVE WITH PRIDE
Join The Colorado Council of Black Nurses Inc in supporting under-served communities to be equal contributors in the determination of healthcare standards by increasing the number of Black/African American professional nurses throughout the healthcare continuum. You don't have to be "Black" to belong. You only need a desire to support the mission of equitable healthcare for ALL and a willingness to address health equity from a cultural perspective.
OUR IMPACT ON HEALTH CARE LAST
QUARTER
Things That Go BOOM... Or Not!
A New Take on Healthy Air, CCBN Hosts a NASA X-59 Watch Party on Friday, January 12, 2024
The launch of CCBN was not the only part of history that occurred 50 years ago. In 1973, the FAA banned commercial supersonic flight over land due to the over 100 decibels of sound made as these aircraft broke the sound barrier, creating a sonic boom that in its wake created noise pollution that broke windows in buildings, disturbed animals, and traumatized humans. Now, 51 years later, NASA, in conjunction with Lockheed Martin, is hopeful they have solved the thunderous problem with the X-59 (QueSST) experimental, supersonic aircraft "to achieve supersonic flight over land." To celebrate this achievement and give a nod to the importance of healthy air environments, CCBN's Aerospace Nursing Department and CCBN Inc Aerospace, with a sponsorship from the Colorado Space Business Roundtable, will host a NASA X-59 Rollout Watch Party at the CHC on Friday, January 12, 2024 at 2 pm. Much fun is expected as edible airplane crafts are made, games played, food eaten, networks increased (of course), and the rollout watched live.
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Did We "SEE YOU IN AUSTRALIA?!"
CCBN President Co-Leads First US-Based Panels for the International Humans In Space Summit in Melbourne, Australia.
Special thanks are due to Dr. Anna Clebone Ruskin, and Robin Bruce, FN, BSN, RN, for coordinating the first three US-based panels. - Rowena Christiansen, ad astra vida project
On Saturday, December 9, 2023 at 6:30 pm MST (that's Sunday, Dec 10 in Australia), CCBN President Robin Bruce FN, BSN, RN moderated a 6-person panel titled "Space Implications of UAV Use in the Delivery of Health Care in Remote Regions" at the 2023 International Humans in Space Summit (IHS 2023). This year the ad astra vida project brought IHS 2023, a one-day, fully virtual (via Zoom) summit, as part of the new Melbourne International Space Festival. An exciting selection of panelists and presenters from the US, Choctaw Nation, Africa, and Australia showcased topics in the areas of space health, commercial spaceflight, remote medical care, human rights in space, and preparing for human exploration of Mars. Special thanks to Dr. Rowena Christiansen of the ad astra project and the University of Melbourne for the opportunity, and to the expert UAV panelists (in alphabetical order by first name) Christopher Robertson, Dawn Zoldi, James Grimsley, Gertrude Namitala, and Shea Fehrenbach. Click HERE to read about the stellar panelists and to find out more about the International Humans in Space Summits.
Did we SEE YOU IN AUSTRALIA? No worries if not. Click here to see the recordings! VIEW ALL PANELS
visit https://www.worldtimebuddy.com/ to find your time zone.
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Oh What... Success!
A beautiful acknowledgement of service to the community.
2023 CCBN ANNUAL HOLIDAY GATHERING
On behalf of the Colorado Council of Black Nurses Inc, THANK YOU for coming out (and in some instances, staying home and attending virtually if ill or exposed) and celebrating with us our accomplishments this year and the 2022-2024 term! Thank you also to those who were unable to come but gave support where needed. Special shout out and big thank you to Chef Leilah Rice of Brown Rice Consortium who was our catering sponsor, making fabulous vegan and other selections that pleased the palate while staying allergen free! All of your support means so much to CCBN and the communities we serve. Over 40 organizations showed up, showed out, and networked for the vision of equitable health care for all. Representative organizations included SEE BELOW. With collaborative partners like these outreaching to underserved communities, 2024 is really going to shine bright!
- Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc
- Alzheimer’s Association
- American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)
- Biden Harris Administration
- Brown Rice Consortium
- The Caregiver’s Guardian
- CCBN Inc Aerospace
- CCBN Scholars
- Children’s Hospital
- Colorado Behavioral Health Administration (BHA)
- Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence (CCNE)
- Colorado Council of Black Nurses Inc (CCBN)
- Colorado Department of Human Services Fort Logan
- Colorado Nurses Association’s DNA 20
- Colorado Space Business Roundtable (CSBR)
- Colorado State University Drone Center (CSU Drone)
- Commerce City – City Council
- Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc
- Denver Health
- Denver Public Schools (DPS)
- Denver-Rocky Mountain Association of Black Psychologists (DRMABPsi)
- Emily Griffith Opportunity School (EGOS)
- Front Range Area Health Education Center (FRAHEC)
- Healthy Air & Water Colorado (HAWC)
- The Huff Homeownership Legacy Team LLC
- In Unity Group LLC
- Invest in Kids
- Mile High Drug Test Consultants (Mile High DTC)
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society
- National Association of Hispanic Nurses Denver Chapter (NAHN)
- National Council of Negro Women Denver Section (NCNW)
- Nurse Family Partnership (NFP)
- Nurse Physician Advisory Task Force for Colorado Health (NPATCH)
- Peer Assistance Services (PAS)
- PGD Photography
- Philippine Nurses Association of Colorado (PNACO)
- Publications Graphics & Designs
- Trajectory Consulting LLC
- Veterans Health Administration - Veterans Hospital (VA)
- Wellpower
- Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc
Check out the Brown Rice Consortium website for more info about how you can offer healthy, allergen concious alternatives at you next event!
