FRONTIER NURSING UNIVERSITY | VOL. 93, NUMBER 2 | SUMMER 2018
QUARTERLY BULLETIN
FNU Holds 8th Annual Diversity Impact Student Conference
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 1
Homecoming 2018
Frontier Nursing University Susan Stone, DNSc, CNM, FAAN, FACNM President
October 5-7
Register today! https://portal.frontier.edu/web/fnu/homecoming
Weekend agenda: Friday, October 5th
3:00 PM Welcome Reception at the Big House, Wendover
5:00 PM Dinner at the Big House, Wendover
7:00 PM Homecoming Awards presentation - Big House, Wendover
Saturday, October 6th
8:00 AM Southern breakfast at the Big House, Wendover
9:00 AM Mary Breckinridge Festival, Hyden Kentucky
12:00 PM Lunch served
1:00 - 4:00 PM District Tour
6:00 PM Cookout - Pickin’ Under the Stars, Livery: Join us at the Livery to enjoy a Bluegrass Band, Fire, Smores, and other surprises!
Sunday, October 7th
8:00 AM Breakfast at the Big House, Wendover
10:00 AM Enjoy the Frontier Nursing University gift shop
11:00 AM Formal tour of FNU campus
12:00 PM Light Lunch on Campus
1:00 PM Circle Up & Ring the Bell
2:00 PM Depart for tour of Versailles Campus (Attendees will need to use personal vehicles, transportation will not be provided by FNU)
Cost - $150/person includes lodging for two nights, all activities, and meals
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Joan Slager, CNM, DNP, FACNM Dean of Nursing Anne Cockerham, PhD, CNM, WHNP-BC, CNE Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Tonya Nicholson, DNP, CNM, WHNP-BC, CNE, FACNM Associate Dean of Midwifery and Women’s Health Lisa Chappell, PhD, FNP-BC Associate Dean of Family Nursing Heather Schlosser, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC Director, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program Deborah Karsnitz, DNP, CNM, FACNM Interim DNP Director Jacquelyne Brooks, DNP, MS ADN-MSN Bridge Director Michael Steinmetz, CPA, CMA, CSCA Executive Vice President for Finance and Facilities Shelley Aldridge, BA Chief Operations Officer Maria Valentin-Welch, DNP, MPH, CDP, CNM, FACNM Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Denise Barrett, MBA Chief Advancement Officer
From the President
Contents Top Stories Diversity Impact Conference . . . . . . . . . Dr. Joan Slager New Dean of Nursing . . HRSA Program Grant . . . . . . . . . . . . . Versailles Campus Update . . . . . . . . . Dr. Ruth Lubic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dear friends,
2 3 3 4 5
Feature: Jonas Scholar . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7 Alumni Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Courier Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12 News and Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-16 In Memoriam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Tributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Wendover Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Trustees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Board of Directors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 A Giving Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
It has been a very busy summer at Frontier Nursing University! Our annual Diversity Impact Student Conference was once again an amazing weekend filled with great presenters and opportunities to learn, share and bond. FNU was extremely well represented with alumni, students, faculty and staff at both the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) annual conferences. Our latest admission data demonstrates our continued program growth while the move of our Lexington office staff to temporary office space on the new Versailles property demonstrates our imminent campus growth. Yes, big things continue to happen at Frontier and we invite you to read all about it in this issue of the Quarterly Bulletin. Catch up on the amazing accomplishments of our alumni, generous support of our donors and learn about an exciting and significant new grant received by FNU. Our unique and impactful Courier program also continued this summer with three dedicated and impressive college students taking on the enriching summer-long experience. We invite you to meet them in these pages and share our pride in their accomplishments. We also invite you to meet and learn about our newest member of the Board of Directors and read about the amazing work of one of our Jonas Scholars. Seemingly every day, something new and exciting is happening at FNU. We have much work to do and progress to make, but we also want to take time to celebrate our accomplishments and acknowledge the incredible impact of FNU in communities across the country every day. We thank you all for being such a major part of it all and for your continued representation and support of FNU. Our sincere thanks and best wishes to you all. Sincerely,
P.O. Box 528 • 195 School Street Hyden, KY 41749 FNU@frontier.edu • 606.672.2312
Frontier.edu
Susan Stone, CNM,CNM, DNSc, FAAN, FACNM Susan Stone, DNSc., FACNM, FAAN
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 1
Top Stories FNU Holds 8th Annual Diversity Impact Student Conference Frontier Nursing University (FNU) continued its initiative for a more diverse, culturally-conscious health care workforce through the 8th annual Diversity Impact Student Conference, held June 7-10, 2018. Diversity Impact is hosted by FNU’s PRIDE program (Promoting Recruitment and Retention to Increase Diversity in Nurse-Midwifery and Nurse Practitioner Education). The conference is open to any FNU student who wants to make a difference in providing care to rural and underserved communities. The theme for Diversity Impact 2018 was “We Are One: Uniting Dreamers with Diverse Voices.” The four-day program was designed with workshops and activities to help attendees explore how to fully experience, live and create meaningful connections within diverse communities. Presenters at this year’s conference spoke on mental health and cultural care, transcultural nursing and the current state of mortality rates in the African American community. Associate professor in the University of New Mexico’s Department of Sociology Dr. Nancy López, Ph.D, delivered the keynote address: “Intersectionality: Examining Race, Gender, Class, Ethnicity, and
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the Results of Inequalities.” Nursing students were challenged to foster their leadership skills to improve minority health among underrepresented and marginalized groups. The conference programming also included interactive learning opportunities for attendees. On the second day of the conference, participants took a cultural field trip to the memorial site of the 1970 Finley Mine Explosion in Hyden, Ky., tracing historical events to further explore rural health in the Appalachian region. Another group activity promoted cross-cultural communication in an emergency environment. Student groups recreated the scene of a natural disaster or global epidemic and used artistic expression to inform an international population about a disease outbreak in a foreign country. To finish the conference, students engaged in collaborative discussions to address health disparities and find proactive solutions to improve minority health among underrepresented and marginalized groups.This year, the featured topics for the forum discussions were: environmentally-sustainable healthcare; mental health in patient and police interactions; and vulnerable populations and sexual IQ risk reduction.
