Alumni News & Notes

Danielle Blackwell’s Award-Winning Essay to Be Published

Danielle Blackwell, MSN, WHCNP (Class 196), who graduated from FNU in June of this year, was recently named a student winner of the Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest for her essay, “She Served Him Well”.

The Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest prompts medical and nursing students to engage in a reflective writing exercise that illustrates an experience in which they or a team member worked to ensure humanistic care.

The winning essays are chosen by an expert panel that includes healthcare professionals, writers/journalists, and educators. The judges selected the winners from over 400 entries from more than 40 nursing schools and over 120 medical schools.

The winning essays will be published in two esteemed journals, Academic Medicine, in the October, November, and December issues, and Journal of Professional Nursing, in the September/October, November/ December, and January/February issues. Academic Medicine is published by the Association of American Medical Colleges, and the Journal of Professional Nursing is published by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Maureen English-Cremeans Published in Journal of Geriatric Nursing

Maureen K. English-Cremeans, MSN, FNP (Class 178), was recently published in the digital version of the Journal of Geriatric Nursing. Her article, “Decision making in frail patients at risk of postoperative delirium: A case study and literature review,” will also be published in the November/ December printed version of the Journal of Geriatric Nursing.

Maureen K. English-Cremeans, Dorothy J. Wholihan, Ellen Olson, Carolyn Zhu, Fred C. Ko, Decision making in frail patients at risk of postoperative delirium: A case study and literature review, Geriatric Nursing, 2022, ISSN 01974572, https://doi.org/10.1016/j. gerinurse.2022.05.009. Judith Butler, DNP, CNM, WHNP, CNE

Julie Knutson, DNP, CNM, WHNP, IBCLC

Judith Butler and Julie Knutson Published in Nursing for Women’s Health

An article by FNU graduate Julie Knutson, DNP (Class 37), CNM, WHNP, IBCLC, and FNU assistant professor Judith Butler, DNP, CNM, WHNP, CNE, was featured on the cover of the June issue of Nursing for Women’s Health, the clinical journal of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. Dr. Knutson is a teaching associate at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

Knutson J, Butler J. Providing Equitable Postpartum Breastfeeding Support at an Urban Academic Hospital. Nurs Women’s Health. 2022 Jun;26(3):184-193. doi: 10.1016/j.nwh.2022.03.002. Epub 2022 Apr 8. PMID: 35398044.

Brie Abbe Joins Mendocino Community Health

Brie Abbe, MSN, CNM (Class 181), has joined Mendocino Community Health Clinic’s (MCHC) Care for Her program in Ukiah, California, Abbe previously worked as an RN on the mother/baby unit at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. She also worked for the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action in Malaysia in 2007. MCHC’s Care for Her program offers obstetrics and gynecological services for women in all stages of life.

JoAnn Eastman Joins Island Wellness Care

JoAnn Eastman, DNP (Class 32), FNP-BC, recently joined Island Sleep Wellness Center in Anacortes, Washington. Eastman, who earned her DNP from FNU, previously worked as a family nurse practitioner at Island Primary Care, also in Anacortes. Drew Hayes Joins Essentia HealthVirginia Clinic

Drew Hayes. MSN, FNP (Class 185), recently joined Essentia Health-Virginia, in Virginia, Minnesota. Hayes specializes in cardiology with a particular focus on the clinic’s heart failure program.

Jennifer Jacobson Joins Essentia Health-Virginia’s General Surgery Team

Jennifer Jacobson, FNP (Class 164), MSN, recently joined the general surgery team at Essentia Health-Virginia, in Virginia, Minnesota. She spent the previous five years working as a registered nurse for Essentia. CentraCare Becker Clinic Welcomes Bridget Johnson

CentraCare’s Becker Clinic in Becker, Minnesota, recently added family medicine nurse practitioner Bridget Johnson, MSN, FNP (Bridge 165), to its team of providers. Johnson’s primary clinical interest is in women’s health.

Shana Johnson Catches Her 1,000th Baby

Shana Johnson, ARNP, FNP-C (Class 182), CNM, delivered her 1,000th baby this spring at EvergreenHealth in Kirkland, Washington. Johnson has worked in EvergreenHealth’s midwifery care unit since 2012 as a certified nurse-midwife and advanced registered nurse practitioner.

Northern Light Mayo Clinic Welcomes Rachel Koransky-Matson

Northern Light Mayo Hospital in DoverFoxcroft, Maine, recently welcomed Rachel Koransky-Matson, DNP, (Companion DNP Class 4), FNP-C to its provider team. Koransky-Matson specializes in diabetes education and counseling. She works with patients on their nutrition, exercise, medication use, and behavioral needs and sees patients both in-person and via telehealth.

Canandaigua Medical Group Welcomes Bridget Lagro

In May, Bridget Lagro, CNM (Class 179), MSN, joined the Thompson Health Canandaigua Medical Group in Canandaigua, New York. Previously, she worked as a registered nurse in neonatal intensive care units in Madison, Wisconsin. Jamie Neal Opens Life Tree Women Care

This spring, Jamie Neal, CNM (Class 164), MSN, opened Life Tree Women Care in Jacksonville, Florida. Her husband Derek is the CEO. As a black-owned and operated business, Life Tree Women Care’s stated mission is “Providing Culturally Competent Quality Healthcare to all.” University of Maryland Shore Medical Group - Women’s Health Welcomes Angie Price

Angie Price, DNP (Class 38), WHNPBC, RNC-OB/C-EFM, recently joined the University of Maryland Shore Medical Group – Women’s Health as a nurse practitioner.

Hillary Sylvester Joins Gifford Health Care

Hillary Sylvester, MSN, RN, CNM (Class 186), recently joined the midwifery team at Gifford Health Care in Randolph, Vermont. Sylvester, who is also a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, worked at the Northwestern Medical Family Birthing Center before coming to Gifford. Munising Memorial Hospital Welcomes Dana Vix

Munising Memorial Hospital in Munising, Michigan, recently welcomed Dana Vix, MSN, FNP (Bridge 165). In addition to her role as a nurse practitioner, Vix also served as a speaker at the hospital’s first annual Women’s Health Fair in May.

“The recommendations of women’s screenings are changing often, and I want to be sure our community is staying up to date,” Vix said. “Women face diverse and unique health challenges across their lifespan which may affect their overall health and wellness.”

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alumniservices@frontier.edu.

Thank you! The Frontier Nursing University Office of Alumni Relations is here to support YOU! Our purpose is to offer helpful programs and services that support our graduates. Alumni are an integral part of FNU’s development because you demonstrate the excellence of FNU in everyday practice. You are also our primary recruiters and most loyal donors. We deeply appreciate your commitment to FNU.

The Alumni Association is open to all graduates of FNU. We currently have more than 8,000 alumni in all 50 states and many countries around the world. We encourage you to explore the services, programs, and activities offered and become involved. There are several ways to stay in touch with friends and connect to FNU including conference receptions; case days; e-newsletters; and the FNU Alumni Facebook Group. To take advantage of all member services, please make sure we have your most recent contact information. Email us at alumniservices@ frontier.edu.