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YAAAAAAYYYYY!
The CCBN website is finally back up and running after a server update that put a pause on our ability to update the site for over a month! Thanks for your patience and persistence in keeping up with CCBN activities despite the communication lag.
A lot of great stuff happened during the months of August and September 2023. Here's a quick summary (see details when we are able to catch up!): We kicked off AUGUST by introducing 4 new CCBN Scholars, followed by a fantabulous 3-day 50th Anniversary Celebration that was so much fun! Throw in the Craig Hospital Roundtable Luncheon, CU Anschutz College of Nursing's Call to Care Ceremony, and a Colorado Cancer Coalition connection on top of our regular activities, August was certainly supercharged! SEPTEMBER was no slouch either, focusing on Nursing's presence in aerospace. Addressing climate change at CDI's 2nd Annual Conference and participating in breaking barriers at the inaugural Pathfinders Conference, with a commanding end to the month through the global launch of the CCBN Space Expo featuring a visit to the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering department at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Metro State University's groundbreaking ceremony of it's new Health Institute, and Japan's ispace US Grand Opening. Of course, we couldn't forget about celebrating the Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence's 20th Anniversary and servicing our communities with nearly 900 covid home test kits thanks to the donation of kits from the Denver Department of Health and Environment, and a Colfax community connect through the Black Advisory Substance Use Committee for Colorado Public Meeting and Listening Session.
OCTOBER looks to be just as exciting with the CCBN Scholarship Soiree at the end of the month, and collaborative or supportive events with NCNW's Good Health Wins, ADARAC, Institute for Science and Policy, Arapahoe Community College Health Fair, and the Bessie Coleman Flygirls and Flyboys Wings Pinning Ceremony.
More to come!
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It's Official: CCBN Inc Aerospace
We were so excited back in September 2022 when members voted unanimously to finalize the space arm of CCBN's Aerospace Nursing Department, officially birthing CCBN Inc Aerospace! Now in June 2023, CCBN Inc Aerospace finally has its own logo. Bear with us as we work to add this new and informative section about all things space health and habitation. Stay tuned.
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Third & Fourth Quarter 2023
CCBN has kept its momentum of being a presence in the community going. Third quarter entered with a bang as CCBN celebrated its 5 decades of service at the CCBN 50th Anniversary Celebration in August. Without taking time to catch our breathes, CCBN shared its knowledge and resources - free of charge of course - at the Health Highway of the Black Arts Festival in July, and took a deep dive in assessing the needs of the community at our Annual meeting in September, where new officers were elected to take the helm starting January1, 2024. Presented before many organizations including Colorado Space Coalition and Colorado Cancer Coalition, and hopped aboard NCNW's Good Health Wins covid prevention campaign. CCBN witnessed the the official groundbreaking ceremony of Metro State University of Denver's new Health Institute and the introduction of iSpace out of Japan to Colorado's space community. The third quarter ended on a high note with the global launch of the CCBN Space Expo 2023.
During quarter four, CCBN supported those battling breast cancer at Dancing with the Breast Cancer Stars, and provided info on screening and breast health education at several events around town and on college campuses, such as the Health Fair at Arapahoe Community College. We revved up the STEAM aspirations of youth at Cherry Creek Schoool's Steam-a-Palooza and participated in many healthy air and water advocacy projects. Tackled the plight of recognition of professional nurses trained outside of the US. Thanks to DDPHE and Black Fridays, CCBN has delivered thousands of covid test kits and PPE throughout the Denver Metro health community. CCBN's participated in the recognition of justice at White Coats for Black Lives Die-In, witnessed junior aviators get their wings, and explored the psychological aspects of racism at the Sbarbaro lecture. The CCBN Annual Scholarship Soiree introduced new CCBN Scholars into the fold and highlighted recent graduates who have maintained the streak of 100% NCLEX pass rate. The quarter ends like a lion with the upcoming CCBN Annual Holiday Gathering welcoming PNACO, NAHN, and CNA/DNA20, followed by a much needed Winter Break for the CCBN organization. Thank you for your support.
Second Quarter Activities 2023
Before the July break, CCBN packed in the connections for the greater health of all communities on Earth, in the air, and in space. We've expanded our list of collaborations and events to include both DPS and CCSD Career Technical Education Advisory, Wellpower Diversity Job Fairs, RMABPsi Reception for National Black Mental Health Month, Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia State Plan, CCCS Rising Star Awards, Nurse Physician Advisory Task Force for Colorado Health (NPATCH), Public Health Nurses Association, Xponential, SGAC Africa Strategic Partnership Event, GlobalMindED conference, New Grad Symposium, BEST Success Expo, Colorado Space Business Roundtable, even Colorado's Lieutenant Governor (Dianne Primavera) to name a few. Just like quarter one, our time in the community has not allowed time to fully update this website, but it's coming - sooner than later... or maybe later. Stay tuned!
