Beyond the Frontier: 2013 Frontier Nursing University Alumni Magazine by Frontier Nursing University

Beyond the

FRONTIER THE MAGAZINE OF FRONTIER NURSING UNIVERSITY

WINTER 2013

Leading the way

Our DNP graduates are driving solutions in the healthcare system

Page 9

Celebrating our heritage

Memories abound during annual homecoming event in Hyden

Page 15

A Letter from the President & Dean

The Frontier Facts Degree Programs

Post-master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with three specialty tracks: Nurse-Midwifery Family Nurse Practitioner Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner l Alternate entry option – the ADN-MSN Bridge l l

Enrollment: A Frontier Education is in Demand New admissions of nearly 600 students each calendar year Quarterly admissions through 8 Frontier Bounds, 4 Bridge Bounds and 4 DNP Bounds offered each year on the campus in Hyden, Kentucky l Required intensives bring an additional 500+ students back to campus for Crossing the Bridge (offered 4 times a year), Clinical Bound (offered 12 times a year) and DNP Intensive (offered 3 times a year) l Remaining coursework and the clinical practicum are completed in students’ home communities l l

ENROLLMENT AT FRONTIER NURSING UNIVERSITY (WINTER 2013)

Program Total MSN Nurse-Midwifery 608 MSN Family Nurse Practitioner 740 MSN Women’s Healthcare NP 80 Post-master’s DNP 54 Post-master’s certificate 57 Total 1,539 2

www.frontier.edu

Dear Alumni and Friends,

Student Body Demographics l

l l

Based on 2011-2012 data, 66% of enrolled students live in rural counties. 73% of enrolled students live in Health Professional Shortage Areas. Students and alumni represent all 50 states and many foreign countries.

Our Achievements On July 1, 2011, our school became Frontier Nursing University, in part, to better reflect the level of educational programs offered. l FNU is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission and the American College of Nurse-Midwives Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (more details available at www.frontier.edu/accreditation). l Frontier was ranked in the top 50 graduate schools of nursing by U.S. News & World Report in spring 2011 and the top 15 for its family nurse practitioner and nurse-midwifery programs. l FNU is the largest school in the country for nurse-midwifery and nurse practitioner education. It is the oldest and largest continually operating nurse-midwifery program in the United States. Frontier offered the first family nurse practitioner program in the country. l Frontier also pioneered the first community-based, distance-education program for nurse-midwifery in the country in 1989. l More than 3,000 nurses and midwives have graduated with advanced-practice degrees. l

Thank you for being a part of the Frontier family! We are indeed a family, supporting one another through struggles, recognizing one another’s accomplishments, and working together toward our common mission to improve healthcare for everyone. Our family consists of our Board of Directors, administration, faculty, staff, students, alumni, preceptors, Couriers and donors located across the country and around the globe. We are united by our belief in the original vision of our founder, Mary Breckinridge, that everyone deserves access to high quality healthcare that can be provided by nursemidwives and nurse practitioners. Today, we are fulfilling that vision by our focused effort of educating more nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to serve in rural and underserved areas. Our innovative distance-education format, combined with a rich history and community of support, is producing increasing numbers of excellent healthcare providers. We are so proud of each and every one of our graduates. At Frontier Nursing University, we spent the first 50 years honing our mission, building a solid reputation and developing our programs. For the next 23 years, Frontier took the mission and vision and exponentially expanded our impact through the distance-education format. What will the next 25 or 50 years hold? We believe that with our family’s support, the next 50 years will provide increased opportunity for nurses to pursue their dream of graduate education; improved campus facilities; a supported faculty who are leaders in their fields; and ultimately healthier families served by our alumni. This will all be possible through our work together, our determination for the cause, and our financial commitment to the University’s endowment. With more than 1,500 students, our private University critically needs the stability and financial support provided by an endowment. This support will fund scholarships, campus maintenance and improvements, and faculty support in perpetuity, ensuring that we remain a leader in advanced nursing and midwifery education. Thank you for your commitment to Frontier Nursing University. We look forward to the next 50 years as the nation’s premier nursing institution!

Sincerely,

Susan E. Stone, DNSc, CNM, Faan, FACNM Frontier Nursing University President and Dean

WINTER 2013

A publication of the Frontier Nursing University Alumni Association

Editorial Staff:

Denise Barrett Director of Development and Alumni Relations Kelli Adanick Assistant Director of Development Michael Claussen Development Coordinator Nancy Reinhart Courier Program Coordinator & Development Officer

A Letter from the Chairman of the Board

Table of Contents

beyond the frontier

FEATURES

9 12 Coming to the Rescue:

Educating Tomorrow’s Trailblazers: Frontier’s DNP program prepares emerging leaders in nursing

Jan Stalder puts skills she learned at FNU to work

Graphic Design: Kelli Adanick

Photography: Kelli Adanick Denise Barrett Stephanie Boyd Chris Coots Suzanne Deaton Brandon S. Fields Incognito Photography Nancy Reinhart Wendover Archives FNU Information Technology Staff

A Hyden Homecoming: Alumni, Couriers share memories at annual gathering

Contributors: Dr. Susan Stone

FNU President and Dean Dr. Michael Carter

Chair, FNU Board of Directors Kitty Ernst

Mary Breckinridge Chair of Midwifery Dr. Julie Marfell

Making Strides with PRIDE

Associate Dean for Family Nursing

In its second year, diversity initiative proves successful

Dr. Suzan Ulrich

Associate Dean for Midwifery and Women’s Health Dr. Janet Engstrom

Associate Dean for Research Stephanie Boyd

Director of Recruitment and Retention Kimberly Trammell

PRIDE Program Coordinator Brittney Edwards

FNU Marketing Coordinator

Your comments and ideas are welcome. Please contact us at the Office of Development and Alumni Relations: 859.899.2707 or alumniservices@frontier.edu.

20 A Healthy Outlook: 24 The Priceless Gift of Precepting

Future looks bright for nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners

Dear Alumni and Friends,

n her wonderful book, Wide Neighborhoods, Mrs. Breckinridge shares her vision of developing a movement in which nurses serve as both nurse and midwife. The merged roles, she posed, are what mothers and babies and the families who care for them require to assure the highest quality of care.

Her vision serves as the dream of our faculty, students and staff as we continue to prepare for the future. We all know this work is never finished but continues to change as the world changes. There are many pressures on our healthcare system in the United States and around the world. But we hold steadfast to the belief that our graduates, prepared by our outstanding faculty, will lead the way in caring for the healthcare needs of families everywhere. In fact, we expect no less of them. As you read through the many achievements in this report, please remember these are neither easily accomplished nor without substantial costs. We greatly depend on your support to help achieve Mrs. Breckinridge’s dream now and in the years ahead. Sincerely,

Frontier’s clinical mentors enrich students’ lives

Michael carter, DNSc, DNP, FNP, FAAN CHAIR, Frontier Nursing University board of directors

Also Inside This Issue: Alumni awards 17 Conference roundup 26 Alumni events 29 Class notes 30

Faculty kudos 36 In memoriam 41 FNU endowment campaign 42 Grant report 46

www.frontier.edu 4

www.frontier.edu

A Message from the Mary Breckinridge Chair

matter what the site is called or by whom the services may be provided, if that service does not include a birth center for the care of the majority of our mothers who experience an uncomplicated childbirth, we may be missing an important opportunity for understanding and preserving the importance of physiologic childbirth, a phenomenon about which we presently have insufficient understanding. We have yet to adequately study human birth outside of the acute care hospital setting.

Eight decades ago in the 1931 analysis of the first 1,000 births at the Frontier Nursing Service, the Metropolitan Life Insurance company reported:

KITTY ERNST, RN, CNM, MPH, DSc (HON)

American mothers need midwives, and Frontier needs your support more than ever So why don’t we have more birth and family centers in the United States? Apart from costs for overcoming the multiple barriers that face all efforts for changing the status quo in the delivery of innovative healthcare services, the fact remains that we are not educating enough entrepreneurial midwives to meet a growing demand for these services.

www.frontier.edu

nother successful year has passed on the Frontier of nursing education. Mary Breckinridge would be proud of the national and international “Banyan Tree Effect” emanating from her demonstration of a decentralized, team approach to rural healthcare. Although the horse trails have been replaced by highways and the courier mail by the high-speed Internet, the principles of her plan remain and are included in the community-based education pioneered by Frontier. It is no accident that Frontier has focused on education for the care of parents and families at the time when they are bringing forth new life and a new generation. Bringing together nurse-midwives and family nurse practioners for their educational experience is essential if we want them to work together with their physician colleagues to create access to affordable preventive health care.

The research on what happens at birth from multiple sources in medicine, midwifery, nursing and the social and anthropological sciences is signaling what Mary Breckinridge already knew almost a century ago – that quality care takes time and education; that the care must begin with the care of the mother in childbirth and extend to care of the father, the family and the neighborhood; and that community-based family nurse-midwives would most effectively and efficiently provide a portal of entry to an organized continuum of care from the home to the distant most sophisticated medical/surgical services. Mary Breckinridge called the community-based primary care sites “district centers.” In addition to midwifery, most of the work on the districts would be classified today as preventive health services. However, the continuum of care was organized to provide referral and often transportation resources from the wide area of rugged mountain terrain to emergency or scheduled medical, surgical or social services when indicated. Today these units may be called nursing centers, birth centers, birth and family centers, federally qualified health centers and perhaps even medical homes. No

The study shows conclusively what has in fact been shown before, that the type of service rendered by the Frontier Nurses safeguards the life of mother and babe. If such service were available to the women of the country generally, there would be a saving of 10,000 mothers’ lives per year in the United States, there would be 30,000 less still births and 30,000 more children alive at the end of the first month of life. The study demonstrates that the first need today is to train a large body of nurse-midwives, competent to carry out the routines that have been established in the Frontier Nursing Service and in other places where good obstetrical care is available. It is time to pay attention to this evidence and the hundreds of like studies on the benefits of midwifery care that have since been published.

Birth centers have 35 years of experience in developing and evaluating nurse-midwifery care outside of the hospital setting. The most recent study of 15,000 births in birth centers is in publication. As was published on 12,000 birth center births 20 years ago in the New England Journal of Medicine, it again finds that midwives in birth centers provide safe, satisfying care at a savings to all payers.

So why don’t we have more birth and family centers in the United States? Apart from costs for overcoming the multiple barriers that face all efforts for changing the status quo in the delivery of innovative healthcare services, the fact remains that we are not educating enough entrepreneurial midwives to meet a growing demand for these services. Frontier is doing its part but even at Frontier, if we want to continue to require a prerequisite of nursing in educating midwives, we need to find more ways to support their education and the capitalization of their birth center start-up. Many of our students continue to work while they study, as they are the primary bread winners for their family as well as the source for the family’s health insurance coverage.

The time for action is now. American women are beginning to organize for change. They are asking for “evidence-based care” and view midwifery as essential to achieving it. (See www.improvingbirth.org and www.wheresmymidwife.org.)

I ask all who read this issue to give generously to Frontier’s campaign to fund the growth and development needed to meet the challenges we are facing. It is clear to me, that in all my 60 years as a nurse-midwife, there has never been a greater opportunity to support the needed change these women desire and that we must try to provide.

Support the Frontier legacy & become a member of the Mary Breckinridge Society

one thousand for$1,000 challenge

We are appealing to you – our alumni – to join with us as we take on the future with the boldness that has defined Frontier nurses since the beginnning. We are asking you to stand together – along with Frontier students, faculty and staff – to give $1 million collectively toward our historic $10 million endowment campaign. Please consider a pledge of $1,000, with the option of fulfilling it over five years. With your support, we can build on the Frontier tradition of service and focus on our commitment to students, faculty and the preservation of our rich history. Together, we will continue making a difference for mothers and families everywhere. To learn more about the endowment campaign or to make a pledge, contact the Office of Development at development@frontier.edu or 859.899.2707.

WIDE NEIGHBORHOODS

Come share our vision! Our Wide Neighborhoods Ambassador Program was created as a way to allow students, alumni and former Couriers to maintain a strong connection to Frontier. Wide Neighborhoods ambassadors visit local nursing schools and attend conferences to share their Frontier stories with future students and to share the vision of Mary Breckinridge with people across the United States. It is also a way for our students and alumni to earn gift-shop rewards and be recognized for sharing their Frontier experience. It is our hope to have at least two Wide Neighborhoods ambassadors in every state ... will you join us?

Join the Wide Neighborhoods Program today and share your love of Frontier with others! Thank you to the following alumni who currently serve as Wide Neighborhoods ambassadors. Arizona Elizabeth Boot, FNP

Denise Kilburn, FNP Luzia Tuggle, FNP

California Renee Wilson, CNM

Louisiana Theresa Savant, FNP

Ohio Rhonda Conley, CNM Brooke Flinders, CNM Danielle Little, FNP Jo Videtto, WHCNP

Florida Cherri Jennewein, FNP

Massachusetts Sophia Veinoglou, FNP

Oregon Dana Scully, FNP

Illinois Leslie Curry, FNP Denise Orrill, FNP

Michigan Cathy Christensen, FNP Dustin Spencer, FNP

Indiana Carla Layne, CNM

Minnesota Nancy Pesta Walsh, DNP/FNP

Kansas Heather Grace, FNP

Nebraska Heather McLaughlin, CNM

Pennsylvania Richelle Cricks, CNM Texas Joe Tumalad, FNP Virginia Sandra Macon, CNM Tammie McDonald-Brouwer, CNM

Kentucky Donna Curry, FNP

New York Chaya Levine, FNP

Wyoming Gabrielle Scharp, CNM

For more information about the Wide Neighborhoods Program or an application, contact Stephanie Boyd at stephanie.boyd@frontier.edu. 8

www.frontier.edu

EDUCATING TOMORROW’S

TRAILBLAZERS

Frontier’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program nurtures the next generation of nursing leaders

stablished in 2008, Frontier’s post-master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program educates nursing leaders to drive solutions in the healthcare system and to improve the practice of primary care. Since its launch, the program has admitted 10 cohorts, and 86 students have graduated with their DNP degree. The program’s purpose is to prepare expert advanced practice nurses in enhanced skills and knowledge so that these individuals may lead improvements in healthcare outcomes, promote evidence-based practice, and implement change in the practice environment.

Demand for the post-master’s DNP at Frontier Nursing University has been high, with nearly twice as many applicants as slots for admission. To address this demand, FNU expanded admissions and began enrolling four cohorts each year in December 2012. About one-third of applicants are FNU alumni; others come from diverse backgrounds across the nation. A common theme among applicants is the desire to serve rural, underserved and vulnerable populations. This theme is the program’s focus. FNU has broadened its base of external applicants by including applications from Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) credentialed as pediatric nurse practitioners, adult nurse practitioners and geriatric nurse practitioners as well as family nurse practitioners, women’s healthcare nurse practitioners and certified nurse-midwives. FNU does not accept APRNs who work in psych-mental health or as nurse anesthetists, unless they also hold APRN status in one of the previously identified categories. FNU has streamlined the process for Frontier students who wish to enroll in the post-master’s DNP immediately upon graduating. These students can apply for admission within the last two terms of their master’s program. Upon acceptance, a student will attend DNP Bound and begin the program

without interruption to financial aid or his or her studies. This admission process applies only to FNU students and not to students from other universities. ADN-DNP and BSN-DNP: Coming in 2014

In keeping with the national movement toward doctoral preparation for advanced practice nurses, FNU is developing a new program for registered nurses with an associate or bachelor’s degree who wish to advance their education continuously to the doctoral level. This exciting program will be offered in addition to our post-master’s DNP program. Through this new program, associate or bachelor’s-level nurses entering FNU may pursue their studies as nurse-midwives, women’s healthcare nurse practitioners or family nurse practitioners directly through to the doctoral level. These students will exit the program with a doctorate, or may opt to exit early with a master’s degree. We expect to admit students to this program in 2014. As a graduate school of nursing, Frontier Nursing University is committed to offering the MSN and DNP degrees to nurses across the country desiring to further their education. We will continue to add new programs, enhance existing programs, and make changes as necessary to stay on the cutting edge of graduate education in nursing.

“Graduates of the post-master’s DNP program bring a high level of evidence-based knowledge and leadership in addressing the primary care needs of rural and vulnerable populations.” Barbara A. Anderson, DrPH, CNM, FAAN, FACNM, director of the DNP program at Frontier

Read about the great work our DNP graduates are doing on the pages that follow. 9

Our DNP Graduates are Making a Difference Increasing patient satisfaction – Dr. Julie Paul, certified nurse-midwife FNU faculty member Julie Paul, a Class 42 nurse-midwifery graduate, returned to her studies at Frontier as a member of DNP Class 4. “I felt like I was sitting in hospital staff meetings listening to all the problems, and I wanted to be able to help in a bigger way,” Julie said, explaining her decision to further her education. She wanted to do something about patient satisfaction at the hospital where she works as a certified nurse-midwife (CNM). For her DNP capstone project, Julie identified patient satisfaction as her area of interest, and later narrowed it to patient satisfaction in the obstetrical triage unit of her hospital. She started by gathering baseline data from providers and patients, with the goal of measuring improvement in patient satisfaction through improved work flow in the obstetrical triage unit. After four weeks of implementing a CNM-managed model of care in the unit, Julie’s workflow changes revealed improved patient satisfaction on five levels, reduced wait time from 120 minutes to 90 minutes, and improved communication between physicians and midwives. Julie took her findings to hospital staff meetings and shared her work with physicians. Impressed with her findings, and with sufficient buy-in from all providers, the hospital administration hired five new full-time certified nurse-midwives as laborists. These positions ensure that a CNM is available 24/7 to manage the obstetrical unit. The laborists work as part of a collaborative team, improving care – and patient satisfaction – at the hospital. Julie says she feels more involved in her workplace as a result of advancing her education. Her confidence has improved, and she is not afraid to examine the evidence and implement it. She has grown professionally and as a leader. Julie serves as Vice President of her local chapter of the American College

of Nurse-Midwives, and she joined the FNU faculty just one month after graduating. She is also proud to report that her capstone project has been approved by the Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health for publication. Julie describes the FNU post-master’s DNP program as a “worthwhile endeavor that will change the way you think about clinical practice.” She encourages those considering the DNP to “just do it!”

William ( Jeff ) Trees, a family nurse practitioner from Cincinnati and a graduate of DNP Class 6, chose to pursue his Doctor of Nursing Practice degree because he wanted to improve care for his patients and also progress in his profession. Jeff, a master’s graduate of Northern Kentucky University who started his career as a diploma nurse, made it a personal goal to complete his DNP in keeping with the direction of the nursing profession toward doctoral-level preparation. Jeff works full-time in an occupational medicine center, part of a hospital system that operates seven such centers in the greater Cincinnati area. In his work, he sees a variety of professionals and laborers, everyone from young adults to elderly patients. Care at the centers focuses on physical screenings, preventive care, annual checkups and treatment of work-related injuries. “I see a lot of men who might not normally visit a healthcare provider,” Jeff says. “It’s a great opportunity to educate the pawww.frontier.edu

elimination of unnecessary diagnostics, and delivery of consistent care throughout the system. Jeff says his advanced education has put him in a better position to lead within the healthcare system. He has noticed that people come to him more often with questions. He has been tapped to participate in a working group on inpatient hospital back pain issues as a result of this study. Jeff hopes to present his findings in a poster presentation, publish in nursing journals, and present his project at conferences. As for managing the rigors of the DNP program with a full-time job, Jeff refers to those 15 months as “the lost year,” saying “you have to devote much of your time to work and school.” His 9-5 weekday work schedule allowed plenty of time for studying, but not much else. He credits organization of school work, reading materials and a calendar with helping him through the program, along with zero television. Jeff also credits a “top-notch faculty” and his DNP cohort classmates, who are now “lifelong friends.”

