SUGAR LAND – Nurses and nursing students can get a firsthand account of what the Affordable Care Act will mean for their profession during the University of Houston-Victoria Fall Nursing Forum.

The forum will be from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. Nov. 22 in the Susan Ryon Davis Multi-Purpose Room inside Brazos Hall at UH Sugar Land, 14004 University Blvd.

Ginger Blomstrom

This forum topic is “The Affordable Care Act and the Impact on Nursing Practice.” Ginger Blomstrom, an assistant clinical professor in the UHV School of Nursing, said there is a great deal of uncertainty about how the new federal law will affect nurses and patient care.

Blomstrom said she’s unsure if nurses understand all the details and ramifications of the Affordable Care Act. Based on her class discussions with nurses in the field, there’s a lot of misunderstanding about the new law.

“There are places online to get access to information about the act, but some of it appears to be flawed,” Blomstrom said. “The nurses have to sort through it. That’s why the School of Nursing wanted to bring in someone who is qualified and can give area nurses and nursing students the right information.”

Anna Kiger, vice president of patient care services and corporate chief nursing officer for Tenet Healthcare Corp. in Dallas, will serve as the forum speaker. Blomstrom said Kiger has many years of experience working as both a nurse practitioner and a health care administrator.

“She’ll be able to speak about the impact of the law in several terms, including why nurses and nurse practitioners will likely have more patients in coming years,” Blomstrom said.

Kiger earned a Master of Science in nursing administration from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and a Master of Business Administration from Averett University in Danville, Va. She went on to earn a doctorate in health services research and administration from Tulane in New Orleans and a doctorate in nursing administration from Texas Tech in Lubbock. She previously served as the senior director of patient care services and regional director of clinical quality improvement for Tenet.

Nurses are encouraged to register early for the forum as seating is limited. The advance registration deadline is Wednesday. To register online with a credit card, visit www.uhvconnect.org/events. Participants also may register at the door from 5:45 to 6:15 p.m. Nov. 22. The cost to attend is $15. Students can get in free with a student ID.

The forum will include a poster contest highlighting evidenced-based nursing practices by UHV graduate nursing students. The event is sponsored by UHV’s Phi Chi chapter of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing and the Texas Nurses Association. Forum participants can earn continuing education credit from the Texas Nurses Association.

For more information, contact the UHV School of Nursing at 281-275-3060 or nursing@uhv.edu.