Dr. Joan Slager Appointed Dean of Nursing Dr. Joan Slager, CNM, DNP, FACNM, has been named the Dean of Nursing at Frontier Nursing University (FNU). Slager has served as FNU’s Interim Dean of Nursing since March of 2018 and served as the program director for FNU’s Post-Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice. Slager graduated from the Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing in 1991 and completed her Master of Science in Nursing at Case Western University in 1993. She graduated from Oakland University in Rochester, Mich., with a Doctor in Nursing Practice in Dec. 2008. In 1993, she helped to establish Bronson Women’s Service in Kalamazoo, Mich., which is now Michigan’s largest midwifery service with 14 midwives. Dr. Slager practiced full scope midwifery in this hospital-based collaborative practice and served as the practice director from 1995 through December 2016. “We are very proud to announce Dr. Slager as our Dean of Nursing,” said FNU President Susan Stone, DNSc, CNM, FACM, FAAN. “We have benefited from her leadership and expertise in the past and are excited to see her influence and impact in this position. “ Slager served two terms as Chair of the Business Section of the Division of Standards and Practice for the American College of Nurse-Midwives and four years as the Division Chair. She is
currently serving a second term as the Treasurer on the ACNM Board of Directors. She has lectured extensively on billing and coding and other business and clinical topics. “I am honored to be a part of this pivotal time in the long and proud history of Frontier Nursing University,” Slager said. “Our strategic growth is vital as we work toward fulfilling our mission. We are striving to address healthcare gaps in our communities by educating nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to serve all individuals and all communities, with an emphasis on diverse, rural and underserved populations.” Slager’s many accolades include being honored as the Dorothea Lang Pioneer Award recipient from the American College of Nurse-Midwives Foundation in 2008 and the Distinguished Service to Alma Mater Award winner from FNU in 2015. Slager assumes her role as Dean in the midst of FNU’s transition to a new campus in Versailles, Ky. Renovations and construction on the campus are expected to be complete by spring of 2020.
FNU Awarded $1,376,800 HRSA Grant FNU has been awarded the Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The grant totals $1,376,800 in funding from 2018-2020, including $600,000 in student scholarships. The goal of the ANEW program is to support innovative academic-practice partnerships to prepare primary care advanced practice registered nursing students to practice in rural and underserved settings through academic and clinical training. The partnerships support traineeships as well as infrastructure funds to schools of nursing and their practice partners who deliver longitudinal primary care clinical training experiences with rural and/or underserved populations. Via the ANEW grant, FNU plans to support 350 nurse practitioner and nurse-midwifery students completing clinical training in rural areas with traineeship funds.
FNU will identify and co-create improved curriculum and clinical training experiences in collaboration with academicpractice partners (APPs) who are directly affected by the healthcare disparities facing the rural communities where they practice. This joint venture with our APPs will make it possible for FNU to test, implement, evaluate, and improve training for primary care preceptors and Advanced Practice Registered Nurse students. “We are honored to receive the ANEW grant and excited for the opportunities it creates,” said FNU president Dr. Susan Stone. “Since its founding, Frontier Nursing University has been committed to filling the gaps in quality healthcare available in rural and underserved populations. This grant will enable us to expand our impact and improve our ability to address healthcare disparities in communities across the country.”
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Top Stories Versailles Campus Update Another step toward the move to the new Versailles campus took place this summer as the Lexington administrative offices were moved into temporary office space on campus. Renovation and construction of the entire campus project began in August and is tentatively scheduled to be complete by early 2020.
Here are a few updated architectural renderings of what the new campus will look like.
Dining Hall
Administration Building
Auditorium
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Dr. Ruth Lubic, Frontier Trustee, named Health Equity Champion by New York Academy of Medicine Dr. Ruth Lubic, RN, CNM, was honored as the Urban Health Equity Champion at the New York Academy of Medicine’s annual gala on June 12. Lubic, a Frontier Nursing University Trustee, is the founder and president emeritus of D.C. Developing Families Center. She was the general director of the Maternity Center Association (MCA) for 25 years, and, in 1983, she founded its offshoot, the National Association of Childbearing Centers. In 1995, she was appointed an expert consultant in the Office of Public Health and Science, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In 1993, Lubic was the first nurse ever to receive a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship Award. In addition to numerous articles, she is the coauthor of Childbearing: A Book of Choices (1987).
“One further organization to be thanked is the Appalachia-based Frontier Nursing University, represented here this evening by its President, nurse-midwife Susan Stone,” Lubic said. “Frontier and the Maternity Center Association have been rural/urban partners since the 1920s when Mary Breckinridge, the daughter of a U.S. Vice-President, established a midwifery organization to serve the rural Scots/Irish families brought to Kentucky to dig coal. Frontier was organized in 1925 as a health and educational service and now, as a University, it has a distance-learning student body from 50 states of over 2,000, graduating and awarding advanced degrees to about 500 graduate nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners annually. It thus provides extraordinary benefits nationally to poorly served rural populations.”
Dr. Lubic led MCA to establish the first demonstration freestanding nurse-midwife directed birth center in the U.S., The Childbearing Center in New York. In 1988 she established a second freestanding birth center in the low-resource region of the southwest Bronx, which beginning in 1992 became a service of the Morris Heights Health Center. These demonstrations served as prototypes for the more than 350 freestanding birth centers now operating in the U.S. During her acceptance speech, Lubic made special mention of Frontier Nursing University.
(L-R): Joe Anderson, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the DC Developing Families Center, Frontier Trustee Dr. Ruth Lubic, FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, and Frontier Trustee William Lubic.
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Feature: Jonas Scholar Editor’s Note: In 2006, philanthropists Barbara and Donald Jonas founded the Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence, a first-of-its-kind philanthropic program dedicated to advancing the nursing profession. The Jonas Scholars program has had a significant impact on students of Frontier Nursing University. Two members of the 2012-2014 cohort received $30,000 in scholarship support, four members of the 201416 cohort of students received $50,000 in scholarship support, and four more students in the 2016-18 cohort are receiving $70,000 in scholarship awards. That’s a total of $150,000 impacting 10 FNU students. To honor this tremendous support and our students who have earned these scholarships, we are profiling the FNU alumni who were named Jonas Scholars and the work they are doing now. Here is the third of those profiles.
