The Pulse Winter 2022

FALL 2021 COMMENCEMENT

First in-person ceremony since 2019

AMANDA BELLE'S FARM

Local collaboration works to improve community health

HOMES FOR PEOPLE OF ALL ABILITIES

Dr. April Swanson follows passion for building accessible homes

A PASSION FOR TEACHING Beloved professor retires after 39 years

COLLEGE UPDATES

Former College President, other organizations provide scholarships / New faculty and staff, and more!

welcome!

Warm greetings to all of you, our alums! Wow–what a time this past two years has been for all of us. I don’t know about you, but I am looking forward to some sense of normalcy. We’ve learned a lot though. This pandemic has taught us that we are resilient, innovative, and forward thinking in educating future health care professionals. Our team of professors, staff, and administration remain committed to “meeting the educational needs of students and the healthcare community.”

I hope you find this edition uplifting and heartwarming. There are still great things happening at Cox College and I continue to be excited about the future of this great institution. From the faculty, staff, students, and administration at Cox College, we appreciate you and the path you have established for us and wish you all the very best.

Until the next edition…

Dr.

Sonya Hayter VP Student Affairs and

College Advancement

Simulation Center Nearing Completion

As part of the CARES Act funding, the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA), awarded Cox College $1.9 million in funding to benefit future health care professionals. That money has been used to renovate the approximately 5,000 squart foot Simulation Center and expand the lab patient rooms and debriefing rooms to train nursing students on critical equipment so they are better equipped to assist patients during and after the pandemic.

Construction and installation of equipment, video, and cabinetry is nearing completion. Stay tuned for more information concerning this on the CoxHealth and Cox College websites and via social media.

p pul ls se the

The Pulse is a free publication of Cox College, Springfield, MO. Cox College is part of the CoxHealth system and is committed to excellence by meeting the educational needs of students and the health care community. If you have received this publication in error or no longer wish to receive it, please let us know by email at marketing@coxcollege.edu or by mail at: The Pulse Magazine, Cox College, 1423 N. Jefferson Avenue, Springfield, MO 65802.

Amy DeMelo, EdD College President

Sonya Hayter, EdD Vice President, Student Affairs & College Advancement

Amy Townsend, EdD, MSN, RN, CNE Vice President, Student Nursing

Jayne Bullard, MBA Vice President, Business & Finance

Tracie Bishop, MSN, RN Department Chair, Bachelor of Science Nursing

Rebecca Johnson, MSN, RN Department Chair, Associate of Science Nursing

Amy Stark, OTD, OTR/L, BCP Department Chair, Occupational Therapy

Michelle Masengill, M.Ed., BSRT(R), RDMS, RVT Department Chair, Radiological Sciences

Kristen Williams, EdD, RD, LD Department Chair, Nutrition Diagnostics

Eric Baker, MS

Marketing & Web Coordinator

Designer, The Pulse

Kyle DeVries, BS Outreach Coordinator

University and College Designers Association

NEW ENDOWMENT

FORMER COX COLLEGE PRESIDENT TO SUPPORT FACULTY AND STAFF INNOVATIONS

By Lisa Alexander, CFRE President, CoxHealth Foundation

ducation at its core revolves around creative thinking, innovation, and the desire to be more and do more. If given the opportunity, resources, and environment in which to enhance teaching and learning, we can only succeed at a higher level. It’s in the spirit of empowering faculty and staff that former Cox College president, Dr. Anne Brett, has created an endowment fund to engage today’s team of educators. The purpose of the Dr. Anne Brett Faculty Innovation Fund is “to create an opportunity for faculty and staff to generate ideas upon which the existing structure and delivery of education at Cox College can be enhanced and improved, or to engage in new practices, research or methodologies currently untested and do the testing to offer proven innovation and excellence through the granting of funds.” Each year faculty and staff

This gift to the College comes from the heart of someone who greatly values the educational process and respects the individuals who are its core.

will be asked to submit their ideas on ways to meet this purpose. A committee including Dr. Brett will review the requests and make grant awards from the endowment fund. Then, after the grant period concludes, the grantees will be able to present their ideas for integration into Cox College.

“This gift to the College comes from the heart of someone who greatly values the educational process and respects the individuals who are its core,” says Lisa Alexander, President of the CoxHealth Foundation. “We look forward to awarding these grants and greatly appreciate this legacy from Dr. Brett.”

Dr. Anne Brett served as the Executive Dean of Health served as President of Cox College from 2007-2013.

Dr. Anne Brett served as the Executive Dean of Health Sciences and Public Service at Moraine Park Technical College for 24 years before arriving at Cox College. She served as President of Cox College from 2007-2013. Today Dr. Brett is a member of the adjunct faculty in the Nursing Doctoral Program at the University of Phoenix and the Consultation Manager for NurseTim, Inc., providing support and training for nurse educators. She and her husband Duane enjoy traveling and spending time with their children and six grandchildren.

To learn more about establishing an endowment or scholarship fund for Cox College, contact the CoxHealth Foundation at 417-269-7109 or at chf@coxhealth.com

After 30 years in leadership, Steve Edwards will retire as president and CEO of CoxHealth. His last day will be May 31, 2022.

“We have been deeply fortunate to have Steve serve CoxHealth’s patients and employees, and the community as a whole, especially through periods of great change,” says Rob Fulp, chairman of the CoxHealth Board of Directors. “He will be greatly missed, but we will forever be impacted by his dedication to do right by the community he cares about.”

Steve began in leadership at CoxHealth in 1992, and worked in various roles at the health system before being named as president and CEO in 2012. He followed a similar path as his father, Charlie Edwards, who also served as CEO of the health system.

A LEGACY OF CARING

Steve Edwards to retire as president and CEO of CoxHealth

By Kaitlyn McConnell

"CoxHealth is fundamentally built on family, a legacy of caring, and deep local connection," says Fulp. "Steve has greatly extended this mission and commitment through his own efforts."

A search committee, composed of CoxHealth Board of Directors members, has already been named to choose the health system's next president and CEO. They will begin immediately with the goal of having the next top executive in place before Steve's departure in May.

"We take the responsibility of fi nding the next leader very seriously," says Fulp. "Our leaders have frequently been found from within our health system, and we know the quality of talent we have at CoxHealth. However, our priority is to fi nd the best person for the job, whether they are currently at CoxHealth or not. We will search with intentionality and focus in that mission."

ASN Nights & Weekends

A program that fits your lifestyle

Are you looking for a career change, but need to keep working?

Good news! We have nights and weekend classes available for our ASN program! Call our Admissions/Recruitment team at 417-269-3401 or scan in the QR code visit our website.

WELCOME New Faculty and Staff

Melissa Freeman, BSN,RN, IBCLC BSN faculty member

Professor Freeman's

background is in the Maternal-Child cluster as a staff nurse and nurse educator at CoxHealth. She had been a clinical adjunct with Cox College for a little over a year. She graduated from Cox College with her BSN in 2014 and from Southwest Baptist University with her MSN.

Tammy Decker, M.Ed, BSN, RN, RT(R)(M) ASN faculty member

Professor Decker has been with CoxHealth for many years, and is a graduate of Cox Medical Center's School of Radiologic Technology, as well as Burge School of Nursing. She received her BSN from Southwest Baptist University and her Master’s in Education from Drury University. Most recently, Decker was an educator with the CMG Training and Education Team, working with staff and students that perform patient care in the clinic facilities of CoxHealth.

Amber Nichols,

BSN,

RN ASN faculty member

Professor Nichols graduated from Cox College with her ASN in 2017, completed her BSN at Western Governors University, and is currently finishing her MSN degree. She will be a faculty member in the ASN program. Previously, she worked in the transitional care unit at the Meyer Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Hospital.

Anna Whelan, BS Student Success Advisor

This is a completely new role at Cox College. Anna will serve as an advisor for our RN-BSN & MSN programs while assisting with recruiting for all programs. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and finished her Master’s in Applied Behavior Analysis this December.