Addressing ‘compassion fatigue’ – Dr. Kathleen Flarity, nurse practitioner

Improving treatment of back pain – Dr. Jeff Trees, family nurse practitioner

tient, catch things before they get worse, and discuss preventive ways to improve their health. “The link between health and a patient’s ability to work can be a great motivator for a patient to embrace and commit to healthy choices. For his capstone project, Jeff chose low back pain – the No. 1 injury reported at the occupational medicine centers in his hospital system – as his focus. For his project, titled “Improv ing Provider Adherence with Evidence-Based Low Back Pain Guidelines,” he started by researching the treatment advice given at each center. Jeff discovered that providers were giving different advice on treatment of low back pain and running different diagnostics and unnecessary tests. He was disheartened to learn that 30 percent of providers, including medical doctors, doctors of osteopathic medicine, nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants, were not even aware that guidelines existed. Jeff oversaw implementation of a program and education regarding the guidelines for treatment of low back pain. This resulted in more people consistently using the guidelines, the

Kathleen Flarity, a DNP Class 7 graduate and a Commander in the Air Force Reserve, works full-time as an Emergency Clinical Nurse Specialist at Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs, Colo. Kathleen places high value on lifelong learning – she began her career as a combat medic before earning her diploma in nursing, followed by a BSN, MN and MSN, PhD, and now the Doctor of Nursing Practice. She was drawn to Frontier’s post-master’s DNP program because of its rich history, national ranking, recognition by the military, and the online learning option. Kathleen focused her capstone project on the study, prevention and treatment of compassion fatigue among emergency nurses at Memorial Hospital. Compassion fatigue, similar to post-traumatic stress disorder, is a term that characterizes the behaviors resulting from the psychological and emotional stress experienced by caregivers. Kathleen introduced a compassion fatigue resiliency intervention for caregivers by hosting classes and coordinating other multimedia efforts aimed at increasing resiliency. She was honored to work with renowned traumatologist, Dr. Eric Gentry, who trained her as a certified compassion fatigue specialist. She adopted his successful strategies to work with nurses, and the results of her intervention showed statistically significant improvement in compassion satisfaction, decreased burnout and decreased secondary stress among those nurses who participated in the project. Kathleen is now working with the Director of Spiritual Services for the Memorial system to take the plan systemwide for all staff. She wants to implement this intervention in the military and additional settings. Her goal is to see this intervention available to all care providers facing traumatic situations daily to prevent burnout and stress in the profession. Kathleen, who graduated in December 2012, is also working to have her work published in relevant nursing journals and publications. Asked how she managed to complete the DNP program while working full-time and serving in the military, Kath-

leen replied, “I am very organized and devoted nights and off weekends to my studies.” She credits the design of the curriculum with helping her as well. “Each course builds upon each other and your capstone is integrated throughout the program, so each course and each assignment felt very meaningful and productive.” She also feels that the connections built among her cohort and faculty helped to make the program worthwhile and achievable. Getting to know fellow students at the DNP intensives on the Hyden campus helped them to bond and lean on one another throughout the program. Kathleen recommends the program to other nurses considering doctoral education. “As nursing leaders, it gives us credibility and improves our ability to speak on behalf of our profession and our patients.” Her advice to new DNP students is to take it one assignment at a time and try not to get overwhelmed. She says the faculty is there to help. “The instructors are amazing – they will bend over backwards to help you, and I felt that they really cared about our success.”

For more information about FNU’s Post-Master’s DNP Program, go to www.frontier.edu/dnp 11

From responding to the nation’s worst tragedies to providing healthcare to underserved Texans, Jan Stalder puts the skills she learned at FNU to work

he 9/11 attacks. The Columbia Space Shuttle recovery. Hurricane Katrina. As a search and rescue nurse, Jan Stalder has witnessed the aftermath of the nation’s most devastating tragedies, and she has been there to provide critical support. “Each time you think nothing is going to top this, something else materializes that proves me wrong.” Jan is a charter member of Texas Task Force 1, one of 28 national search and rescue teams coordinated by FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency). These elite FEMA teams can be dispatched in the wake of earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, plane crashes and other catastrophes. If warranted, the team can be activated before an anticipated disaster, as in the case of hurricanes or high-risk targets for terrorism such as the Super Bowl. “Typically, it takes a presidential declaration for us to be deployed,” Jan says. Texas Task Force I consists of nearly 300 members so that each of the approximately 75 positions can be filled three-people deep to ensure availability when a deployment arises. The Task Force includes firefighter/paramedics specializing in rescue, as well as canine handlers, communication specialists, structural engineers, physicians, swift-water rescue experts and others. When Jan gets the call, it’s rock-and-roll time. She has four hours to report for deployment, and that includes driving more than 200 miles to join up with her team just north of Houston. The Texas governor also has the authority to activate the team, but in that instance, the state must pick up the expense; Jan said that can be costly, sometimes nearing a million dollars a day. In existence for about 15 years, Texas Task Force 1 is FEMA’s newest team. “We’re also one of the most active teams in the country now,” says Jan, in part because much of the Texas border includes a long stretch of the Gulf Coast. Jan graduated from Frontier Nursing University in 2011 with her post-master’s family nurse practitioner certificate. With her work in disaster response, she says, “I just feel like Frontier couldn’t have been a better match!” She identifies with Frontier’s founder, who overcame incredible obstacles to bring healthcare to a remote area. “Mary Breckinridge didn’t have the world at her fingertips.” Just as Mrs. Breckinridge had to be creative, work in disaster response thrives on creative application of skills. Humbling and heartbreaking work

Jan Stalder, who serves on a national search and rescue team, is shown here working at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks.

COMING TO THE

www.frontier.edu

RESCUE

Twenty-three years ago, Jan and her husband, Kelley, moved to the tiny town of Parker, Texas, home to the famous Southfork Ranch featured in the Dallas TV series. They decided to volunteer with their local fire department. If they were to rely on the department, they wanted to contribute. Already a master’s-prepared registered nurse, Jan took readily to emergency work. She embarked on fire training and loved it. Following fire academy, she went on to EMT and paramedic school and began taking rescue classes. The Texas fire service was quickly becoming Jan’s passion, evidenced by a gubernatorial appointment to serve as a State Commissioner on the Texas Commission on Fire Protection. In 1995, she started her own company, REO Rescue & Safety, Inc., providing specialized training in rescue and safety for fire/ rescue personnel in municipalities and industry. Her company also

Jan Stalder, who received her post-master’s FNP certificate from Frontier, teaches trench rescue to career firefighters in the Dallas area. She is beside the trench in khakis and a black shirt.

provides on-site rescue teams in industry situations where it is required by OSHA. Today, in addition to working as a family nurse practitioner, Jan serves as a state-certified firefighter and paramedic in Texas, where she teaches firefighters technical rescue. She also holds several positions within state, federal and international search and rescue organizations and possesses a lengthy list of credentials that attest to her preparedness to meet any disaster. For 14 years, Jan has served with the 1st Special Response Group (1SRG), an international search and rescue team. It is a non-governmental organization consisting entirely of professionals who volunteer their expertise to the missions. Typically, deployments originate from the U.S. State Department when search efforts are requested for a missing American on foreign soil. Jan has participated in the successful search for a missing American in the Australian Outback and in a number of stateside operations serving as the family liaison while fellow team members deploy. Closer to home, she has had to remain strong in the midst of heartbreaking devastation. Jan has been deployed to countless hurricanes, including Ivan, Katrina, Rita and Ike and has witnessed firsthand some of the deplorable tragedies reported in the media. More than once, the Task Force has rescued nursing-home patients who were abandoned by the facility’s staff before landfall of the hurricane. Left to fend for themselves, some patients managed to survive while others died from drowning, heat exposure, dehydration or lapsed medication. Team members rescued survivors from the upper floors by lowering them, via rope systems, to boats below and taking them to safety where healthcare professionals could take over. Jan is also a founding member of Texas 4 DMAT (a federal disaster medical assistance team), having served as a supervisory nurse manager with that team at Ground Zero. The work can be emotionally overwhelming. She recalls her time at Ground Zero and how humbling it was to have a strong firefighter or police officer weep on her shoulder. Jan values the education that has prepared her to be a nurse practitioner, and the skills she’s gained that will bolster her rescue work and expand her career horizons. “Disasters and austere settings call out for the added knowledge and capabilities of a healthcare provider. I am excited about putting to work the foundation Frontier has provided me.” Adventures of a new graduate In addition to her volunteer commitments, Jan, a Class 65 Frontier graduate, works as a family nurse practitioner. She got her start

Story by Kelli Adanick

“I just kind of stand back and take some deep breaths and think back to school … and think back on the guidelines every time.” Jan Stalder, talking about how she handled some unexpected situations in her clinic as a newly practicing family nurse practitioner

at a little clinic in Buffalo, Texas, a community of less than 2,000 people about two hours southeast of Dallas. She now works fulltime as a nurse practitioner in a family practice in McKinney, Texas, about 35 miles north of Dallas. While the community has its share of affluent residents, most patients who come in for treatment are uninsured or on Medicare. “So again, my Frontier roots go a long way,” Jan says of the care she is providing to the underserved. Over the summer, while still practicing in Buffalo and just months out of school, Jan had this to say about her early experiences as an FNP: “I have a gazillion things I still need to master, but I feel so much better after being there for a few months.” She described one of her early days of client care that included treating a sinus infection, handling cases of flu and poison ivy, tending to an oil field worker who had a drill pipe roll over his foot, and assorted other cases. Of this, she said, “Here’s the good news for you – I felt good with my abilities on all of those. Uneasiness as a very recent grad is still at the forefront, but I’m lovin’ the folks, the setting and the work. Every day I still hear (faculty members) Julie Marfell and Judi Daniels in my head – and that’s a very good thing.” She recalled another day when the victim of a chainsaw mishap, who had a mauled leg, was brought to the clinic. “There was blood everywhere and he had that look that he was going to pass out or throw up.” She maintained her composure, contacted emergency personnel and administered care until they arrived. “I just kind of stand back and take some deep breaths and think back to school … and think back on the guidelines every time.” Her Frontier family Jan says the support of faculty and her fellow students helped her through Frontier at a difficult time. She tells the story of bombing a test, which was out of character for her, as a consequence of undergoing chemotherapy. “The meds gave me tremors so that I was hitting the wrong keys, and I certainly suffered from chemo brain.” She didn’t want to let on about her struggle, so she told faculty member Judi Daniels “some story about having the flu.” But Judi wasn’t buying it. “Judi, with all her experience, was asking all these questions.” When Jan came clean about her health issues, “Judi really stressed, if you’re trying, we’re here to help – she was a lifesaver, and so was Julie (Associate Dean Julie Marfell).” Jan bonded with three other students who were battling serious challenges themselves – the death of a spouse, a debilitating back injury and breast cancer. They formed a study group and provided crucial support to one another. “It was great because all of us, if we had a bad day, we could whine and cry with the others, and they wouldn’t take it wrong. They would prop us up.” Together they faced their struggles and met their challenges to find success at Frontier. Always one to give back, Jan has served as a mentor in the University’s SAGE (Supporting Achievement in Graduate Education) program and was even recognized with Frontier’s Nurse Practitioner Leadership Award during the 2011 commencement ceremony. Today, as an alumna, she continues to remain involved. Jan is serving as the first president of the Frontier Nursing Honor Society. Despite the many demands on her time, Jan loves all that she does and has no complaints. “Life’s been good to me. What can I say?”

www.frontier.edu

Frontier graduates Frankie LaNell Whatley, of Tahlequah, Okla., Jennifer Cook, of Meridian, Idaho, and Jan Stalder, of Parker, Texas, became friends during their time at FNU. This photo shows them spending time together in Texas in fall 2011.

Grateful for ‘Suzie Sunshine’ Frankie LaNell Whatley, a Class 65 CFNP graduate, was mentored by Jan Stalder through Frontier’s SAGE program, and she wrote this of Jan, whom she credits with helping her through some trying times. Jan traveled many times to be by Frankie’s side as Frankie battled health issues. Below is an excerpt from her essay: When I came to Frontier Bound, I had fresh wounds (from a divorce after 25 years of marriage). I was withdrawn and not looking to make friends, BUT Suzie Sunshine walked into my world. She would NOT leave me alone! Every time I turned around, there she was. At meals, on breaks, we were even in the same small group. “What do you think? What was your favorite thing about that speaker? What do you think will be your biggest challenge?” When I got home, I told my family about this one lady who was extremely nice to me, and I really liked her. Several months later, when I was feeling lonely and a bit lost, I contacted (the school) for a mentor. You told me you had a mentor who would be graduating soon but would be willing to continue afterwards. Lo and behold, it was Suzie Sunshine! When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, she shared her own experience and encouraged me beyond belief. When I was too tired or too sick, she visited with my mom and shared encouragement with her to pass along. She called, sent cards, gifts, and even brought her husband to work on my computer! I am blessed with sunshine, my mentor, my friend, my Jan!

Jan Stalder’s first search dog, a rescued English Setter named Eclipse, at left, had an impressive record that included finding drowning victims and Alzheimer’s patients who had walked away. At right is Glory, Jan’s 18-month-old English Setter and Standard Poodle mix that is being trained to become a search dog for missing persons.

After the Mary Breckinridge Festival parade, Frontier alumni, Couriers, faculty, staff and friends gathered at the statue of Mary Breckinridge in downtown Hyden for a group portrait.

A Hyden Homecoming Couriers, alumni relive memories during the 50th anniversary of the Mary Breckinridge Festival

Dr. Julie Daniels and Dr. Susan Stone led a riderless horse in honor of Mrs. Breckinridge.

Donna Murphy, Dianne Lytle and Elsie Maier Wilson

lumni, Couriers, friends, faculty and staff flocked to the city of Hyden for Frontier’s Alumni Homecoming and Courier Conclave and to celebrate Mary Breckinridge and her great legacy during the first weekend of October. Frontier alumni and Couriers gather each year to relive memories, to celebrate our founder and to share the fellowship and sense of family that runs so deep throughout Frontier Nursing history. The 2012 event was even more special as it marked the 50th anniversary of the Mary Breckinridge Festival, themed “Mary Breckinridge … The Legacy: A Golden Celebration.” During the Saturday parade, Frontier faculty member Julie Daniels and President and Dean Susan Stone led a riderless horse through the streets of Hyden in memory of Mrs. Breckinridge. Elsie Maier Wilson, a 1963 graduate and a former dean of the school (1977-78), was among those who traveled across the miles – from Florida – to join the festivities. Elsie, alumna Donna Murphy (a 1972 graduate) and four FNU graduates and students who were born and raised in Leslie County waved to the children and families in the crowd from atop the FNU float, which featured a banyan tree design. In addition to Elsie and Donna, our guests for the weekend included Couriers Julia Breckinridge Davis (1967) and Carolyn Gregory (1947); Linda Karle, 1973 graduate; Irene Shearer (1972); Dianne Lytle (1980); Tracy Ryan(2002); and several friends and family members. Pioneer alumni Clara Jefferis and Barb French, who live in Leslie County, and Jean Fee, who lives in McKee, Ky., joined us for a Saturday dinner at the Big House.

Alumni Distinguished Service Awards Each year, the Frontier Nursing University Alumni Association recognizes two of our outstanding alumni with the Distinguished Service to Society Award and the Distinguished Service to Alma Mater Award. We request and encourage nominations from our alumni, students, faculty and staff. We are proud to congratulate Tracy Ryan and Holly Powell Kennedy, who were recognized during Alumni Homecoming weekend with the 2012 awards.

Tracy Ryan: Distinguished Service to Alma Mater Award

In Big House tradition, our homecoming guests gathered for a photograph in front of the portrait of Mrs. Breckinridge.

The weekend rekindled special memories of time spent in the Kentucky mountains. “My first impression – and lasting impression – was tea time with Mrs. Breckinridge,” said Carolyn Gregory. Carolyn vividly recalled Mrs. Breckinridge’s two beautiful Golden Retrievers – a breed unknown to Carolyn at the time – lying by the fire at the Big House. She remembered “the various nurses who dropped in, visitors from far away ... wonderful, mind-expanding conversations and good cheer.” Julia Davis, Mrs. Breckinridge’s great niece, recalled playing in the garden at Wendover as a child and her Aunt Mary running chapel services there every Sunday. She described her Aunt Mary as “formidable for sure. She was very gentle with people around her at times, but she could also be very intense.” Visits to the old Beech Fork Clinic and to the FNU campus (which is the old Hyden Hospital) also were nostalgia-filled. For Irene Shearer, of Sarasota, Fla., the visit to Beech Fork brought back memories of working there 40 years prior. Irene, who graduated from Frontier’s family nursing program in 1971 and the midwifery course in 1972, retraced her footsteps in the place that was literally her home for 18 months – she lived in a bedroom above the clinic until she moved from Hyden in 1974. The entire weekend was immersed in history. Special guest Karen Polinger Foster of Yale University delivered a fascinating presentation about Mrs.Breckinridge’s work in the reconstruction of northern France after World War I. Ms. Foster is the co-author of the recently published book Au secours des enfants soissonnais: Lettres amèricaines, 1919-1921, Mary Breckinridge, a translation into French of more than 50 previously unpublished documents providing insights into Mrs. Breckinridge’s work in France and

www.frontier.edu

We were thrilled to welcome Tracy Ryan, a 2002 nurse-midwifery graduate, back to Hyden during Homecoming weekend to receive the FNU Distinguished Service to Alma Mater Award. Dr. Susan Stone presented Tracy with the honor during a special awards ceremony at Wendover. Tracy’s nominator wrote, “Tracy is a dynamic woman, entrepeneur and midwife. She opened the first Birth Center in Colorado. ... Her energy and commitment level as well as her passion is modeled after Kitty Ernst. She won’t back down once she has made a decision, but she also knows how to delegate work and to collaborate with her fellow healthcare professionals. The service she provides to her community is invaluable. Women all over the Denver area come to get the kind of birth experiences they cannot usually get elsewhere. Tracy has enormous respect for women and for the birth process.” Tracy recounted that she “drank Kitty’s Koolaid,” when Kitty Ernst – FNU’s Mary Breckinridge Chair of Midwifery – instilled the idea that the birth center is the midwife’s house. She held close to Kitty’s words: “Midwives will never change what is going on in the hospital until they get the gumption to get out of the hospital and start birth centers.” Tracy and the other nurse-midwives at the Mountain Midwifery Center, in Englewood, Colo., have been a tremendous resource for FNU. They serve as preceptors to Frontier students on a continuous basis, providing an excellent learning experience for students completing the clinical portion of their program (to date, they have served as preceptors for 21 FNU students). Mountain Midwifery also hosts FNU Case Days for students

FNU President and Dean Susan Stone honored Tracy Ryan at an awards ceremony in October. and preceptors in the area. “All of our midwives at the birth center love students and we believe that we are not going to advance this model, the birth center model of care ... unless we show other young midwives what is possible,” Tracy said. Tracy is working to start a second birth center in the Denver metro area. We are so proud of the great work she is doing and grateful for her continuing service to FNU.

Dr. Holly Powell Kennedy: Distinguished Service to Society Award

Visiting Beech Fork stirred memories for Irene Shearer, who lived and worked there in the early ‘70s.

the early experiences that shaped her to lead the Frontier Nursing Service. Dr. Anne Cockerham, a Frontier graduate and faculty member, read from and signed her book, Rooted in the Mountains, Reaching to the World, about the early history of the school, on Saturday night. Earlier that evening, Elsie Wilson, who recently received her Ph.D. in Theology from International Seminary, discussed her dissertation, “Applying Principles of Nurse-Midwifery to the Ministry: A Comparison of Physical and Spiritual Birth.” She graciously presented a copy of her dissertation to the school, and was greeted with thanks by Dr. Susan Stone. Dr. Stone also presented alumni awards that evening. Read about our honorees, Tracy Ryan and Holly Powell Kennedy, on the next page.

While a last-minute emergency prevented Dr. Holly Powell Kennedy, recipient of our Distinguished Service to Society Award for 2012, from joining us for the awards presentation, she was there with us in spirit. Holly, a 1985 graduate, wrote, “I had particularly looked forward to sharing FNS, Hyden & Wendover with my husband – a place that shaped who I am and my work more than any other.” Holly came to the Frontier Nursing Service in the summer of 1978 for an internship as a family nurse practitioner student from the Medical College of Georgia. She then stayed on to work for the FNS in primary care for a year. It was while working with the Frontier midwives that she caught the midwifery bug, and after practicing as an FNP for six years, she returned to Frontier to complete her nurse-midwifery certificate and pursue her dream to become a midwife.

Since leaving Frontier, Holly has gone on to become an internationally known midwifery researcher who has committed her life to midwifery. Her nominator wrote, “Holly Kennedy is one of the leading nurse-midwives in the United States. Her ability to negotiate and facilitate change is a key attribute that has led to her success.” Holly demonstrates her talent as a leader as president of the American College of Nurse-Midwives, the professional association that represents certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives in the United States. In 2009, she became the first person to be appointed as the Varney Professor of Midwifery at the Yale School of Nursing, bringing with her experience as a clinician, researcher, educator, policymaker and leader. She is also a previous chair of the Research Standing Committee of the International Confederation of Midwives. Thank you, Holly, for setting such an inspiring example and for your dedication to the profession and to Frontier.

Send us your alumni awards nominations Nominations for alumni recognition awards are being accepted, and honorees will be recognized during the 2013 homecoming event. The deadline for receipt of nominations is July 1, 2013. The Distinguished Service to Society Award recognizes an alumnus who goes above and beyond to provide exceptional service in his or her community. The Distinguished Service to Alma Mater Award honors a graduate who has continued to provide support to Frontier through volunteer efforts and/or donor support. We also are creating a Courier award and will issue a call for nominations in the Quarterly Bulletin. Please e-mail nominations to the Office of Alumni Relations at alumniservices@frontier.edu. Be sure to include the nominee’s full name, contact information and a list of significant accomplishments along with your contact information. Mail nominations to: Alumni Relations Office 170 Prosperous Place Lexington, KY 40509 17

FNU President and Dean Dr. Susan Stone, center, poses with Dr. Rumay Alexander, left, and Carol Taylor, who were invited to be presenters at Frontier Nursing University’s 2012 Diversity Impact Weekend.

MAKING STRIDES WITH

PRIDE

conferences hosted by the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, National Black Nurses Association, Philippine Nurses Association of America and Asian American/Pacific Islander Nurses Association. With funding provided in part by a Health Resources and Services Administration grant, the program has broadened its recruitment efforts. Providing support to students

PRIDE participants and FNU alumni gathered on the FNU campus for the second annual Diversity Impact event in May 2012.