Ana Verzone, DNP, Class 24 It is well-documented that in the early days of Frontier Nursing Service, nurse-midwives would travel to great lengths via horseback to provide care to those in rural areas. Today, many Frontier Nursing University graduates are taking that model to new heights. For Ana Verzone, DNP, Class 24, those new “heights” of healthcare are both literal and figurative. After growing up in East Palo Alto, Calif., she attended college at UC Santa Cruz and developed a love for climbing, eventually becoming a fulltime climbing guide. That work took her all over the world, including a life-changing trip to Nepal. There, she met some nurse practitioners from Stanford University and was inspired to turn her attention to global and rural health. She worked as an RN in the emergency department at San Francisco General Hospital while completing a master’s entry program at UC San Francisco. She says her work at San Francisco General opened her eyes even wider to the plight of underserved populations. “We had many refugee and immigrant patients that allowed me to learn more about caring for those vulnerable populations,” Verzone says. After completing the nurse practitioner program, Verzone worked at a migrant farmworker clinic in southern Oregon for over seven years. There she provided full-scope primary care and identified a need for more midwifery services in the community. Not wanting to leave the area while she pursued further education, she looked to Frontier Nursing University, where she could learn while continuing to work in the underserved community she loved to serve. “I fell in love with the history of Frontier and its extensive experience with community-based learning,” Verzone says. “I completed my post-master’s certificate in nurse-midwifery, and a decade later I returned to FNU for my DNP.” 6 Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin
Verzone credits FNU with opening her eyes to the impact of community-based learning. “It was there that I realized the importance of education in one’s community to best learn their needs and provide better care,” she says. "Once I graduated from my midwifery program at FNU, I was ready to hit the ground running as a midwife in my community.” Her experience in the DNP program took things even a step further, leading her to have an impactful voice within the profession and, ultimately, to also teach at FNU. “My DNP program prepared me to affect change on a systems and policy level,” Verzone says. “Since my project was based in Nepal, I learned so much about doing an international project, project management, building alliances, team engagement, and how to most effectively implement evidence-based changes. What I love about the DNP program at Frontier is that I can apply what I learned to make systems-level changes in a variety of settings. “Receiving my DNP has also allowed me to teach for FNU, which is a dream come true. I feel so honored to be a part of this community of educators, especially at a time where we have a shortage of nursing faculty.” In addition to her teaching duties, Verzone practices in a primary care clinic in Anchorage, Alaska, and for an obstetrics hospitalist group that provides care to patients who do not have a provider. Many of her patients are high-risk and come to Anchorage from rural villages or other underserved populations in Anchorage. Verzone says that new graduates looking to pay off their education loans often take these rural healthcare positions, resulting in high turnover and often lower quality of care.
“When working in these areas you are often the sole provider for many complex internal medicine patients as well as for urgent and emergent clinical scenarios, which are not ideal for a solo new graduate or someone with less clinical experience,” she says. “We need more providers trained for the unique demands of delivering care in remote and rural areas.”
“It would have been costprohibitive since I was a new mother and working less,” Verzone says. “I am the primary breadwinner for our family, so the Jonas Scholarship made it possible for me to continue working full-time while being a new mother, and not having to work more to offset the costs of my program.”
She notes that rural communities also often have a lack of access to quality nutrition and healthy environment, including pure air and water. In Alaska, rural mining operations have impacted water and soil quality. “It is difficult to grow healthy vegetables and fruits, and buying them can be cost-prohibitive for many due to the price hikes from having the food brought in on chartered planes and barges,” Verzone says. “A DNP-prepared nurse could contribute to system-wide changes that could affect many of these conditions at a local and policy level. Providing midwifery care for our rural communities presents challenges in continuity of care, as well as in follow-up and support prenatally and in the postpartum period when patients return back to their communities. I could see a DNP-prepared nurse coming up with innovative ways to improve these issues.”
Ana Verzone lives in Alaska with her husband and daughter. They love to fill their passports with stamps, and her four-year old daughter has already been to 5 continents. When not traveling, they can be found camping in the mountains and enjoying a simple life.
To Barbara and Donald Jonas, Verzone says simply, “Thank you for loving nurses, and for not only understanding but valuing the breadth and depth of what we do for our communities. By supporting nurse education, you allow us to have happier and healthier communities, and therefore a happier and healthier country. I met many nurses at the Jonas Scholar conference, and I know that our work is also spreading across the globe. You are making real and lasting change locally, and world-wide. You are creating a true legacy of nurses who are change-makers, and will continue to do so for years to come."
Even as Verzone looks for ways to help others, she expresses her gratitude to those who have helped her. In particular, she credits the Jonas Scholarship with allowing her to complete her DNP.
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Alumni Notes Dillard-Wright named director of diversity and inclusion for Augusta University College of Nursing Jessica DillardWright, MSN, Nurse-Midwifery, Class 103, was recently named the director of diversity and inclusion at Augusta University College of Nursing. “I believe strongly that we as nurses and educators have work to do to ensure equity in our college, in our communities, and in health care across a wide variety of intersecting identities,” Dillard-Wright said. “Far from static, the efforts we make toward a diverse and inclusive environment are dynamic and require constant reflection and revision as we work to build equity.”
Bruesewitz Joins Marshfield Clinic Health System-Eau Claire Center Kim Bruesewitz, MSN, NurseMidwifery, Bridge 123 has joined the obstetrics/women’s health department as a certified nurse-midwife at Marshfield Clinic Health System-Eau Claire Center in Eau Claire, Wis.
Craig and Vande Lune Join Dakota Clinic
Craig
Vande Lune
Erin Vande Lune, MSN, NurseMidwifery, Class 121 and Brandi Craig, MSN, Nurse-Midwifery, Class 119, have begun outreach services at the Sanford Dakota Dunes Clinic in South Dakota. Both hold certification from the American Midwifery Certification Board.
Moskowitz Named Top Leader Under the Age of 40 Katrin Moskowitz DNP, FNP, Class 161, was recently named one of the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce: Leaders under 40. Moskowitz is the Assistant Clinical Director of Community Health and Wellness Center in Torrington, Conn., where she started the Medication-Assisted Treatment program and led the effort to decrease the number of deaths from opioid addiction and to increase vital access to care for such. She has returned to FNU to obtain her Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Certification.
