Unity Through Our Differences

(DEI) are essential in health care. Nurses play a pivotal role in addressing DEI in our healthcare systems and daily interactions.

Join CT Nurses as we create a safe space for us to come together to learn about DEI, listen to personal stories, and plan to leverage our roles to address and promote DEI in nursing and healthcare!

Connecticut Nurses Association is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation  Provider Number – P0503

Thank you to our Premier Sponsors

Live Event recorded Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Presenting:  CREATING A SHARED SPACE 

Wendy Garvin Mayo, MSN, APRN, ANP-BC
Convention Facilitator
Wendy Garvin Mayo is an Oncology Nurse Practitioner and Stress Solution Strategist with over 20 years in the healthcare industry. She is currently the President of the Central Connecticut Oncology Nursing Society, sits on the Board of Directors for the Connecticut Nursing League, and a Certified John Maxwell Speaker, Coach and Trainer.   Wendy is also the founder of the Nurse Wellness Mentorship and host of the Nurse Wellness Podcast. Wendy has experience in various nursing sectors such as clinical, leadership, research, academia, and pharmaceuticals.  Throughout her career, she has served as a leader who has helped shaped the lives of patients, caregivers, and nurses.

Presenting:  DISPARITIES IN MATERNAL HEALTH

Khadija Gurnah, MPH
Khadija Gurnah is a public health practitioner and campaigner with over 15 years experience advocating  for health, immigration, and racial justice policies that support women and families.
She is a graduate of the Yale School of Public Health and received the Emerging Majority Award in Health Disparities from her alma mater for her advocacy for policies that improve the health and well being of children and families.

Presenting:  STORYTELLING: DISPARITIES THROUGH THE EYS OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS

MaryAnn Perez-Brescia, PhD candidate, MSN, RN
MaryAnn Perez-Brescia is the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator for the UConn School of Nursing and a CEIN_BS Faculty. MaryAnn graduated with her Associates from Greater Hartford Community College in 1992. She then returned for her BSN and continued on to receive her MSN in 2006, both from the University of Hartford. Her background in nursing has been in various areas from medical surgical, ICU, visiting nurse, mental health, and academics. Currently, she is completing her PhD program at the UConn School of Nursing.

MaryAnn has devoted much of her free time to the National Association of Hispanic Nurses where she served as president of the Hartford Chapter and is a current member of the Connecticut chapter. She is a fellow from the CT Health Foundation Leaders program and now serves as a board member for the foundation. MaryAnn is also a Jonas Scholar and a Sigma Theta Tau Mu Chapter member and chair of the governance committee.

Vivienne Friday, EdD, MSN, RN, CNE
Dr. Friday is passionate about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Vivienne has shared her knowledge and passion for this topic at local, state-wide and national platforms; taking part in Webinars and conferences where she presented as a subject matter expert on the topic. For example, Dr. Friday is a contributing author to the National Education Progression in Nursing (NEPIN) white paper entitled Equity, Achievement and Thriving in Nursing Academic Progression. The paper was also shared in a national webinar in which she was one of the presenters. Presently, she is the Co-Chair of the National Education Progression in Nursing (NEPIN) special interest group that focuses on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the academic and practice settings. She is also a member of a newly formed DEI Leadership Network. Collectively they explore innovative approaches to enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in academic nursing and the nursing workforce.
As the Chief Nurse Administrator and Program Director, Dr. Friday has a goal of implementing a holistic admission practices for the nursing programs. This is an evidence-based method that has been proven to attracting a more diverse student population. Dr. Friday is one of the mentors of the ANA National Mentoring initiative that supports entry level nurses in the academic progression process.