In its second year, FNU’s diversity initiative proves successful Frontier Nursing University’s PRIDE program is growing rapidly, and word of this innovative initiative is spreading. The PRIDE program – Promoting Recruitment and Retention to Increase Diversity in Nurse-Midwifery and Nurse Practitioner Education – is making strides in recruiting and retaining qualified underrepresented students to FNU’s graduate programs. These students – and future graduates – will play a vital role in meeting the healthcare demands of an increasingly diverse population. In its second year, the PRIDE program has seen participation double. As of this January, 64 students were active in the program; 13 people had applied to participate; and 14 PRIDE participants had graduated from FNU.

www.frontier.edu

“We live in a diverse world, and it’s a way to be able to appreciate one another,” said Sonja Pownall, a PRIDE nursemidwifery graduate from Jacksonville, N.C. “And when you have that appreciation and respect, you can give the best possible care.” “PRIDE has afforded me the opportunities to learn more about cultures Sonja Pownall other than my own,” said Tasha Parker-Cargo, a 2012 FNU nurse-midwifery graduate who is the first member of her immediate family to graduate from college and the first in her extended family to receive a master’s.

To achieve FNU’s strategic goal of increasing the number of underrepresented groups in our programs to 15 percent, PRIDE has undertaken an extensive recruitment campaign focused on attracting a diverse nursing pool. The recruitment schedule has included stops at the Health Equity Summit hosted by the LexingtonFayette Urban County Government in Lexington, Ky.; the University of Kentucky A.D.N. Graduate Fair; and graduate school fairs at Kentucky State University and several Florida schools. Other recruiting stops have included Central Arizona College, the Mississippi Nurses Association Annual Conference, and two Texas schools: DelMar College and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. PRIDE has exhibited at national

PRIDE strives to increase participant retention. First-year outcomes indicate that attrition rates for PRIDE students are significantly lower than for nonPRIDE students. PRIDE offers its members access to monthly webinars and activities, clinical site support, career guidance and monthly meetings. PRIDE applicants are eligible to have their application fee waived for FNU admission. “When I receive communication and encouragement from the PRIDE staff, I feel as though the hard work I have done is recognized,” said Lashaan Everett, a Class 96 nurse-midwifery student from San Diego. PRIDE also has sponsored opportunities for participants to attend conferences to enhance their professional development, increase exposure to their chosen profession, and provide networking opportunities. PRIDE Ambassadors have attended the International Center for Traditional Childbirth South East Conference for Black Midwives, the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners conference and the American College of Nurse-Midwives Conference and Midwives of Color Caucus reception. Retention efforts also include FNU’s annual Diversity Impact weekend. In

May 2012, students and alumni returned to campus for the second annual event that included fellowship, networking and discussion forums related to increasing diversity in nursing and midwifery. Rumay Alexander, Ed.D., RN, presented the event’s keynote presentation, “Different Worlds…Same Space.” Dr. Alexander, Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs at the Univerity of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, is recognized nationally and internationally as an expert on diversity and inclusion management. Carol Taylor, MSW, Program Director for Comprehensive Family Services at the University of Kentucky and a cultural diversity trainer for the state, presented a session titled “Race Matters,” one of several diversity and leadership-focused sessions offered during the weekend. Through PRIDE and events such as Diversity Impact Weekend, FNU continues to demonstrate its commitment to achieving greater diversity among its student body and within the nursing workforce. Promoting diversity is an integral part of FNU’s mission to educate nurses to become competent, entrepreneurial, ethical and compassionate nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners. “It is truly eye-opening and rewarding to see students from so many different backgrounds and cultures unite and share their perspectives and beliefs in an encouraging, open-minded environment,” said Kimberly Trammell, PRIDE Program Coordinator. “I am excited about the growth and direction of the Pride Program and am looking forward to where we will be in another year.”

Alumni can get involved Diversity Impact Weekend provides Frontier students and alumni an opportunity to come back to campus for fellowship, networking and discussions on diversity in nursing. The 2013 event will be held May 17-19 on the FNU campus in Hyden. There is no fee to attend Diversity Impact, although alumni participants are responsible for their travel arrangements. For more details on this event, please contact Kimberly.Trammell@frontier.edu.

Minority Nurse recognizes FNU’s diversity efforts FNU is one of only seven healthcare organizations and individuals recognized as winners in the nationwide Minority Nurse Take Pride Campaign. Minority Nurse’s first-ever Take Pride Campaign was implemented to recognize places of employment that go above and beyond in encouraging diversity; recruiting and retaining minorities; and creating a cooperative, inclusive work environment. The winners were featured in the fall issue of Minority Nurse magazine and also on MinorityNurse.com.

Boyd receives ‘Best Practices’ award for her work on PRIDE Kimberly Trammell (left), PRIDE Program Coordinator, and Stephanie Boyd, FNU’s Director of Recruitment and Retention, were invited to present at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s 2012 Graduate Nursing Admissions Professionals Conference, “Building Bridges to Connect Recruitment, Admissions and Enrollment, “ in Pittsburgh. They presented on program implementation practices as well as PRIDE program first-year outcomes. At the conference, Boyd was presented with the “Best Practices in Graduate Nurse Recruiting” award. Her work in developing and implementing FNU’s PRIDE program has been instrumental in enhancing the recruitment of underrepresented students at FNU.

*This project is supported by funds from the Division of Nursing (DN), Bureau of Health Professions (BHPr), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) under grant D09HP07973, Advanced Education Nursing Grants for $1,034,265. The information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any official endorsement be inferred by, the DN, BHPr, HRSA, DHHS, or the US Government.

Frontier NPs ready to meet nation’s needs By Julie Marfell, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP

A HEALTHY

OUTLOOK

The future looks bright for nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners The number of nurse practitioners is projected to nearly double by 2025, meeting an important need in the provision of primary care in our country. Nurse-midwives are also answering the call for high-touch care, with many American women seeking the personal touch a midwife brings to their birth experience. In the midst of this boom in nurse-midwifery and advanced practice nursing, we asked Dr. Julie Marfell, FNU’s Associate Dean for Family Nursing at Frontier Nursing University, and Dr. Suzan Ulrich, Associate Dean for Midwifery and Women’s Health, to address the positive developments occurring in these fields. On the pages that follow, they speak to the essential role that nurse practitioners and nurse-midwives are playing to improve the healthcare landscape and the role of Frontier Nursing University in educating this next generation of nursing leaders. 20

www.frontier.edu

ore individuals are relying on nurse practitioners (NPs) for their healthcare. This can be attributed in part to the fact that nurse practitioner care has been demonstrated to be cost-effective, high in quality and focused on patient needs in context to social and physiological issues. Nurses also have been consistently named the most trusted healthcare professional for honesty and ethics for the past 11 years (Laidman, 2012). Multiple patient satisfaction studies show nurse practitioner care is the same as or better in outcomes and patient satisfaction when compared with other healthcare providers in the same setting. Patients are very satisfied with NP care, communication and expertise. Patients trust nurse practitioners, are confident in their care and feel that NPs listen and have the patients’ best interest in mind (Hays, 2007). Projections show that the number of nurse practitioners providing hands-on healthcare will double by 2025 (Auerbach, 2012). This prediction notes a 94 percent increase in the NP workforce from 2008 to 2025. Nurse practitioners providing direct patient care will increase by 130 percent within this time frame, from 86,000 to 198,000. Current data shows that NPs comprise 20 percent of the primary care workforce.

NPs should be utilized to their potential The projected increase in nurse practitioners is good news for the nation. With the population aging and a predicted 32 million new people joining the rolls of the insured, a shortage of healthcare providers – expected to be significant in primary care – is predicted. This is expected to result from a predicted decrease overall in physicians, especially those who choose to work in primary care. Sixty-five percent of nurse practitioners currently work in primary care settings. Nurse practitioners have traditionally worked with vulnerable populations and

in rural or underserved areas. While this is still true today, nurse practitioners can be found working in all healthcare settings. These include primary care clinics, workplace settings, specialty practices, convenient care clinics, school-based clinics, emergency rooms and hospitals. The majority of patient visits managed by a nurse practitioner are for acute health problems. Visits for management of chronic illness and exacerbations and health promotion visits comprise the other portion of patient visits. More than 80 percent of these visits reportedly include some type of counseling depending on the setting and presenting problem. (Deshefy-Longhi, Swartz and Grey, 2008). Even with the growth and the data to support the excellence of care provided by NPs, their services are still underutilized. Restrictions on scope of practice in 34 states – where some form of oversight is required – create barriers to utilizing nurse practitioners to their potential. Yet there is no data to support the need for oversight and the limiting of NP practice. Bauer (2010) writes that all evidence supports “using NPs’ services as one of the most cost-effective and feasible reforms to solve America’s serious problems with healthcare cost, quality and access. Patients should be allowed to receive all clinical and economic benefits of direct access to NPs.” As more individuals benefit from healthcare provided by a nurse practitioner, public support will continue to increase to remove these restrictions. Educating fully engaged providers At Frontier Nursing University (FNU), our nurse practitioner students are educated to understand the importance of professional issues as well as clinical care. These students are taught how to use evidence-based guidelines as well as the importance of peer review to ensure quality standards. The importance of membership in professional organizations is stressed, and students are required to be aware of scope-of-practice issues, including any

movement to decrease barriers to nurse practitioner services. FNU encourages students to be engaged in the legislative process, and they must be in contact with their representatives on a chosen issue as a required assignment. The growth of our family nurse practitioner program in the past 13 years is remarkable. The first community-based family nurse practitioner (CFNP) class in 1999 had five students. The current FNP enrollment is 766 students (including parttime, full-time and post-master’s certificate students). The student body is diverse in both culture and ethnicity. FNU has students from all 50 states. This diversity strengthens the student body and provides a national perspective on healthcare issues. These students are committed to improving healthcare, as evidenced by their application essays, written assignments and discussion with faculty and other students. Most students learn about FNU’s program from alumni and other students. The growth in Frontier’s FNP track demonstrates the trend for registered nurses to advance their education and become nurse practitioners. As this growth continues, our alumni, faculty and students are well-prepared to address barriers to practice and provide healthcare that is high-quality, cost-effective and patientcentered. References

Auerbach, D. I., (2012) Will the NP workforce grow in the future? New forecast and implication for health care delivery. Med Care. 50 (7): 606-610. Bauer, J.C., (2010) Nurse practitioners as an underutilized resource for health care reform. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. 22: 228-31 Deshefy-Longhi, T., Swartz, M. K., & Grey, M. (2008) Characteristics of nurse practitioner practice by sampling patient encounters: an APRNet study. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. May; 20(5):281-7. Hays, E. (2007) Nurse practitioners and managed care: Patient satisfaction and intention to adhere to nurse practitioner plan of care. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. 19(8): 418-26. Laidman, J. (2012) Nurses remain nations most trusted professional. Medscape Medical News; Retrieved from http://www.medscape.com/ viewarticle/775758

Dr. Julie Marfell, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP, is Associate Dean for Family Nursing at FNU. In addition to her teaching and administrative roles, Dr. Marfell, who came to Frontier 14 years ago to help restart the FNP specialty track, maintains a part-time clinical practice. She is on the Board of Directors for the Kentucky Coalition of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse-Midwives as well as on the Executive Board for the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties. Her work includes multiple articles and presentations on graduate nursing education, clinical issues, NP practice and the care of underserved populations. 21

The best of times for nurse-midwives By Suzan Ulrich, DrPH, CNM, FACNM

oday, nurse-midwives are in the limelight in many ways, from the BBC’s fabulous series Call the Midwife to the federal government’s Strong Start Initiative, aimed at reducing the number of preterm births in America using midwifery models of care. The outstanding care provided by nursemidwives is finally being seen as an answer to the maternity crisis in the U.S., which is marked by extremely high costs and very poor outcomes. Midwifery care results in lower rates of premature birth, fewer low birthweight babies, and fewer interventions, including C-sections, with high levels of patient satisfaction. The success of this model was proven decades ago by the Frontier Nursing Service, with meticulous patient records documenting the successful outcomes of such care. Last February, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the Strong Start Initiative at a news conference at the DC Developing Families Center and Family Health & Birth Center in Washington, D.C. This four-year initiative designates more than $40 million in grants to study how birth centers, maternity homes and the group prenatal care model – all based on the midwifery model of care – can reduce premature births. It will test and evaluate enhanced prenatal care interventions for women with Medicaid coverage at risk for a preterm birth. This initiative addresses the outrageous preterm birth rate in the United States, which has increased more than 36 percent in 20 years. Nearly a half-million babies are born premature every year in this country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Ruth Lubic, CNM, EdD, founder of the DC Developing Families Center, applauded the use of her center as the backdrop for the announcement, saying it is clear recognition of the good outcomes achieved by the personal touch midwives provide in birth centers. The great outcomes achieved at the DC Developing Families Center,

including a major reduction in preterm births in a high-risk population, have been highlighted on national TV and on Capitol Hill. The message is being heard. A report published last year analyzing two decades of CDC data, from 1989 to 2009, revealed that growth of midwifery use in the United States remains steady. The percentage of vaginal births attended by CNMs increased by 5 percent from 2007 to an all-time high of 11.4 percent in 2009 (Declercq, 2012). The high-touch, low-tech approach to birth is a hallmark of midwifery care that improves maternal and infant outcomes, supports family bonding, and empowers women and their families. Midwifery care is the solution. Consumer groups such as Where’s My Midwife (wheresmymidwife. org) and the Big Push (pushformidwives. org) are demanding midwives. Home births are increasing as women seek to avoid unnecessary interventions and cesarean sections that are on the rise in U.S. hospitals. Birth centers are being developed across the country, in such places as Corpus Christi, Texas, and in states that have never had birth centers, such as Missouri and Illinois. Midwives are making a big push for birth centers in Canada, too. An integral part of maternity care Midwives are needed to meet the needs of mothers and families as the Affordable Care Act rolls out. Currently, 50 percent of counties in the United States do not have an obstetrician (Kennedy, 2012). The number of physicians entering obstetrics is declining. This is the perfect time to increase the number of nurse-midwives. Obstetricians and midwives are coming together to meet the maternity care needs of the United States by embracing collaborative practice. Recently, an issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology showcased collaborative practices and received more than 60 manuscripts. Four were selected for publication and showed collaboration between CNMs and obstetricians in academic settings as well as community settings (Waldman & Ken-

COURIER PROGRAM

Forthcoming book will focus on history of FNS Couriers

nedy, 2011). These joint efforts between obstetricians and midwives show the move to accepting CNMs as an integral part of maternity care in our nation. Happily, the number of midwives certified by the American Midwifery Certification Board rose from 287 in 2007 to 344 in 2010. The number was expected to top 400 for 2012. Nurses are getting excited about becoming midwives. At Frontier Nursing University, we hear about their excitement at every Frontier Bound orientation. There is an enthusiasm that is drawing more nurses to midwifery. Midwives in the media The media is also enamored with midwives. The BBC series Call the Midwife, based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth – a British nurse-midwife who worked in the east end of London in the 1950s, has been a huge hit. The series is airing in the United States for a second season this spring. Last fall, producers of the PBS series Journey Into WellBeing explored the roots of nurse-midwifery in America during a visit to the FNU campus and Wendover for the pilot episode of their multi-state health and wellness series. The pilot focusing on Kentucky will air on PBS affiliates in seven states initially, including Kentucky Educational Television in February. This is the best of times for midwives. Applications to FNU have increased. The vast majority of these nurses are encouraged to become midwives by Frontier graduates. We are proud to be making more midwives for the women and families who need them during this turning point for midwifery. References

Declercq, E. (2012). Trends in midwife-attended births in the United States, 1989-2009. Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health, 57(4), 321-326. Kennedy, H. (2012). Starting a Midwifery Revolution. Quickening, 43(3), 3. Waldman, R. N., Kennedy, H. P. (2011). Collaborative practice between obstetricians and midwives. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 118(3), 503-504.

Dr. Suzan Ulrich, DrPH, CNM, FACNM, is Associate Dean for Midwifery and Women’s Health at FNU. Dr. Ulrich has been a midwife and educator for over 30 years. She taught maternity to undergraduate nursing students at Villa Maria College and was graduate faculty at the University of Pittsburgh for the Perinatal CNS track. She was Director of the North Shore Birth Center in Beverly, Massachusetts, from 1990-2000. Dr. Ulrich came to Frontier Bound and began her career at FNU in March 2000. She was named to the 2012 cohort of Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellows.

Jane Leigh Powell, shown with Babette, has continued to serve Frontier through the years after volunteering as a Courier in 1954. She serves on the FNU Board of Directors and on the Leadership Council for the university’s endowment campaign.

On the heels of her book Rooted in the Mountains, Reaching to the World, Dr. Anne Z. Cockerham will be studying the history of the Frontier Nursing Service Couriers, whose untold story is an important part of Frontier history. The Couriers, who served in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky as service-learning volunteers, were key to the success of the FNS. In 2012, Dr. Cockerham received the Barbara Brodie Nursing History Research Fellowship Award to support her research on the history of the FNS Couriers. This award is given by the University of Virginia to support historical inquiry in nursing. The award is notable because the University of Virginia is one of only two nursing history centers in the United States. This award has great meaning for Fron-

tier Nursing University, as it helps make this important research possible. In 1928, Mary Breckinridge established the Courier Program, recruiting young men and women to work in the remote mountains of Eastern Kentucky to learn about service to humanity. Couriers delivered medical supplies to remote outpost clinics, cared for the horses, assisted nurse-midwives in home visits and occasionally lent a hand with births. As the Frontier Nursing Service evolved over the years, so did the Courier service. Couriers served Frontier Nursing continuously through 2010, and will be returning to Frontier in the summer of 2013 (see information below). Dr. Cockerham has completed dozens of oral history interviews for this book project. FNU plans to publish her book in 2013.

For information on the Courier Program or the book, contact nancy.reinhart@frontier.edu.

Invite a Frontier Nursing Courier to experience YOUR Frontier Frontier Nursing University is proud to announce the reestablishment of the Courier Program this year! We will recruit young people, age 20 and older, to serve health frontiers across the country that you, our FNU alumni, work in every day. The program is a terrific opportunity for young people interested in pursuing careers in the health sector and in working with rural and disadvantaged populations to gain on-the-ground experience under your careful stewardship.

How can you help? HOST A COURIER

Receive free intern assistance and gain the experience of mentorship. Intern approved to help with non-clinical tasks such as: n Data entry n Patient intake n Special projects including fundraisers, community outreach and grant research

HELP US RECRUIT COURIERS

Do you work at or near a college that might be interested in sending summer interns to the Courier Program? Help us recruit Couriers by connecting us to an institution near you.

We are limiting site placement in the first few years to locations within driving distance to Hyden, primarily in Kentucky and Tennessee. We aim to have national and potentially international site placements in coming years. Contact Nancy Reinhart, Courier Coordinator, at nancy. reinhart@frontier.edu for more information about these opportunities.

THE PRICELESS

GIFT OF PRECEPTING Frontier’s clinical mentors enrich students’ lives with lasting lessons

Rebecca Harris, FNP Class 64, at right, is shown with her preceptor, faculty member Judi Daniels. Rebecca has since graduated.

Story by Nancy Reinhart

Kitty Ernst says, “This is a call for each of you to say, ‘Yes I can and will!’ and get on with it. Your children, your grandchildren and all future generations are counting on you.” Just what is Kitty asking us to get on with and do? Teach, lead, and mentor students – specifically, the nurses and midwives who come after you. Frontier Nursing University’s preceptor program offers you a clear road to fulfilling this responsibility – it may not be completely paved, but it’s better marked than the road to Wendover! “Your teaching is the most important part of the student learning experience and is what touches a life forever. You are where ‘the rubber hits the road’ for the student trying to put all the knowledge, skills and judgment together,” Kitty says. Dr. Judi Daniels, a nurse practitioner and FNU faculty member, couldn’t agree with Kitty more. “Being a preceptor is an integral part of how I see myself as an educator, role model and mentor,” Judi says. “In 25 years of practice, I cannot remember

ever NOT being a clinical preceptor. ... I think it is the most unique and intimate relationship you can have with a student.” Stacey Dawson (CNEP, FNU Class 51), who currently precepts students through her position at Phoenix Indian Medical Center (PIMC), says precepting “is actually helping students to apply everything they know. We are benefiting the future of the profession by helping students to get up on their feet and get ready for practice.” Stacey knows about precepting both as a teacher and a student. She did her clinical hours at PIMC as a student and then was later hired there. Of her experience as a student, she says, “I found the midwives really great to work with. They were always willing to share their knowledge with me – tips and tricks to make things easier, and I appreciated it.” Once hired, Stacey looked forward to being “on the other side of the coin” and

About Phoenix Indian Medical Center v Full-scope clinic servicing members of 43 Indian tribes v 10 certified nurse-midwives care for 2,500 pregnant women a year v 65 percent of clients use Medicaid as primary payer v Vaginal birth rates, VBAC success rates, pre-term and low weight birth rates on par with national rates despite serving a more high-risk population v Induction, episiotomy and primary cesarean rates better than national average v Precept for 6 to 8 students per year, including many from FNU!

sharing her practice and experience with others by becoming a preceptor. As a relatively recent graduate, she believes she relates well to her students and understands their needs.