Jill Latimer, BA Admissions Recruiter

Jill graduated from Cameron University in Southwest Oklahoma with her Bachelor of Arts in Strategic Communications. She is new to higher education, having spent most of her professional career serving as the director for substance use prevention grants. Jill loves talking and making connections with people. She is excited to use her skills to help prospective students through each step of the admissions process and start their journey towards a career in health care.

Alee Becker, BS Admissions Recruiter

Alee Graduated from Missouri State this past May 2021 with a degree in Marketing Management. She spent four years recruiting for her sorority and serving as Vice President of Finance in her Alpha Delta Pi Sorority. Her employment includes time as a Digital Marketing Specialist for Chartwells which served Missouri State and she currently Freelances in Social Media and Website Design Management. Becker has also recently started a side business designing charcuteries.

Macee Curtis, BA Administrative Assistant

Macee graduated in December 2020 with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Southwest Baptist University. Curtis is currently working on her Masters in Business Administration with a concentration in Health Care Administration from SBU. Previously, she was a Medical Secretary for the Gastroenterology department at Cox South.

Tricia Remelius, BA Faculty Support Specialist

Tricia is originally from St. Louis, but has lived in Springfield off and on since graduating from William Woods University in 1989. Each time she would move away she would invariably be drawn back to Springfield. Tricia is recently retired from the Springfield Public Schools where she worked as a Transportation Supervisor.

Andrew Adams, AS Billing Specialist

Andrew arrived at Cox College after a bit of a career change. He is a culinary school graduate (New England Culinary Institute, Montpelier, Vermont) and a level 2 Certified Sommelier by the Court of Master Sommeliers. Andrew had worked at Mama Jean’s Markets as a Wine and Specialty Foods buyer for several years, but in 2016 returned to OTC and received an Associate’s degree in business. He then transferred to Missouri State University and is currently a senior majoring in Finance. In his spare time he likes to cook Mexican food for friends and family, and can normally be seen on the sidewalks of central Springfield walking his dog, Doogle.

Justin Davidson BS Business Analyst

Justin received his Bachelor's degree in Economics from Missouri State University. He married his high school sweetheart and has a son. They are also "dog parents" to a six month old goldendoodle named Winnie.

Faculty/Staff UPDATES

Rank and Promotion Changes

Congratulations to Kyle Brashear, DHSc, MS, RD/LD and Carol Conley, Ed.D, MBA, BSN, who have successfully completed the Rank and Promotion process. Dr. Brashear’s new title is Full Professor. Dr. Conley, who received her doctorate last fall, will now be an Associate Professor.

Michelle Jackson, OTD, OTR/L, MBA OT faculty member

In conjunction with her research mentor, Dr. Vanessa Jewell, a scoping review was completed examining training provided to individuals who interact with persons aged birth to 21 years old who have experienced or are experiencing trauma. This manuscript is a result of research completed during Dr. Jackson's time in the post-professional occupational therapy doctorate (POTD) program at Creighton University. “Educational Practices for Providers of Trauma-Informed Care: A Scoping Review” was published in the September-October 2021 issue of the Journal of Pediatric Nursing

Dustin Cox

DPT, PT, LSVT, CLT

OT faculty member

Developed a self-rated fidelity measure for clinicians that are learning Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. There is currently no self-rated fidelity measure widely available and Dr. Cox needed one for his dissertation project. He piloted the Self-Rated Fidelity Measure for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (SRFACT) during the summer of 2020 through an online survey for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy clinicians across the world. Cox was able to collect enough data to run outcomes on SRFACT and how it was used. He presented this information at the Association of Contextual and Behavior Sciences World Conference last summer.

Michelle Jacobs, DBA, MBA, BSN, RN BSN faculty member

Michelle recently received a Doctorate of Business Administration in Leadership from Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA this past spring. Her masters was an MBA in strategic leadership.

Amy

Townsend, Ed.D, MSN, RN Vice President Student Nursing

Dr. Amy Townsend, VP of Student Nursing at Cox College, is back at the bedside – as a SupportRN, a new position recently launched at CoxHealth. Support RNs assist floor nurses in managing the care of patients and is perfect for nurses who want to come back to the hospital and help, but with greater flexibility.

Leesa Taylor, BS Financial Aid

Leesa received her Bachelor of Science in Christian Leadership and Management from Liberty University May 2021.

Cox College Board Member Retires

Ken Meyer retired this past year from his position on Cox College’s Board of Directors after many years of service. Ken is the Founder and former CEO of Meyer Communications in Spring field, Missouri. Pictured above is Ken Meyer with Cox College President, Dr. Amy DeMelo, Cox College Board Chair, Dr. Bob Lunn, and President of the CoxHealth Foundation, Lisa Alexander.

We are thankful for Ken’s service to Cox College and for his positive influence on the entire southwest Missouri area!

Allison Rainey, BS

Student Affairs Coordinator

Allison accepted a new role at Cox College. Rainey will be the Student Affairs Coordinator. She was formerly an Admissions Counselor and worked with the marketing team as well. In her new role, she will retain those marketing duties, work with the records department, and will be instrumental in event planning.

Tina Toles, BS, CHSOS Simulation Center

Tina completed her certification program to become a Certified Health Care Simulation Operations Specialist (CHSOS). She and the entire simulation team do a fantastic job training our students for professional careers in health care.

Bob Millstead Scholarship

A radiology scholarship has been established for the family of Bob Millstead following his passing last year. Bob served CoxHealth for many years as a clinical instructor for the Diagnostic Radiology Department. The scholarship will be awarded annually to a Cox College ASR or BSDI student showing excellence in the field. We are thankful for Bob’s contributions in the lives of our students. He was a wonderful man and will be greatly missed!

Donations can be made to the CoxHealth Foundation by scanning the QR code or by going to the CoxHealth Foundation giving page and typing “Millstead Scholarship” in the text box marked "gift to benefit."

Think About

Attract what you expect.

Reflect what you desire.

Become what you respect.

Mirror what you admire.

- BrightOnTheDay.com

Musgrave Foundation Gifts College

In December 2021, The Jeanette L. Musgrave Foundation gifted $25,000 in scholarships for Cox College nursing students! Thank you SO much to the Musgrave Foundation for their overwhelming generosity, and thanks to the CoxHealth Foundation for helping make it possible.

Skaggs Foundation Gifts College

Branson is not immune to the nationwide nursing shortage and the Skaggs Foundation stepped up to help address the need. They recently awarded Cox College a $59,752 grant for nursing student scholarships. This grant provides funds for four full, one-year scholarships to senior nursing students. As part of the acceptance of these scholarships, the student agrees to secure employment for at least two years with an approved healthcare organization in Stone or Taney counties upon graduation. Incentivizing highly qualified Cox College nursing students to seek employment in the area is a much needed avenue to address this critical nursing shortage.

Occupational Therapy Department Sponsored Events

The Masters in Occupational Therapy Program is sponsoring seven Graduate Student Research Projects this year! Students are exploring a variety of topics including:

• Exploring Home Building Professionals' experiences with Universal Design

• Investigating OTs' role in serving clients with unstable housing

• Understanding how OTs' use Health Promotion strategies with older adults

• Creating a "Wellness Week" at Cox College in order to understand whether wellness activities are related to students' mood, stress, and concentration

• Examining OTs' experiences with using telehealth in a school setting

• Understanding OTs' experiences in providing sexuality education for clients with intellectual and developmental disorders

• Exploring OTs' history of trauma-informed education in order to understand how OTs' use trauma-informed approaches in practice

If you would like to learn more or participate in these projects, please check out our Facebook page by scanning the QR code to the left.

Cox College Fall Commencement

153 graduates receive degrees

STOP THE BLEED Students learn tourniquet techniques

Russ Scanlan, paramedic and educator; and George Perez, Special Operations Combat Medic (SOCM) clinical training coordinator for the military and CoxHealth, made a presentation in Professor Kathy Martin's NRSI 404 Entry Level Community Health class on October 26th in the Fountain Plaza Room. The presentation entitled Stop the Bleed is the result of a collaborative effort led by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACS COT) to teach bleeding control methods to the public.

