In 1991, Tri-County Black Nurses Association (TCBNA) became a chartered member of the National Black Nurses Association. The organization was founded by a group of 12 nurses representing the Tri-County area of South Carolina. These courageous women came together out of a need to share their day to day experiences of working at a majority academic medical center and local hospitals, and to engage in collective opportunities to build relationships and develop strategies to respond to the health needs of underserved communities. The founding members are: Vermenia Aiken, Beatrice Burch (deceased), Debra Stoney Cohen, Susan Cook, Ada Golson, June Law, Denise Reed, Fairlyn Thompson, Laura Williams (deceased), Sharon Williams, Yolinda Zorn and Ida L. Johnson Spruill, PhD, RN, LISW, FAAN (deceased).