To learn more about becoming a Frontier preceptor, go to www.frontier.edu/preceptor 24

www.frontier.edu

Stacey has found precepting both personally and professionally satisfying. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in nursing education, and precepting has given her a chance to practice these skills. She also enjoys seeing students progress in their skills on a near daily basis and making crucial, but difficult professional transitions. “A lot of time the students have nursing experience but have not yet transitioned to becoming a provider yet. I think that this transition is one of the hardest things about becoming a midwife. As a nurse, you can always call upon a provider to make the choices, but as a midwife, you have to take responsibility for the choices. I like being able to guide students in their decision-making process in a way that is in line with the whole care process of midwifery.” This transition is particularly critical for students who plan to work with high-risk, underserved populations. The clients that PIMC serves often face complex problems – a combination of medical issues and social issues, including domestic violence, drug abuse and extreme poverty. Many of the students that Stacey has mentored are most surprised by and sometimes unprepared for the way this impacts care provision. “We often end up spending a lot of our visits [with clients] dealing with things that are different than what we had originally intended to spend it doing,” she says. It’s no wonder, then, that Kitty calls us to get on with it. Given FNU’s mission and the current course of healthcare in the U.S., a preceptor’s role in helping future midwives and nurse practitioners cultivate the skills they need to wholly provide for clients with very complex issues couldn’t be more important. In fact, it can be life changing. FNU student Delana Gardener is cur-

Marsha Jackson and Alice Bailes were recognized as Frontier Nursing University’s Preceptors of the Year for nurse-midwifery at the 2012 ACNM conference

rently working under Stacey’s guidance at PIMC. During her time there, Delana has cared for and helped to make decisions about clients with very complicated lives. Stacey has helped her to do so competently and compassionately. “Stacey has encouraged my personal growth as a student family nurse practitioner (sFNP) by having me take the reins while she is readily available to consult and guide when needed. She has encouraged me not to shy away but get right in the middle, first to establish rapport and trust and next to do my best to treat and educate.” Delana believes that having an FNU alumna as a preceptor has enriched her experience. “There are so many ways that we have connected because of this union. I have watched Stacey, and I see that it is not an easy task and the responsibility is great. But she precepts from the heart and promotes only excellence.” Marsha Jackson, another FNU preceptor from BirthCare nurse-midwifery practice in Alexandria, Va., underscores the value of exposing future midwives to births in nonhospital settings through precepting. “We are passionate about passing on the art of birth at home and in the birth

“There are so many ways that we have connected because of this union. I have watched Stacey, and I see that it is not an easy task and the responsibility is great. But she precepts from the heart and promotes only excellence.”

center to the next generation of midwives,” Marsha says. “It warms our spirit to see the many midwives that have come through BirthCare. Some of these midwives started as our clients and were inspired to continue on to become midwives. Some midwives that were students with us have now opened their own practices and are leaders in midwifery.” She and colleague Alice Bailes have been precepting students for more than a decade through BirthCare. They were honored last summer at ACNM for their exceptional precepting. Marsha invites other nurse-midwives to take up Kitty’s call. “As midwives, we all have the responsibility to pass on the treasured art of midwifery. We must continue to sow seeds and invest the time and energy needed to grow more midwives.” Kimberly Couch, CFNP and CNEP, FNU classes 18 and 51, and PIMC director, echoes Marsha’s invitation, extending it to her fellow nurse practitioners. “Mentoring students Kimberly Couch is a very rewarding experience,” said Kim, who is also an FNU faculty member. “These students are up on the most current evidence-based practice and keep me on my toes. The student gets to learn to spread his/her wings under the guidance of someone who is confident and sure, and I get to get the constant infusion of their enthusiasm and excitement. It is a win-win situation for all!”

Note: There were a plethora of great preceptors to choose from for this article. Thank you to all alumni preceptors for your hard work, even if you are not highlighted in this article. To share your story about how precepting has benefited you or your students, contact alumniservices@frontier.edu.

Precepting Benefits v Receive free preceptor training course and an honorarium v Receive CEUs for hours of service v Gain access to the latest clinical guidelines v Guide the education of your future peers v Become part of the rich Frontier history and legacy!

FNU student Delana Gardener, speaking of her relationship with preceptor Stacey Dawson

CONFERENCERoundup

Frontier makes a strong showing at annual nursing conferences

ach year, Frontier is well-represented at the major nursing conferences in the country - including annual meetings sponsored by the American Association of Birth Centers (AABC), the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM). Included here is a roundup of conference news along with photos from the Frontier Alumni Receptions held at these meetings. If you are a Frontier graduate, student, preceptor or faculty member, we invite you to join us for our receptions at the AABC, ACNM and AANP conferences in 2013. For details, email alumniservices@frontier.edu. (Dates for these events can be found on Page 29).

Upcoming Conferences: Look for Frontier representatives at these and other major conferences in 2013. Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics and Neonatal Nurses, Nashville, TN, June 15-19 National Black Nurses Association, New Orleans, LA, July 31-Aug. 4 National Association of Hispanic Nurses, New Orleans, LA, Aug. 6-9

National Student Nurses Association, Charlotte, NC,April 3-7 Midwifery Today, Eugene, OR, April 5-7 National Rural Health Association, Louisville, KY, May 7-10

ACNM snapshots

1. Alums circle up to sing and share stories at the FNU reception 2. Tammy Young (CNEP alum and preceptor), Cara Starkey (CNEP Class 37 alum) and Diana Hendrick 3. Mary Kay Miller (CNEP alum) and Lori Bellwood (CNEP and DNP Class 5 alum) 4.PRIDE Program participants: Lashaan Everett (CNEP Class 96), Kathleen Heintzelman (CNEP Class 88), Tasha Parker-Cargo (CNEP Class 63 alum),Carol Reddick (CNEP Class 97), Victoria Zadoyan (CNEP Class 82) and Kimberly Trammell, FNU’s Pride Progam Coordinator 5. Alumni Donna Lofton, Debbie Newton and Cindy Parke

AANP 2012

ACNM 2012 The American College of Nurse-Midwives 57th Annual Meeting took place June 2-7 in Long Beach, Calif., bringing together more than 1,600 attendees. FNU again had a strong presence at this event. More than 100 Frontier alumni, students, faculty, staff and preceptors attended a reception hosted by FNU during the conference. FNU graduate Kendra Adkisson was commissioned to create a special comedy-fueled video for the conference. The video was met with wild laughter and applause during its debut at the Opening General Session, and Kendra was called to the stage with Dr. Holly Kennedy, ACNM President (Holly and Kendra are shown in the photo at left). During the opening session, a new class of ACNM Fellows was inducted. FNU faculty member Dr. Kathryn Osborne was among the seven new fellows chosen for this prestigious honor. Receiving honors during the conference were FNU faculty member and DNP Class 4 alum Dr. Julie Paul, who received the Best Poster Award for her poster titled, “A Collaborative Approach for Improving Patient Satisfaction and Length of Stay Time on an Obstetrical Triage Unit Utilizing Nurse-Midwives,” which resulted from her capstone work at Frontier. FNU faculty member Dr. Tanya Tanner received the award for Outstanding Poster Presentation. Her poster summarizes her dissertation research, which entailed a Delphi study of women’s perceived self-competence for childbirth. Dr. Tanner’s work was done under the mentorship of Dr. Nancy Lowe and Dr. Holly Kennedy - two world-renowned researchers who have examined labor and birth (and both are alumnae of our midwifery program!). Each year, the ACNM Foundation Excellence in Teaching Award honors one teacher in every accredited education program. Dr. Anne Cockerham was chosen by FNU students to receive the honor.

More than 4,300 attendees gathered for the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners’ 27th National Conference, held June 20-24 in Orlando, Fla. FNU’s presence at the AANP conference grows steadily each year, with more than 50 Frontier alumni, students, faculty, staff and preceptors participating in the 2012 event. Several members of the FNU community were invited to share their research findings in poster presentations at the conference. They were: Dr. Joyce Knestrick, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, co-presenting “The Meaning of Health Among Mid-Appalachian Women within the Context of the Environment”; Dr. Jennifer Hackwith, DNP Class 5 alum, “Online Physician Education Program: Physician Engagement of NPs in Practice”; Dr. Robert Anderson, DNP Class 5 alum, “Effect of an Educational Offering on Probiotic Recommendations”; and Dr. Rosemary Minnick, DNP Class 1 alum, “Healthcare for the Homeless: Providing Primary Health Care Services at a Shelter for Homeless Men.” Invited to make a podium presentation: Dr. Mary Jordan, (shown in photo), DNP Class 1 alum, whose presentation“FRAX Facts,” addressed the use of the FRAX tool in calculating fracture probability. The highlight of exhibiting at AANP was a visit to our booth by nursing legend Loretta Ford, who stopped by to say hello and take photos. She told stories of the time she spent six weeks in Hyden helping develop Frontier’s FNP program, which became the first family nurse practitioner program in the country in 1970.

AANP snapshots

1. Alumni gather for a photo at the FNU reception 2. Sonya Morales, Stephanie Boyd, FNU’s Director of Recruitment and Retention, and Deborah Fancher 3.A display of Frontier pride after capturing the door prize 4.Marcel Simo (DNP Class 3) and his family 5. Alumni and Wide Neighborhoods Ambassadors April Dobroth (CFNP Bridge Class 58) and Paul “Willie”Williams (CFNP Bridge Class 65) 6. DNP graduate Bob Anderson with his conference poster

During the conference, FNU faculty member Joy Elwell was re-elected to her role as Region 2 Director for AANP, representing New Jersey, New York and Puerto Rico. FNU’s Dr. Joyce Knestrick continues to serve as treasurer on the AANP Executive Committee.

AABC 2012

The 2012 AABC Birth Institute was held in sunny St. Petersburg, Fla. FNU kicked off the conference by hosting the Frontier Alumni Reception, with more than 30 alumni, students, faculty and supporters on hand to participate. Dr. Suzan Ulrich and Dr. Tonya Nicholson led the reception by singing the school song, leading Circle Up and presenting updates on FNU. Victoria Bennett, CNEP Class 62 alum, and Tammy Taylor, Class 84 CNEP student

www.frontier.edu

Barbara Lancaster, WHCNP Class 86 student, and Linda Cole, DNP Class 7 alum

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION William T. Miller, a family nurse practitioner graduate (Bridge Class 62), is shown promoting the Lighthouse Family Clinic in Ocean Shores, Wash., which he opened in 2011. He started his own clinic to provide care to a community that is rural and underserved. Lighthouse is a same-day appointment clinic and chronic care location for people of the Ocean Shores and the North Beach. In November 2012, William marked the one-year anniversary of his clinic, which is now more than 1,600 patients strong. Read his story at www.frontier.edu/stories.

Reconnect in FNU’s updated forums To encourage conversation between Frontier alumni, students, faculty and staff, we have rolled out an updated version of our online forums for everyone to network and share important information. If you haven’t logged in for a while (or if you haven’t participated in this online community before), we encourage you to join the discussion in our new and improved V-Bulletin forums. Alumni can connect with former classmates through our Alumni Forums (in the “General” menu) or find the latest job postings in our Career Center (in the “Networking Lounge”). Many other forums are available for sharing interests or exchanging professional information. For those who do not have a password or have not accessed the V-Bulletin forums in a while, contact help.forums@ frontier.edu to request a password. If you have an assigned password, follow the instructions below to make sure it is working: 1) Visit the Banyan Tree portal page, portal.frontier.edu 2) Click on the Forums link (left hand side of the portal page) 3) Follow the instructions to login (Your login will be FirstName [space] LastName; your password will be the same as your ANGEL password.) **If your login does not work, you will see instructions in a yellow box to assist in correcting the issue. We look forward to hearing from you!

Join us on facebook and LinkedIn Network with other Frontier friends and keep up with us by joining the “Frontier Nursing University” group on LinkedIn or “Like” us on facebook. For information on joining our alumni group page on facebook, email alumniservices@frontier.edu.

www.frontier.edu

Alumni & Courier Events

KCNPNM

Alumni Homecoming

Diversity Impact Weekend

Share your stories of serving the mission Our students, alumni, faculty and staff are carrying out the mission of Mary Breckinridge every day. Do you have a story to share? Maybe you are simply carrying out Frontier’s mission in your everyday work or maybe you have had a significant experience, a life-changing connection with a patient or a special moment where you realized the impact of your hard work and dedication. Maybe you are serving rural and under-

served populations or working toward making positive changes in healthcare and your community. No matter how you are carrying out the vision of Mary Breckinridge, we hope you will share your story with us. Stories are shared with the Frontier audience through our web site and in FNU publications. Go to http://www.frontier.edu/stories and complete our short questionnaire to get started.

Become part of the Frontier Nursing Honor Society The Frontier Nursing Honor Society (FNHS) was formed to support the learning, scholarship and professional development of nurses committed to making a difference in health worldwide. The group is open to Frontier students, alumni and faculty. For eligibility requirements or more information, contact alumniservices@frontier.edu. The next membership drive will be held

in February, and announcements will be made in the alumni e-newsletter and on the Frontier student portal. (If you do not receive the alumni e-newsletter and would like to, send your email address to alumniservices@frontier.edu.) The FNHS also is planning a continuing education program this spring, and more information will be announced through our e-mail channels as the plans develop.

Alumni can access expanded library services As a benefit to our alumni, Frontier is happy to provide access to the ProQuest database. While licensing restrictions prevent us from offering full access to library resources to our alumni, we believe the “Alumni Edition” of this database will be very helpful. Please contact Kelli Adanick (alumniservices@frontier.edu) for the username and password.

ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health Database – Alumni Edition (http://proquest.umi.com/login/user) This database indexes over 900 nursing and allied health journals, with full-text coverage of many of them. It also includes nursing dissertations and evidence-based resources from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Please note: per our agreement with ProQuest, use of this database is limited to personal research and educational use.

April 17-20, 2013

Sept. 26-29, 2013

Frontier Alumni Reception/KCNPNM

Frontier Alumni Gathering/AABC

– in conjunction with the Kentucky Coalition of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse-Midwives Regional Conference Lexington, KY

All alumni, students, preceptors and faculty are invited to join us for a Frontier gathering preceding the KCNPNM Annual Banquet on Thursday, April 18. Light appetizers, cash bar.

May 17-19, 2013

3rd Annual Diversity Impact Weekend Hyden, KY

Hosted by Frontier Nursing University, Diversity Impact Weekend is an event where Frontier students and alumni can come back to campus for fellowship, networking and education related to diversity issues in nursing. For more information about attending this event, contact Kimberly Trammell at kimberly.trammell@ frontier.edu.

May 29-June 2, 2013 Frontier Alumni Reception/ACNM American College of Nurse-Midwives 58th Annual Meeting and Exposition Nashville, TN

Be sure to join us for this well-attended annual event. The Alumni Association proudly hosts this event where more than 100 nurse-midwifery graduates gather to reminisce and share news of their current practice.

June 19-23, 2013 Frontier Alumni Reception/AANP

American Academy of Nurse Practitioners 27th National Conference Las Vegas, NV

This annual event sponsored by the Alumni Association is a great way for our nurse practitioner graduates to reconnect. With the growing number of nurse practitioner alumni, this event gets bigger every year!

American Association of Birth Centers Birth Institute Minneapolis, MN

Join us at the AABC conference as we gather for Frontier fellowship at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis.

Spring & Fall 2013

Frontier Committee Luncheons Washington, DC, New York City & Lexington and Louisville, KY

In the early days of Frontier, Mrs. Mary Breckinridge organized support committees in many large cities. Today, these committees continue to play a vital role in sustaining the Frontier mission, and gatherings are held to bring together our supporters, administrators, faculty, alumni, former Couriers and friends. If you are living in or near one of the cities above, look for your invitation to these events and consider joining us. For more details, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at alumniservices@frontier.edu.

Oct. 4-6, 2013

Alumni Homecoming & Courier Conclave Hyden, KY

Join alumni, former FNS Couriers, faculty and staff for this funfilled weekend in Hyden. Alumni Homecoming is being held in conjunction with the Mary Breckinridge Festival. Limited accommodations are available at Wendover. Guests will be treated to delicious meals and trips down memory lane. Tours of campus, Wendover and Hyden are included. For more information, call the Office of Alumni Relations at 859.899.2514.

Oct. 26, 2013 Frontier Annual Commencement Ceremony Commencement in Eastern Kentucky is a special event. The traditions, fellowship and celebratory nature of this day make it a wonderful way to remember your alma mater. We are always thrilled to have alumni attend to wish our new graduates well. For more information, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 859.899.2514.

Class NOTES Updates on Frontier alumni

Kendra Adkisson, Emily Dial and Katie Isaac

Frontier graduates Kendra Adkisson (CNEP Class 72), Emily Dial (CNEP Class 75) and Katie Isaac (a 1980 graduate) practice together as certified nurse-midwives at Women’s Care of the Bluegrass in Frankfort, Ky. The three were featured in a Jan. 28 article in Frankfort’s State-Journal newspaper about the work they do as midwives. Katie, a Frontier Pioneer graduate who has been in practice the longest of the three, has been a midwife for 32 years and has attended about 3,500 births. Jane Arnold, a Class 1 CNEP alum who served as a nurse-midwife, mentor and educator in Botswana, Africa, from 2009-2011, shared news with FNU faculty member Kitty Ernst over the holidays. Jane is an assistant clinical professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and is currently serving an 11-month term in Rwanda as an advisor at the Rwamagana School 30

www.frontier.edu

of Nursing and Midwifery, where her work includes developing courses with instructors and writing into the curriculum a Leadership in Nursing course. Jane recently made a trip to Kibogora, Rwanda, and shared this news: “I am in Kibogora in the southern part of Rwanda for the holidays with my friend, Janet, who works on the Free Methodist Mission in Kibogora. The village is on a large lake, Lake Rivu. We went to the pediatric ward of the Mission Hospital this morning to give out hats and soft balls to the children. They were delighted as were we. … While we were in the hospital, a baby was being born after a long unfruitful labor by C/S. The baby girl was in respiratory distress, so we jumped in and resuscitated her.” Thank you, Jane, for serving “wide neighborhoods” and for exemplifying Mrs. Breckinridge’s spirit of service. Laura Ballou, CFNP Class 68, works at an Alaskan “frontier hospital” on a remote island in the Bering Sea. She serves a community of 4,000 residents and 8,000 seasonal fishing industry workers, many of whom have never received healthcare before and only come in for acute care. Laura has established quarterly outreach meetings with local canneries to provide screen-

female inmates at a women’s correctional facility in Grant, N.M. April serves as a Wide Neighborhoods ambassador for FNU.

Send us your Class Note

We want to hear from you! Please send your news and updates to alumniservices@frontier.edu so that we may share them with the Frontier family through our online and print communication channels. News included in the Class Notes section is gathered from alumni communications, media reports and professional announcements from the past several months. Send corrections or updates to the email address above.

ings, immunizations and promote wellness awareness. (Read how Laura is serving the Frontier mission at www. frontier.edu/stories.)

