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News and Notes
FNU Receives INSIGHT Into Diversity 2021 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award for Fourth Consecutive Year
Frontier Nursing University received the 2021 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. As a recipient of the annual Health Professions HEED Award — a national honor recognizing U.S. health colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion — FNU was featured, along with 50 other recipients, in the December 2021 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. This is the fourth consecutive year FNU has been named as a Health Professions HEED Award recipient.
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“We are incredibly honored to be selected for the prestigious HEED Award for the fourth year in a row,” said FNU President Dr. Susan Stone. “We recognized the need for more diversity in our nation’s healthcare system over a decade ago. Culturally concordant care improves health outcomes, which is in direct alignment with our mission to provide accessible nursemidwifery and nurse practitioner education to prepare competent, entrepreneurial, ethical, and compassionate leaders in primary care to serve all individuals with an emphasis on women and families in diverse, rural, and underserved populations. While we know that we have much work to do, this award recognizes our progress and reaffirms our commitment to be a leader for change and to continue towards our goal of becoming an antiracist university.”
Earlier this year, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded FNU two grants totaling $4,140,000. The HRSA Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) grant totals $1,920,000 and the Nursing Workforce Diversity (NWD) grant totals $2,220,000. HRSA, which is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will award the funding for both grants in annual installments over the next four years. The goal of the BHWET program is to increase the number of psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners who are diverse in race, ethnicity, and other underrepresented populations serving in rural and medically underserved communities. The goal of the NWD program is to increase the number and diversity of certified nurse-midwives who serve in rural and underserved areas of the country in an effort to prevent and reduce maternal mortality.
To help direct the university’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and incorporate perspectives from all corners of the university, FNU has created several task forces and committees composed of faculty, staff, students, and volunteers. Created in 2015, the Diversity and Inclusion Committee develops, promotes, and provides programs and resources to enhance diversity throughout the university and healthcare workforce. The President’s DEI Task Force was formed in January 2021 to further FNU’s mission to become an antiracist university. The recently formed Antiracism and Bias Advisory Council (ABAC), derived by the FNU’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, is a diverse group of Frontier employees who will serve as an advisory board for any employee and student bias reporting.
In January 2021, the FNU Board of Directors (BOD) created a BOD Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee that is responsible for working with the Board of Directors and the administration to ensure that Frontier strives to be an antiracist university. In April 2021, the Board of Directors approved the endowment of a new scholarship to support African American, Black, Native American, and Alaskan Native students. The scholarship will support 10 students per year.
“At Frontier, we challenge our students, faculty, and staff to be the agents of change we need to dismantle racism and discrimination in healthcare,” said FNU Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Dr. Geraldine Young. “Collectively, we have the power to reduce health disparities and inequities and improve health outcomes. Receiving the HEED Award is not only a great honor, but it also provides an excellent opportunity for us to continue to have important conversations and to advance both the internal and external diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of our university.”
FNU’s commitment to emphasizing and valuing diversity and inclusion was formally instituted with the creation of the Diversity Impact Program in 2010, with particular
emphasis on increasing the enrollment of students of color. Since then, the focus has expanded to include all facets of the university, including increasing diversity within the faculty and staff, emphasis on student retention, and diversity and inclusion training for all members of the FNU community. Led by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, mentoring, tutoring, coaching, counseling, writing programs, and scholarships have been implemented to support students. The office also offers community-wide education including the Diversity Impact Conference held in 2021, “Dismantling Systemic Racism and Discrimination in Healthcare: Our Roles and Responsibilities.”
“The Health Professions HEED Award process consists of a comprehensive and rigorous application that includes questions relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees — and best practices for both — continued leadership support for diversity, and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. “We take a detailed approach to reviewing each application in deciding who will be named a Health Professions HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for schools where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being done every day across their campus.”
AACN Recognizes Frontier Nursing University for Advancing Diversity, Inclusion, and Sustainability in Academic Nursing
Frontier Nursing University was announced as one of three recipients of the Diversity, Inclusion, and Sustainability in Nursing Education Leadership Awards presented annually by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). FNU joined Augusta University (Georgia) and the University of Illinois Chicago in being recognized this year for their strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, health equity, cultural humility, and community outreach.