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Pilia Opens Frederick Birth Center Mychal Pilia, MSN, Nurse - Midwifery, Class 91, is the owner and founder of the Frederick Birth Center in Frederick, Md. The birth center officially opened its doors on May 31 and held a ribboncutting ceremony on June 28, 2018.
Grayson Featured on PBS FNU graduate Dr. Nikia Grayson, DNP MPH CNM FNP, Class 142, was recently featured on the PBS series, "Chasing the Dream". Grayson practices at CHOICES Memphis Center for Reproductive Health in an underserved area in Memphis, Tenn. You can view the episode by visiting PBS.org and searching “Memphis Midwives.”
Cole Joins Carthage Area Hospital Andrea Cole, MSN, Nurse-Midwifery, Bridge 135 has joined the provider team at Carthage Area Hospital in Carthage, N.Y., where she will practice at the Women’s Way to Wellness OB/GYN clinic as a certified nurse-midwife.
Alumni Spotlight Decades later, Mary finally wrote it all down in a personal memoir, entitled Breathe, Breathe, Push. The book chronicles Mary’s journey as she trailblazed the way for midwifery in central Illinois.
Mary T. Bradish, CNM Mary Theresa Bradish, CNM, a Frontier Nursing University (FNU) alumni, is a midwifery pioneer who worked for years to bring natural birthing options to women in north-central Illinois. She published her inspirational autobiographical memoir in 2016. Mary’s incredible story began as an obstetrics nurse. She was in the Cadet Nursing Corps during WWII before transitioning into maternity nursing in LaSalle County, Ill. Twenty-five years later, she realized her true calling was encouraging women and families to pursue the birth they desired. She wanted to be able to offer mothers the most comfortable and natural experience possible – from water births to Lamaze practices to breastfeeding.
Alumni Cruise & CE Opportunity 2019
For her extraordinary efforts, Mary received the Distinguished Service Award in 2017 at the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) 62nd Annual Meeting & Exhibition. The award recognizes a CNM/CM or other professional for an unusual and exemplary effort in the field of community service, innovation in midwifery practice, education, or research. Mary continues her work as a nursemidwife at Illinois Valley Community Hospital, where she has helped introduce water births and other natural options for prenatal, childbirth, and postpartum care.
Join us on the Carnival Liberty March 24, 2019 for a 4-Night Bahamas Cruise from Port Canaveral with visits to Nassau & Freeport. We will offer two Pharmacology CE sessions (a total of 4 credit hours) When: March 24 - 28, 2019 Where: Port Canaveral (Orlando), FL to the Bahamas! Who: Alumni; Preceptors, Faculty, Staff and Friends To make your reservation, please visit https://mybookinggenie.com/frontiernursing-university-alumni-cruise/ Cost: Rates start at $339 per person (depending on room choice) plus taxes/ fees per person (rates are based on double occupancy, so make sure to reserve with a friend). Price includes meals, accommodations,and entertainment. Gratuities are charged once onboard. Optional Vacation Protection and Beverage Packages Available. (Airfare is NOT included.) A deposit of $150 per person confirms your reservation. (Deposit is fully refundable until final payment which is due in January of 2019)
After completing the nurse-midwifery program at FNU, Mary returned to the Illinois valley to practice. She faced many obstacles because the state wasn’t accepting of natural methods for birth at that time in the 1970s. Mary persisted and has helped thousands of women become mothers – always focusing on the most ideal method for each one.
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 9
Courier Corner Meet the 2018 Couriers Coming from as far as California, the 2018 FNU Couriers have spent the summer at Wendover, serving at clinics in rural, underserved areas in Appalachia. We are excited to introduce these wonderful young people who have been called to serve in these communities. Dania Cervantes Ayala is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the College of Saint Mary in Omaha, Neb. with an expected graduation date of May 2019. She has already obtained a Spanish minor and a Medical Interpreting Certificate. Ayala became aware of FNU’s Courier Program through her nursing public health rotation where she gained insight into underserved communities. She is passionate about public health, as well as women’s and pediatric health. After obtaining her RN, BSN, she aspires to apply to a DNP program where she wants to pursue a career as a Pediatric Primary and Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. Via the Courier program, she served at Hometown Clinic and Bluegrass Care Navigators. Ayala helped to implement a drive in Leslie County that primarily targets hygiene products, back to school
Dania Cervantes Ayala, Molly Craig, and James Rasmussen
supplies and food. Many of the people who visit food banks have jobs, and are working lower middle class families who do not qualify for government assistance. The goal of the drive is to help fill the gap and provide supplies to those families in need of assistance.
At Williams, Craig is part of the varsity swimming team and competed at the NCAA Division III national meet this year. Additionally, she is a member of the Lehman Service club that conducts community outreach projects throughout the school year.
Molly Craig is a student at Williams College in Massachusetts. She was born in Mansfield, Pa., and attended Notre Dame High School in Elmira, N.Y.
She is studying biology and psychology with hopes of graduating pre-medical with a concentration in public health.
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FNU Co-Hosts Healthy Futures Fair
During the Courier program, Craig served Kentucky Mountain Health Little Flower Clinic and volunteered with a summer youth program where she used her swimming and lifeguarding skills while mentoring local kids. James Rasmussen is a senior at Williams College where he studies chemistry and hopes to eventually become a doctor. Originally from California, he was excited to lend his talents to the communities of Kentucky through the Courier Program. In the Courier Program, he split his time between the ARH Mary Breckinridge Hospital, Red Bird Mission and Clinic, and the Well Coffee Shop. His varied roles included watching a week-old baby receive his check-up, designing a flyer for the Red Bird Health Fair, making phone calls to schedule appointments for hearing aids, and whipping up a refreshing coal dust frappe.
The Courier Program recently co-hosted the 2018 Healthy Futures Fair for Leslie County, Ky., community members to meet health providers from the area, learn about their services and discover what it is like to have a career in the healthcare industry. The fair, co-hosted with Mountain View Elementary School in Leslie County, was held on June 6 at the elementary school. Leading up to the event, Mountain View Elementary students and the 21st Century After-school Program participants began learning about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) and health careers through guest speakers and activities. The Frontier Nursing Service Foundation primarily funded the events leading up to the fair. Speakers were brought in for two seminars on healthy food alternatives. They helped elementary-aged kids learn how to make fruit kabobs as a perfect summer snack. Jason Lindsey, known as “Mr. Science,” also presented to the students.