During the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, tourniquet training was widely adopted by the military after

In active shootings or major disasters, uncontrolled bleeding of extremities is the number-one cause of preventable deaths,” says paramedic and educator Russ Scanlan.

identifying a clear survival benefit.

Following the increased knowledge pertaining to tourniquet use, a 2014 study was conducted demonstrating the effectiveness of direct pressure and wound packing on survival rates in an emergent situation. A combination of these techniques and the development of a bleeding control curriculum formed the foundation of the Stop the Bleed initiative that has been made available to the general public.

During the hour-long presentation, students were also given the opportunity to practice use of tourniquets and wound packing.

Occupational Therapy Program Early Application

By Dr. April Swanson

We are reviewing early applications for new students entering OT school in 2022.

Applicants to our program with a military background might be interested to know that Cox College's OT program has a clinical affiliation with Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Walter Reed is a potential fieldwork placement for students with a military background. Please call me at 417-597-2797 for information concerning fieldwork or other general questions.

The winner of the Fall 2021 DAISY Award is Ian Burba of the BSN-A program! Other nominees were Travis Meritt, Taryn Russell, Maria Perez, Adria Keim, Kyla Parsons, Emily Mercer, and Alexandra Lurvey. Congratulations to all these awesome students!

Recipients of the DAISY Award can be nominated by faculty members or by other students.

Scanlon and Perez

Going Above

Community Health (BSN Students)

Last Fall, BSN students in Community Health

Nursing participating in a health fair for the the homeless, addicted, and poverty level Spring field residents.

The Health Fair included eye exams, haircuts, and health screening. Food was also distributed.

Students prepared and manned tables for blood pressure screening, blood sugar screenings, and provided resource education for food, shelter, blankets, tents, follow-up medical care, completion of emergency medical information forms, and diet changes.

Since this event, many students have returned on Saturdays to assist with child care, security food distribution, bus transportation, and food preparation. Observing the population, students were encouraged to share their journey along with future goals of interacting with the community. The class led by Professor Kathy Martin provides students with valuable insight by meeting the educational needs of both students and the health care community. Great job Professor Martin and Students!

We had to take this opportunity to brag on our students! If you’ve spent time at any CoxHealth facility, you have probably students wearing green scrubs. Green scrubs are less common so students know they represent Cox College in the community or when they go

This candid photo was sent to us recently which shows two at tire at Cox South. They didn’t know this photo was taken, and didn’t stop until the job was done.

We’re proud, but not surprised, to see them helping someone in need and not expecting anything in return. Their passion is people, and that’s why they will make incredible health care professionals someday soon! Thanks for showing what it means to wear the Cox College green!

Students helping with COVID-19 surge

Due to the recent COVID-19 surge, many of our students are assisting CoxHealth in various support positions in the hospital. We’re proud of our students who are stepping up to the challenge and helping the health system in a time of need.

We may have exceptional faculty and a state-of-the-art simulation center, but there is no better training than being on the frontlines in a pandemic. Students, we applaud your courage and flexibility during these unusual circumstances.

Fall 2021 Dean's List

The 2021 Fall semester Dean’s List is here! Congratulations to these outstanding undergraduate students for maintaining at least a 3.50 GPA.

in the A nurse's perspective in the

WORKING UNIT:

COVID COVID

loves (two pairs), suits, shields and more protect nurse Casey Sample from COVID-19. But they do not guard her completely.

They do not shield her heart – nor those of many others – from the hurt and ache that comes from walking within CoxHealth’s West Tower COVID ICU.

Shoe covers muffle the sound of her steps as she crosses the threshold, a contrast as the doors swing open and reveal an open space full of controlled chaos: Humming and beeping equipment, staff soaked in sweat, and patients who are extremely ill due to the viciousness of the virus behind COVID-19.

While it’s a place Casey never wanted or expected to be, it’s also a place the nurse has no intention of leaving.

“I’m here because I love my community. I love humanity and that goes for everybody I work alongside. We’re not there for the profit. We’re not there to perpetuate any political beliefs. We’re there because we care about people. We all took an oath.

“We’re there because we want to help people. I don’t know if that’s silly to say, but that’s what it comes down to. I’m there because I want to save lives. I don’t want people to hurt.”

MOMENTS TO REMEMBER

Thankfully, the majority of hospitalized COVID patients at CoxHealth do go home. Thousands have over the course of the pandemic, each time prompting “Here Comes the Sun” to play over the hospitals’ intercom system.

But for those in ICU, where Casey works, the course of the disease is much more grim. While health systems and providers do all they can, treatment for COVID is largely supportive at this time.

Around 40 percent of COVID ICU patients do not survive. “Nobody dies alone in there for me,” she says. “I’ll sit with them; I’ll pray with them. Whatever they need and then I’ll push the ‘good’ (pain) meds. I always tell them I have the ‘good’ meds. That’s kind of a little snicker for them at the end. I try to cut the sadness as much as I can, but…

Casey Sample BSN Class of 2019

Story by and photos by Kaitlyn McConnell

We're there because we want to help people. I don't know if that's silly to say, but that's what it comes down to. I'm there because I want to save lives. I don't want people to hurt.

“Those are the moments I’ll look back on and remember. Holding a patient’s hand for two hours while she passed. Or another patient on Father’s Day, crying with him and telling him it’s okay to go to heaven.

“Those are the moments I’m really upset and I’m mad and this doesn’t have to be happening right now.”

Casey can count the number of patients she’s cared for who survived since the start of the pandemic.

Right now, it’s two.

DEALING WITH SKEPTICS

Like many others in the tower, Casey has had people fight the belief that COVID is real. She’s had patients lash out, perhaps in fear and denial, about the presence of the virus.

She’s been hit – both with words and fists – more than once by patients. But figurative blows come in her personal life, too, from friends and extended family who persist in the belief the that pandemic isn’t serious.

“This is me. This is my story,” she says. "You’ve known me since I was born. Why are you thinking I’m lying? That I’m part of the big health care conspiracy? They think it’s for-profit or whatever. I’m not a person to distrust in this situation. I’m from here. I want to protect the ones I grew up with. Just yesterday, a girl who was a two years younger than me died. She was 35.”

She shares about another patient who was 37 – her age – with two kids – like her. He died. And another who was 36.

“I was the one who handed him his phone and said, ‘You need to call your mom. We need to intubate now,” she recalls. “He was telling his people, ‘It’s fine,

it’s fine. I’ll be okay, I love you,’ and they were the sad ones. He died four hours later.”

At last note, around 95 percent of patients hospitalized with COVID pneumonia at CoxHealth are unvaccinated.

LIFE AFTER NURSING SCHOOL

Casey was a relatively new nurse when she began caring for COVID patients at the start of the pandemic. Her new occupation brought a moment of joy for the single mom, who overcame difficult divorce with a light-like goal at the end of the tunnel: Becoming a nurse, just like her grandmother.

“I left with nothing. Absolutely nothing,” she says of starting over. “I had my clothing and books. Took the kids, started nursing school in 2016, and went to the hospital as a sitter just so I could get my foot in the door.”

She became a nursing assistant in Cox South’s Medical ICU to help her get through school. There she learned that critical care was where she wanted to be: Both for the necessary skills, and the chance to develop deep relationships with patients and their families.

Unfortunately, the latter has been more difficult than she ever imagined in nursing school. She had only been a nurse for a matter of months when the pandemic hit, bringing waves of devastation far worse that any typical critical care unit.

Twelve hours a day with layer upon layer of PPE. It's hard to hear and it's hard to feel through the layers of gloves. The masks are the worst as they leave deep indentations, irritation, and peeling. But Casey is grateful for the resources.

“I worked in the ICU, so I knew what I was setting myself up for. This isn’t that,” she says. “I’ve had people tell me, ‘Well, just quit if it’s too hard,’ or ‘You knew, you worked in an ICU. You knew it was going to be sad.’ This isn’t what we’re doing right now.”