“I applaud the 2021 award winners for being intentional about making diversity, equity, and inclusion a cornerstone of their programs’ success,” said Dr. Deborah Trautman, AACN President and Chief Executive Officer. “With a focus on adapting systems and changing culture, these programs serve as exemplars for other nursing schools moving to create academic environments that welcome and respect students, faculty, and staff of color.”
Following a competitive process that was open to all 840 AACN member institutions, the winning schools were cited for their success in recruiting diverse students and faculty to their programs as well as creating inclusive and equitable learning environments. FNU received the Private Colleges and Universities Award. In the award announcement, AACN noted that “FNU is at the forefront as a leading activist for diversity in the nursing and midwifery professions. FNU has made diversity and inclusion a primary focus of the university’s mission and a measurable element of its progress.”
“This is a tremendous honor for Frontier,” said FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, CNM, DNSc, FAAN, FACNM. “While we are incredibly proud of the progress we have made to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion across all levels of our university, we recognize that we have much work still to do. We are fully committed to being an antiracist university and are grateful to be acknowledged as an example for others to follow.”
FNU Chief Diversity Officer Dr. Geraldine Young, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CDCES, FAANP, presented at AACN’s 2021 Diversity Symposium, which was held on November 9 and 10 as a virtual event. Dr. Young also served as a Lectureship Award Panel member at the AACN 2021 Diversity Symposium presenting on “Integrating Anti-racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Nursing Education” to Mobilize and Strategize: Implementing DEI in Academic Nursing.
“The AACN has long been an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, so to be recognized by their Board of Directors in this manner is a tremendous accomplishment for Frontier,” said Dr. Young, who accepted the award on behalf of the university. “This recognition of our progress only strengthens our resolve to continue our meaningful work.”
Frontier Nursing University Receives United States Distance Learning Association International Distance Learning Award
Frontier Nursing University received an International Distance Learning Award, presented by the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA). The USDLA revealed the International Distance Learning Award winners during a virtual announcement on November 12, 2021.
Each year, USDLA recognizes innovators and leaders within the distance/ digital learning industry as part of our International Award program. These highly coveted awards are presented annually to organizations and individuals who compete across several categories of excellence. The USDLA International Distance Learning Awards are created to acknowledge major accomplishments in distance learning and to highlight those distance learning instructors, programs, and professionals who have achieved and demonstrated extraordinary
achievements through the use of online, videoconferencing, and satellite/video delivery technologies globally.
“The International Award program has provided prestigious recognition for educational influencers around the globe for many years,” says Dr. Arletha McSwain, President of USDLA. “These award winners are truly leaders in the distance/ digital learning industry, and their work in support of pedagogy is unsurpassed.”
This year, FNU was chosen by the selection committee as the runner-up to the University of Cincinnati for the 21st Century Award. According to the USDLA, “this award is given to an agency, institution, or company that has shown outstanding leadership in the field of distance learning. The award recognizes pioneering organizations in the field that have changed distance learning, challenged existing practice, or developed new and effective solutions.”
Founded in 1939 in rural southeastern Kentucky, Frontier incorporated distance learning more than 30 years ago to broaden its reach and allow students from all over the country to attend. Since then, FNU’s enrollment has increased from 200 to more than 2,500. Most FNU students, who are all seeking advanced nurse-midwifery or nurse practitioner degrees, come to campus at least twice during their academic program but are otherwise able to attend the university while continuing to work in the communities in which they live.
“Frontier Nursing was on the leading edge of distance learning even before the wide use of the internet,” said FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, CNM, DNSc, FAAN, FACNM. “It has been essential not only to our growth, but to our mission to prepare our students to care for women and families, particularly serving diverse, rural, and underserved populations. To be recognized as a leader in distance learning by the USDLA is a tremendous honor. We are grateful for USDLA’s impactful and essential leadership and advocacy for distance learning.”