Middle schoolers engaged in Healthy Futures week as well, traveling to the Challenger Learning Center of Kentucky to participate in “missions” in space. Later in the week, FNU hosted the middle school students for a dissection at its Hyden campus. At the conclusion of Healthy Futures, the Frontier Nursing Service Foundation awarded a one-time, $1,000 Healthy Futures scholarship to one student at Leslie County interested in pursuing a STEM-based career. Any 8th-12th grade student attending a Leslie County school was invited to apply for the Healthy Futures Scholarship, in which they were asked to answer one of four questions in a short essay that focused on the ideas of healthy futures. Madison Simpson, a junior at Leslie County High School, was the recipient of this year’s scholarship. She is interested in a career working with children in the healthcare field. FNU President Dr. Susan Stone presented the scholarship and funds to Madison at the community dinner held on June 11 at Wendover.
For his independent project, he met with Carol Graham Joseph, mayor of Hyden, and Joel Brashear of the Hyden Citizens Bank to organize a mural for the town. Volunteers assisted with the mural, which took four days to complete and depicts the culture and beauty of the town. “I tried my best to incorporate as many community icons as possible,” Rasmussen told a reporter from WYMT. The mural is located in the parking lot behind city hall. L-R: Dr. Susan Stone, Austyn Caudill, Healthy Futures scholarship winner Madison Simpson, Larissa McLaughlin, Rhoda Simpson.
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Courier Corner Courier Spotlight: Laura Lee Parrish
on the Wendover property in the Big House. Laura loved seeing her at tea every day, often with special guests. Brownie invited the likes of Kate Ireland and Nancy Condiff, as well as those in the surrounding Hyden community, to come to Wendover for afternoon tea. Laura was inspired by Brownie’s passion for bringing the community together. More than caring for animals and having tea with FNS icons, Laura’s service with FNS truly opened her eyes to the lack of quality medical care in the Eastern region of Kentucky.
Laura Lee Parrish’s life transformed when she went from farmgirl to Frontier Nursing Service (FNS) Courier in 1970. A Bourbon County, Ky., native, Laura was familiar with FNS when she began her journey 130 miles southeast to Leslie County. Little did she know how much of an impact the experience would have on her. According to Laura, she always had a desire to serve the Eastern Kentucky community. However, having grown up very simply on a farm, she was unsure of her abilities to help when she arrived at FNS.
“The experience made me so aware of the goodness of FNS, and the needs that these people had,” she said. Laura also gained a great deal of respect for the Eastern Kentucky people, who always stuck together no matter the situation. She and her trusty Plymouth Duster were often sent to pick up a patient and bring them to University of Kentucky hospital. More times than not, the whole family came. “We were stuffed in the car for the day,” she said. “It was neat to me that they wanted to stay together.”
Laura soon learned that quite the opposite was true, and that her experience with the farm would actually benefit her in her service with FNS. She was made responsible for taking care of the FNS mules and was in her natural element as their caretaker. During her time in Hyden, Laura regularly crossed paths with Helen “Brownie” Browne, the Director of FNS from 1965-1975. Around the time of Laura’s service, Helen Browne lived
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Like many Couriers, Laura’s sense of compassion and understanding for the Eastern Kentucky community grew as she served with FNS. After her service, Laura’s cousin, Helen Parrish, decided to become a Courier as well. In 1928, Mary Breckinridge, founder of Frontier Nursing University established the Courier Program, recruiting young people to come work in the Kentucky Mountains and learn about service to humanity. Couriers escorted guests safely through remote terrain, delivered medical supplies to remote outpost clinics, and helped nurse-midwives during home visits and births. Frontier has benefited tremendously from the 1,600 Couriers who have served since 1928. At the heart of Frontier Nursing University is a talented and diverse community of students, alumni, faculty, staff, Couriers and preceptors. Spotlight blogs feature members of our FNU community that are focused on the mission of educating nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to deliver quality health care to underserved and rural populations.
“The experience made me so aware of the goodness of FNS, and the needs that these people had.” - Laura Lee Parrish
News and Notes Spring Term at a Glance In these pages, you read about the many successes of our students, faculty and alumni. We are so proud of these stories and eager to see the next line of success develop. Each quarter, we welcome new students aspiring to make a difference in healthcare in their communities. To give you an idea of FNU’s ongoing impact, here’s a snapshot of the admissions for the 2018 spring term: Total Applicants: . . . . . . . . . . . . . .623 Offered Admission: . . . . . . . . . . . 295 Accepted Admission: . . . . . . . . . . 243 Applicants by degree path: Family Nurse Practitioner: . . . . . . 244 Nurse-Midwifery: . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 Certified Nurse-Midwife Refresher: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Post-Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 FNU Students Excel on ANCC Certifications The impressive results are in for the 2017 Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) certification pass rate for FNU Students: Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) firsttime takers: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100% (2nd year in a row) Post-Graduate Certificate (PGC) first-time takers: . . . . . . . . . . . 91.67%
Balleweg Receives Nurses Educational Fund Scholarship Boise, Idaho, resident and current FNU student Elizabeth Balleweg, Master of Science and Nursing/ Family Nurse Practitioner, Class 158, was named the recipient of the Geraldine Labecki Scholarship by the Nurses Educational Fund in July. The Geraldine Labecki Scholarship fund is dedicated to graduate nurses exhibiting exceptional leadership skills. For the past five years, Elizabeth has worked as an acute dialysis nurse in Boise, ID, where she provides plasmapheresis, hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) for patients in five local hospitals. She is passionate about providing care to the underserved, and plans to ultimately work at a local community health center in Boise that provides affordable medical services to low-income clients, refugees and migrant workers
Tonya Nicholson Selected to Participate in 2018 Leadership for Academic Nursing Program FNU Associate Dean and Associate Professor Tonya Nicholson, DNP, CNM, WHNP-BC, CNE, FACNM was one of 49 nursing faculty from across the nation to be selected to participate in the 2018 Leadership for Academic Nursing Program (LANP), July 29-August 2 in Chaska, Minn.
Organized by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, LANP is designed for those who have experience in academic administration and aspire to more senior administrative or executive positions within the nursing academic unit. The year-long fellowship provides participants with a focused assessment experience, a range of content and exercises related to successful executive leadership, and the opportunity to establish a peer network that fosters longterm partnerships and collegial support.
