University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Nursing Associate Professor Ada Markaki, PhD, RN, PHCNS-BC, FAAN, has been named the Chair-Elect of the Pan American Nursing and Midwifery Collaborating Centers (PANMCC), a network of 15 World Health Organization Collaborating Centers (WHOCCs) within the Americas.
This network connects the WHOCCs while supporting the role of nurses and midwives in advancing universal health access and coverage, as well as promotes cooperation on a regional and global scale. Markaki has served on PANMCC for four years and will become Chair-Elect for two years, and then Chair for another two-year term.
“I strongly believe in the collective power of networks,” said Markaki, who is also Co-Director of the School’s Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/ World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center for International Nursing, one of only eight designated centers in the United States. “PANMCC reflects the diversity of nurses and midwives in the PAHO region and serves as a mechanism for developing knowledge, building capacity, strengthening health systems, and influencing policy related to health priorities in our ‘neighborhood.’”
The organization also provides a platform for sustainable collaboration in order to promote the contributions and visibility of nursing and midwifery education, research and practice, Markaki said.
“Global leadership is one of the core pillars of the UAB School of Nursing and its missions, and Dr. Markaki’s active participation in networks and organizations that promote collaboration and cooperation throughout North, Central and South America and the Caribbean helps strengthen that pillar,” said UAB School of Nursing Dean and Fay B. Ireland Endowed Chair in Nursing Doreen C. Harper, PhD, RN, FAAN. “We look forward to forging new partnerships, strengthening existing partnerships, and connecting with nurses throughout the region and across the globe.”
Over her next four years as Chair-Elect and Chair, Markaki’s goal is to develop and expand PANMCC’s website as a repository of free teaching, training and research materials that can benefit nurses throughout the Americas. She will also utilize network-wide resources to establish professional development and mentoring opportunities for nurses and midwives in low-resource settings.
In addition to providing opportunities for the UAB School of Nursing to give back, the School can also benefit from this participation in the network. Through new connections and funding opportunities, the School of Nursing can expand its reach throughout the Americas and strengthen existing partnerships.
“This is the first time that UAB will hold this leadership position within the PANMCC network. It provides an international forum for showcasing the School’s work and commitment to global citizenship,” Markaki said. “By enhancing the School’s international visibility and recognition as a top school of nursing in the Americas region, it opens opportunities to recruit a diverse pool of students and faculty, to exchange information, and to mobilize additional resources.”