Each year, the annual award winners are recognized by the Association at the USDLA National Conference Awards Dinner and presented with a physical award. However, due to the continued pandemic concerns in 2021, USDLA decided to virtually recognize the award winners during National Distance Learning Week (NDLW). All award winners will also be invited to the USDLA 2022 National Conference in Nashville, Tenn., to be recognized in person.
Frontier Nursing University Named Gold “COVID Stops Here” Workplace
Frontier Nursing University has been recognized as a Gold COVID Stops Here workplace for achieving over a 90% vaccination rate. The COVID Stops Here campaign recognizes Kentucky workplaces that have achieved widespread vaccination against COVID-19. Organizations that have achieved at least a 70% vaccination rate are eligible to receive a designation. “I am very pleased to report that currently 92% of our 88 Kentucky-based employees have been vaccinated against COVID,” FNU President Dr. Susan Stone said. “We are very proud of the leadership that our faculty, staff, students, and alumni have displayed in their communities all across the country during the pandemic. Locally, we were honored to partner with the Woodford County Health Department and serve as a vaccination site last spring. We hope that our example inspires others in the community to get vaccinated as well.”
The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce developed the COVID Stops Here campaign as a way to celebrate workplaces that are leading the fight to stop COVID-19 — and to encourage more organizations to join their ranks.
“The COVID-19 vaccine is Kentucky’s pathway to recovery. Frontier Nursing University is helping set the bar for vaccination in Kentucky by achieving Gold COVID Stops Here status — meaning at least 90% of their employees are now vaccinated against COVID-19. This is a great achievement and we thank them for helping our state stop this dangerous virus,” said Kentucky Chamber President and CEO Ashli Watts. “Employers are playing a very important role as we work to encourage vaccination in Kentucky. In order to finally put this virus behind us, we need Kentuckians to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Together we can stop this virus, let’s make sure that COVID stops here!”
Frontier Launches “All-Access Podcast”
Frontier Nursing has launched its own podcast! The first few episodes of The Frontier All-Access Podcast are now available on the Frontier.edu website or wherever you find your podcasts. The All-Access Podcast provides a closer look at the university through lively and entertaining discussions with a wide variety of guests and topics.
Fittingly, Episode 1 features a casual conversation with Dr. Susan Stone, whose history with Frontier dates back to 1991 when she earned a Post-Master’s Certificate in Nurse-Midwifery from what was then the Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing. Dr. Stone, who was inducted into the prestigious National Academy of Medicine in 2019, has served as Frontier’s president since 2001.
We hope that every episode of the Frontier Nursing University All-Access Podcast will make you laugh, cry, learn something new, or give you perspective and food for thought.
FNU Announces 2021 Award Winners
The Distinguished Service to Society Award recognizes a graduate who goes above and beyond to provide exceptional service in their communities. The Distinguished Service to Alma Mater Award honors a graduate who has supported Frontier through volunteer efforts and/or donor support.
Elsie Maier Wilson
CNM, ARNP, BC, MSN
Elsie Maier Wilson received her RN from Queens’s Hospital Center in Jamaica, New York in 1956. She worked at the Hyden Hospital in 1962 and then, in 1963, began the nurse-midwifery program at the Frontier Graduate School of Midwifery, graduating in July of that same year. She then stayed at Frontier for the next 10 years as a nursemidwife caring for more than 350 families in the Red Bird District. She took a leave in 1972 to take a mission trip to Zaire.
Wilson earned her master’s degree in nursing from Vanderbilt University before returning to what had become the Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing. She held the position of Family Nurse Education Coordinator and later became Dean (1977-78). During her time as Dean, she implemented several significant changes, including recruiting Master’s degree faculty. She also helped secure ACNM accreditation, federal funding, and contracts with the University of Kentucky and Case Western for students to obtain graduate degrees.
“Listen to the patient, hear her, don’t assume,” Wilson said in advice to students. “Help her buy into her care. Empower her to be in charge of her own health. Help her have hope and faith.”
Wilson left Frontier in 1979 to provide prenatal care through the St. Petersburg Free Clinic. For her work with the Free Clinic, she was awarded the Susan B. Anthony Award from the National Organization of Women in 1981. She went on to become a faculty member at the University of Florida. She received the Florida Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies Special Achievement Award in 1986.