FNU Students Participate in 2018 AWHONN Convention and Leadership Summit The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) convention was held in June in Tampa, Fla. AWHONN is the leading convention for nurses in the obstetric, neonatal and women’s health disciplines. Participants representing FNU included Paris Maloof-Bury, CNEP class 140, who presented “Feminism and Physiology: Partnering with Women to Support Vaginal Birth and Prevent the ‘UnneCesarean’”. FNU student, Catherine Ruhl, MS, CNM, led coordination of the 2018 AWHONN Leadership Summit, kicked off the 2018 Convention. Ruhl is the Director of Women’s Health Programs at the AWHONN national headquarters.
Paris Maloof-Bury
Catherine Ruhl
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 13
News and Notes Featured Preceptor: Sandi Hayes, APRN, CNP Frontier Nursing University (FNU) preceptor Sandi Hayes, APRN, CNP, from St. Cloud Medical Group in Clearwater, Minn., was honored as FNU’s “Featured Preceptor” for the spring 2018 term. Hayes was nominated by recent DNP graduate Kelly Papesh. Hayes has been practicing Family Medicine at Clearwater Clinic in rural Minnesota since 2012. Through her practice at Clearwater, an outpatient family practice clinic, she upholds the values of Mary Breckinridge by serving a rural community and giving access to
populations who might not otherwise have healthcare. In the clinic, Hayes serves a wide range of patients across their lifespan. The majority of Hayes’ patients are adults and geriatrics, whom she treats for chronic and acute conditions. As a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE), Hayes also works with all the diabetic patients at the clinic. She is a Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse (CRRN) as well as a public health nurse.
“I learned so much from her and she worked with me so patiently to give me the best learning opportunity,” Papesh said in her nomination submission. “Sandi is compassionate, thorough, and she cares deeply about her patients as evidenced by the relationships she has established. I so appreciate all of her time and commitment to helping build the nurse practitioner community.”
Hayes completed her FNP at Frontier in 2012. She began precepting Papesh for a family practice rotation in 2016 while Papesh was finishing up her FNP.
“I learned so much from her and she worked with me so patiently to give me the best learning opportunity.” - Kelly Papesh
Sandi Hayes (left) with preceptee Kelly Papesh
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FNU President Dr. Susan Stone Addresses Maternal Mortality on Nursecast Podcast Dr. Susan Stone, DNSc, CNM, FACNM, FAAN, certified nurse-midwife, President of Frontier Nursing University (FNU) and President of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), recently sat down with Andrew Bennie of Springer Publishing Group to continue the ongoing conversation about how to reduce maternal mortality. Stone has been working in the field of reproductive health care for women for over 30 years, and is an advocate for women seeking an emotional and physically satisfying childbirth. The conversation was recorded on a “Nursecast” podcast episode by Springer Publishing. Stone recently published pieces on maternal mortality on DailyNurse. com and KYForward. As evidenced in those articles, she explains that the United States has seen a dramatic rise in the maternal mortality rate over the past two decades. According to data, approximatelty 700 women around the U.S. die of pregnancy complications per year, while 50,000 cases are near misses. Many of these cases are disproportionately correlated to race. “Maternal mortality happens with women of color three to four times more than it does caucasian women,” Stone said. “We are seeing women with more medical complications when they enter labor,” Stone continued.. “You have in-hospital issues such as hemorrhages, hypertension, gestational diabetes, obesity – those are contributing to the sentinel events that are occurring.”
Stone’s main focus is how to prevent women from getting to the point where complex problems challenge their health outcomes in pregnancy. Social issues, lack of access to healthcare through insurance, lack of accessible clinic care in rural areas and poor communication are among some of the biggest culprits in the rising maternal mortality rate. To impact the problem, Stone points to the need to diversify the healthcare workforce to provide race-concordant care. Patients are more receptive to care from a health provider who understands their culture and socioeconomic background. Currently, only 6% of midwives are women or men of color. FNU’s initiative to diversify not only the field of midwifery, but the healthcare workforce as a whole, has made great strides. To date, 22% of FNU students are men and women of color – up from just 9% in 2010. As President of ACNM, Stone is also working on several legislative agendas to bring about change. Maternal mortality review committees, which ACNM would
like to see established in every state, could be a key to identifying the causes of maternal mortality. “The idea is to do root-cause analysis on every single mortality that happens, and then you start to see trends,” Stone said. “When you start to see trends, you can start to create programs to address those problems. And then you can start to see some results.” Nurses around the nation are urged to step up to be a vessel for positive change. “Make sure you are a member of an organization,” Stone said. “We all need to be able to lobby, vote and participate on different committees.” Though still an uphill climb, Stone is hopeful about the changes that are already being put into place to lower the rate of maternal mortality. “I can see more collaboration now, even across all disciplines, than I have ever seen in my nearly 35 years of working in this industry,” she said. “Together, we really can make a difference.”
“When you start to see trends, you can start to create programs to address those problems. And then you can start to see some results.” - Dr. Susan Stone
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 15
News and Notes FNU’s Presence Felt at AANP Conference More than 3,000 people attended the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) national conference in June in Denver, Colo. As usual, many of those people had close ties to Frontier Nursing University and more than 40 FNU alumni, faculty, students and preceptors attended the FNU breakfast. FNU’s booth was a popular meeting place and several FNU attendees gave poster presentations during the conference.
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In Memoriam / Tributes Lisa L. Wyatt, Certificate, Women’s Health Care, Class 45
The following people gave contributions to Frontier in memory of their friends orloved ones. The names in bold are the deceased.
December 15, 1955 - May 9, 2018 Lisa Lynne (Lawlor) Wyatt was the youngest of five children born to Marilyn (Ranew) and John Lawlor. She lived in Silver Spring, Md., for most of her life. While pregnant with her first child, it became her dream to become a midwife. Although it took her almost 30 years to achieve that dream, Lisa became a beloved midwife, having delivered hundreds of babies during these last 10 years. She spoke of returning to the Mennonite community (where she logged her student clinical hours) to assist in birthing as a retirement dream, but did not get to see that happen. Her sons and daughters-in-law, Demetrios Jr. (Laura), Christopher, and Joseph (Gina) Mustakas loved and cared for her, while her best friend and sister, Kathy Gwynn, was her main caregiver in her final months. She was “Grammy” to a dozen beautiful grandchildren who were a light in her life. She was also loved by many nieces and nephews, including Lauren Gwynn, Christie Lawlor Francis, Michael Lawlor, Michelle Weller, Michael John Renew, and Katie Renew. She was preceded by niece, Lori Lawlor Renfroe and nephew, Ryan Gwynn.