Priscilla Craw

Priscilla Craw, a 1968 graduate, is doing short-term trips to Haiti teaching “Home-Based Life Saving Skills” to non-traditional birth attendants. This was developed by Sandy Tebben Buffington (a 1968 classmate). She is also supporting PN clinics in Haiti. Priscilla visited Hyden in the fall and dropped by the FNU campus for a visit. She was a student in 1967-68 and worked at the Beech Fork Clinic for a few months before returning home. April Dobroth, a CFNP Bridge Class 58 graduate, works as a nurse practitioner for the Penitentiary of New Mexico in Santa Fe, where she provides care to a population of 1,100 federal- and statelevel inmates. She also provides care to

Teri Gjerseth, a graduate of Frontier’s nurse-midwifery (CNEP Class 53) and FNP (Class 81) programs, expanded her business, Footprints in Time Midwifery Services, to include a freestanding birth center to serve the women of West Central Wisconsin. Along with welcoming births at their center, which opened in late 2011 in Black River Falls, Wis., Teri and Becky Amberg provide midwifery and doula services for women who want to pursue home birth. Connie Becker, a 1972 Frontier graduate who was with the Frontier Nursing Service from January 1970 to June 1973, reports that she is retired and living in Coralville, Iowa. Connie, who completed both the FNP and midwifery programs, worked all over the country as a certified nurse-midwife for 31 years (and a total of 3,765 babies) before retiring seven years ago. Connie enjoys volunteering and traveling. CNEP Class 70 graduate Leilani Hall of Cedar Falls, Iowa, is featured in the Midwives Alliance of North America’s “I Am a Midwife” campaign, a social networking video campaign designed to educate the public about midwifery care. Hall, who started her own practice, Next Generation Midwifery, is among the midwives interviewed in a recent installment of the video series, “Why Midwifery Care is So Important.” Wes Henson, a CFNP Class 50 Frontier graduate, works as a nurse practitioner for the Primary Care Group in Harrisburg, Illinois. Wes makes rounds at three nursing homes and serves on the board of a free clinic called the Bridge Medical

Clinic, where he also volunteers his services as needed. The clinic serves those ineligible for Medicaid or who cannot afford health insurance. Wes also participates in the National Health Service Corps program, which creates access to healthcare by providing loan repayment to primary care providers who serve at least two years in an underserved area. After a deadly tornado swept through Harrisburg in the early hours of Feb. 12, 2012, Wes was among healthcare providers who sprang into action to treat the injured. Wes also serves as a clinical preceptor for Frontier and provides shadowing opportunities to FNU students. Pam Holtz, a Class 72 CFNP graduate, works as a family nurse practitioner on the emergency medicine team at Essentia Health’s 32nd Avenue campus in Fargo, ND. Frances Horton, a CNEP Class 62 and post-master’s WHCNP Class 96 graduate and a participant in FNU’s PRIDE program, has joined Shenandoah Women’s Health midwifery service in Harrisonburg, Va. After working for years as a labor and delivery nurse, Frances decided to pursue a nurse-midwifery degree at Frontier because of her passion for women’s health. Jona Hutson, CNEP Class 78, started working with University of Nebraska OB/GYN Physician’s Group and College of Medicine in September. “I will have office hours as well as catch at two hospitals in Omaha, NE. I absolutely plan on spending a couple years getting some experience then passing along my FNU spirit by precepting.” Damara Jenkins, CNEP Class 48, is a certified nurse midwife with WomanCare in Jeffersonville, Ind. The Courier-Journal newspaper in Louisville, Ky., wrote about Damara in Decem-

ber for a feature called “Snapshots of People at Work.” Read about Damara at www.frontier.edu/stories. Linda (Roe) Karle, a 1973 Frontier graduate who attended Alumni Homecoming in October, served as a nurse-midwife for more than 35 years, attending more than 3,100 births during that time in four states – Alabama, North Carolina, Florida and Kentucky. She recalled a two-day visit to Frontier in 1972 as a 20-year-old junior in nursing school that changed her life forever. That visit included a middle-ofthe-night trip by Jeep to see a sick patient and having tea at Wendover the next day with FNS Director Helen Browne. She said she couldn’t wait to “get home to Illinois, graduate and submit my application.” Reflecting on her recent visit to Hyden to attend homecoming, she wrote, “My life has been filled with clinics, laboring mothers and beautiful babies all due to the training at Frontier Nursing (Service) University. Sure, there have been many hours of lost sleep and holidays missed, but my life has been so fulfilling. It was an honor and privilege to attend the alumni and courier reunion and acquaint myself with old and new friends of this great establishment.” Angela Kreider, a Class 31 CNEP alum who graduated in 2006, opened Women’s Circle Nurse-Midwife Services Inc. in Yuba City, Calif., in 2012. Angela is providing compassionate care to women of all ages and providing birth services at the local hospital. She was part of a longtime nurse-midwife service that closed in 2011, and she chose to keep the torch burning to give women in her community access to nurse-midwifery care, regardless of whether they are insured. Angela is happy to increase awareness of midwifery care while also serving women who have come to value that care. Visit www.yubasuttermidwife.com. 31

CLASS NOTES Carla Layne, a Class 30 CNEP graduate, is the subject of the feature article, “The Baby Deliverer: Floyd Memorial welcomes its first midwife,” in the November/December 2012 issue of Southern Indiana Living magazine (silivingmag.com). Layne recently helped start the first midwifery program at Floyd Memorial Hospital in New Albany, Ind., and has joined the practice at OB/GYN Associates of Southern Indiana. The article is on Page 43 of the magazine. Sonia Rich Mazzeo received the Nurse Practitioner Healthcare Foundation’s Procter & Gamble Endowed Scholarship in Community Service, awarded annually to one nurse practitioner graduate student who has made a significant contribution in school, in the community, or in patient care while pursuing an advanced degree. Sonia, a CFNP Class 76 member who completed her studies at Frontier in 2012, is a hospice RN at the Cuidado Casero Hospice and is co-founder of Coastal Volunteers in Medicine, a registered public charity working to establish a free healthcare clinic for the uninsured in Ocean County, NJ. Dr. Kristi Davis Menix of Bozeman, Mont., works as a nurse consultant for professional development and staff education, including program and competency development. Dr. Menix was a district nurse for FNU in 19671968 at Brutus Clinic. Debbie Hayden-Miller, a nursemidwifery graduate (Class 55), owns Laughing Waters Homebirth Midwifery in Sioux Falls, S.D., where she serves families who desire a homebirth. She serves an area that borders

three states – Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska. “This service is really needed in this area as women who desire a homebirth are either delivering unassisted or going across the border to another state and delivering in a hotel room with a midwife. I want families in South Dakota to have a safe, supported and convenient homebirth.” Read her story at www.frontier.edu/stories. Leila “Lee” Nichols, CNEP Class 45, practices as a certified nurse-midwife at McKenzie Medical Center in McKenzie, Tenn. Sally Prickett writes that she is now retired after 15 years as a certified nurse-midwife. She worked with female soldiers and soldiers’ wives and families at Fort Riley in Kansas. She is now enjoying time with grandchildren and family. Judy (Haralson) Rafson, Class of 1972, sent a donation toward the repair of the St. Christopher’s Chapel window on the Frontier campus in Hyden. Judy, who lives in New Bern, N.C., wrote that the window holds a special place in her and her husband’s hearts because they were married beneath that window on May 24, 1975. Arlene Schuiteman, Class of 1959, wrote that at age 88, she was delighted to make two trips back to Africa recently. She traveled with Northwestern College from Orange City, Iowa, when the drama ministry ensemble presented Iowa Ethiopia in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Iowa Ethiopia is drawn from Ms. Schuiteman’s experiences as a missionary. Delphine Silvermoon, a CNEP Class 25 graduate, has her own midwifery practice, Silvermoon Midwifery, in Athens, Ohio, offering home birth and water birth, as well as well-woman care in Southern Ohio. Her clientele includes university professors, graduate

students, stay-at-home moms, organic farmers and members of the Amish community. She is considering opening a birth center and is publishing a book about her journey, to be titled Becoming: One Midwife’s Path. Her website is www.silvermoonmidwifery.com. Dustin Spencer works as a nurse practitioner in emergency services, providing emergency care to patients of all ages in a small rural hospital in Clare, Mich. In 2012, Dustin received his Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from FNU, holding the honor of being Frontier’s first Bridge graduate to complete the university’s post-master’s DNP program. Read his story at www.frontier. edu/stories. Dorothy “Dottie” Stoner, a family nurse practitioner graduate (Bridge Class 53), opened her own clinic, Hometown Healthcare, in Fruita, Colo., to provide care to those with the greatest need, including Medicare and Medicaid patients and the uninsured. Read her story at www. frontier.edu/stories. Paul Williams, CFNP Bridge Class 65 graduate, completed his master’s in spring 2012 and began working in May for the Rural Health Clinic at Salem Township Hospital in Salem, Illinois. Paul serves as a Wide Neighborhoods ambassador for FNU. He returned to Hyden to participate in commencement in October.

‘American Nurse’ Book celebrating nurses across the country spotlights FNU alumna serving Eastern Ky.

rontier graduate Carrie Lee-Hall is featured in a new book celebrating the extraordinary role of nurses and their contributions to the healthcare system. In the book, The American Nurse, photographer and award-winning filmmaker Carolyn Jones, through quiet photographs and moving text, tells the personal stories of 75 nurses from across the country – and in doing so gives voice to millions of women and men playing an important role every day in America’s healthcare system. “I expected warriors out there and, in a way, that’s what I found – just not the way I expected,” Jones said. “Nurses do fight to care for us, in spite of ourselves, in spite of the obstacles in their way. And, they fix us, and when they can no longer fix us, they make sure that we are comfortable and that our time leaving this earth is as rich as it is entering.” The American Nurse introduces a broad spectrum of nurses from across the country – from big cities to small towns, tiny clinics to mega-hospitals. Jones began the journey in New York City, where she met nurses working in a district with the highest rate of hunger in the nation, and followed with stops in Baltimore, to meet nurses on the cutting edge of healthcare, and San Diego, to visit a Veterans Administration hospital that is home to the largest concentration of veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. She spent time visiting with prison nurses in Louisiana; learning about the health needs of the Native American population in Riverton, Wyo.; and driving with a nurse up creeks to the homes of coal miners in Appalachia. The book includes an essay by Frontier Nursing University alumna Carrie Lee-Hall, a nurse practitioner and nurse-midwife who lives in Whitesburg in Eastern Kentucky, near the Virginia border. At the time the book was being produced, Carrie worked at the University of Kentucky North Fork Valley Community Health Center in Hazard, Ky. She now practices family medicine and women’s care at Mountain Comprehensive Health Corporation, attends births at Whitesburg Appalachian Regional Healthcare Hospital and provides inpatient hospital care. In her essay, Carrie, a master’s graduate of three of Frontier’s programs – the nurse-midwifery, women’s healthcare nurse practitioner and family nurse practitioner programs – shares some of the experiences from her childhood that led her to become a nurse. “When I was twelve, I helped care for my terminally ill great-grandmother, and she inspired me to be a nurse,” Carrie writes. “She told me that I was very caring. ... She was so appreciative of me, and she taught me a lot about life. I think she really helped me become the person I am today.” She also writes of seeing her first birth at age 15. “I had the privilege of being with my older cousin when she gave birth, and from then on I knew I wanted to be an obstetrical nurse or a nursemidwife.” Carrie plans to return to FNU for her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. An excerpt from her essay appears at right.

Carrie Lee-Hall, MSN, CNM, FNP, WHNP, SANE

Providing care to patients ‘who have stolen my heart’ This is an excerpt from Carrie Lee-Hall’s essay, reprinted with permission. I am from a small but very close-knit family; we have dinner together every Sunday, and that’s how I want my boys to grow up. I always wanted to live in the mountains here and help serve the low-income and underserved patients who have stolen my heart. When I was growing up, one of my neighbors stepped on a rusty fence post and had a laceration on his foot. He didn’t have the money or insurance to see a doctor, and he ended up in the hospital with a bad infection that could have killed him. Worrying about money keeps a lot of people from getting health care. I knew social work wasn’t for me after about one semester, so I went straight back into nursing. My family is quite religious, and my mother felt that God was leading me into the nursing field. I finished my bachelor’s degree and went straight into nursemidwifery school. I did feel a void, even after I graduated, so I returned to the Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner Program at Frontier Nursing University. I furthered my education so that I could expand my knowledge about how to treat women for things like menopause and sexually transmitted disease. But after completing that degree, I still felt a void because I couldn’t treat the babies I helped deliver. I finished my third master’s degree so that I could provide holistic care for the whole family, and that definitely was what was missing. I have been a midwife for eight years, and I still cry with my patients. It is so touching. Just today I helped deliver a baby to a couple who had tried to get pregnant for seven years. It was very, very special to see that little miracle come into life. ...

Excerpts and photograph from The American Nurse Photographs and Interviews by Carolyn Jones. Welcome Books. Text & Photographs 2012 © Carolyn Jones. For more information: www.welcomebooks.com/americannurse

www.frontier.edu

GRADUATION

CELEBRATION F

rontier Nursing University hosted its 2012 graduation ceremony in Hyden, Ky., on Oct. 27. FNU President and Dean Susan Stone presided over the event, which marked Frontierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest commencement ceremony to date, with 141 graduates returning for the event and more than 600 faculty, staff and guests in attendance. Barbara Safriet, a native of Eastern Kentucky who was inspired by the Frontier nurses as a child, delivered the commencement address. Safriet is a Visiting Professor of Law at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Ore. During the ceremony, honorary doctorate degrees were presented to three women whose leadership has furthered the nursing profession and the careers of advanced practice registered nurses and midwives. Honored were the late Helen E. Browne, director of the FNS from 19651975; Judith Pence Rooks, a nurse-midwife and epidemiologist with a long and accomplished career in public health; and Safriet, the keynote speaker, who is a longtime champion of nurse practitioners and nursemidwives who has lectured and written extensively about the role of nurse practitioners and has advocated regulatory change to expand their scope of practice.

Photos by Brandon Fields, Incognito Photography and Kelli Adanick

Law professor Barbara Safriet, a native of Eastern Kentucky, delivered the 2012 commencement address.

www.frontier.edu

Kudos FNU

Highlighting the achievements of the Frontier faculty

FNU President and Dean named to elite group of nursing leaders Dr. Susan Stone, FNU President and Dean, was among 176 nurse leaders inducted as Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing on Oct. 31, 2012, during the Academy’s 39th annual meeting and conference in Washington, D.C. Composed of the nation’s top nurse researchers, policy makers, scholars, executives, educators and practitioners, the 2012 cohort is the largest class of inductees yet.

“Selection for membership in the Academy is one of the most prestigious honors in the field of nursing,” said Academy President Joanne Disch, PhD, RN, FAAN. The Academy is composed of more than 1,800 nurse leaders in education, management, practice, policy and research. Selection criteria include evidence of significant contributions to nursing and healthcare and sponsorship by two current Academy Fellows. Applicants are reviewed by a panel comprised of elected and appointed Fellows, and selection is based, in part, on the extent to which nominees’ nursing careers influence health policies and the health and well-being of all.

Associate Dean Ulrich chosen for prestigious RWJ Fellowship Suzan Ulrich, DrPH, CNM, FACNM, Associate Dean for Midwifery and Women’s Health at FNU, was named one of 20 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Executive Nurse Fellows from across the country for 2012. Ulrich joins a select group of nurse leaders selected for this three-year, world-class leadership development program that is enhancing nurse leaders’ effectiveness in improving the nation’s healthcare system. Begun by RWJF in 1998, the RWJF Executive Nurse Fellows

www.frontier.edu

program strengthens the leadership capacity of nurses who aspire to shape healthcare locally and nationally. “I am really grateful for this opportunity,” Ulrich said. “I think it’s going to be a very exciting – and challenging – three years. I hope it will help me make a bigger contribution both in and outside of my organization, and allow me to advocate for nurse-midwives in a changing healthcare system.” Executive Nurse Fellows hold senior leadership positions in a variety of settings. They continue in their current positions during their fellowships, and each develops, plans and implements a new initiative to improve healthcare delivery in her or his community.

American College of Nurse-Midwives inducts Osborne as ACNM Fellow

In the listings that follow are the publications and presentations by Frontier Nursing University faculty for 2011-2012. The names of FNU faculty members are in bold.

PUBLICATIONS Anderson, B. (2011). [Review of Midwifery and concepts of time]. Medical Anthropology Quarterly, 25, 550-551. Anderson, B. A. (2012). Healthy communities and vulnerability: Enhancing curricula for teaching population-based nursing. In M. deChesnay & B. A. Anderson (Eds.). Caring for theVulnerable: Perspectives in Nursing Theory,Research, and Practice (3rd ed., pp. 455-463). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett. Anderson, B. A. (2012). The nursing workforce shortage: The vulnerability of the health care system. In M. deChesnay & B. A. Anderson (Eds.). Caring for the Vulnerable: Perspectives in Nursing Theory,Research, and Practice (3rd ed., pp. 557563). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett. Anderson, B., & Camacho-Carr, K. (2011). The global nursing shortage - an issue of social justice. In P. S. Cowen & S. Moorhead (Eds.), Current Issues in Nursing (8th ed., pp. 768-775). St. Louis: Mosby. Andrighetti, T., Knestrick, J., Marowitz, A., Martin, C., & Engstrom, J. L. (2012). Shoulder dystocia and postpartum hemorrhage simulations: student confidence in managing these complications. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 57, 55-60. Arthur, R. (2011). Gynecologic guidelines. In J. C. Cash & C. A. Glass (Eds.), Family Practice Guidelines (2nd ed., pp. 317-354). New York: Springer. Benz, M. R. , Knestrick, J. M., & Thanavaro, J. (2012). The distance education special interest group of NONPF. Nurse Practitioner, 27(8), 6. Calloway, S. J. (2011). My most memorable patient. Nursing for Women’s Health, 15, 551-552. Calloway, S. J., Kelly, P. J., & Ward-Smith, P. (2012). Barriers to help-seeking for psychological distress among rural college students. Journal of Rural Mental Health, 36(1), 3-10. Camacho-Carr, K., & Anderson, B. (2011). The global health agenda: are nursing and midwifery responding? In P. S. Cowen & S. Moorhead (Eds.). Current Issues in Nursing (8th ed., pp. 798-805 ). St. Louis: Mosby.

Frontier faculty member Dr. Kathryn Osborne, right, and Dr. Robin Jordan, a former FNU faculty member, were inducted as ACNM Fellows in June.

FNU faculty member Dr. Kathryn Osborne was among seven nurse-midwives inducted as fellows of the American College of Nurse-Midwives at the ACNM 57th Annual Meeting & Exposition in Long Beach, Calif., in June. A limited number of midwives demonstrating outstanding professional achievement are selected for this highly coveted distinction each year. Osborne, CNM, RN, PhD, of Madison, Wisc., has worked as a midwife in several settings and serves on the faculty at Frontier Nursing University. Her most significant contributions to the profession include leadership in ACNM at the state and national level, educating future midwives, and scholarly work in the areas of health policy and second stage labor care.

Library of Medicine Exhibition Opening doors: contemporary African American surgeons]. Nursing History Review, 19, 207-209.

and oral health care practices among low-income pregnant women. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 56, 103-109.

Cockerham, A. Z. (2012). [Review of the book Freed to Care, Proud to Nurse: 100 Years of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation]. Nursing History Review, 20, 253-254.

Jolles, D., Brown, W., & King, K. (2012). Electronic health records and perinatal quality: a call to midwives. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 57(4), 315-320.

Cockerham, A. Z. (2012). Adenomyosis: A challenge in clinical gynecology. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 57, 212-220.

Karsnitz, D. B., & Ward, S. (2011). Spectrum of anxiety disorders: diagnosis and pharmacologic treatment. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 56, 266-281.

Cockerham, A. Z., & Keeling, A.W. (2012). Rooted in the Mountains, Reaching to the World: Stories of Nursing and Midwifery at Kentucky’s Frontier School, 1939-1989. Louisville, KY: Butler Books. Daniels, J. (2011). Obesity. In S. L. Lewis, S. R. Dirksen, M. M. Heitkemper, L. Bucher, & I. Camera (Eds.), Medical-Surgical Nursing: Assessment and Management of Clinical Problems (8th ed., pp. 944 - 961). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby. deChesnay, M., & Anderson, B. (Eds). (2012). Caring for the Vulnerable: Perspectives in Nursing Theory, Research, and Practice (3rd ed). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett. Engstrom, J. L., & Meier, P. P. (2012). Using selfefficacy theory to help vulnerable women breastfeed. In M. deChesnay & B. A. Anderson (Eds.). Caring for the Vulnerable: Perspectives in Nursing Theory, Research, and Practice (3rd ed., pp. 169-181). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett. Galbraith, M., Hays, L., & Tanner, T. (2012). What men say about surviving prostate cancer: complexities represented in a decade of comments. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, 16(1), 65-72. Gebb, B. A. (2012). Frontier Nursing University’s Alice Whitman Memorial Library. Kentucky Libraries, 76(4), 4-5. Guillamente, T. & Yount, S. (2012). Contraception and anti-epileptic drugs: a guide to help women with epilepsy become informed about their best choices. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 57(3), 290-295.

Caudle, P. , Bigness, J., Daniels, J., GillmorKahn, M., & Knestrick, J. (2011). Implementing computer-based testing in distance education for advanced practice nurses: lessons learned. Nursing Education Perspectives, 32, 328-333.

Huber, J. T., Kean, E. B, Fitzgerald, P. D, Altman, T. A, Young, Z. G., Dupin, K. M, Leskovec, J., & Holst, R. (2011). Outreach impact study: the case of the greater midwest region. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 99, 297-303.

Cockerham, A. Z. (2011). [Review of the National

Hunter, L. P., & Yount, S. M. (2011). Oral health

Knestrick, J. M., & Counts, M. M. (2012). Developing a nurse practitioner-run center for residents in rural Appalachia. In M. deChesnay & B. A. Anderson (Eds.). Caring for the Vulnerable: Perspectives in Nursing Theory, Research, and Practice (3rd ed., pp. 421-428). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett. Knestrick, J., Resick, L. K., & Wink, D. (Eds.). (2011). Guidelines for distance education and enhanced technologies in nurse practitioner education (2nd ed.). Washington DC: National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty. Manns-James, L. (2011). Bacterial vaginosis and preterm birth. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 56, 575-83. Manns-James, L. (2011). Pregnancy. In T. L. King & M. C. Brucker (Eds.). Pharmacology for Women’s Health (pp. 1045-1085). Boston: Jones and Bartlett.

& Women’s Health, 56, 543-556. Osborne, K. (2012). Health policy and advocacy for vulnerable populations. In M. deChesnay & B. A. Anderson (Eds.). Caring for the Vulnerable: Perspectives in Nursing Theory, Research, and Practice (3rd ed., pp. 547-556). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett. Osborne, K., & Hanson, L. (2012). Directive versus supportive approaches used by midwives when providing care during second stage labor. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 57(1), 3-11. Roberts, L. R., Anderson, B. A., Montgomery, S. W., & Lee, J. B. (2012). Grief and women: stillbirth in the social context of India. International Journal of Childbirth, 2(3), 187-198. Rodriguez, N. A., Groer, M. W., Zeller, J. M., Engstrom, J. L., Fogg, L., Du, H., & Caplan, M. A. (2011). Randomized clinical trial of the oropharyngeal administration of mother’s colostrum to extremely low birth weight infants in the first days of life. Neonatal Intensive Care-The Journal of PerinatologyNeonatology, 24(4), 31-35. Rossman, B., Engstrom, J. L., Meier, P. P., Vonderheid, S. C., Norr, K. F., & Hill, P. D. (2011). “They’ve walked in my shoes”: mothers of very low birth weight infants and their experiences with breastfeeding peer counselors in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Journal of Human Lactation, 27, 14-24.

Marfell, J. (2011). Preceptors: the cornerstone of clinical education. The Nurse Practitioner, 36(6), 6-7.

