Black Nurses Association continues it work in the Valley

YOUNGSTOWN

Nearly 35 years after its inception, the Youngstown-Warren Ohio Black Nurses Association continues to build on a legacy with roots in the civil rights movements of the 1960s and 1970s.

From scholarship offers to community health screenings to prescription assistance, the nonprofit organization actively works to improve the health of community members and expand opportunities in the nursing profession for people of color.

“We work to educate specifically the black community – specifically, because it’s where we live and where we work. We’re very active in our congregations. We work to educate and promote healthy habits, and clean living,” said president Carol Smith.

The group’s initiatives include: scholarship awards to several nursing students each year to encourage minorities to enter the profession; community health screenings; collaborative projects with other healthcare organizations; a senior citizen prescription assistance program; monthly blood pressure checks; health and career fairs; continuing-education seminars; and programs such as “300 Sisters in Red,” which promotes heart health.

Read more about the group in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.