First Quarter Activities 2023
The Colorado Council of Black Nurses Inc has done so much this quarter that we haven't had a chance to update this section. To the benefit of our underserved communities, we've collaborated and advocated with many organizations, administrations, and institutions to meet our mission. Check back later to find out what we've got going with the Behavioral Health Administration, Project REACH, Denver Public Schools CTE, Cherry Creek Innovation Campus, Arapahoe Community College, Metropolitan State University, Wellpower, Denver Health, Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment and Cancer Prevention Early Detection, the Health Equity Accord, even the National Society of Black Engineers and more!
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FUN! FUN! FUN!
CCBN Scholars Kick Off Another Year at the Health Highway of the Colorado Black Arts Festival
Thanks to CCBN Scholar sponsors Front Range Area Health Education Center (FRAHEC), Peer Assistance Services (PAS), and Wellpower, 2023 Black Arts Festival (BAF) attendees will experience hands on learning about health through Scholar projects, be informed of healthcare job opportunities, and have access to more free COVID safeguard supplies. The Operation game is returning for another festive year of challenging eye-hand coordination, along with Spin the Wheel for cool prizes. Come out, play games, and have FUN learning about health! Click HERE to find out more info about this year's BAF. See you at Denver's City Park on July 7, 8, and 9, 2023!
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100% of Recently Graduated CCBN Scholars and CCBN Student Members Passed the NCLEX!
Congrats to our recently graduated CCBN Scholars and CCBN student members who graduated with an ADN or BSN. As of October 2022, ALL passed their NCLEX and are full-fledged RN’s! Congrats to CCBN Scholars Elsy David Peoples BSN, RN, Danyelle Gilbert BSN, RN, and Dayriana Sanders ADN, RN. Congrats to CCBN student members Omarah Macias-Czarnecki BSN, RN, Upasana Nepal BSN, RN, and Gabriel Toepel BSN, RN. The future of Nursing at its best!
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3-2-1 BLAST-OFF!
The CCBN Space Expo: National Launch
This year's goals are "simple": (1) Get 1 million youth to send a CCBN Space Expo themed postcard to Club for the Future to be flown on a future Blue Origin flight and returned to them so that they will always have something from space; (2) Instill hope in our youth - especially those who are justice involved - that our past doesn't have to define our future because our future is not yet written, and (3) HAVE FUN both learning about space and sharing with others what we've learned about space. Well, that didn't happen, but the year is not over yet so we're not giving up. There's still time to get those postcards in with the new goal of reaching the million mark by April 2023. CLICK HERE to access the CCBN Space Expo National Launch page and and track the number of postcards distributed. Spread the word. #aChanceToLeap #CCBNSpaceExpo
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Colorado Nurse License Plates Now Available... Supports Nurses Education
We are elated to announce, that after many long months, the Colorado Nurse License Plate spearheaded by CCBN member Jennifer Allen-Thomas RN that honors Colorado’s nurses and helps support Colorado Nursing students is finally available for public purchase! To get the DMV certificate, go to the Colorado Nurses Foundation website at https://www.coloradonursesfoundation.com/nurses-license-plate1 or click the link located under CCBN’s donation tab. #ColoradoNursesRock
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The Colorado Council of Black Nurses is on a mission to break the resistance barrier that for the past 70 years has kept nurses from exiting Earth's orbit. Stay Tuned...
CCBN is doing its part in stopping the spread of COVID-19 by providing tips and information on how YOU can TAKE CONTROL of YOUR part in stopping the spread of this coronavirus. CLICK HERE or go to the COVID-19 tab to learn how you can TAKE CONTROL to STOP the SPREAD.
We Suggest Love... Above All... Through It All... For All
"Can't get rid of hate unless you replace it with something else." Quote from "Burden" by Andrew Heckler
Whether it's at a Town Hall, Seminar, Legislative Hearing, or Community Gathering, please join CCBN and ECCBN as we address Racism within the Healthcare Continuum.
As the first REGISTERED Black nurse in the United States, Mary Mahoney was well known for her professionalism, excellent nursing skills, and her ability to inspire others to work together for human rights.
Mary Eliza Mahoney
For 50 years, the Colorado Council of Black Nurses, Inc. (CCBN) has continued the tradition of professionalism, excellent nursing skills, and the promotion of equal human rights through collaborative practices that address healthcare disparities as well as health status disparities from a cultural perspective. CCBN's initiation and promotion of culturally competent and equitable health care practices within the state of Colorado has effected change in global health initiatives, national healthcare standards, Colorado state healthcare policies, and postsecondary curriculum in colleges, universities, and schools of Nursing throughout the state of Colorado; thereby improving the health status of all Coloradoans through the sustaining of high quality and professional health care.