Rossman, B., Engstrom, J. L., & Meier, P. P. (2012). Healthcare providers’ perceptions of breastfeeding peer counselors in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Research in Nursing & Health, 35, 460-474.

Meier, P. P., Engstrom, J. L., Janes, J., Jegier, B. J., & Loera, F. (2012). Breast pump suction patterns that mimic the human infant during breastfeeding: greater milk output in less time spent pumping for breast pump-dependent mothers with premature infants. Journal of Perinatology, 32, 103-110.

Ruhe, M. C., Bobiak, S. N., Litaker, D., Carter, C. A., Wu, L., Schroeder, C., Zyzanski, S. J., Weyer, S. M., Werner, J. J., Fry, R. E. & Stange, K. C. (2011). Appreciative inquiry for quality improvement in primary care practices. Quality Management in Health Care, 20(1), 37-48.

O’Conner, N., Marfell, J., & Agruss, J. (2011). Student selection. In Leading Quality NP Programs: A Guide for Program Directors (pp. 71-77). Washington, DC: National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty.

Schrag, K. (Ed.). (2011). How to start a birth center. Perkiomenville, PA: American Association of Birth Centers (AABC).

O’Conner, N., Marfell, J., & Agruss, J. (2011). Student progression. In Leading Quality NP Programs: A Guide for Program Directors (pp. 77-80). Washington, DC: National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty. Osborne, K. (2011). Regulation of prescriptive authority for certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives: a national overview. Journal of Midwifery

Schrag, K. (Ed.). (2012). How to start a birth center. Perkiomenville, PA: AABC. Share with women [Lassiter, N.]. (2011). Depression and use of SSRI medications in pregnancy. Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health, 56, 321-322. Tanner, T., Galbraith, M., & Hays, L. (2011). From a woman’s perspective: life as a partner of a prostate cancer survivor. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 56, 154-160.

Midwifery textbook marks a milestone for FNU faculty Frontier Nursing University is excited to announce the recent release of a new book, Best Practices in Midwifery: Using the Evidence to Implement Change. The release of this book serves as a milestone for our university. One of Mary Breckinridge’s dreams was that the Frontier nurse-midwives would share their knowledge through the written word. In following her dream, we are proud to announce that all contributors to this textbook are FNU faculty and alumni, and Dr. Barbara Anderson and Dr. Susan Stone served as editors. The following authors contributed chapters: Billie Anne Gebb, ZachYoung, Rebecca Barroso, Deborah Karsnitz, Amy Marowitz, Kathryn Osborne,

Suzan Ulrich, Tonya Nicholson, Nora Webster, Susan Yount, Meghan Garland, Tia Andrighetti, Karen Decocker-Geist and Janet Engstrom. The first book of its kind released in the United States, Best Practices in Midwifery provides a roadmap for nurse-midwives who strive to implement change through evidencebased practice by presenting the most current evidence-based research on the care of childbearing women. The book was so popular upon release that it is now in its second printing. Several universities have adopted the text. Best Practices in Midwifery: Using the Evidence to Implement Change is available from Springer Publishing (www. springerpub.com). All proceeds go to the FNU scholarship fund.

M., & Myers, S. (2011, May). Normal birth: a joint position statement by ACNM, MANA and NACPM. Paper presentation at the American College of NurseMidwives 56th Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX.

FACULTY KUDOS Engstrom’s alma mater names her Distinguished Nurse Alumna The University of Illinois at Chicago recognized Dr. Janet Engstrom, FNU’s Associate Dean for Research, as its 2012 Distinguished Nurse Alumna, the highest award presented by the College of Nursing Alumni Association Engstrom was an early proponent of evidence-based practice and is a well-known scholar whose research focuses on the health Thomas, A., Crabtree, K., Delaney, K., Dumas, M. A., Kleinpell, R., Logston, C., Marfell, J., & Navtivo, D. (2011). Nurse practitioner core competences. Washington, DC: National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty. Wilson-Liverman, A., & Lassiter, N. (2011). ACNM exam prep workshop. Silver Spring, MD: American College of Nurse-Midwives.

Jones, M. (2012). Conducting a needs assessment in a rural emergency department in southeastern Ohio. (Unpublished doctoral capstone project). Frontier Nursing University, Hyden, KY. Paul, J. (2011). Obstetrical triage and Certified Nurse-Midwives (Unpublished doctoral capstone project). Frontier Nursing University, Hyden, KY.

DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS & CAPSTONE PROJECTS

Shlosser, H. A. (2012). Group visits for the control of hypertension. (Unpublished doctoral capstone project). University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA.

Barroso, R. (2011). The prevalence and magnitude of burnout among nurse-midwives: a pilot study. (Unpublished doctoral capstone project). Frontier Nursing University, Hyden, KY.

Smith. S. (2012). Pregnancy care for women after bariatric surgery: a clinical case narrative and care map. (Unpublished doctoral capstone project). Frontier Nursing University, Hyden, KY.

Cole, L. (2012). Development of a data collection tool for use in a micro-costing analysis of a freestanding birth center. (Unpublished doctoral capstone project). Frontier Nursing University, Hyden, KY.

Tanner, T. (2012). A Delphi study of self-competence for childbirth. (Doctoral dissertation). ProQuest (3519832). University of Colorado, Aurora, CO.

Daniels, J. L. (2012). Smoking cessation in pregnancy: a case study. (Unpublished doctoral capstone project). Frontier Nursing University, Hyden, KY. Decocker-Geist, K. (2012). Evidence-based guidelines for initiating and maintaining lactation in breast pump dependent women. (Unpublished doctoral capstone project). Frontier Nursing University, Hyden, KY. Derrick, S. A. (2012). Increasing parental awareness of obesogenic risk factors and facilitating incorporation of health promotion behaviors for weight control in a rural health setting. (Unpublished doctoral capstone project). Frontier Nursing University, Hyden, KY. Esden, J. L. (2012). Living well with diabetes: the implementation of group diabetes care in an underserved population. (Unpublished doctoral capstone project). Frontier Nursing University, Hyden, KY. Fliris, C. L. (2011). Implementation of a disease management program to enhance self-care behaviors of rural adults with heart failure (Unpublished doctoral capstone project). Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. Provo, UT. Harris, N. (2011). Life course patterns and risky health behavior in incarcerated women (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Chapel Hill, NC. Hauser, P. (2012). Implementation of an educational program on labor support for labor and delivery nurses in a community hospital. (Unpublished doctoral capstone project). Frontier Nursing University, Hyden, KY. Holcomb, M. (2011). Implementation of an educational program with specific guidelines designed to eliminate barriers to successful adoption of a CenteringPregnancy Program (Unpublished doctoral capstone project). FNU, Hyden, KY.

www.frontier.edu

Williamitis, C. (2011). The use and evaluation of cognitive behavior therapy with patients who underwent left ventricular assist device implantation (Unpublished doctoral capstone project). University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Memphis, Tennessee PODIUM PRESENTATIONS Anderson, B. (2011, March). Poisoned soil, deadly seed: preventing the conditions of genocide. Paper presentation at the Society for Applied Anthropology Conference, Seattle, WA. Anderson, B. (2011, April). Applied anthropology and reproductive health. Keynote address presented at the Northridge Annual Symposium on Applied Anthropology, Northridge, CA. Anderson, B. (2011, November). Reproductive health: career trajectories for students and young professionals. Paper presentation at the American Public Health Association, Washington, DC. Anderson, B. (2012, October). Maternity care in the U.S.: policy and partnership for progress. Paper presentation at the American Academy of Nursing conference, Washington, DC.

benefits of human milk feeding for premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit, and the reliability and validity of physical measurements such as infant weight and length. She is an alumna (PhD ‘85; MS ‘81) and former faculty member of the UIC College of Nursing.

presentation at the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nursing National Convention, Washington, D.C Cockerham, A. Z. (2011, March). A nurse-midwifery school ”in a land of horses and saddlebags”: the first decade of the Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing, 1939-1949. Paper presentation at the Southern Association for the History of Medicine and Science, Memphis, TN. Cockerham, A. Z. (2011, May). The Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing, 1939-1949. Webinar presentation at the Virtual International Day of the Midwife, online international conference. Cockerham, A. Z. (2011, September). Birth control and the Frontier Nursing Service. Paper presented at the American Association for the History of Nursing, Fort Worth, TX. Cockerham, A. (2012, September). No territory uncovered and no people uncared for: rural health care in the Frontier Nursing Service. Paper presentation at the American Association for the History of Nursing Annual Research Conference, Savannah, GA. Cockerham, A. (2012, March). Rooted in the mountains, reaching to the world: nursing and midwifery at Kentucky’s Frontier School and beyond. Paper presentation at the Appalachian Studies Association, Indiana, PA. Cockerham, A. (2012, March). “Happily learning to space their children”: birth control and the Frontier Nursing Service. Paper presentation at the Southern Association for the History of Medicine and Science, Atlanta, GA. Cockerham, A. (2012, November). Adventure and service: Frontier Nursing Service couriers, 1928-1950. Paper presentation at the Barbara Brodie Nursing History Fellow presentation, Eleanor Crowder Bjoring Center for Nursing Historical Inquiry, University of Virginia School of Nursing, Charlottesville, VA. Cole, L. (2012, June). Getting the job you want. Preconference workshop at the American College of Nurse-Midwives Annual Meeting, Long Beach, CA.

Baker, V. L. (2011, August). Teaching cultural humility online. Paper presentation at the Colorado Teaching & Learning with Technology Conference, Boulder, CO.

Cole, L. (2012, October). Birth center cost analysis - a DNP research project. Paper presentation at the American Association of Birth Centers 6th Annual Birth Institute, St. Pete Beach, FL.

Baker, V. L. (2012, July). Process of cultural competence in the delivery of healthcare services. Paper presentation at the Nurse Educator’s Conference in the Rockies, Breckenridge, CO.

Daniels, J. (2011, April). OSCEs in distance education: Bringing live simulations to the web-based learner. Paper presentation at the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties Conference, Albuquerque, NM.

Baker, V. L. (2012, October). Cultural humility for managers: tools to bring your agency or program up to speed. Paper presentation at the American Public Health Association, San Francisco, CA. Broussard, B. S. (2012, June). Hooked on AROM – are you practicing evidence-based care?” Paper

Daniels, J. (2011, May). OSCEs in distance education: Live simulations for the web-based learner. Paper presentation at the United States Distance Learning Association Conference, St. Louis, MO. Daniels, J. L. (2012, May). Smoking in pregnancy.

Dangers to mother and baby: what you can do to help women quit smoking. Webinar presentation at the Virtual International Day of the Midwife, online international conference. Engstrom, J. L. (2011, May). Mother’s milk as medicine. Paper presentation at the American College of Nurse-Midwives Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX. Engstrom, J. L. (2012, September). Coming to volume: a day in the life of a breast pump dependent mother. Paper presentation at the 16th International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation Conference, Trieste, Italy. Gebb, B. A., Marfell, J., Young, Z., & Cruse, K. (2011, May). Leading the way with mobile technology. Paper presentation at the United States Distance Learning Association Conference, St. Louis, MO. Hoeger, A. & Lazrus, J. (2011, May). Preparing the future: ACNM annual preceptor workshop. Workshop presentation at the American College of NurseMidwives Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX. Holcomb, M., Henning, D. & Barroso, R. (2011, May). Getting paid: a guide to understanding reimbursement in our healthcare system. Panel presentation at the American College of Nurse-Midwives Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX. Jolles, D. (2011, March). Reinvigorating public health in the field. Paper presentation at the National Health Service Corps Awardee Conference, Making a Difference One Community at a Time, Nashville, TN. Jolles, D., Subash, D., & Paraweswaran, M. (2011, April). Duped or doped. Paper presentation at the Clarion Interprofessional Case Competition, Root Cause Analysis and the Culture of Safety. Minneapolis, MN. Jolles, D. (2011, May). Bringing health information technology into practice - part 1 and 2: focus on patient access to EHR and innovation. Panel presentation at the American College of Nurse-Midwives Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX. Jolles, D., Olenick, P., Moore-Davis, T., & Hills, B. (2011, October). Benchmarking. the power in numbers. Paper presentation at The Gathering of Texas Midwives, Galveston, TX. Jolles, D. (2012, March). Midwifery and the national quality enterprise: opportunities for clinicians, administrators and educators. Paper presentation at the Dallas Fort Worth Chapter of the Consortium of Texas Certified Nurse-Midwives, Perinatal Conference. Cleburne, TX. Karsnitz, D. (2012, September). Using organizational theory and leadership to make evidence-based decisions. Paper presentation at the 5th National DNP Conference, St Louis, MO. Kennedy, H. P., Tanner, T., Schuiling, K., Cheyney,

Kennedy, H. P., Tanner, T., Schuiling, K., Cheyney, M., & Myers, S. (2011, June). Normal Birth in the U.S.: development of a consensus statement. Paper presentation at the International Confederation of Midwives, Durban, South Africa.

Institute for Qualitative Methodology Conference, Montreal, Canada. Schrag, K. (2011, April). How to start a birth center. Workshop presented at the American Association of Birth Centers, Eugene, OR. Schrag, K. (2011, August). How to start a birth center. Workshop presented at the American Association of Birth Centers, Denver, CO.

Kennedy, H. P., Tanner, T., Schuiling, K., Cheyney, M., & Myers, S (2011, June). Development of a cross-midwifery organization joint statement on normal birth in the United States. Paper presentation at the Normal Labour and Birth: 6th Research Conference, Grange Over Sands, Cumbria, UK.

Schrag, K. (2012, April). How to start a birth center. Workshop presented by the American Association of Birth Centers, Tucson, AZ.

Knestrick, J. M. (2012, March). The IOM report and your practice. Paper presentation at the Advanced Practice Nurse of the Upper Ohio Valley, Wheeling, WV.

Stone, S. (2012, September). Using distance education to prepare midwives for rural and underserved areas in the United States. Paper presentation at the International Midwifery Conference in Education and Research, Nottingham, England.

Knestrick, J., & Counts M. (2011, June). Challenging the obesity epidemic: using evidence based practice in a rural clinic. Paper presentation at the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Conference, Las Vegas, NV. Knestrick, J., Orsetti, L., & Lakes, C. (2011). Using ANGEL to promote student engagement in a COI. Paper presentation at the Blackboard World 2011 Conference, Las Vegas. NV. Knestrick, J. , Orsetti, L., & Lakes, C. (2011). Moving from ANGEL to Blackboard: the decisionmaking process. Paper presentation at the Blackboard World 2011, Las Vegas. NV. Knestrick, J., & Ulrich, S. (2012, December). Engaging students across the generations to use new technologies. Paper presentation at the International Forum for Women in E-learning Conference, Bonita Springs, FL. Marfell, J. (2011, April). Opening access to DNP education: changes made in Kentucky, Paper presentation at the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties Conference, Albuquerque, NM. Nicholson, T. (2011, May). Midwifery education roundtable. Presented at the American College of Nurse-Midwives Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX. Patel, A. L, Engstrom, J. L., Fogg, L. F., Jegier, B. J., Bigger, H. R., & Meier, P. P. (2011, May). Human milk  feedings: reduced chronic lung disease and preserved growth in extremely  preterm infants. Paper presentation at the Pediatric Academic Societies Conference, Denver, CO. Patel, A. L., Engstrom, J. L., Fogg, L. F, Jegier, B. J., Bigger, H. R., & Meier, P. P. (2011, September). Balancing human milk feedings: late onset sepsis and growth in VLBW infants. Paper presentation at the Baby Friendly Neonatal Care Conference and Workshop, Uppsala, Sweden. Paul, J. (2011, May). Nurse-midwives in obstetrical triage. Paper presentation at South Shore Hospital, Weymouth, MA. Resick, L. Knestrick, J., & Counts, M. (2012, October). The meaning of health among mid-Appalachian women within the context of the environment. Paper presentation at Sigma Theta Tau, Epsilon Phi, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA. Resick, L. Knestrick, J., & Counts, M. (2012, October). The meaning of health among midAppalachian women within the context of the environment. Paper presentation at the International

Schrag, K. (2012, August). How to start a birth center. Workshop presented by the American Association of Birth Centers, St. Paul, MN.

Tanner, T. (2011, October). Normal labor and birth. Paper presentation at The Medical Center of Aurora Annual Women’s Services Conference, Denver, CO. Tanner, T. (2011, October). Providers speak out: women, self-competence and childbirth. Paper presentation at the American College of NurseMidwives Colorado Chapter V-03 Eighth Annual Fall Symposium, Denver, CO. Tanner, T. (2011, December). Reliability and validity in the ethical conduct of research. Paper presentation at The Medical Center of Aurora 2nd Annual Research and Evidence-Based Symposium, Denver, CO. Tanner, T. (2012, December). Presenting a successful podium presentation. Paper presentation at the Medical Center of Aurora Second Annual Research and Evidence-Based Practice Symposium, Aurora, CO. Tanner, T., & Lowe, N. K. (2012, June). Women’s self-competence for childbirth. Paper presentation at the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses Annual Meeting, National Harbor, MD. Tanner, T., & Lowe, N. K. (2012, June). A Delphi study of self-competence for childbirth. Paper presentation at the American College of Nurse-Midwives 57th Annual Meeting, Long Beach, CA. Tanner, T., & Lowe, N. K. (2012, September). A Delphi study of self-competence for childbirth. Paper presentation at the Council of the Advancement of Nursing Science State of the Science Conference, Washington, DC. Weyer, S. M. (2012, June). Practice-based research network: Direct observation of nurse practitioner care study (DONPC). Paper presentation at the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Conference, Orlando, FL. Wilson-Liverman, A., & Lassiter, N. (2011, May). ACNM exam prep workshop. Workshop presented at the American College of Nurse-Midwives Annual Meeting. San Antonio, TX. POSTER PRESENTATIONS Andrighetti, T., & Webster, N. (2011, June). Facilitating simulations in the advanced practice nursing realm: high fidelity nurse-midwifery student simulations. Poster presentation at the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning, Orlando, FL.

‘Rooted in the Mountains’ chosen as an AJN ‘Book of the Year’

The American Journal of Nursing recognized Rooted in the Mountains, Reaching to the World: Stories of Nursing and Midwifery at Kentucky’s Frontier School, 1939-1989, as a 2012 Book of the Year, representing the best in nursing publishing. The book, written by Frontier Nursing University faculty member Dr. Anne Z. Cockerham and Dr. Arlene W. Keeling of the University of Virginia, was awarded first place in the AJN’s “Public Interest and Creative Works” category. The awards were announced in the January 2013 issue of the American Journal of Nursing. Rooted in the Mountains, Reaching to the World recounts the stories of pioneering students who attended one of the first nurse-midwifery schools in America. It offers a fascinating glimpse into the first 50 years of the graduate school founded by nursing pioneer Mary Breckinridge. Using historical photographs and alumni memories, the book captures the unique and exciting experiences of the students who lived, learned, and established deep and meaningful roots at the Frontier School between its inception in 1939 and the school’s transition to a distance-learning format in 1989. Anne Katz, PhD, RN, a clinical nurse specialist in Manitoba, Canada, who judged the category in which the book won, wrote the following: “This book reminded me of how I felt when I read the Cherry Ames books about nursing. The adventure! The challenges! The fun! The bravery! A perfect book for the coffee table, it describes the history of the famous Frontier School in vivid detail and illustrates this story with photographs.” In addition to receiving an AJN Book of the Year Award, the book has received outstanding reviews in the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health and The Courier-Journal newspaper in Louisville, Ky. Since 1969, the American Journal of Nursing (AJN) has published its annual Book of the Year honors. The AJN Book of the Year program is a prestigious competition that garners the attention of its readers, as well as librarians and faculty. Books in 16 categories were recognized on the 2012 list. Published by Butler Books, Rooted in the Mountains, Reaching to the World is available for $30 and can be purchased at www.butlerbooks.com/frontiernursing.html. For more information about the book, go to www.frontier.edu/pioneerbook.

Baker, V. L. (2011, September). Cultural competence for agencies. Poster presentation at the Colorado Public Health Association, Steamboat Springs, CO. Bigger, H. R., Fogg, L. F., Patel, A. L., Engstrom, J. L., & Meier, P. P. (2012, September). Discharge-based quality indicators do not adequately reflect the amount of human milk consumed by very low birth weight infants during the neonatal intensive care unit hospitalization. Poster presentation at the 16th International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation, Trieste, Italy. Daniels, J., & Lakes, C. (2011, April). Pediatric phone triage: a virtual clinic experience. Poster presentation at the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties Conference, Albuquerque, NM. Derrick, S. A. (2012, September). Increasing parental awareness of obesogenic risk factors and facilitating incorporation of health promotion behaviors for weight control in a rural health setting. Poster presentation at the Doctor of Nursing Practice 5th National Conference, St. Louis, MO. Esden, J. L. & Nichols, M. R. (2012, September). Patient-centered diabetes care: a practice innovation.