In recognition of her lifelong support of midwifery and Frontier Nursing University, we are proud to present Elsie Maier Wilson the 2021 Distinguished Service to Alma Mater Award.
Sister Christine Schenk
CSJ, PNRCRT, FNM
Sister Christine Schenk CSJ attended the Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing in preparation to take the National Midwifery examination. She graduated in 1976 as a family nurse midwife, having completed the course and clinical work to be a family nurse practitioner as well as a nurse-midwife. She was part of the first group to take the national certification exams ever offered to become a nurse practitioner. She came to Frontier having already obtained a Master’s Degree in Nursing.
She left after finishing her degree but returned a year later to teach. During this time she successfully worked to get a law passed that permitted nurse practitioners to write prescriptions for antibiotics and low-dose painkillers.
In 1980 she helped to organize a statewide coalition to expand Medicaid coverage to include pregnant low-income women and their children. In the book Unruly Catholic Nuns: Sisters Stories, she speaks about her work getting the Nurse Practice Act passed in Kentucky. She also details her efforts in Ohio, where she worked in Cleveland as a nurse-midwife for 20 years and helped obtain Medicaid coverage for low-income women through the Prenatal Investment Program.
Sister Christine has a Master’s degree in theology with distinction from St. Mary’s Seminary and Graduate School of Theology in Cleveland, a Master’s from Boston College, and a BSN Magna Cum Laude from Georgetown University.
From 1990-2013 she served as the Executive Director of FutureChurch, a national coalition of parish-centered Catholics working for full participation of all Catholics in the life of the Church. Sister Christine is one of three nuns whose work was featured in the award-winning documentary “Radical Grace” (2015). Her 2017 book Crispina and Her Sisters: Women and Authority in
FNU Announces 2021 Award Winners
Early Christianity was awarded first place in History by the Catholic Press Association.
Sister Christine has been interviewed by major media outlets including the PBS Newshour, World News with Diane Sawyer, CBS Sunday Morning, National Public Radio, CNN, MSNBC, and Fox cable channels, and quoted in major feature stories on Mary of Magdala and women in the Bible by both Time and Newsweek.
Because of her remarkable contributions to nurse-midwifery and inspiring leadership and influence, we are honored to present Sister Christine Schenk with the 2021 Distinguished Service to Society Award.
NP Service to Alma Mater:
Cathy Cook
MSN, CNM, CNM Class 17 and DNP, Class 34
Course faculty and Regional Clinical Faculty (RCF) Cathy Cook, DNP, APRN, CNM, Class 17 has served as an RCF since 2016.
Cook earned her MSN from Case Western Reserve. She earned her CNM from FNU in 1998 and DNP from FNU in 2020. She has worked as a certified nurse-midwife in Galesburg, Illinois, since 2016. She specializes in natural childbirth and provides individualized education and prenatal care to expectant mothers.
Throughout her career, Cook has graciously shared her time and expertise with others and has precepted more than 260 students.
“Students teach us as much as we teach them,” Cook said of precepting. “They help us see things through new eyes. Some of us that have been practicing for a long time may not know the newest items in healthcare. Students can teach us those things if we are open and willing to learn from them.”
Because of her long and history of service to others as a caregiver, teacher, and preceptor, we are thrilled to present Cathy Cook the 2021 Award for Distinguished Service to Alma Mater. NP Service to Society:
Rhoda Ojwang
DNP, APRN, FNP-C
Dr. Rhoda Ojwang, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, Class 17, is the president and founder of Healthcare Access International Group (HAIG), a nonprofit organization in San Diego dedicated to making healthcare accessible worldwide. Dr. Ojwang earned her DNP from FNU in 2016.
The mission of HAIG is: “To make healthcare accessible among the underserved in Kenya, across Africa, and eventually globally.” HAIG strives to connect people with sustainable healthcare systems to help individuals manage their diseases and stay connected with their health care providers.