Dr. Don Palmer George and Jeanne Gascoigne
Helen Browne Noel Fernandez
Jane Haldeman Hope Jane Tyrrell
Jane Haldeman Hope Diane Cobb Cashman
The following people gave contributions to Frontier in honor of their friends and loved ones. The names in bold are the honorees.
College of Saint Mary Latinas Daniela Rojas Florez
Rachel and Brad Rice Denise Demers
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 17
Wendover Report We were proud to host a group of nursing students and faculty from Cairo, Egypt at the Wendover Bed & Breakfast Inn and Retreat Center this summer.
This summer the Wendover Bed & Breakfast Inn and Retreat Center has received an influx of visitors, family reunions and tour groups. This is due mostly from word of mouth from past guests. We also receive reservations from guests who have read our reviews on the website, TripAdvisor. We have just received our 50th very good/excellent review from past guests. Tour groups that have visited Wendover this summer include nursing students and faculty from Carson-Newman University, Eastern Kentucky University, Indiana Wesleyan University and a group of nursing students from Cairo, Egypt, who are taking part in a two-week educational session at the University of Kentucky. Renovations at Wendover continue to be coordinated with our consultants from Snug Hollow Farm Bed & Breakfast. We invite everyone to visit us soon! To make a reservation, please contact Wendover Bed & Breakfast Inn and Retreat Center at 606-672-2317 or visit frontier.edu/ about-frontier/wendover-bb/.
Special Knit Items Homemade baby caps, blankets, and scarves continue to be very needed for our FNU Students. Frontier nurse-midwifery students present a baby cap to the family of a baby whose birth they attend, and our nurse practitioner students present lap quilts or scarves to their patients. As our university continues to grow, we will need more and more of these wonderful items. The size needed for lap quilts is approximately 40 by 42 inches. Yarn should be worsted weight. We greatly appreciate the many knitting groups and friends who send items to us. These baby caps, scarves and blankets are circling the globe as our students pass them on to women and families and share the story of Mary Breckinridge and the Frontier Nursing Service. It’s such a special way to pass on the vision and mission of Frontier! Thank you to the following individuals who have recently sent items to Wendover: Alice Van Farowe Harriet Palmer Second Presbyterian Church, Lexington, Kentucky
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Trustees and Board of Directors Trustees: Mrs. Tia Andrew, Hamilton Parish, Bermuda Ms. Sarah Bacon, Brooklyn, NY Mrs. Andrea Begley, Hyden, KY Mrs. Heather Bernard, Hamilton, NY Gov. Steven Beshear, Lexington, KY Mrs. Betty Brown, Louisville, KY Dr. Timothy Bukowski, Chapel Hill, NC Dr. Wallace Campbell, Berea, KY Miss Anna Carey, Hyden, KY Ms. Carlyle Carter, Evanston, IL Mrs. Jean Chapin, Oldwick, NJ Dr. Holly Cheever, Voorheesville, NY Mrs. Lois Cheston, Topsfield, MA Mrs. Julia Breckinridge Davis, Winston-Salem, NC Mrs. John Dete, West Liberty, OH Mrs. Selby Ehrlich, Bedford, NY Mrs. Robert Estill, Raleigh, NC Mrs. Angela Feltner, Hyden, KY Mrs. Noel Smith Fernandez, Pomona, NY Mr. John Grandin, Chestnut Hill, MA Dr. Joyce Fortney Hamberg, Southgate, KY Dr. Horace Henriques, Lyme, NH Mr. & Mrs. John Hodge, Berwyn, PA Mrs. Robin Frentz Isaacs, Lincoln, MA Mrs. Mary Carol Joseph, Mayor, City of Hyden Ms. Deborah M. King, Westport, MA Mrs. Patricia Lawrence, Westwood, MA Mrs. Henry Ledford, Big Creek, KY Mrs. Marian Leibold, Cincinnati, OH Dr. Ruth Lubic, Washington, DC Mr. William Lubic, Washington DC Mrs. Joan Lambert McPhee, Potomac, MD Mr. Robert Montague, JD, Urbanna, VA Mr. Wade Mountz, Louisville, KY Ms. Judy Myers, PhD, RN, New Albany, IN Mrs. Barbara Napier, Hyden, KY Dr. Spencer Noe, Lexington, KY Mrs. Frank O’Brien, Boston, MA Mr. Dean Osborne, Hyden, KY Mrs. Helen Rentch, Midway, KY Mrs. John Richardson, Washington, DC Mrs. Linda Roach, Lexington, KY Mrs. Georgia Rodes, Lexington, KY Mrs. Sandra Schreiber, Louisville, KY Mrs. Sherrie Rice Smith, Franklin, WI Mrs. Austin Smithers, Lyme, NH Mrs. Robert Steck, Arlington, MA Mrs. Mary Clay Stites, Louisville, KY Mr. Richard Sturgill, Paris, KY Ms. Mary Frazier Vaughan, Lexington, KY Mrs. LouAnne Roberts Verrier, Austin, TX Dr. Patience White, Bethesda, MD Mr. Harvie Wilkinson, Lexington, KY
Board Member Spotlight: Jean Johnson, PhD, RN, FAAN Jean Johnson’s motivation for serving on the Frontier Nursing University (FNU) Board of Directors is simple – she believes passionately in the mission of FNU. Jean is the founding dean and professor at the George Washington University School of Nursing. She has been serving on the FNU Board of Directors for three years, and her term has been renewed through 2021. Jean’s rich history working in nursing education and practice with a focus on improving healthcare to all resonates perfectly with FNU’s own mission statement. She speaks highly of FNU’s leadership, as she has watched FNU go from a collaborative Community-based Nursemidwifery Education Program (CNEP) in the early 1990s to becoming an accredited university in 2004. Jean “answers the call” at FNU by sharing the work of FNU with health care colleagues and her extensive network of health care professionals, as well as by serving on the FNU Advancement Committee and advising on grant submissions. She takes pride in being part of an important and meaningful mission and working with others who share that sense of mission. “Preparing excellent advanced practice nurses to advocate and care for populations that are traditionally underserved whether rural or urban is critical to the health of all populations,” said Jean. “I also like being part of an organization that is willing to take risks to keep moving the mission and vision forward.” Jean spends her working hours living out that mission. She provides executive coaching to individuals within health care and teaches at both George Washington University and University of Cape Town in South Africa. She serves on several other boards as well. In her free time, Jean enjoys horseback riding, playing tennis, traveling and spending time with her precious grandchildren.
