WOCN® Ostomy Education Day 2023!
The WOCN Society is hosting a one-day virtual event titled Pharmacology Day: From Your Practice To The Pharmacy, scheduled to be held on Saturday, February 18, 2023. This virtual event is geared towards Advanced Practice Nurses, Physician Assistants, DOs, MDs, and any healthcare professionals who are interested in advancing their pharmacology knowledge.
Pharmacology Day: From Your Practice To The Pharmacy
The WOCN Society is hosting a one-day virtual event titled Pharmacology Day: From Your Practice To The Pharmacy, scheduled to be held on Saturday, February 18, 2023. This virtual event is geared towards Advanced Practice Nurses, Physician Assistants, DOs, MDs, and any healthcare professionals who are interested in advancing their pharmacology knowledge.
MER Autumn 2022 Newsletter
Autumn greetings Mideast Region!
I am your newly elected President of the MidEast Region Board. I reside in Huntington, West Virginia with my very precocious wiener dog fur child, “Stinky”. I have 3 grown children, 2 grandsons and a granddaughter due to be delivered on December 6, 2022. A Christmas blessing for sure! I have 29 years of nursing experience having worked in acute and long-term patient care as well as the medical device industry. I have been a certified wound and ostomy nurse since 2009. I am currently a Wound Care Clinical Specialist within the 3M Medical Solutions Division.
Healing Mindset
You know your job is important. Your patients rely on you to be the best you can be and their family notices and welcomes you to help heal their wounds. Physicians rely on you, and bedside nurses cannot wait till you arrive---you are the great and impressive answer to...
Government Affairs – May 2022 Update
WOCN members, and other advocates, have been working in several states across the country to ensure that ostomy patients who are covered by Medicaid have access to the supplies they need. As you may know, many state Medicaid programs fail to provide adequate extended wear ostomy products, which in many instances is well below even the Medicare standards.
Looking to Elevate your Practice by Sharing your Passion? Join a Task Force!
MER is looking for passionate participants to be actively involved in one of our task forces we are developing to promote and support the growth of our organization and members. Benefits of participation: ● Collaboration with Colleagues● Enhances Leadership skills●...
Strategic Plan – Sharing Our Passion to Elevate Your Profession
Dear Mideast Region WOC Nurse friends and colleagues, On February 26th and 27th, the Mideast Region WOC board members gathered to examine our future as a region and the many challenges that are facing the members of the MER. We had one question we needed to address,...
2021 November MER News
Dear Mideast Region friends, As we await the final evaluation reviews from the fall conference (attendees and conference planners) we are thrilled to share good news with you. We have much to be thankful for in these days with so much busyness and illness around us....
Nurse Referral Database Update – February 2021
UPDATE: This is an excellent time to make sure your professional information is current in your WOCN member profile. The nurse referral directory pulls self-reported data right from the member portal, so to ensure accuracy when populated in the search tool, be sure...
Letter from the President – December 2020
Dear Mideast Region Friends, November is the perfect time to share thanks for all our blessings. While this has been a challenging year due to the unrelenting COVID-19 pandemic, we still have much to be thankful for and must continue sharing our resilience with those...
CE Update – Zoom to the Challenge Virtual Conference
As was announced at the October kick-off meeting, the CE claim form for the presentations will be released at the end of the October, and will be good through January of 2021 for each member who wishes to complete these modules. The instructions will include going to...
Letter from the President – Summer 2020
Dear Colleagues, My message is one of hope that we can move forward in the very near future with a safer environment. Covid-19 has certainly had significant impact in our WOC nursing role as well as on our personal lives. Within our own region, we have not escaped the...
Government Affairs – May 2020 Update
MER WOCN Public Policy and Advocacy Update, May 11, 2020 The Home Health Care at Home Act This act would allow improve reimbursement for telehealth care while reducing restrictions to care, this act will last as through the Covid-19 emergency declaration. The ability...
Check out the new Job Board!
Please take a moment to check out the newest addition to our website - a job board! Job postings are free for members, so please submit your position details if you have an opening you're looking to fill. If you're looking for a new challenge, we encourage you to...
June 2020 Member Meeting Recording
Watch the recording from our June 6, 2020 Membership Meeting below, and please contact us if you have questions.
Membership Meeting on Zoom!
Join us at 8:00 AM EST on Saturday, June 6, 2020 Dear Mideast Region Member, Please join us on Zoom this Saturday, June 6 at 8:00 AM EST for an online Membership Meeting with MER Leadership. Click here to view the meeting agenda. Click here to view the September 2019...
Event & Region Updates – March 2020
Message from the President: Dear Mideast Region Member, We find ourselves in a pandemic with potential consequences that are unprecedented in our lifetimes. I wanted to state that first and foremost, the health and safety of you and your loved ones is most important....
Region Updates – March 2020
WOCNCB If you are looking to take the WOCNCB exams or you are due for renewal, check www.wocncb.org for messaging. With the current situation, many testing sites are temporarily closed. Additionally, you may be temporarily impacted on your certification renewal. We...
Certifications Update – March 2020
Certifications Update Dear colleagues, Most important right now is the well-being of you and your loved ones. Certification and recertification is likely not a priority for you at the moment. However, it may interest us all to know that the WOC Certification Board is...
Government Affairs – November 2019 Update
Prior Authorization Required for Pressure Reduction Support Surfaces Effective October 21, 2019 nationwide a prior authorization is required for pressure reduction support surfaces. It is important for WOC nurses to understand the process and share the information to...
Government Affairs – October 2019 Update
An upcoming policy change will soon make it mandatory nationwide to submit prior authorization for Pressure Reducing Support Surfaces. Prior authorization is a process through which a request for provisional affirmation of coverage is submitted for review before an...
Region Update – August 2019
President: Linda Stricker Greetings, hoping this newsletter finds each of you enjoying a pleasant summer. If you missed the member meeting in Nashville, here is a recap for you. A number of accomplishments have been achieved by this region in the last 10 years,...
Letter from the President – Summer 2019
Dear Mideast Region Member, It is with great sorrow that I send this message concerning a recent event in our own Mideast Region. As you have heard in the news cycle, two more senseless mass shootings have occurred in this country. One of those events happened at the...
Government Affairs – March 2019 Update
March 2019 WOCN Public Policy Report The WOCN Public Policy and Advocacy team is working has narrowed down focus on three projects in hopes of coordination and cohesiveness of regional and national WOCN affiliates. The projects have been subdivided amongst three teams...
Government Affairs – July 2018 Update
The NPUAP has released a consumer survey to be used by the IPUAP to inform the update of the 2019 International Guideline. If you or a loved one have had or work to prevent pressure injury, please take the time to fill out the survey. To find more about the guideline,...
Remembering Marilyn Spencer
Marilyn Spencer was an early ET nurse at the Cleveland Clinic and worked closely with Norma Gill-Thompson and Dr. Turnbull. She was the fourth person Norma trained. Marilyn and Norma were instrumental in organizing the IAET (precursor to the...
Letter from the President – Summer 2018
Dear MER Members, It was wonderful seeing many of you at the WOCN® Conference in Philadelphia. Please check out photos from our membership meeting and general conference on our website. As summer moves on, your board is hard at work. We have decided to develop a...
Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act
2554: Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act Currently there is a “Gag Clause” that prevents pharmacists from disclosing cost savings for prescriptions between using their insurance and paying out of pocket. The ”Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act” seeks to...
May is Bladder Cancer Awareness Month
It is expected that 81,000 people will be diagnosed with bladder cancer this year and over 17,000 will succumb to the disease. Click on the link below to find out ways you can promote awareness: https://www.bcan.org/bladder-cancer-awareness-month/ Government Affairs –...
Government Affairs – March 2018 Update
H.R. 1478, the Gun Violence Research Act. Despite gun violence being the leading cause of death for children, a decades-old law effectively stifles any research into this issue. A bill in Congress right now could change that, allowing the Centers for Disease Control...
Seeking 2018 Nominations
We are seeking nominations for the upcoming MER Board positions. Please considering making a nomination and becoming more involved and connected with your MER peers! Please send a biography with a picture to Becky Smith (rebsmith@hmh.net) by June 1 if you are...
Letter from the President – March 2018
Dear MER Members, As spring approaches, it’s hard to believe it has been nearly 6 months since our fall conference in Dearborn, MI. Thank you to all that made this conference a success! Please check out the photos in the conference album in the photo library under the...
Government Affairs – September 2017 Update
Medicare Competitive Bidding In March 2016, President Obama released his FY 2017 budget, which proposed that inhalation drugs, all prosthetic and orthotics, and ostomy, tracheostomy and urological supplies be listed as products subjected to competitive bidding. The...
Letter from the President – August 2017
Dear MER Members, I hope this finds you well and enjoying the summer. It was good to see many of you at our membership meeting during the WOCN conference in Salt Lake City. Connecting with colleagues new and of longstanding is one of the best parts of conference! We...
Letter from the MER President – December 2016
Dear MER Members, I hope you are all enjoying the Holidays with those you love. The MER has a gift for you: Our new and improved website is up and running in our previous location www.mideastregion.org Please check it out. The website is a one stop shop for all of...
Government Affairs – Summer 2016 Update
Government Affairs Committee Anne Carl BSN, CWON Medicare Competitive Bidding Program Ostomy and Urological supplies included in competitive bidding program for FY 2017 Obama budget. The WOCN® is concerned about the inclusion of the urological and ostomy supplies due...
Letter from the MER President – Summer 2016
Dear MER Members, I hope everyone is enjoying summer. We had a good turnout at the MER membership meeting in Montreal. The Mideast region is fortunate to have such dedicated volunteers and members. There was a great discussion around the MER Website redesign and...
Region Information Update
Dear Mideast Region Members, Hope all is well. Happy Spring!! The MER Board will be meeting April 9th in Dayton, Ohio to work on issues that were discussed at the membership meeting in October. We thank the Indiana Conference Planning Committee for their hard work and...
Government Affairs Update – Summer 2015
Government Affairs Update by Anne Carl, BSN, RN, CWON Email: cwon2009@gmail.com On June 22, 2015 the WOCN® Society submitted comments in response to the need for Medicare reimbursement for compression therapy to a US Senate finance committee looking at chronic care...
MER Government Affairs – 2014 Update
The Obama administration has redesigned healthcare.gov. The changes will begin for open enrollment session which begins November 15, 2014. The Department of Health and Human Services on 9/24/14 released a report that projects $5.7 billion this year in uncompensated...
Lifetime Achievement in Nursing Award Presented by Cleveland Clinic – April 2014
Congratulations, Barbara Hocevar! On April 15, 2014, Barbara Hocevar, Assistant Director of the R.B. Turnbull, Jr. MD School of WOC Nursing, was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award in Nursing by Cleveland Clinic. For more than 25 years Barbara Hocevar has been a...
Announcing the WOC Nursing Hall of Fame Award at Cleveland Clinic WOC Nursing
The WOC Nursing Hall of Fame was established on April 12, 2013 to capture the WOC history and remember those who have left an indelible mark on the specialty. This special award is not limited to Cleveland Clinic graduates or employees. To nominate an individual...
Julia Colliflower is the current Mideast Region President
WOCN® Society Vision
To be the preferred community for wound, ostomy, and continence advocacy, education, and research recognized for promoting safe and effective care worldwide.
Mideast Region Vision
For our members to be recognized as the most valued and respected leaders in healthcare.
Our Mission
The Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society™ is a professional community dedicated to advancing the practice and delivery of expert healthcare to individuals with wound, ostomy, and continence care needs. We support our members’ practice through advocacy, education, and research.
Core Values
Leadership
Serving members by sharing our passion.
Integrity
Trusted expertise.
Knowledge
Mentoring others to elevate their profession.