Kim Kim, MSN, RN, CDCES
Ms. Kim works clinically with adult patients living with type 2 diabetes at SONE Health. In her work as a Diabetes RN Care Manager, she is utilizing grant funding to address social influencers of health and provide lifestyle management strategies to improve wellness and disease control. Ms. Kim is the Immediate Past President of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) – Hartford Chapter and actively engages in anti-racism work to further the mission of NAHN – Hartford Chapter, to increase and retain a diverse nursing workforce and promote a heathier Hartford. Ms. Kim resides in Bloomfield, CT

Tina Loarte-Rodriguez, MSN, RN, CIC, CPPS, CPHRM
Tina Loarte-Rodriguez, is the Vice President of Nursing at a Federally Qualified Health Center with five locations in central Connecticut. Her priority is supporting the team in providing high quality, safe, patient centered care. She oversees the nursing department and medical assistant practice as well as infection control practices at the Health and Wellness Centers and school and congregate care nursing practice. Her professional experience includes teaching middle school math for four years and over fifteen years in health care with roles from perioperative and primary care nursing, performance improvement, infection control, risk management, and patient safety. A graduate from Cornell University, UCONN, and Quinnipiac University, she is certified in infection prevention and control, patient safety, and healthcare risk management. She is an eternal learner with a passion for health equity and high reliability. She loves dancing, eating, reading, and traveling. Originally born and raised in the Bronx, she resides in Bristol with her husband, three children, her father, and two dogs.

Presenting:  NURSES TAKING A STAND; THE INTERSECTION OF RACISM AND HEALTH

Justin Drew, MSN, RN, NEA-BC
Justin completed his first bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University in Illustrative Photography from SI Newhouse School of Public Communications followed by a bachelor’s degree in Nursing from the same university. Graduate education includes a master’s degree focused on nursing leadership from the University of Hartford and a graduate certification in leadership in health information technology for health professionals from the University of Minnesota’s College of Nursing
Justin has been at Middlesex Health in Connecticut for 15 years in various leadership roles including his current role as Director of the Middlesex Health Cancer Center.
Justin is the President-Elect of the Organization of Nurse Leaders (ONL) He currently co-chairs the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force.

Sasha DuBois, MSN, RN
Sasha DuBois, is a Nurse Director at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) in Boston, MA. She states she is invested in nursing education, mentoring, and the development of tomorrow’s nurses. She mentors nursing students of color at the Simmons University Nursing Dotson Bridge and Mentoring Program and mentors in the BWH/Roxbury Community College partnership. She also directs the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Neskey Educational Opportunity for patient care assistants.
Sasha is the Secretary for the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA), President of the New England Regional Black Nurses Association. She is a member of the American Nurses Association and ONL and has served actively on various community boards.


Cassandra Mombrun, MSN, RN, CPNP-PC
Cassandra’s nursing experiences span the areas of clinical nursing, mentoring, leadership, and advocacy. She serves as the Nurse Director of Thoracic Surgery at Brigham & Women’s Hospital (BWH) and a clinical instructor at Simmons University where she also serves as a mentor for nursing students in the Dotson Bridge & Mentoring program.
Currently she is the Vice President of the New England Regional Black Nurses Association (NERBNA) and was tasked along with other leaders (NERBNA and ONL) to bring the work of the Diversity and Inclusion task force to fruition thru collaboration between the two organizations.

Amanda Stefancyk Oberlies, PhD, MBA, RN, CENP
Amanda Stefancyk Oberlies is the Chief Executive Officer of the Organization of Nurse Leaders (ONL) of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Vermont, a 1,100-plus professional membership organization for current and aspiring nurse leaders. Prior to joining ONL, Dr. Oberlies was employed by the American Organization of Nurse Leaders (AONL), as the Director for the Center of Care Innovation and Transformation at AONL, Dr. Oberlies has served on many national committees and boards, has received multiple awards and honors, published peer reviewed articles and has presented extensively on the nationally stage. She received her PhD in Health Services Research from Vanderbilt University.


Nadia Raymond, PhDc, MSN, MHA, RN
Nadia Raymond is the Regional Nurse Director for the Southern Jamaica Plain community health center, a part of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. The center delivers care to more than 10,000 patients in disadvantaged communities in Boston.
She is currently a Ph.D candidate at UMass Lowell focusing on nursing andhealth promotion and has extensive experience in global health nursing and in the social justice arena.
A member of ONL, She co-chairs the Organization of Nurse Leader’s Task Force on diversity and inclusion.