She speaks of the point when they lost six patients in one day. “I came in that morning and we heard that there was a code on med-surg. That person died. We lost three more before I took my breakfast break.”

GIVING COMFORT

When a patient will not survive, and is transitioned to comfort care, staff make every effort to coordinate details so loved ones may be present. There is a small room through a door to the tower where most go: A private space that is isolated from the hum and buzz and beeping machines, where patients and family members may be together.

“This is a new addition to really help the mental process for the family,” says Casey. “We coach them through getting dressed in PPE which is really overwhelming. They wait out here, we come in this door, we put them here, and then we withdraw care."

She and staff know it’s not ideal, but “in our disaster situation, this is the best we could come up with.”

She speaks of the trauma–for both families and personally–in which no one is to blame but a virus. And she shares one of her most traumatic moments, when a woman was on comfort care and was visited by several young children.

“We rolled her in, we withdrew care, and then it was me standing in the corner, watching the monitor so they don’t see, trying to keep it silent,” she says. “I’m just crying, crying, crying, and then she went, and then the daughters dropped the rails and they laid down with her.

“I hate it in here,” she says of the emotional distress found in the room’s walls.

THE TOLL

Some 18 months since the start of the pandemic, health care workers cope differently with how the time has affected them. Gatherings aren’t possible – in an effort to keep staff safe – for them to process together.

In addition to the untold tragedy and trauma, many have their own struggles away from work as well.

I've had people tell me, 'Well, just quit if it's too hard,' or 'You knew, you worked in an ICU. You knew it was going to be sad.' This isn't what we're doing right now.

Casey has her own, too. One of which was having COVID herself late last year. A friend came down with the virus, and shortly thereafter, she began experiencing symptoms.

For her, neurological effects of the virus became so severe that she had to step away from patient care for several weeks before being cleared to return to work. Even today, mild symptoms still persist.

“I got vaccinated as soon as it was available,” she says. But, before she was, she had questions.

“I was hesitant even. I had questions, and we were all nervous. And I said, ‘Well, I’ve already had COVID. Do I need this? We talked: Yeah, It’s evolving. Yeah, it’s not going to be the same strain and if I got sick again it could be a lot, lot worse.

“It’s very unknown. I don’t want to get COVID again.”

A BETTER TOMORROW

On a recent evening, Casey leaves the hospital and walks out under the sun-setting sky to her vehicle in the parking garage.

Thankfully, it's one of the least traumatic days she’s experienced for COVID care. Perhaps it was fate. As she started her shift, Casey proclaimed that it was going to be a good day. The patient she was assigned was doing far better than most, allowing her to assist other staff members who needed extra hands.

Yet, while it was “good” in the minutiae of now, it’s also another day in a pandemic that has no end in sight. That doesn’t stop her or staff from hoping for a better tomorrow. And she rejoices in the number of people who have taken her experience to heart–which she regularly shares through social media–and decided to be vaccinated.

“As far as the whole picture, I feel proud. In the moment, now, I feel discouraged,” she says, but notes" I think I’ll feel pride again knowing that I’ve done everything I can.”

TOUR COX COLLEGE ONLINE

Interested in taking a tour of Cox College? You can go online to schedule a tour or take a virtual tour on our "Tour Our Campus Page." Scan in the QR code below to go to the webpage.

BEST NEWS EVER

Imagine getting that letter in the mail. The culmination of all your dreams coming true.

It can happen to you! Cox College has seven health care degree programs that will prepare you for the challenges of today and the needs of tomorrow. Scan the QR code to find out more.

RN-BSN Tuition Assistance Program Available

A fantastic opportunity has become available for RNs looking to earn their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. CoxHealth has launched an RN-BSN Tuition Assistance program that will pay up to $12,500 in tuition assistance for employed students who enroll in Cox College’s RN-BSN program.

This partnership is an obvious win for our students. They can receive significant financial assistance while advancing their careers, and it’s a win for CoxHealth as they look to grow and develop their nursing workforce. We’re thrilled to work with CoxHealth on this initiative!

If you’re interested in applying for the RN-BSN Tuition Assistance program, more information can be found here.

Then and Now

Pictured is the construction of what was Burge School of Nursing in 1955 compared to Cox College today.

Vintage photo by the Springfield News-Leader.

Amanda Belle's Farm

Interview and photos by Eric Baker

Additional photos provided by CoxHealth

oxHealth is always looking for innovative ways to improve community health, so Amanda Belle’s Farm and Springfield Community Gardens were the ideal partners to achieve this goal

Amanda Belle’s Farm being a part of Springfield Community Gardens, is used to grow produce through organic methods and aid in improving the nutrition status of patients at CoxHealth. The produce is also used in CoxHealth cafeterias and is available for sale to employees via a community-supported agriculture program.

Beginning in 2019, Amanda Belle's Farm is set up for a 22-week growing season, and is located across from Cox South off Primrose Street in Springfield, Missouri. The farm is funded by three separate government grants and named after Amanda Belle Cox, the mother of Lester E. Cox.

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to visit the Farm and interview Maile Auterson, co-founder and director of Springfield Community Farms, along with Jason Bauer, who previously served as System Director of Food and Nutrition Services (he recently moved into a new role at CoxHealth) and was a champion of the project.

So, how did this all come about? Was it something the CoxHealth system came to you and said, “What do you think about this?” Or did you approach CoxHealth?

Auterson: No, it was definitely something that came together at the same time with Jason Bauer, the food systems director at CoxHealth.

We had a community garden on Cox property at Cox North, the Midtown garden, and they let us use part of their kitchen and it started there, having conversations around local food and the importance of food for health. I began talking with Jason Bauer, discussing kind of like on a napkin. “Okay, what if we had food for the hospital and…oh…Cox has some land, we could do a farm

Click on the QR code to see more pictures and a video about the farm.

incubator and teach people how grow their own food again. That’s when I found out about Jason’s dream of a hospital farm for Cox and the community where everyone has access to healthy, local food.

So really a shared a vision of what could be.

Auterson: That’s right. They let us use part of their kitchen at Cox North and we created a quiche with our garden vegetables and they started to serve it at their cafeteria. So the idea just kind of jelled together. What if we took our resources and put them together. What could we do?

Then I began looking for funding for our project. We were able to get several USDA grants to do the hospital farm and our four farm incubators.

What was that like?

Auterson: It was so great. The USDA believed in our plan–everything. They were like, “Yes, yes, yes!” And so here we are.

That is so awesome.

Auterson: We’ve already had people notice. I had someone call me and say, “I’m looking at you right now. I’m with my husband and there’s a farm and greenhouses!” This is just when we had put the greenhouses up. And I was like, yes, that’s what we’re doing! This is not cheap land. Cox is choosing to put a farm here. Let’s think about that.

Being on this open field by Kickapoo High School, it would be hard NOT to notice. Had this always been the plan for this land?

Bauer : No, absolutely not. I think we’ve had this plot of land ever since the hospital was built. We could just as well put up a clinic or something that makes more money than a farm, I promise you. When I met with Steve Edwards (President of CoxHealth) you know, he was 100% supportive.

Auterson: He is really excited about it and the possibilities.

So will the five acres be dedicated for the farm?

Bauer : Yes, it is. We’ll be adding three more high tunnels for a total of fie.

Auterson: We’ve added rye grass to help put nitrogen in the soil so

we’ll also be adding flowers, zenias, dahlias, and others–four beds full. They’ll help make the farm beautiful. Of course flowers are pollinators, but they also help a farmer's bottom line.

We have a packing shed where we wash the vegetables and prepare them safely for the hospital. Safety is super important and we have to follow GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) certification. We’ll be teaching farmers all these components–how to build a packing shed, how to cultivate high-end vegetable growing in small spaces–so that they can sell safely to institutions.

It sounds like you are on a mission.

Auterson: We are. I want this to be a model for the nation on how a hospital can come to us and go “How did you start your farm? How did you get local food to the hospital?”

Well, here’s how we did it. First, you have to find a champion in the hospital. Next, that champion is going to be your liaison with the farmer, and then you have to grow the farmer. You can't just grow the food. You have to grow the farmer fi rst and then you grow the farm. That way everybody is a stakeholder in the project.

Maile Auterson

Jason Bauer

MNDI Program at Cox College Sees Opportunities at Amanda Belle's Farm Food for Thought Is your plant-based

The Nutrition Diagnostics and Dietetic Internship program at Cox College is excited that CoxHealth has partnered with Spring field Community Gardens. Students have volunteered at the various gardens around town. They hope to play a bigger role in the future. Creating videos and presentations showing the various ways fruits and vegetables can help with overall health is something the program is very excited about doing.

Brittany Carpenter, Clinical Dietitian Preceptor for the program, stated, “So what if we could take our patients and give them a prescription for a box of produce?"

The dietitian could identify a patients specific needs, whether it’s food insecurity or various disease states like high blood pressure. "We know increasing fruits and vegetables has a big impact on that," adding that, "there could be a hypertension box, a kidney disease box, and included in them are recipes that the patient could follow.”

Carpenter would like to see students educate the public on the benefits of seasonal produce, develop recipes, and hold cooking classes for the public, etc.

For more information about the Nutrition Diagnostics and Dietetic Internship program, scan in the QR code to the right.

By Callie Rancourt and Catherine Robohn Dietetic interns at Cox College Nutrition Diagnostics Dietetic Internship

In recent years, plant-based diets–in which people consume foods primarily from plants–have grown in popularity. While plant-based diets can offer benefis, it’s important to be conscious of the fact that when you give up meat or other animal products, you may also be giving up good sources of vitamins and minerals. Most vitamins and minerals are still easy to get, but there are a few that require attention. For example, Vitamin B12, zinc, selenium, and calcium require careful planning in your plant-based diet.

Keep reading to learn more about each of these vitamins and minerals.

Thought: diet complete?

for calcium is 1,000 mg a day. Calcium is important for bone health, and low calcium intake can contribute to developing osteoporosis later in life if not regularly consumed.

Selenium is an essential trace element that is a part of some enzymes and proteins. The RDA is 55 mg.

Selenium is present in many foods like meat, seafood, dairy, and grains. Unlike some other nutrients, selenium can be a very easily consumed. Brazil nuts are incredibly high in selenium, having 90 mg in just one nut, almost twice the RDA. Brazil nuts are often part of mixed nuts or can be bought in bulk on their own. The safe consumption level of Selenium is 400 mg, so do not eat a lot of Brazil nuts thinking more is better.

References:

Feitosa, S., Greiner, R., Meinhardt, A., Müller, A., Almeida, D., & Posten, C. (2018, July 31). Effect of traditional Household processes on IRON, zinc and copper bioaccessibility in black Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Retrieved April 10, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm. nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6111528/

daily allowance (RDA) for B12 is

Vitamin B12 is not produced by any plant, so having a supplement for this one is somewhat unavoidable. Taking a B12 supplement is crucial if you have few to no animal products in your diet. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for B12 is 2.4 mcg/day.

Zinc is a mineral that is important for immune function, skin health, and fighting infections. The RDA for zinc is 11 mg/day for men, and 8 mg/day for women.

Gropper, S. S., Smith, J. L., & Carr, T. P. (2021). Advanced nutrition and human metabolism (Seventh ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

relying on fortified food

An example of how to get Vitamin B12 through food is via soy milk, which has 3 mcg/cup. Keep in mind that not all soy milks are created equal and not all will have B12 in them. Read the nutrition label if you are relying on fortifi products for your B12 intake.

During better times

Calcium

Zinc is largely found in seafood and other meats, but does occur in some plant foods. Beans and whole grains can be good sources of zinc. The best way to cook beans (and get the most zinc out of them) is to pressure cook them with the water they were soaked in. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you may cook them on the stovetop with the water they are soaked in.

Zinc is largely found in seafood soaked in.

Gupta, R., Gangoliya, S., & Singh, N. (2015, February). Reduction of phytic acid and enhancement of bioavailable micronutrients in food grains. Retrieved April 10, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pmc/articles/PMC4325021/

Authors

Rancourt Robohn

is most often found in dairy foods (milks, cheeses, etc.) but is available from plants as well. The RDA

A Passion For Teaching

Former Burge student, nurse, and professor at Cox College for 39 years, Marsha Floyd retired this past summer to spend time with family, play golf, and travel.

Story and photos by Eric Baker

Additional photos provided by Marsha Floyd

our years ago, in the very fi rst issue of The Pulse, we featured a story about Marsha Floyd, an alum of the Burge School of Nursing and professor in the BSN department at Cox College. In early 2021, after 39 years as a healthcare educator, she made the decision to retire.

Marsha is passionate about nursing and imparts that passion to her students—just ask any of the many who have sat in her classes over the years. She is also delightfully whimsical. For example: the reason she chose Burge School of Nursing over the other available nursing program in Springfield at the time (St. John’s Nursing School) comes down to wardrobe.

“The honest to goodness truth is I liked the nursing caps at Burge better." It seems that St. John’s nursing caps were conical while Burge had an attractive lace-up back. “We affectionately called the nursing students St. John’s ‘the cone-heads,'" Marcia said with a grin. "I was young and didn’t know anything from anything.”

Back then, Burge was a diploma school. All the courses were eight weeks in length, typically with a week break between. She remembers

Just getting started...

When I got the teaching position at Burge, I had no idea that I would fall in love with teaching.

having a lot of clinicals and the expectation of intense preparation beforehand. Students would receive their patient assignments either the day or night before. They would then go to the hospital and pour over the charts and research their patients so that when they arrived for clinicals, they were ready to go.

With diploma schools, students graduated one day and went straight to work the next. The division of labor was different as well, with one RN or LPN on the unit tending to 2025 patients. Floyd believes a diploma school prepared her for that.

“It was hard. We were defi nitely down in the trenches, but some of my best friends to this day are from my nursing days.”

Two years after graduating, Floyd had already been a house float and charge nurse before ultimately landing a position in the pediatric unit. It was then she decided to become an educator, a natural fit as she came from a family of educators. Her father was a school superintendent, and her mother and sister were teachers. She remembers calling her parents and telling them of her decision to apply for a teaching position at Burge.

“I always knew we'd make an educator out of you,” her father told her when she shared the news. A response that still makes her smile upon reflction.

While making the decision to enter the realm of academia might have seemed obvious given her family history, Floyd shares that her main motivation was less idealistic and more practical. At the time, there weren’t shift differentials for nurses. They were paid the same regardless which shift they worked. Of course, everyone wanted the day shifts, resulting in a long wait list. She wanted to work normal hours.

“When I got the teaching position at Burge, I had no idea that I would fall in love with teaching,” she said. It was the best of both worlds for her.

“I would be at the hospital with my students taking care of patients in clinicals, but I was also in the classroom teaching. It was like merging two professions that I love.”

Floyd would go on to earn her BSN from Missouri State University and her Masters degree in education

from Drury University. When Burge transitioned to the Lester L. Cox College of Nursing, she realized she would need a Masters of Nursing degree, ultimately completing that program at University of Kansas.

Floyd’s long tenure as an instructor has provided her a front-row seat to the changes afforded by evolving methodologies and technologies. “Academia has changed so much,” she says, “and the ways we teach.” For example, the flipped classroom where students review material beforehand so they are ready to participate when they come to class. “I’m not good at that. I always say ‘teach how you like to be taught.’”

Additionally, Floyd feels she’s been doing this long enough that she can help the students determine what’s “nice to know” and “what’s need to know” in the textbooks.

“I don’t think I’ve ever spoon-fed anyone, but I try and help them think critically. I want to help the material come to life in such a way that they can envision a patient with a particular diagnosis and figure out how medicine can help.”

Going over lab results with Steven Graff n the "high tech" computers of her day...

When asked about the highlights of her teaching career, she mentions various encounters on Facebook or running into some of her past students who tell her “You know, I still hear your voice in my head when I’m working with patients. ‘Oh, I need to check potassium levels before I do this.’”

Floyd does podcasts and Zoom recordings, and her former students still refer to them when preparing for boards. “They don’t remember all it, because there’s so much to take in,” she says, “but it makes me happy to know that what I’ve done—some little piece of that—has stuck with them.”

Earlier this year, Floyd decided it was time to retire from the profession she loves. She wants to spend more time with her family, play golf, and travel. But she still wants to have an impact.

“I am very fortunate that I have a wide range of interests. I don't know if that's going to be volunteering in healthcare, or the Child Advocacy Council, but I want to fi nd a way to give back in my retirement years.”

Save the Date CoxHealth Research Day

The virtual event will be held on April 20th from 8:30 to 4:30pm. More info to be posted on the CoxHealth website in the coming weeks.

SHE A tribute to Professor Floyd

by Keli Jones

I walked into the hospital for the first time I was nervous and thought I was going to pass out

I had no idea what to expect

And no freaking idea what I was doing But I learned that I would not fail

She wouldn't let me

She, with her perfect lipstick and reassuring smile

She, with her clipboard, walking the halls

She, with her high standards but encouraging push

She was always there.

She, with her reading glasses propped on her nose

She, with her checklists and her silent stare

She, waiting for me to complete my skills check off

She, wanting just as badly as me to pass, but if I didn’t (and I didn’t)

She, with her reassuring tone, would walk me though it again So, the next time, I nailed it.

She, with her amazing ability to make concepts crystal clear

She, with her sense of humor, balancing her no-nonsense approach She, helping prepare me to care for others with confidence and grace She, with her passion for teaching that I felt when she saw me succeed She, whom my coworkers and I would discuss even years later.

Reciting the ABCs of pharmacology, And wishing every class could've been hers

Finally,

She, with tears in her eye as she handed my mother my pin Where I couldn't tell who was more proud.

She is Professor Marsha Floyd.

She enriched so many lives, developed our knowledge and confidence and improved and saved the lives of so many.

I am sad for all the nursing students who will move forward never experiencing what we did. But no one has earned retirement more.

From all of us—students and former students— thank you, Marsha We are grateful and you will be missed

Commencement fun...

REMEMBERING PROFESSOR FLOYD

Jay Miller, BSN, RN

It was immediately evident the passion Professor Floyd had for teaching and helping nursing students succeed. She made pharmacology fun and easy (well, relatively easy).

Megan O’Neal, APRN, FNP-C

Professor Floyd is well respected and loved by all of her students because she made nursing real. By no means were any of her classes easy, because nursing is not easy. She is the type of instructor whose teachings stick with you long after you leave their classroom. Even as an APRN, her lectures of the ABCs of pharmacology and her own personal stories of diabetes have stuck with me throughout my career. I hope she sits back and relishes in how many lives she as touched, both directly and indirectly, throughout her years of service at Cox. Thank you, Professor Floyd, and congratulations on a well-deserved retirement.

Why

Choose Cox College?

Conquer your medical career and impact your community with excellence.

Find Your Perfect Fit

Cox College offers a variety of programs to best fit your passion:

• Nursing

• Radiologic Sciences and Imaging

• Occupational Therapy

• Nutrition Diagnostics

More Support

Our 11:1 student-to-professor ratio provides more personal attention than community colleges.

Tutorship is always one-to-one–whether face-to-face or online.

Train for the real world in our brand new, state-of-the-art facilities.

More Connections

A strong partnership with a 12,000+ member health care organization.

Speed up your hiring process with an on-site CoxHealth recruiter.

Your Journey Can Start Today!

Call or visit our website to find out how you can find your fit and begin your career as a health care professional. 1423 N. Jefferson Avenue

Homes for people of All Abilities

I found myself frustrated by the barriers that traditional home design can create. I witnessed patients who tried to complete everyday activities such as showering, cooking, and laundry but could not because of the way the house was designed.

Story by Eric Baker and Dr. April Swanson

Photos provided by Dr. April Swanson

Dr. Swanson's latest project, her third, is a contemporary duplex in Republic, MO.

r. April Swanson, Academic Fieldwork Coordinator and Associate Professor for the Cox College Occupational Therapy department, is on a mission. For over 20 years, she has worked as an occupational therapist to help patients achieve their highest level of independence. When working as a home health OT, Swanson noticed common barriers in homes. Her mission is to see more homes built with design features that meet the needs of older adults and people with disabilities.

“I found myself frustrated by the barriers that traditional home design can create. I witnessed patients who tried to complete everyday activities such as showering, cooking, and laundry but could not because of the way the house was designed.” Swanson recalls. “I worked with the patient to see what we could rehabilitate and what we needed to adapt so they could stay as independent as possible for as long as possible.”

Finding a contractor who can build a home with accessibility in mind can be a challenge. Swanson took action. She decided to combine her home health experiences and her love for innovation to design and construct accessible housing on her own.

“It took me several months to get the design finalized,” she said, “I found inspiration for certain elements from the internet, but largely, I was inspired by the principles of universal design. I also wanted to keep construction costs low so that rent would be affordable.”

The entire process of creating accessible housing can be challenging. Contractors do not always understand concepts she wants. For example, Swanson had to explain things such as why she wanted to go with a slab foundation and not a crawl space. She found teachable moments when working with contractors, city inspectors, and other developers to explain universal design and accessibility features. Her current design offers wide doorways, open design, roll-in showers, rocker light switches, higher electrical outlet placement, adjustable shelving, and ZERO stairs. Designing an accessible home requires some detailed planning but can be the difference between someone remaining in their home or moving to a facility.

Swanson’s latest project presented challenges even prior to breaking ground. “I’m not a big multisubdivision developer and I felt like I had presented an idea to the City of Republic that was a bit outside of

Dr. Swanson received praise from city officials for her efforts focused on building homes that are “more for people than for profit.”

the normal building requests,” she said, “I wanted to make this project to be an example of housing that is accessible, attractive, and affordable.”

Swanson’s first challenge was to rezone the property. She said, “When I purchased the lot, I had misinterpreted the zoning rules but through consulting and persistence, I was able to figure it out.” She was able to get the property rezoned and even received praise from city officials for her efforts focused on building homes that are “more for people than for profit.”

Being a female builder in a maledominated role has also presented challenges. On one occasion, a salesperson from a construction supply company asked her to “talk it over with her husband.” Swanson laughed, “My husband would have told him to ask me!” She decided to

ask for another salesperson and successfully communicated all aspects of ordering and receiving building supplies. On another occasion, a subcontractor made some significant mistakes and became angry and abusive when confronted with his errors. She was able to pull in a more professional team to correct the costly mistakes and move forward. Overall, though, she believes it was well worth the challenges. The result is an accessible duplex with a very functional and accessible design that rents for below market price and is in a quiet neighborhood among single-family homes.

As a professor at Cox College, Dr. Swanson loves to see her occupational therapy students get involved. She often offers hands-on learning opportunities for students

and hopes her love of innovation inspires the students to fi nd creative solutions for patients.

As of this article, Swanson has designed and built three homes, consulted on two commercial projects, and redesigned dozens of existing homes for livability. Swanson says one of the best compliments on her recent project was when people asked if she would design and contract their home. “I did not expect that, it was a nice compliment,” she said.

Swanson serves on the board for a non-profit, independent living organization, Empower Abilities (scan QR code below for more information). She is also member of the HOME team, a local group with a mission to increase affordable and accessible housing in southwest Missouri.

CARE PACKAGES FOR THE SICK

Cox College alum and nurse at Cox South, Casey Sample started a group who make care packages for patients admitted to the hospital with COVID-19. They ended up giving 100 boxes that included word searches, fidget toys, warm fuzzy socks, chapstick, lotion, crayons, hair ties, eye masks, and fleece blankets!

Burge and Cox College Alumni Association

WHERE ARETHEY NOW?

We are constantly working to maintain current contact information on alums and encourage you to provide current mailing information or submit news aboutyourself to alumni@coxcollege.edu.

BURGE SCHOOL OF NURSING

Valerie Baker, RN Class of 1991

After graduation

Valerie started at Cox South Labor & Delivery unit eventually moving to Manor Care for five years. Baker then accepted a job at Mercy where she has been since 2001 serving in the Burn and Wound Clinic, and now the IP Skin and PICC team. She has been married for 26 years and has two sons.

Deborah Day, CRNA Class of 1972

Went on to receive her CRNA and is working part-time in San Antonio, TX.

Sharon Giboney, FNP, RN Class of 1964

Earned her BSN from Drury University and MSN from Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Giboney received her Nurse Practitioner degree from the University of Texas Southern in Dallas, Texas. She interned with Primrose OB/GYN in Springfield, MO, and has worked at Cox ER, Labor & Delivery, and as an assistant nurse manager.

Sharon is currently surving as a Liturgical Minister, MADD coordinator, and oversees the Health Ministry of her parish.

Linda Morton Lindell, RN Class of 1973

Retired this past year after 48 years of nursing. After graduating, Lindell spent a year on Med-Surg, then moved on to her fi rst love, ICU/ CCU for 15 years. The last 32 years she has been a Cardiac Rehab Coordinator. Morton is thankful for her years at Burge.

"Burge gave me great foundation for my career. It was during my senior year rotation in ICU-CCU that I found my calling."

"Changing processes is where the real change takes place. Getting the SPHM word out nationwide has been among the passions driving me to SPHM Excellence."

Lujuana (Tolliver)

Ross, MSN, RN, PMH-BC Class of 1993

Currently lives in Newport News, VA, employed at the Department of Veterans Affairs as a Transition Case Manager. In February of this year, Ross was the Daisy Award Winner for preventing a veteran with PTSD from killing two previous supervisors.

Esther (Herzog)

Murray, MSN, RN, COHNs, CSPHP Class of 1978

After graduation

Esther worked as an ER/ED nurse in the Texas Medical Center system. She later transitioned into Urgent Care clinics and Occupational Health. Esther has earned a MSN and certifications in Occupational Health and Safe Patient Handling. For the last 18 years her practice has evolved into actively assisting hospitals, nursing homes, health agencies implement Safe Patient Handling and Mobility Programs. (continued)

During a VA Video Connect (VVC) appointment, a veteran expressed his homicidal intent and thanks to Ross's quick thinking, listening skills, and empathy with the patient, the veteran disclosed his location and plans and was then safely routed to the ED and admitted for observation and continued assessment.

"I want to thank Burge for providing such good training that I have never forgotten."

Melinda Weiss, RN Class of 1991, Assistant Professor at Cox College 2010-2015

Retired from nursing and currently living on the island of Samoa. Weiss and her

(continued)

husband felt called to the ministry as missionaries to the South Pacific. She completed her ordination with the Church of God and both have completed a Ministerial Internship Program.

COX COLLEGE

Brittany Bain

MSN 2021

Carissa Bailey

MSN 2021

Currently working as an NP at Cox South with the Endocrinology Inpatient team.

After passing her boards, a position opened up and soon she was offered a job. Megan will provide early intervention services to children up to five years of age to help them be successful in a school environment, from Kindergarten and beyond.

"I was always a dream of mine to goback and be an OT there some day. I feel like I have come full circle. Dreams really do come true."

Started working for Cox Medical Group in the CoxHealth Cassville Clinic.

Derrick Connor, MS, RD DI 2019

Last fall, Derrick started working as a registered dietitian at Children's Minnesota Hospital and Health Care in Minneapolis, MN.

Stephane Counts, FNP-C BSN 2007, MSN 2012

Recently joined the medical staff at Citizens Memorial Hospital in Bolivar, MO, and the Ash Grove Family Medical Center in Ash Grove, MO. Stephane received both her BSN and MSN at Cox College.

Megan Dotson Gaddy, OT-L

MSOT 2020

In August 2021, Megan began working as an Occupational Therapist in the K-12 schools in Ozark, Missouri. No stranger to the system, she grew up in Ozark and had worked as a teenager for the Tiger Paw Early Childhood Center (continued)

Elizabeth Francis, BSN, RN

BSN 2019

Currently working as an ER nurse at Citizens Memorial Hospital in Bolivar, MO, but recently accepted into Duke University for the BSN to DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice) program.

"I knew while getting my BSN at Cox I wanted to go back to school quickly in order to gain greater autonomy than a bedside nurse. The DNP will open a lot of opportunities for me whether it be opening my own private practice, teaching, or contributing to nursing research."

Ali Frazier, BSN, RN

ASN 2018, BSN 2020

Currently a clinical supervisor of a level 1 trauma center/emergency department, and working on her MSN.

Stacy Gholz

ASN 2017, BSN 2019, MSN 2021

Started working for Cox Medical Group in Adult Medicine & Endocrinology

Jessica Gray ASMA 2021

Currently working in pediatrics at CoxHealth Center, her practicum site for the Medical Assisting program.

Leah Gossard, OTR-L, CBIS MSOT 2021

Started new job in August at TheraCare Outpatient Services in Springfield, MO.

Abby Hall, OT-L MSOT 2020

Abby is currently employed at TherapySouth in Talledega, Florida, working with patients on hand therapy. This location is also where she had completed her Levell II fieldwork prior to graduation. Therapy South serves Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi providing services involving upper extremity conditions, post-surgery therapy, and conservative treatments.

Erin Kramer MSN 2019

A family nurse practitioner currently working as an Advanced Practice Provider for Total Access Urgent Care in the St. Louis metro area since December 2020.

Cally Lampe

BSN 2009, MSN 2021

Currently working for the Cox Medical Group in the Neurology department.

Mallory Lawson DI 2020

Currently at Cox South as the diabetic educator for the Glycemic Management Services. Mallory's team works with all the endocrine patients and works closely with Adult Medicine and Endocrinology outpatient clinic.

"I am so grateful for my internship at Cox College because I was able to find an area I enjoyed and be hired immediately after my internship ended.

Mckenzie Lay

MSN 2021

Started working for Cox Medical Group in the CoxHealth Cassville Clinic.

Kendra McMillion, FNP-C

ASN 2005

Working as Nurse Practitioner at CoxHealth Center Lebanon. After completing her BSN, Kendra spent several years working in medical oncology units before returning to her local roots working at the CoxHealth Urgent Care in Lebanon.

"From a young age, I knew I really liked helping and taking care of people. My grandmother had cancer and I remember how caring and compassionate the hospice nurses were. I am thankful for all of the experience I had as a nurse before becoming a nurse practitioner."

Rozlyn McTeer, NP-C

ASN 2004, BSN 2014

Currently at Springfield Neurological and Spine Institute at CoxHealth. She is working with Dr. Jayarao’s Neurosurgery team.

Carrie Miller, OTD, OTR/L MSOT 2017

Working at Jordan Valley Community Health as a pediatric occupational therapist.

Ashley Mumford

AS, ARRT (R) (CT)

ASR 2019

Ashley was named lead radiology technologist for all of the CoxHealth Urgent Care clinics in January 2021. She oversees the radiology services for four clinics with 16 employees. A fifth clinic will open this December in Republic. Mumford will continue to aid in the expansion of future Urgent Care clinics in Southwest Missouri.

Elizabeth Newport, OTD, OTR/L

MSOT 2017

Received her doctorate degree in Occupational Therapy last May from Baylor University. Currently Elizabeth is working as the lead acute care specialist at Mercy Hospital.

"I love being an acute care OT and helping patients find hope when they are most vulnerable and take back their independence."

Leanne Porter, FNP

BSN 2004, MSN 2020

Started working PRN at the new Pediatric Speciality Clinic and one day a week as the Pediatric/PICU nurse at Cox South. Leanne has been at CoxHealth since 2004 when she started as a Nurse Aide while working through nursing school.

Hannah Reilly, BSN, CCRN

BSN 2019

Has spent a yearand-a-half at CVICU at Cox South and earned her CCRN in February 2021. Later in June, Hannah moved to Kansas city and is currently working at the University of Kansas Health Center in the Medical Transplant ICU.

Natalie Truber, MS, RD, LD

DI 2018

Started a new position as the Dedicated Wellbeing Coach Coordinator at WebMd Health Services. Her team is at on-site locations across nine states.

Natalie is the program coordinator at the Wentzville, MO, GM plant.

(continued)

Cox Medical Group Welcomes Cox College MSN-FNP 2021 Graduates

The following Cox College MSN graduates were recently hired by Cox Medical Group. Congratulations!

Stacy Gholz FNP-C Adult Medicine & Endocrinology Associates

Mckenzie Lay FNP-C CoxHealth Cassville Clinic

Brittany Bain FNP-C Ferrell-Duncan Clinic Colorectal Surgery Department

Cally Lampe FNP-C Neurology Department

Learn more about how you can become a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP).

Pursue a professionally stimulating path that will prepare you to provide primary health care to clients of all ages and experiences. Program includes online didactic coursework and clinical practicums. Scan the QR code to find out more.

SEEING THE NEED

Lauren Hays

BSN, RN BSN 2015

After graduating with her BSN she moved to Chicago and began her career in the NICU at Northwestern Hospital. Several years later, her family moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and worked at Children's Mercy in Pediatric Hematology & Oncology Clinic and in the NICU. Lauren's experiences in health care had shown her the growing need for mental health care practitioners so she decided to pursue a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) degree at Cox College.

"I knew I wanted to serve in that space as I was seeing first-hand mothers falling through cracks when it came to support to and through motherhood."

As she has progressed the PMHNP program, she has been doing a lot of research and collaboration with a friend who has a degree in business and marketing. They've created an all-encompassing digital platform of support for moms, called The Matrescence, that has been overwhelmingly successful.

"The Matrescence was born out of a desire to help other women navigate through their personal experience with maternal mental health and wellness. We provide a platform of evidence-based resources and, more importantly, a community to support, uplift, and empower one another through connection."

Lauren was recently asked to speak at a Neonatal-Maternal Care conference regarding Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorders and The Matrescence.

"I believe Cox College set me up for success when I graduated with my undergraduate degree. It's why I returned for my Masters degree. I have always felt supported and seen by my peers and professors."

Beth Richards, BSN

BSN 2020

Started new position in the Trauma Center at Orlando Regional Medical Center, Orlando, FL.

Cherie Sommer, FNP-BC

BSN 2009, MSN 2013

Currently working at Lake Regional Express Care in Camdenton, MO. Sommer will care for patients with urgent but non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries.

Emily Weiss, OT-L

MSOT 2017

A chance new car purchase so she could visit her new nephew in St. Louis led Emily to her dream job at St. Louis Children's Hospital as a pediatric occupational therapist in an outpatient setting. "One thing has been made abundantly clear, the Lord provides in even more ways than you expect."

Camille Williams, DrPH, FNP ASN 2014, BSN 2015, MSN 2018

Graduated from the University of San Francisco in May 2021 with a doctorate in Population Health Leadership. Currently FNP at Valley Children's Hospital in the Child Advocacy Clinic treating abused children. Camille began teaching Pediatric Theory and Simulation at the University of San Francisco Master

entry nursing program as an assistant professor. In addition, she will be working with the CDC division of Global Migration and Quarantine as a licensed medical professional in San Francisco.

Brandon

Welsh, OTD, OTR-L, CBIS MSOT 2019

Received his Doctorate of Occupational Therapy from Boston University in May 2021. Currently the Rehabilitation Director of the St. Louis region for HealthPro Heritage at Home, a home health company. Brandon oversees the region's operations and still treats patients as well.

Taylor Williams, BSN, RN

BSN 2019

Started a new job in August at the Webster County Health Unit in Marshfield, MO. Previously, Williams was St. Joseph Hospital Highland in Highland, IL working as a med surg nurse. At Webster county she does Covid investigations and testing as well as patient care.

Genny (Duckworth)

Wright, PA-C ASR 2014, BSDI 2017

Accepted a position at Mercy Internal Medicine in Nixa, Missouri. Genny will be working with doctors and APP's specializing in Diabetes and Hypertension care along with other chronic comorbidities. (continued)

STAY IN TOUCH! We want to hear from you. Send your submissions (please include photographs) to: alumni@coxcollege.edu.

You can go online to view past issues of The Pulse and find out the latest news about alumni events. Scan the QR code to go to the alumni page on the College website.

In Memoriam

Honoring alumni who are no longer with us

Deanna Dalene (Bunn) McLemore passed from this life on Monday, July 20, 2020, at the age of 83 years. She graduated from Burge School of Nursing in Springfield, Missouri in 1959.

Marcia Jane Kaden , 69, of Mexico, Missouri, passed away on Wednesday, June 16, 2021, at Pin Oaks Living Center. She graduated from Burge School of Nursing in 1973.

We want to honor all our alumni who are no longer with us. Please send all In Memoriam submissions (including photos) to alumni@coxcollege.edu

ADDITIONAL NOTES

Dr. Amber Peters , professor in the Masters Nursing program, presented at the CoxHealth Maternal-Neonatal Care Virtual Conference in October entitled Improving Screening and Care for Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders. Peters covered topics such as "What does PMAD's encompass?" and "Why is this important to differentiate from PPD and 'typical maternal distress'."

Dr. Amanda Cole, chair for the Masters Nursing program, will be on a panel participating in a Women in Science, Entrepreneurship and Research (WISER) Virtual Event via Zoom, February 17th. This event will be co-hosted by Missouri Cures Education Foundation, ROSIE, and the eFactory.

Scholarship Fulfills Donors’ Goal to Support Students in Foster Care

By Kaitlyn McConnell

Reprinted with permission by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks

Photos by Aaron Scott

We don’t always know what days, and the moments that fill them, will have the greatest influence on our lives.

For Kaitlynn Sterling, one of those pivotal points came the day she learned that she was the recipient of an Alternative Education Scholarship through the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. It’s one of 849 scholarships awarded through the CFO to deserving students during the 2021–22 year.

Each of those scholarships is meaningful for reasons unique to those who led their creation. In the case of the Alternative Education Scholarship, founders Alex and Cathy Primm chose to support students who are currently in foster care or are homeless, and in their last year of high school. It was a cause close to their hearts, as they have served as foster parents and know the needs firsthand.

“So many former foster children just don’t have the support system that other kids do,” says Cathy. “Many think college is just not for them. We loved the idea of providing school funding for kids who experienced foster care and need to know they deserve what other kids have.”

Kaitlynn Sterling is in the nursing program at Cox College in Springfield. Her education is supported by the Alternative Education Scholarship, established by Alex and Cathy Primm and administered by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.

For Kaitlynn, the money technically furthers her dreams of becoming a nurse–but it ultimately does even more than help fund an education. It offers a new sense of purpose and possibility.

“I was able to show my brothers and my sisters and my peers and adults that we can all do it,” she said in remarks made at the CFO’s Board of Directors meeting in December 2021.

Kaitlynn’s words of hope and inspiration were in contrast to a complicated childhood, which resulted in her entering foster care by age 12.

“I missed being with my family, but knew that being in the system was the best option, and they only wanted to help me,” she says of her foster family.

(continued on back cover)

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After learning of scholarships and grants, she began to think about what other options might be out there for her future. Then came the day: That seemingly ordinary day when she learned of the scholarship.

“By receiving this, I was able to be proud of who I was and where I came from,” Kaitlynn says. “That no matter where we came from, if you believe in yourself, you can do what your heart desires.”

Those were things that the Primms hoped for when they established the scholarship fund in 2012.

“These kids are great and they deserve a chance,” says Cathy.

Over its decade of existence, the fund has collectively awarded $24,000 in scholarships. The support is renewable for three years, provided the students meet requirements regarding GPA and credit load.

“Hearing and meeting Kaitlynn reinforced all we felt is important about this kind of scholarship,” says Cathy, who attended the board meeting when Kaitlynn spoke. “I cried right along with her. I found her absolutely amazing. She will succeed–we know it.”