“I decided to start HAIG because I am originally from Kenya,” Ojwang said. “Growing up I was privileged to be brought up in a family where I went to the best schools and received top quality health care services when I was ill. Throughout my nursing career here in the United States, I constantly thought of ways to give back to my own people, particularly those who were not as privileged as I was. I had a burning desire to make healthcare accessible to those in need. Lack of access to healthcare and the increasing rate of poverty is a growing global public health problem. Although the same is true for developed nations, the developing nations are in dire need of basic healthcare.”
HAIG achieves its mission through medical mission trips to underserved areas. These missions are 100% dependent on donations. All financial donations received go towards the purchase of medications and supplies.
An example of the impact of the mission trips is a five-day trip to Kenya. On that trip, over 900 patients were served through free health screenings for cervical and breast cancer, diabetes and hypertension, wound care, HIV testing and counseling, ENT and vision screenings.
Dr. Rhoda Ojwang’s inspiration, entrepreneurship, and dedication to serving others make her a very deserving recipient of the 2021 Distinguished Service to Society Award.
FNU Announces 2021 Award Winners
Nancy Reinhart
The Courier Program Unbridled Spirit Award is given annually to a former Courier who has carried the torch of Mary Breckinridge beyond the mountains, perpetuating the mission and spirit of Frontier in their own lives. The criteria for this award include a dedication to serving others; ongoing, longstanding stewardship of Frontier; and demonstration of personal conviction, courage, and a zest for adventure.
Today, Frontier Nursing University graduate Nancy Reinhart, MPH, CNM, Class 155, is a certified nurse-midwife in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Her relationship with Frontier, however, began before she ever became a student. Between her junior and senior years of college, she participated in Frontier’s Courier program.
“My family has always been committed to helping people and giving service,” she said. “But the rural healthcare piece was inspired by my experience in the Courier program. I saw my first birth and it made a tremendous impact on me. I actually chose my master’s program because of that history.”
After her Courier experience, Reinhart earned a master’s degree in public health and began a job in social justice. Soon thereafter she was contacted by Frontier and offered the opportunity to run the Courier program. She became interested in midwifery and began taking classes at FNU while running the Courier program.
After graduating, Reinhart joined WellSpan OB/GYN in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as a full-scope nurse-midwife in July 2020. The practice, which consists of four nurse-midwives and four physicians, is the only one in the area that offers 24/7 nursemidwifery care.
Because of her commitment to Frontier, the Courier program, and nurse-midwifery, we are very proud to name Nancy Reinhart as the recipient of the 2021 Courier Program Unbridled Spirit Award.
Peter Coffin
The Lifetime Service Award recognizes an individual or organization providing longstanding support and commitment to the mission and work of Frontier Nursing Service and Frontier Nursing University.
Peter Coffin is the founder and president at Breckinridge Capital Advisors, a Boston-based fixed income investment manager with over $40 billion in assets under management. Coffin has over 35 years of experience in the investment industry. Before founding Breckinridge in 1993, Coffin was a Senior Vice President with Massachusetts Financial Services (MFS), where he managed municipal bond portfolios and served on the MFS Fixed Income Policy Committee. As a committee member, he shared oversight for all the firm’s fixed income strategies. Coffin began his career as an analyst, first in the Bond and Money Market group of the Connecticut National Bank, and then in Aetna’s Bond Investment division.
Coffin received a B.A. with honors in classical studies from Hamilton College in 1982 and served on the college’s Board of Trustees from 2014 to 2018. He is chair of The Trustees of Reservations, the nation’s oldest preservation and conservation organization. Peter is active in the field of sustainable investing, serving on the Investor Advisory Group for the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and the President’s Council for Ceres. Peter was previously on the board of the Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment (US SIF) and the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB). He speaks regularly at conferences on topics related to the management of fixed income portfolios and sustainable investing, and his commentary on those subjects is often reported in the press.
A long-time supporter of Frontier Nursing University, Coffin serves as the Chair of Frontier’s Foundation Board. Breckinridge Capital Advisors also provides funding for FNU’s Courier program.
Because of his loyal support and dedicated service to Frontier Nursing University, we are honored to present Peter Coffin with the 2021 Lifetime Service Award.