Poster presentation at the Doctor of Nursing Practice 5th National Conference, St. Louis, MO. Gebb, B. A., & Young, Z. (2011, May). Going mobile: librarians supporting distance learning students with mobile resources. Poster presentation at the 2011 Medical Library Association Annual Meeting. Minneapolis, MN. Holcomb, M. (2011, April). Implementation of an educational program with specific guidelines designed to eliminate barriers to successful adoption of a CenteringPregnancy program. Poster presentation at the Centering Healthcare Institute Research Symposium, Chicago, IL. Hollywood, L. (2011, July). Effective technologies to improve social presence in a community of inquiry. Poster presentation at the Emerging Technologies In Nursing Education Conference, San Francisco, CA. Janes, J. E., Meier, P. P., & Engstrom, J. L. (2012, September). Recruiting and retaining hard to reach populations in lactation/human milk feeding studies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Poster presentation at the 16th International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation Conference, Trieste, Italy.

IN MEMORIAM

FACULTY KUDOS

Anderson’s book examines precursors of genocide Dr. Barbara Anderson, director of Frontier’s DNP program and coauthor of Best Practices in Midwifery, coauthored a second book in 2012 titled Warning Signs of Genocide: An Anthropological Perspective. The book is the result of work that Dr. Anderson and her husband and coauthor, E.N. Anderson, have participated in around the world. Dr. Anderson’s interest in vulnerable populations began when she worked with refugees on the ThaiCambodian border as the framework for her doctoral dissertation. That experience launched her work with vulnerable populations, which has included working with genocide survivors. Dr. Anderson is actively involved with public health aspects of reproductive vulnerability among victims of genocidal and highly repressive environments, including some in the United States. Her book develops a predictive model of the tragic precursors of genocide, with the hope that these findings will encourage preventive action. More information is available on the Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group web site, https://rowman.com/isbn/0739175149. Jegier, B. J., Johnson, T. J., Engstrom, J. L., Casey, M., & Meier, P. P. (2012, September). The institutional cost of providing human milk during hospitalization in the neonatal intensive care unit. Poster presentation at the 16th International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation Conference, Trieste, Italy. Jegier, B. J., Johnson, T. J., Engstrom, J. L., & Meier, P. P. (2012, September). The maternal cost of pumping human milk during hospitalization in the neonatal intensive care unit for very low birth weight infants. Poster presentation at the 16th International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation Conference, Trieste, Italy. Jolles, D., & Flynn, C. (2011, October). The marginalized majority. normal childbearing women in the United States. Poster presentation at the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting, Washington DC. Jolles, D. (2012, March). Intermittent auscultation: the state of the science. Poster presentation at the 17th Annual Parry Distinguished Lectureship at Texas Woman’s University, Houston, TX. Jolles, D. (2012, June). Intermittent auscultation: the state of the science and the value of shared decision making. Poster presentation at the 57th Annual Meeting of the American College of Nurse-Midwives, Long Beach, CA. Jolles, D. (2012, June). The marginalized majority: childbearing women in the United States. Poster presentation at the 57th Annual Meeting of the American College of Nurse-Midwives, Long Beach, CA. Jolles, D. (2012, June). The Texas tale to tell: regionalization of data collection and power in numbers. Poster presentation at the 57th Annual Meeting of the American College of Nurse-Midwives, Long Beach CA. Knestrick, J., & Osborne, K. (2011, September). Using the Community of Inquiry model to create a health care policy and politics course for DNP students. Poster presentation at the Fourth Annual DNP Conference: Impacting Health Care Delivery. New Orleans, LA. Knestrick, J., Ulrich, S., & Stackhouse, P. (2012, May). Secure testing devices: ethical considerations. Poster presentation at the United States Distance Learning Conference, St. Louis, MO. Knestrick, J. .M. , Stackhouse, P., Orsetti, L., & Lakes, C. (2012, June). Enhancing online test security using a pre- and post-test for honor code.

www.frontier.edu

Poster presentation at the Blackboard World 2012 Conference, New Orleans, LA.

Poster presentation at the American College of NurseMidwives Annual Meeting, Long Beach, CA.

Lake, A., & Nichols, M. R. (2011, September). Implementation of a bone health program by the DNP in an orthopedic specialty practice. Poster presentation at the Doctor of Nursing Practice National Conference: Impacting Health Care Policy, New Orleans, LA.

Pesta Walsh, N. (2011, July). The adaptation and implementation of cross-cultural cognitive behavioral group therapy for women at a rural health clinic. Poster presentation at the American Mental Health Counselors Association Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA.

Malone, A. C., & Nichols, M. R. (2011, February). Improving NP assessment of pediatric overweight and obesity. Poster presentation at the 25th Southern Nursing Research Society Annual Conference, Jacksonville, FL. Malone, A. C., & Nichols, M. R. (2011, March). A fresh approach to improving nurse practitioner assessment of pediatric overweight and obesity. Poster presentation at the 32nd Annual National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Conference, Baltimore, MD. Malone, A. C., & Nichols, M. R. (2011, September). Improving nurse practitioner assessment of pediatric overweight and obesity Poster presentation at the 4th Annual Doctor of Nursing Practice Conference, New Orleans, LA. McFarland, C., & Nichols, M. R. (2012, September). Men’s disease prevention and health promotion during occupational healthcare visits. Poster presentation at the Doctor of Nursing Practice 5th National Conference, St. Louis, MO. Nicholson, T. (2011, February). Training parents as sex educators in a faith-based project. Poster presentation at the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs and Family Voices National Conferences, Washington DC. Nicholson, T. (2011, May). Training parents as sex educators in a faith-based project. Poster presentation at the American College of Nurse-Midwives Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX. Nicholson, T. (2012, June). Training parents as sex educators in a faith-based project. Poster presentation at the Innovations in Faith-based Nursing Conference, Marion, IN. Paul, J. A. (2012, March). Nurse-midwives in obstetrical triage: a performance improvement project. Poster presentation at the Organization of Nurse Leaders of MA-RI, Devens, MA. Paul, J. A. (2012, June). A collaborative approach to improving patient satisfaction and length of stay time on an obstetrical triage unit utilizing nurse-midwives.

Pesta Walsh, N. (2011, September). The adaptation and implementation of cross-cultural cognitive behavioral group therapy for women at a rural health clinic. Poster presentation at the Doctor of Nursing Practice Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA. Resick, L. K., & Knestrick , J. (2011, April). Forces driving distance education: Reflections from Updating the Guidelines for Distance Learning in Nurse Practitioner Education Manual. Poster presentation at the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, Albuquerque, NM. Resick, L. K., Knestrick, J., & Counts, M. (2011, October). The meaning of health among mid-Appalachian women within the context of the environment. Poster presentation at the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association Environmental Health Conference, Willkes Barre, PA. Resick, L., & Knestrick, J. (2012, April). Update on environmental health and the APN. Poster presentation at the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties 38th Annual Meeting, Charleston, SC. Resick, L., Knestrick, J., & Counts, M. (2012, March). The meaning of health among mid-Appalachian women within the context of the environment. Poster presentation at Duquesne University School of Nursing, 75th Anniversary Gala Celebration, Pittsburgh, PA. Resick, L. Knestrick, J., & Counts, M. (2012, June). The meaning of health among mid- Appalachian women within the context of the environment. Poster presentation at the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners 27th National Conference, Orlando, FL. Shlosser, H. A. (2012, September). Group visits for the control of hypertension. Poster presentation at the Doctor of Nursing Practice 5th National Conference, St. Louis, MO. Tanner, T., & Lowe, N. A (2011, April). Delphi study of self-competence for childbirth. Poster presentation at the Western Institutes of Nursing, Las Vegas, NV. Ulrich, S. & Marfell, J. (2012, April). Does

admission criteria predict student success? An analysis of a scoring system for admission to a FNP MSN Program. Poster presentation at the National Association of Nurse Practitioner Faculty Annual Meeting, Charleston, SC. Ulrich, S., & Knestrick, J. (2012, May). Leading the way to deeper learning on-line using the community of inquiry model. Poster presentation at the United States Distance Learning Conference, St. Louis, MO. Voss, T. M., & Knestrick, J. M. (2011). Faculty perceptions of student writing ability in an online distance-based graduate nursing education program. Poster presentation at the National League for Nursing Education Summit, Orlando, FL. Voss, T. M., & Knestrick, J. M. (2011). Faculty perceptions of student writing ability in an online distance-based graduate nursing education program. Poster presentation at the meeting of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, Albuquerque, NM. Voss, T. M., & Knestrick, J. M. (2012). Weaving writing back into the curriculum: creating a rubric to assess academic and scholarly writing in an online distance-based graduate school of nursing. Poster presentation at the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, Charleston, S.C. Weyer, S. M., Goolsby, M., Stange, K. C., Werner, J. J., & Traylor, K. (2011, December). Direct observation of nurse practitioner care (DONPC). Poster presentation at the Northeast Ohio Practice-based Research Festival, Independence, Ohio. Weyer, S. M., & Werner, J. J. (2011, December). Characteristics of nurse practitioners interested in participating in a practice-based research network. Poster presentation at the Northeast Ohio Practicebased Research Festival, Independence, Ohio. Wilhite, K. (2011, November). The effect of simulation education for labor and delivery staff on initial duration of immediate skin-to-skin contact between mothers and newborns. Poster presentation at the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States 116th Annual Meeting, San Antionio, TX. Williamitis, C. (2011, October). The use and evaluation of cognitive behavior therapy with patients who underwent left ventricular assist device implantation. Poster presentation at the American Psychiatric Nurses Association 25th Annual Meeting, Anaheim, CA.

Ruth Beeman, former dean, remained devoted to Frontier Ruth K. Beeman, a former dean of Frontier Nursing University who remained engaged with the work of Frontier throughout her years, died Nov. 1 in Lexington, Ky., at age 87. She was a dear friend to our administration and Board, continuing to offer sound advice and support. In 2011, we were honored to bestow the Doctor of Humane Letters degree to Ruth at commencement. Her achievements as a nurse-midwife and leader have left a permanent mark on our institution. Ruth became a nurse-midwife in 1950 and made major contributions to midwifery and women’s health throughout her life. She spent her career as a nurse, midwife, educator, missionary, consultant, administrator and leader. Her accomplishments included: development of innovative educational programs, advancement of family planning, licensure of lay midwives in Arizona and the promotion of nurse-midwifery. Internationally, she made contributions in maternal-child health to the former Belgian Congo, Puerto Rico, Mexico, the Virgin Islands, West Africa and Egypt.

Evelyn Mottram Aldridge, 92, died Nov. 1, 2012, in Wilmore, Ky. After serving in the U.S. Army Nursing Corps during WWII, she graduated from the Frontier Graduate School of Midwifery and practiced as a nurse-midwife for many years in Hyden and Hindman. She became the campus nurse for Clear Creek in Pineville, Ky., and served until retirement. After retiring, she became a missionary midwife for the International Mission Board and served in Yemen. Throughout her career, she delivered more than 1,000 babies. Alberta Allen, a former FNS Board member, Trustee and longtime Louisville Committee volunteer, died Oct. 14, 2011, at age 92. Debbie Baird, an FNS Courier in 1972, died Sept. 29, 2012. She lived in Lexington, Ky., and was a speech therapist in public schools. She was the wife of Andrew Ries. Anne Cundle, a former Frontier nurse-midwife, died at Foshalee Plantation in Georgia on Oct. 16, 2011. Anne is buried at Harrington Cemetery in Pemaquid, Maine, next to her longtime friend Kate Ireland. Born in Liverpool, England, Anne arrived in Wendover, Ky., in 1956 to pursue a career with the Frontier Nursing Service. After almost 20 years of service with Frontier, she worked as a visiting nurse for Leslie County, Ky. Evelene H. Dohan, 84, a former teacher at the Agnes Irwin School in Bryn Mawr, Penn., and later the owner of a Delaware County bed and breakfast, died April 2, 2012, at her home in Hershey’s Mill, a retirement community near West Chester. Mrs. Dohan was formerly active in the Philadelphia Committee of the Frontier Nursing Service. Clara Louise Meyer Eberly (1928-2012), a native of Pennsylvania and a 1951 Frontier graduate, died last summer in California. She served as a nurse-midwife for the FNS and as a Navajo Mission Nurse & Midwife in New Mexico. Jo Ann Isberg Eckels, a 2000 graduate of Frontier’s nursemidwifery program, died in a car accident in August 2012 with her husband, the late James M. Eckels, in Andover, Mass. Mrs. Eckels was dedicated to the health of women and fami-

She devoted her passion and expertise to advancing nursing and midwifery training and to seeing Frontier succeed. It was a blessed year when Ruth was recruited to Frontier in 1983. She put her skills to work, forming critical partnerships and collaborations that would form the base to grow our school. Her ability to forge partnerships, encourage thoughtful discussions, generate ideas and solutions, and ultimately carry out the necessary steps to put them into action was essential to the program’s adoption by Frontier Nursing Service and its long-term success. Her leadership on behalf of Frontier allowed the Community-Based Nurse-Midwifery Education Program (CNEP) to find its permanent home at the “birthplace of midwifery in America.” Ruth resigned as Dean of the school to devote full-time to developing a faculty practice and clinical site at Booth Maternity Center in Philadelphia. This effort was discontinued with the closure of that facility. Ruth, never one to give up easily, responded to the call to serve on the Frontier faculty during the successful implementation of the CNEP pilot program in Pennsylvania until it was moved to Hyden, Ky. A memorial service was held Nov. 16 in Lexington, Ky.

lies with a special commitment to underserved communities. She had worked for the past 25 years at the General Lawrence Family Health Center. She was a nursing educator and was a staff midwife at Hearts and Hands Midwifery Services for ambulatory well-woman care. Mabel Forde died Sept. 12, 2012, in Southampton, Penn. Ms. Forde was a champion in the field of nurse-midwifery, helping to establish services and teach new students. She was instrumental in the work to turn the Salvation Army’s home and hospital for unwed mothers in Philadelphia into the first successful demonstration of a family-centered, midwifery-led maternity hospital for all women. Ms. Forde went on to work with Booth Maternity Center. Martha Jane “Marty” Hackett, a certified nurse-midwife recognized for her contributions to the field, died at her home in Massachusetts on March 1, 2012. Ms. Hackett had been a supporter of Frontier for a number of years. Frank B. Hower Jr., a Louisville banker and civic leader who helped guide expansion of Louisville International Airport during the 1980s, died Sept. 18, 2012. He was 83. Mr. Hower, who was born and raised in Louisville, left his mark on many Kentucky institutions, including Frontier Nursing Service and Frontier Nursing University. Most recently, Mr. Hower served on the Leadership Council for the FNU Endowment Campaign. Louise Ireland Humphrey (1918-2012) died at her home at Woodfield Springs Plantation in Florida on March 18, 2012. Mrs. Humphrey was involved in many philanthropic pursuits. FNS and Frontier Nursing University are appreciative of the annual support provided by the Gilbert W. and Louise Ireland Humphrey Foundation. Their support has provided needed funds for a variety of purposes for nearly 40 years. Mr. and Mrs. Eric and Clara Louise Johnson, both longtime supporters of Frontier, graciously designated a bequest from their estate to Frontier, which the university received in spring 2012. The late Mrs. Johnson, who was fondly known as “Pete,” was the FNS social service secretary

for 3½ years in the 1940s. Mr. Johnson passed away in August 2010. Their daughter, Heather, was an FNS Courier. Melinda (Mendy) Mays-Smith of Callahan, Fla., died Jan. 19, 2012, after a long illness. After completing the nursemidwifery program at FNU, she became an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse and a certified nurse-midwife, touching hundreds of mothers and families with her love and skill. She was forced to retire after a health crisis and critical auto injury. Ruth C. Newell, 93, died July 10, 2012. Among her many philanthropic activities, Mrs. Newell was active with FNS and Frontier Nursing University for many decades, planning events, giving her personal resources toward the mission, and serving as Chair of the Washington, D.C., Committee. Most recently, she hosted the annual Washington Committee luncheon at Congressional Country Club. Frank “Junie” O’Brien Jr., husband of Marianna “Muffin” O’Brien, a former FNS Courier, died Feb. 2, 2012. Mr. O’Brien, of Boston and Edgartown, Mass., was 92. Elizabeth Jane Phillips, 92, of Midlothian, Va., formerly of Minneapolis, died Aug. 6, 2012. Ms. Phillips was a Frontier supporter and a retired nursing administrator. Jane Wilhelmina Pierson (1917-2011) died Aug.17, 2011, in Monroe, Ohio. Ms. Pierson completed midwifery training with the FNS in 1952, working as a Frontier nurse in the Bull Creek, Ky., area for two years. After that she worked for Berea Hospital Inc. in Berea, Ky., for 24 years, retiring in 1979. The part of her career she most enjoyed telling stories about was her work with the FNS. She drove a jeep over crude roads to reach her patients, often having to abandon the jeep and finish the trip by horseback, and sometimes even on foot. She delivered hundreds of babies and nursed the sick and injured. Eliza Rogers, 93, died July 22, 2012, in Lexington, Ky. Mrs. Rogers was a Frontier supporter and friend and a past attendee of the Bluegrass Committee Luncheons. She was born in 1918 in Hyden, Ky.

ADVANCEMENT

Peter Breckinridge Coffin & Susan Graham:

Honoring Our Past,

Proud to carry on the Breckinridge legacy

Focusing on Our Future

The FNU Endowment Campaign

or more than 70 years, Frontier Nursing University has educated generations of nursing leaders, with the Frontier mission and history never far from our hearts. Frontier is a premier nursing university preparing more nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners than any other school in the country.

To ensure our future, the university has embarked on an endowment campaign with a goal of raising $10 million over a five-year period. To make this vision possible, we are reaching out to you – our friends, supporters and alumni – to stand with us in this landmark effort.

Funding generated by the FNU Endowment Campaign will ensure long-term stability to support vital functions within the university. As our school continues to flourish, we look to the future with the goals of maintaining Frontier’s strong foundation and preserving the rich Frontier legacy. We are committed to making healthcare accessible and educating providers who are dedicated to serving women, children and families across the nation and around the globe – as our graduates have done since the school was founded in 1939. Our priorities include:

n Support that will help keep tuition costs low and provide scholarship support for our students to offset the costs of pursuing an advanced nursing degree.

n Retention of the top-notch educators who serve on our faculty and recruitment of nursing leaders and scholars who will maintain Frontier’s standard of educational excellence.

n Maintenance and upkeep of our beautiful historic facilities and campuses in Leslie County, Kentucky, including our cultural gem – Wendover.

We are grateful to be guided in this fundraising effort by a team of 25 supporters who serve on our Leadership Council. We also wish to thank the alumni, Couriers, students, employees, foundations and friends who have joined us in supporting this effort. Here are just a few of the people who help make our important work possible.

Elizabeth Kramer: Her childhood in Hyden holds a special place in her heart For Elizabeth Kramer, a volunteer on FNU’s Leadership Council, choosing to support Frontier’s endowment campaign is personal. Mrs. Kramer, who grew up in Hyden, feels a strong connection to her Eastern Kentucky hometown and to the history of the FNS. Even though Mrs. Kramer has lived in Central Kentucky for more than six decades, she says, “Hyden has always been home.” The city of Hyden is named for Mrs. Kramer’s great-grandfather, John Hyden, a two-term Kentucky senator from Clay Mrs. Kramer is shown with FNU President and Dean Susan Stone at National Philanthropy Day in Lexington, Ky., County who served in the state senate from where she was honored for her support of FNU. 1875 to 1879. In 1878, Sen. Hyden served as a commissioner representing Clay County and helped to form Leslie County, which

www.frontier.edu

was created from parts of Clay, Harlan and Perry counties. Mrs. Kramer was 3 when she moved to Leslie County at the height of the Great Depression. She recalls how the Frontier nurses – who had arrived in Hyden just a decade earlier – made quite an impression on her as a small child. “I would see them go through Hyden on their horses and then later in their jeeps. The horses were something else. We’d all stand and stop and watch them and see which way they were going.” Mrs. Kramer still reserves a special place in her heart for Hyden and continues her family’s rich legacy in Leslie County through her support of the FNU mission.

Mary Wilson Neel is shown on Tenacity in this 1938 photo taken while she served as a Courier for FNS.

Mary Wilson Neel: Her service as a Courier sparked a long-term commitment to Frontier Mary Wilson Neel’s love of horses and sense of adventure brought her to Eastern Kentucky in the 1930s to volunteer as a Courier for the FNS. Mrs. Neel, who was born in California and grew up in Washington, D.C., learned of the Courier program through her connections with the Graham family, who are relatives of Mary Breckinridge. Her daughter, Wendy Ellsworth, followed in her footsteps and served as a Courier as well. Mrs. Neel and her children continue to support Frontier and other non-profit organizations through the Neel Foundation, which was established by their father in 1961 and has contributed to Frontier every year since. Most recently, the Neel Foundation has pledged $5,000 toward the Mary Wilson Neel Endowed Scholarship. The corpus of this scholarship, which will ultimately total $10,000, will remain permanently invested in the FNU Endowment Fund. Annual growth of the fund will provide scholarships to FNU students each year.

Connected by their family ties to Frontier and moved by the mission, Peter Breckinridge Coffin and Susan Graham – both members of the extended Breckinridge family – are volunteering their energy to ensure a strong future for FNU. Peter, who lives with his family in the Boston area, and Susan, a resident of Buffalo, N.Y., have both volunteered as members of FNU’s Leadership Council and made generous pledges of support to the campaign. Susan, a cardiologist, and her husband, Jon Kucera, an internist, have supported Frontier for many years. Susan has generously joined the campaign effort at the Sponsor level of the Mary Breckinridge Society through a three-year pledge to the campaign. Peter founded an investment firm, Breck-

inridge Capital Advisors. His firm, through its corporate giving program, generously contributed a gift of $25,000 toward the endowment effort, which Peter was kind enough to match. Peter, also a Sponsor in the Mary Breckinridge Society, is helping lead the way for the campaign.