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 19
Board Trustees of Directors Board of Directors Chair
Carlyle Carter joins Board of Directors
Michael T. Rust, Louisville, KY
Former courier, current Frontier Nursing University trustee and current Courier Advisory Council member Carlyle Carter joined the Frontier Nursing University Board of Directors in July.
Secretary
Her affiliation with FNU dates back to 1954, when she was 11 years old.
Michael Carter, DNSc, DNP, Tumbling Shoals, AR Vice Chair
Wallace Campbell, PhD, Berea, KY Treasurer Della Deerfield, CPA, Richmond, KY Board Members Carlyle Carter, Evanston, Ill. Peter Coffin, Chair, Frontier Nursing Service, Inc. Foundation Chestnut Hill, MA Eunice (Kitty) Ernst, CNM, MPH, Perkiomenville, PA Nancy Hines, Shepherdsville, KY Jean Johnson, PhD, RN, FAAN, Cabin John, MD Phyllis Leppert, RN, CNM, MD, PhD, FACNM, Salt Lake City, UT Emma Metcalf, RN, MSN, CPHQ, Louisville, KY Marcus Osborne, MBA, Bentonville, AR Kerri Schuiling, PhD, CNM, FAAN, FACNM, Marquette, MI Peter A. Schwartz, MD, Wyomissing, PA Nancy Fugate Woods, PhD, RN, FAAN, Seattle, WA May Wykle, PhD, RN, FAAN, FGSA, Cleveland, OH Board Members Emeritus John Foley, Lexington, KY Marion McCartney, CNM, FACNM, Washington, D.C. Kenneth J. Tuggle, JD, Louisville, KY
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“Mary Breckinridge, my grandmother’s first cousin, invited me to visit her in Wendover,” Carter said. “It was a life-changing experience. I had heard stories about the Frontier Nursing Service from my father, Joe Carter, who had been one of the first, and more rambunctious, couriers. I was excited to get to know Mary Breckinridge, the nurses, the staff, the couriers, the mountain people, and the horses. In those days, nurses were still doing home visits on horseback.” Carter served as a courier in 1962 and 1965. In the 1980s and 1990s, she was an active member of the Boston Committee and became a trustee. “When Mary Breckinridge founded the FNS, she had a vision that her work would be replicated throughout the country and the world,” Carter said. “She would be proud, and perhaps amazed, to see how far FNU has continued her far-thinking vision, expanding it to meet the needs of the changing world. Offering distance education to nurses and nurse practitioners in nurse-midwifery, family health, and women’s health has expanded her dream.” Carter added that she is excited about FNU’s growth and the development of the new campus. “The Versailles campus is an ideal place for FNU to serve as a national model of excellence for distance learning in nursing education and to hold national and regional meetings for leaders in the field,” Carter said. “I am so glad, too, that the organization has not lost sight of its history, tradition, and connection to Wendover and Hyden. As the co-owner with my brothers of the oldest house in Versailles and a member of my church’s building task force to restore the oldest public building in Evanston, Ill., I believe in planning for the future while preserving the best of the past.”
ATrustees Giving Heart Ms. Jean Owens Ms. Jean Owens, of Kingston, New York, cannot recall how she first learned about Frontier Nursing University, but she has remained a committed supporter of Frontier for more than 30 years. Throughout those years she has paid careful attention to the growth and success of Frontier, admiring the mission and achievements Jean Owens (left) with FNU she reads about in the President Susan Stone. Quarterly Bulletin and annual reports. Impressed with the outcomes and difference graduates are making in communities across the country, Ms. Owens has been a loyal donor to the annual fund. Ms. Owens has a generous heart and avoids unnecessary spending so that she can donate funds to support nonprofits and causes she cares about. She was inspired by her mother, who taught her the value of every dollar. She recalls a story of her mother waiting several winters in a row to buy a new winter coat -- never wanting to waste money on the wrong one. Her mother remembers the latest dress fashions as a young girl being the homemade dresses made from the floral designed flour sacks. And this “waste not, want not” outlook continues in her life to this day. The result of this financial responsibility is a generous nest egg that Ms. Owens intends to bequeath to Frontier Nursing University. Her generous gift will be sufficient to endow scholarship support, support programs, and build the general endowment. Her sacrifices, although she would not refer to it as sacrifice, will impact the lives of countless students, ultimately, improving healthcare for thousands of families across the country. Ms. Owens, who spent her personal career in municipal government and water safety analysis, has lived her life as a public servant. She will leave a lasting legacy with Frontier Nursing University. She is an inspiration to us all to do our part to leave a positive impact and use our life and resources to do good things. We cannot express adequately our gratitude for her generous planned gift and will honor her name and memory to continue to inspire others. Thank you, Ms. Owens!
Planned giving and gifts from estates are a critical source of support to Frontier Nursing University. We recognize those who plan to include Frontier in their estate plans as members of the Banyan Tree Legacy Society. Thank you to the following individuals: Banyan Tree Legacy Society Kendra Adkisson
Eleanor Earle Marybeth Gorke-Felice
Joselyn Bacon
Rev. and Mrs. Andrew Kilpatrick
Connie Becker
Thrygve Meeker
Carlyle Carter
Elizabeth Miner
Charlotte Clark
Robert Montague
Farnham and Anne Collins
Jean Owens
Laurie Coursin
If you would like to include Frontier Nursing University in your will or estate plans and have questions, please reach out to us at 859-899-2828 or Development@frontier.edu.
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 21
P.O. Box 528 • 195 School Street Hyden, KY 41749 FNU@frontier.edu • 606.672.2312
Frontier.edu
22 Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin