SCNNCA was founded in August 1999 and received its charter from the NNCA in May 2000. Unique in the NNCA, we are composed predominantly of Reserve Navy Nurse Corps Officers and Retirees, as there have been very few Active Duty postings in our geographic region (Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arkansas). However, we have invited the Active Duty Navy Nurses from the new Navy Medical Education and Training Command (NMETC) at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX to join us! During our visit, last month, we had the honor of meeting RADM Rebecca McCormick-Boyle, Director of the Navy Nurse Corps and Commander of NMETC who shares her time at both BUMED and NMETC! More about our visit to NMETC and meeting our Admiral in the 2016 activities below. We are actively seeking all Active Duty, Retired, Reserve, and honorably discharged Navy Nurse Corps Officers to join us in enjoying SCNNCA activities and friendship in our region.
Membership / Meetings: SCNNCA is open to all Retired, Reserve, Active Duty, and honorably discharged Navy Nurse Corps Officers. It is an NNCA absolute requirement that chapter members are also current members of NNCA. However, our chapter dues are complimentary. We normally have our SCNNCA membership and the officer elections (done online) in the Spring; however, we have changed our 2017 annual chapter meeting and Meehan Symposium to this Fall. More information to be announced. If you have a desire to serve in a Leadership position, please contact Anne McCarty at scnnca@nnca.org. Because of our large geographic area, some meetings may be held online. We currently have approximately 50 members.
Chapter Dues: SCNNCA membership dues are complimentary for all those living in our area who register as NNCA members on the NNCA.ORG site. When filling out your Profile Page under the “Members Only” tab, please designate your Chapter as SCNNCA. We are thrilled to have you as a member!
Chapter Mission/Projects: The mission of SCNNCA is to foster friendship, affinity, rapport and cordial relations among Former, Retired, Active and Reserve Navy Nurse Corps officers. We promote social activities; sponsor Continuing Education offerings (SCNNCA is a California Board of Nursing Certified CEU Provider); and support NNCA Scholarship and Veteran’s organizations.
2017
While at NMETC, we discussed our plans to have the chapter officer elections this Spring (Online) and having our Annual Membership meeting and CAPT Karen Meehan Operational Nursing Symposium in October 2017 in San Antonio. We are currently planning a two-day symposium awarding at least 12 contact hours from SCNNCA as a Certified Provider of CEUs through the CA Board of Nursing. It will be focused on military / operational nursing. We have been doing these symposiums almost every year since 2000. We have confirmed our Keynote Speaker, CAPT Al Shimkus, NC, USN who is an Associate Professor at the Naval War College. Attendees should expect a continental breakfast and luncheon both days included in their tuition costs. In addition to Navy Medical Dept. Officers, we are also inviting Navy Enlisted HMs, US Army, and USAF Medical Dept. Officers. More information will be forthcoming in the next few weeks. Mike Beimer is this year’s Meehan Symposium Committee Chairman.
2016
We requested an invitation and were graciously invited to the Navy Medical Education Training Command (NMETC) in San Antonio to meet with RADM McCormick-Boyle, Commander, CAPT Terri Kinsey, Senior Nurse Executive and Academic Director, and the Navy Nurse Educators of the new “Corps” school for our military medical enlisted members. In November, Mike Beimer, JoAnn Hennessey Smith, and Anne McCarty had the honor of providing a “meet and feed” opportunity to introduce the active duty command to SCNNCA and NNCA. CDR Faria Belmares, our liaison, was our contact helping to organize the visit. Thank you Faria for setting up the tour and the suggestion on where to order the food….WD Deli….fabulous! We really want to thank everyone for their patience, attention, and gracious reception to us. They treated us like VIPs (grandparents all) and assured a great tour of the Corps school facilities and their headquarters. Again, thank you Admiral Rebecca McCormick-Boyle, CAPT Terri Kinsey, and the Nurse Corps of NMETC!!!
2015
CAPT Mike Beimer, chapter VP, learned that a deceased Chillicothe, TX Navy Nurse was to be honored by the community and her family. LT Wilma Ledbetter, a WWII & Korean era Navy Nurse, perished onboard the USS Benevolence on August 25, 1950 as the ship was on her final shakedown for deployment to Korea. The ship was rammed and sank just outside of the San Francisco harbor with all her nurses onboard. The details of this event and the loss of LT Ledbetter are detailed in Doris Sterner’s book, In and Out of Harm’s Way , Chapter 8, ppgs 231-234. CAPT Beimer provided a Certificate of Appreciation for LT Ledbetter’s service from our chapter to the surviving family members. He also provided a copy of the book and attended all the memorial activities for the occasion. Additionally, he assisted the family obtaining a military headstone for LT Ledbetter. Our chapter has offered to assist in paying for the setting of that headstone. LT Ledbetter’s family had never received her awards or ribbons. The local U.S. Congressman presented those to her surviving sister. I would like to thank CAPT Beimer for his initiative and devotion to duty in caring for this Navy Nurse and her family.
2014
Karen Meehan Operational Nursing Symposium: As an example of our activities, South Central Navy Nurse Corps Association chapter sponsored the one day Meehan Operational Nursing Symposium, a Continuing Education Symposium, at NAS JRB Fort Worth. We had outstanding speakers updating us on everything from Ebola to Afghanistan. Those attending earned 8 CEUs. Along with catching up with friends, we shared a delicious luncheon from Olive Garden and breakfast from Panera. The next day most attended the Fleet Hospital 21 / Dallas / OHSU / EMF Dallas Reunion and BBQ. It was great to see dear friends and Shipmates!
2013
SCNNCA sponsored the BBQ dinner for the FH21/Dallas/OHSU Reunion held at NAS JRB FTW in October, 2013. It was attended by many of our Shipmates and their spouses. We had a great time and elected chapter officers during our SCNNCA meeting time. President: Anne McCarty, VP: Mike Beimer, Board of Director Members: Lynn AbuMari, Chris Walsh, Jim McGraw, and Gina Carroll. See Photo below!
Contact this Chapter: Anne McCarty, at scnnca@nnca.org
FH21/Dallas Reunion October 26, 2013 at NAS JRB FTW
The following 5 pictures are from SCNNCA’s visit to NMETC Ft. Sam Houston, TX November 10, 2016
JoAnn Hennessey Smith (NNCA Advisor to Historian and Oral History Project, Chapter Member) presents a replacement copy of In and Out of Harm’s Way to Mike Beimer (SCNNCA VP and acting Treasurer) who had given his copy to the family of LT Wilma Ledbetter at the LT’s memorial service. See 2015 Happenings.
JoAnn Hennessey Smith presenting the NNCA.ORG website to NMETC Command Staff and Educators
CAPT Terri Kinsey, Senior Nurse Executive and Academic Director; Anne McCarty, SCNNCA President; RADM Rebecca McCormick-Boyle, Director of the Navy Nurse Corps and Commander NMETC, Members of NMETC’s Professional Nurse Educator staff. We had such a great time “meeting and feeding” our new friends!!!
JoAnn Smith, Mike Beimer, and Anne McCarty (against the wall) listening to RADM McCormick-Boyle’s presentation and discussion with her Navy Nurse Educators of NMETC. What a thrill for these Navy Nurse Corps retirees!
RADM McCormick-Boyle’s presentation and discussion with her Navy Nurse Educators of NMETC. Thank you RADM McCormick-Boyle and CAPT Kinsey for your generous hospitality and gracious reception to SCNNCA and our invitation to join us in NNCA / SCNNCA!