How can I support the Frontier legacy? You can start by contacting our Development Office to begin a discussion about ways to support the FNU Endowment Campaign.

Contact:

The Office of Development & Alumni Relations Denise Barrett, Director, 662.846.1967 Kelli Adanick, Assistant Director, 859.899.2514 Michael Claussen, Development Coordinator, 859.899.2707 or send an email to: development@frontier.edu.

How can I make a planned gift? Setting up a bequest or a planned gift is often an important option for those who would like to make a major gift. A planned gift is created now for a future benefit that can occur during or after the lifetime of the donor or another beneficiary, such as a spouse or child. A planned gift can maximize your giving potential and can even ensure future financial security for you or a loved one. A variety of planned giving opportunities exist. If you would like more information, please contact the Office of Development and Alumni Relations for a brochure.

www.frontier.edu 43

ADVANCEMENT

In Appreciation of Our Donors We want to thank the following alumni, friends and foundations who support the work of Frontier Nursing University with their generous gifts. *The following are gifts of $100 and above dated Jan. 1, 2012-Dec. 31, 2012

Banyan Tree Legacy Society Living donors who have included FNU in their will or estate plans: Marjorie Boetter Berwin Cole Eleanor Earle John G. Henry Susan Kotta Thrygve Meeker Jean P. Owens Jane Leigh Powell

Founder’s Circle – $5,000+ Ruth C. Beeman Estate Elizabeth Butler Estate Butler Family Foundation Michael and Sarah Carter Peter and Abby Coffin Breckinridge Capital Advisors, Inc. Berea College Appalachian Fund The Cralle Foundation John Foley Susan P. Graham and Jon C. Kucera Grandin Family Foundation Ned Grandin and Deb Lawrence Hunter Fund Eric and Clara Louise Johnson Estate Fred Keller, Jr. Elsa M. Heisel Sule 2005 Charitable Trust A. W. Anderson Foundation E.M. Anderson Foundation Elizabeth Kramer The Neel Foundation Margaret and James Kelley Foundation Mars Foundation Jean P. Owens Beatrice A. Pask Estate Jane Leigh Powell Margaret Voorhies Haggin Trust Susan E. Stone Anne G. Symchych Van Sloun Foundation Margaret M. Gage Estate Mary Ballard Morton Trust Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence Margaret Patterson Estate Virginia Clark Hagan Charitable Foundation

President’s Circle: $1,000-$4,999 Dave Adkisson American College of Nurse-Midwives Stacey Archer Denise Barrett Rebeca Barroso Ellen Bayard MacLean Foundation Kathryn Benson Gary Bickford Marjorie Boetter Julia Breckinridge Davis MacPherson Fund Sharon Carter Patricia Caudle Heather Clarke Dorothy Norton Clay Fund for the Bluegrass Elizabeth Cecil Clay

www.frontier.edu

Martha Copeland Kimberly Couch Crutcher Family Foundation A.B. Cushman Family Trust Judith Daniels Karen and Scott DeCocker-Geist Sharon Delaney Janet Engstrom Neace Lukens Norma A. Fritsche Marianna Fuchs Robert W. Garthwait, Sr. The Glickenhaus Foundation Community Trust Bank Leonard Graham Carolyn Gregory Edward and Norene Grossmann Nena Harris Francis Hatch Penny Hauser Caroline Holdship Frank B. Hower, Jr. Felosia Jones Estate Joyce Knestrick Robert and Patsy Lawrence Marian Leibold Lewis and Marjorie Daniel Foundation Kathleen MacNeil MacPherson Fund Audra Malone Julie Marfell John and Sally McDougall Mary Kay Miller Rosemary Minnick Chelsea and Steve Moir Dorothy Morris Mudd Tonya Nicholson Denise Orrill Kathryn Osborne Audrey Wallace Otto Edward N. Perry and Cynthia W. Wood Sally Prickett Margaret Rader David Robert and Sue Fischlowitz Frances Ross Estate Martha Roth Cranshaw Corporation Michael T. Rust Kathryn M. Schrag Arlene Schuiteman Gwen Short Sarah Smith Gordon Dallas Smith Madonna Spratt Judy Staley Terri Stallard Grace B. Stebbins Estate Michael Steinmetz Mary Clay Stites Tanya Tanner Trish Voss Nancy Pesta Walsh Louise Woodruff Cherry Forbes Wunderlich Mary Jo Ytzen University of Virginia Leonard and Suzanne Schoff Trust Joyce Wiechmann

Heritage Society: $500-$999 Ruth Adame Kelli Adanick

Barbara Anderson Rhonda Arthur Sarah Bacon Mrs. Bruce Bass Connie Becker Mark Bizer Jamie Blazek John C. and Rose Lee Bloom Ina Brown Bond Fund Helen Booth Rionda Braga Barbara Brennan and Charles Miller David Brymesser Shirley Bush Jean Byrne National Officers Club Daughters of Colonial Wars Wallace and Jane Campbell Alfredo and Ada Capitanini Foundation Lois Cheston Family Health Center of SW Florida Harvey and Naomi Cohen Linda Cole Caroline Doll Mrs. Robert W. Estill Diane Futch Amy Hanrahan Alice Hendrickson Esta Hill Betty Holcomb Kathy Iorillo Marcia J. Jackson-Hooper Rhonda M. Johnson and family Roy M. Johnson Diana Jolles Melinda Karns Patricia Krach Sarah A. Longstreth and Tom Culbertson James Macdonald and Veryl Macdonald Mr. and Mrs. John Mars Jacqueline Morrill and Michael Donahue Ruth Newell Charles and Myra Nickolaus, Jr. Edith Overly Marjorie Owens Christine Palmer Rentch Family Foundation Anne L. Saunders Brown Dorothy Sawyer Lydia Secor Irene Sidun Aubre Tompkins Suzan Ulrich Mary Frazier Vaughan Susan Yount Lees Breckinridge Yunits

Friends of Frontier: $250-$499 Karen Foster Anderson Harold A. Behnken Tom G. Bell Hellen Bennett Steven and Sandra Bernasek Stephanie and Christopher Boyd Harry and Roberta Salter Foundation Jacquelyne Brooks Betty Brown Kim Burdick Marcie Burton Farnham and Anne Collins M. Elizabeth Culbreth Beverly Cunningham

Suzanne Daniel-Dreyfus Linda Davidson Samuel and Dorothy Dickieson Melanie S. Dossey Mary M. Dunn Robert A. Ernst Kitty Ernst Lori Flannery Carrie Fletcher Ausable Urgent Care Leslie Goldman Marybeth Gorge-Felice Tina Hayes Floyd Herdrich Eve R. Hershkowitz Mrs. Henry R. Heyburn Diane S. Humphrey Sharon and Joe Hunsucker Frances Jensen Mary J. Knauer Dino Lancianese and Kristi Boyatt-Lancianese Molly Lee Christiane Maier Lynn Mann Stephen Mead, Jr. Leon A. Metlay and Nina Klionsky Carmine Mowbray Argo Foundation – Patrice Mushlin Union Church of Seaside Park Marianna “Muffin” O’Brien Patricia E. O’Connor Charles B. Ohl Kimberly Parks Laura Lee Parrish Julie Paul Edgar C. Peara Carrington Pertalion Carla Phelps June Power Kathy Reese Jacqueline Rizik Linda B. Roach Mr. and Mrs. Floyd I. Sandlin, Jr. Rebecca Stanevich Cecelia A. Stearns Margaret Strickhouser Cheryl Tarver Ellen Taylor Elizabeth Trefts Felicia Van Praagh Emmy Ware Elizabeth Winnacker Ginette Wooldridge Anchor Capital Advisors, Inc. Tamarack Foundation Bonnie Family Foundation George P. Beal Trust Rockcastle Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution

Century Club: $100-$249 Rosalind Abernathy Mrs. Ernest Abernathy Kendra Adkisson Karen J. Allen Shirley Allen Lou Arsenault Phoebe Bacon Jane Baechle Julia P. Bailey Karen Bailey Nora A. Bailey

Norman W. Bane C. F. Barrett Lily Bastian James and Frances Bazzoli Mrs. Richard M. Bean David E. Beeman, Jr. and Corinne Morse John C. Beers Michael Bentinck-Smith Lois Bergmans Robert Besten Joanne C. Bhatta Georgia Blair Eloise J. Boggs Richard Boorse Kent Breidenstein and Dana Marmion Pamela Brett Reeds Brewer Dr. and Mrs. David Brewster Graham and Mary Louise Bright Sage E. Brook Anne Broussard Brenda Broussard Mrs. Sam Bruno Mary Ann Calhoun Heather Callum Sue Campbell Katherine A. Carr Mrs. John L. Carroll Mrs. Joseph C. Carter Mary and Robert Cassidy Christina Charles-Beery Judith Chase Dr. and Mrs. John B. Chewning Clarks Fork Foundation Joseph Coleman Carter IV Bob Cornett Elena Ciletti and James Crenner Mrs. Thomas D. Coe Dr. and Mrs. Berwin Cole Francis G. Coleman Nancy B. Comstock Candace Cook Pamela Courtney Catherine M. Craig Priscilla E. Craw Janet Crawford Larry and Victoria Culley Rosalie Culver Paul and Patricia Curran Rose P. Cutler Juliet Davenport Carol B. Davenport L. B. and Joanne Davenport, Jr. John and Martha Davis Dr. and Mrs. Kent J. Davis Sister Yvonne de Turenne John S. Deeming Caesar and Jeanette DeLeo Mary DeNicola Carl and Jeanna Deutsch Jo Dizikes Joseph A. Dorn Sylvia Duby Diana Dwight Elastizell Corporation of America Eleanor F. Earle EBSCO Industries Philip Eckian Edith D. Edson Dan Eldridge Penny Emett Pam Enright Episcopal Church of St. Andrews (Fort Thomas, Ky) Mr. and Mrs. David J. Eschenburg Jana and Eric William Esden Caroline Winslow Farr Marion C. Feighner Jeff Feltner Wanda Feltner Patrick T. Fiasca Nivea Nieve Fisch Cathy Fliris

Paul Florsheim George Lyon Fonyo Mary Francillon Holly Gallion Daughters of Colonial War – Commonwealth of Massachusetts David Garnett Billie Anne and Wayne Gebb Greenmont-Oak Community Church Ann C. Ghory Mrs. Joseph Gleason Sandra Gonzales Wanda Grainger Philicia Groves Christina Guy Bruce and Barbara Haldeman Leslie Hallett Gloria S. Hamilton Margaret Harmon Fred and Evelyn Harris Helene Haughney Cammie L. Hauser Claire W. Henriques Paul Herther Meredith Heyde Mr. and Mrs. John H. Hodge Venetia Holland Robert and Susan Hooper Jane Haldeman Hope Diana Kirkwood Horton Barbara Hoyt Douglas Huff Ronda Huisman R.G. Huppi Kathleen Isaac Sharon L. Jacques Laura Manns-James and Randall James Peyton and Nancy Jefferson, Jr. Sarah Jane Jelin Brenda K. Johnson Marina Johnston Lloyd Val Jones Patty Kandiko Martha Karnopp Deborah K. Karsnitz Mr. and Mrs. Clinton W. Kelly, III Kentucky Country Day School Susan Kotta Mr. and Mrs. C.D. Langhorne W. Mifflin Large Linda Laverdiere Mrs. John T. Lawrence Marletta Lawson Mrs. Henry E. Lefebvre Carrie Lenburg Lester Levine and Elaine Bolle Mary Beth Lodato Christina Loeliger Sharon Logan Steve and Linda Longstreth Arthur Lowenstein and Ann Patton Jane C. Lyman Mary M. Malone Amy Marowitz Ruth E. May Debbie McAlister Anne P. McClusky Clare McEachin The McGraw-Hill Companies Emilie McIlvain Andrea McLaren Kim A. McQuoid Carolyn J. Mehaffey Mr. and Mrs. Carl E. Meier Kristi D. Menix Jennifer Mercer Anna L. Meser Ranlet and Elizabeth Kidd Miner Marjorie D. Moerschner Mary R. Montgomery Thomas and Patricia Moore Robert and Barbara Morris Elizabeth Morrison

Mary H. Myers Lucie Neiman Shirley V. Nelkin Winifred J. Nelson Harriet Nicol Sylvia Obernuefemann William R. Padgett, Jr. Martha Parker Susan M. Peeples Robert and Lee Phipps Mr. and Mrs. Lewis M. Popper Tiffany Potter Joan S. Pracy Jeanne Prentice John and Frances Quinn Rene Reeb P.L. and Pat Reinhart Nancy Reinhart and David Mitchell Elizabeth Reutlinger Barbara C. Reynolds Rennie Rhodes Donald Roberts Penny Rodday Charles Rosenfarb April Rossmann Mr. and Mrs. William G. Scaduto Ellen Schmidt-Olaivar Lee Schnee Sheila A. Schuster Mrs. A.D. Sellstrom Paula Senner Maudie Canham Shanley Margaret Shockey Dr. and Mrs. Ralph F. Sibley Vincent M. Smith Mr. and Mrs. David Sobczak Malinda Spalding Eula Spears Mr. and Mrs. George R. Sprague Tom Stancik Elizabeth W. Stavely David and Sarah Stevens Susie Stewart Pamela Stuart Mr. and Mrs. John F. Sullivan Zondra G. Swanson Mary Mae Tanimoto Jim Taul Elaine Tennen J.R. Todd Sally Austin Tom Dorothy Eleanore Trefts Dr. and Mrs. Bart Troy Mrs. Job D. Turner, Jr. Jennifer Urquhart Mrs. George Vanmeter Ruth H. Venable Elise R. Wallace Wendy Ware Nancy E. Warner Susan E. Watkins Larry Watts Mrs. Robert C. Webster Julie Webster Jeanne Westcott Julia S. White Constance V.R. White Graham Whitehead Anthony and Rhoda Whittemore Janie Williams Mary B. Williams Joe Willingham Sally Willis Mr. and Mrs. John W. Windhorst, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Ronald M. Wolf Thomas and Beree Woodbridge Jenny Wood-Muller Rosaline L. Woodward Zach Young Barbara Zlotowski Edward Zuroweste and Candace Kugel

Recognition Societies Frontier appreciates gifts of any size, and we recognize our donors in the following ways:

Banyan Tree Legacy Society

This society includes all living donors who have included Frontier in their will and/or estate plans. Planning a gift is one of the easiest ways to make a significant contribution to the University that can provide you with immediate tax benefits. Contact the development office for assistance with gift planning.

Founder's Circle

Annual gifts of $5,000+ This group of donors supports the mission and vision of Mary Breckinridge with their generous annual support.

President's Circle Annual gifts of $1,000+

Heritage Society Annual gifts of $500

Friends of Frontier Annual gifts of $250

Century Club Annual gifts of $100

Make Your Gift Today! Make donations online at our secure site:

http://www.frontier.edu/ online-giving or mail gifts to: Frontier Nursing University Office of Development 132 FNS Drive Wendover, KY 41775 Reach us at:

development@frontier.edu or 859.899.2707

ADVANCEMENT

Grant Report

External support makes scholarships, techology, renovations possible

rontier Nursing University continually seeks federal and private grant funding to support programs, new technologies, special initiatives, scholarships, our historic facilities and other needs. To keep tuition affordable for our students, it is critical that we seek and secure outside funding to offset the costs of operations, particularly new projects or technologies that have higher upfront costs. We have been fortunate to have the support of the Health Resources and Services Administration and several private foundations in recent years. The Advanced Nursing Education program of the Health Resources and Services Administration has funded many new FNU programs through the years, including startup of the ADN-MSN Bridge, the post-master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program, myriad new technologies and scholarships for students. For 2012-2013, we are pleased to receive a final year of funding for the ADN-MSN Bridge program. This grant program provided critical assistance for six years that allowed Frontier to expand Bridge enrollment to 150 students per year and introduce targeted recruitment and retention efforts for rural and minority students. Funding from this program supports the PRIDE (Promoting Recruitment and Retention to Increase Diversity in Nurse-Midwifery and Nurse Practitioner Education) initiative. This initiative reaches out to targeted minority and rural schools to increase diversity in enrollment. You can read more about this successful initiative on Page 18. The ultimate goal of the grant is to increase the number of practicing nursemidwives and nurse practitioners, particularly in rural and other underserved areas and to increase the diversity of the workforce. Through HRSA’s Nurse Faculty Loan Program, FNU was able to continue offering loans to students in the MSN and DNP programs who plan to work as faculty after graduation. Graduates can borrow funding from this revolving loan account managed by FNU and have up to 85% of the loan forgiven in return for working as faculty at an accredited school of nursing. In the past year, 11 DNP students and three MSN students utilized the NFLP loan to help pay their tuition to Frontier. FNU also received a grant from the Scholarship for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) program of HRSA. This fouryear grant totals $1,350,000 and will provide scholarships to 90 students over the grant period. The purpose of the SDS

Program is to increase diversity in the health professions and nursing workforce by providing grants to eligible health professions and nursing schools for use in awarding scholarships to financially needy students from disadvantaged backgrounds. FNU will award 90 scholarships, valued at $15,000 each, over the four-year grant period. FNU received several grants from private foundations to fund various projects at the University. The Cralle Foundation of Louisville once again funded resources for the FNU Library collection. The Virginia Clark Hagan Charitable Foundation of Lexington and the Mars Foundation in Virginia provided funding for Essential Evidence Plus and Typhon, two systems utilized during students’ clinical training. Scholarship support for students is very important as our enrollment continues to grow. The Grandin Family Foundation in Massachusetts and Grandin family members pledged $15,000 to increase the Susanne P. W. Grandin Scholarship Fund, which they established at Frontier in 1999. We were honored to award $10,000 from the Berea College Appalachian Fund to students living in Kentucky’s Appalachian counties. FNU was also one of the prestigious institutions chosen to host Jonas Scholars. Two scholars were admitted to the DNP 9 cohort and will receive full tuition support from a partnership between the Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence in New York and FNU. Finally, campus improvements are always a high priority for our historical properties. We were grateful for support from the Thompson Charitable Foundation of Knoxville, Tenn. Grant funding from Thompson allowed FNU to begin plans for expansion of our dining facilities at the Haggin Dormitory and complete renovations and upgrades to the Morton-Gill classroom. And we were once again fortunate to receive annual support from the Margaret Voorhies Haggin Trust of New York. This trust, which funded the original construction of Haggin Dormitory, has continued to support Frontier annually since then. The Haggin trust gave a generous $18,000 gift to the endowment campaign, which will support FNU in perpetuity. We were pleased to have trustees from the Van Sloun Foundation, which has been a generous supporter of our work, visit Wendover and the FNU campus in November. The foundation donated $10,000 toward the forthcoming repair of the 15thcentury, stained-glass window in St. Christopher’s Chapel, and we appreciate their support in preserving this treasure.

technologylteaching tools linnovation renovationldiversitylscholarships 46

www.frontier.edu

Experience the wonder of

WENDOVER A Bed and Breakfast at the Historic Headquarters of the Frontier Nursing Service

Nestled in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, this was the home of pioneer nurse Mary Breckinridge. Her log home, The Big House, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark.

Call us and we’ll help you plan your next group retreat, mountain getaway or memorable reunion. RATES Big House $75 – single occupancy $85 – double occupancy $1 0 – each additional guest in room Wendover Barn $50 – single occupancy $60 – double occupancy

AMENITIES t Eight guest rooms t TV in living room t Free wireless internet t Non-smoking facility t Free guided tours t Hearty country breakfast included t Meeting space with wi-fi and teleconferencing equipment t Peaceful setting on the Middle Fork of the Kentucky River t Frontier shop and photo gallery in historic Barn

CONTACT For reservations, please call 859.899.2707 or email Wendover@frontier.edu 132 FNS Drive Wendover, KY 41775

www.frontier.edu/bedandbreakfast

NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit NO. 1 Lexington, KY

PO Box 528 | 195 School Street | Hyden, KY 41749 Phone: 606.672.2312 | Fax: 606.672.3776

Join us for Homecoming 2013 Frontier Courier Conclave & Alumni Homecoming OCTOBER 4-6 Join Frontier alumni, former FNS Couriers, faculty and staff for this fun-filled weekend in Hyden, Ky., held in conjunction with the Mary Breckinridge Festival. Guests will stay at Wendover, in the historic Big House Bed & Breakfast, the Barn and Garden House. Up to 20 guests can be accommodated. Overflow will be accommodated on the FNU campus and/or area hotels. Please contact Michael Claussen at 859.899.2707 or Michael.Claussen@frontier.edu with questions or preferences for room and board.

Reservations required

Activities will be planned beginning the evening of Friday, Oct. 4, and ending Sunday at noon. A formal dinner at the Big House will be enjoyed Saturday. Cost for the full weekend (arriving Friday and departing Sunday) is $175 a person. The cost for Saturday and Sunday ONLY (arriving Saturday and departing Sunday) is $125 a person. Costs include select meals, accommodations and all activities.

Register online at www.frontier.edu/homecoming or call Michael Claussen at 859.899.2707 or email Michael.Claussen@frontier.edu. 48