FRONTIER NURSING UNIVERSITY | VOL. 94, NUMBER 4
| WINTER 2020
QUARTERLY BULLETIN
The Power of Precepting
ALSO INSIDE:
Celebrating the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife.
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 1
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chair Michael Carter, DNSc, DNP, Tumbling Shoals, AR Vice Chair Michael T. Rust, Louisville, KY Secretary Wallace Campbell, Ph.D., Berea, KY Treasurer Emma Metcalf, RN, MSN, CPHQ, Louisville, KY
Board Members Carlyle Carter, Evanston, IL Eunice (Kitty) Ernst, CNM, MPH, Perkiomenville, PA Nancy Hines, Shepherdsville, KY Jean Johnson, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, Cabin John, MD Phyllis Leppert, RN, CNM, MD, Ph.D., FACNM, Salt Lake City, UT Marcus Osborne, MBA, Bentonville, AR Kerri Schuiling, Ph.D., CNM, FAAN, FACNM, Marquette, MI Peter A. Schwartz, MD, Wyomissing, PA Nancy Fugate Woods, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, Seattle, WA May Wykle, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, FGSA, Cleveland, OH
Foundation Board Members Peter Coffin, Chair, Frontier Nursing Service, Inc Foundation, Chestnut Hill, MA Derek Bonifer, Louisville, KY Peter Schwartz, MD, Wyomissing, PA
Board Members Emeritus John Foley, Lexington, KY Marion McCartney, CNM, FACNM, Washington, DC Kenneth J. Tuggle, JD, Louisville, KY
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Susan Stone, DNSc, CNM, FAAN, FACNM President Joan Slager, CNM, DNP, FACNM Dean of Nursing Shelley Aldridge, BA Chief Operations Officer Angela Bailey, MA, CFRE Chief Advancement Officer Michael Steinmetz, CPA, CMA, CSCA Executive Vice President for Finance and Facilities Geraldine Young, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CDE, FAANP Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Rachel Mack, Ph.D., DNP, APRN, C-FNP, CNE Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Tonya Nicholson, DNP, CNM, WHNP-BC, CNE, FACNM Department Chair of Midwifery and Women’s Health Lisa Chappell, Ph.D., FNP-BC Department Chair of Family Nursing Jess Calohan, DNP, PMHNP-BC Department Chair of PsychiatricMental Health Jane Houston, DNP, CNM DNP Director Jacquelyne Brooks, DNP, MS ADN-MSN Bridge Director
Contents From the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Year of the Nurse and the Midwife . . . . 2-3 Edith “Edie” Baldwin Wonnell . . . . . . . . . 3 The Power of Precepting . . . . . . . . . . . .4-9 Dr. Rhoda Ojwang. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11 Alumni Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-15 Dr. Geraldine Young . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 News and Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-19 Courier Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-21 Wendover Bed & Breakfast and Retreat Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 In Memoriam/Tributes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Trustees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24-25
From the President Dear Friends, In the Quarterly Bulletin, we are always excited to share news, success stories, and inspirational messages from the work of our amazing alumni, faculty, staff, volunteers, and supporters. We are thankful to have such a close-knit FNU community that supports and inspires one another. There is no shortage of such stories in this issue, where you will read about an FNU alumna’s incredible mission work, influential faculty publications, students performing at the highest levels, volunteers who bring invaluable insight and dedication, and staff who are dedicated to serving the community. We also encourage you to enjoy the special section we have on precepting. In these pages, we will answer your questions about precepting, dispel some myths about precepting, and share stories of the mutual benefits of the experience for both preceptor and student. All of these stories and messages are very important and we are excited to share them with you. We are most excited, however, about the designation of 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife. This designation, made by the World Health Organization, is a year-long opportunity for us to join in a global initiative to spread awareness about the scope of work of nurse and midwives and to demonstrate the impact nurses and midwives can and must have on the healthcare issues facing communities and populations across the globe. I urge you to read more about the International Year of Nurse and Midwife and FNU’s plans to participate on page 2. I also invite you to share your ideas, initiatives, plans, and questions as we embrace this unique and special opportunity. Please join us in making this a very special year, not only for Frontier Nursing University, but nursing and midwifery around the world. Thank you,
P.O. Box 528 • 195 School Street Hyden, KY 41749 FNU@frontier.edu • 606.672.2312
Frontier.edu
SusanSusan Stone, CNM, DNSc, FAAN, FACNM Stone, CNM, DNSc.,
FACNM, FAAN
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 1
Year of the Nurse and the Midwife The Importance of the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife By Dr. Susan E. Stone
President, Frontier Nursing University In 2019, the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO) proposed that the year 2020 be designated the “Year of the Nurse and Midwife” in honor of the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth. The designation, which was approved by the World Health Assembly, was made to bring awareness of the importance of nurses and midwives in providing healthcare of populations across the globe. Why is this important? The reasons are many but begin with worldwide shortages of nurses and midwives. The WHO recognizes the important work of both nurses and midwives in improving healthcare and estimates that the world needs 9 million more nurses and midwives if it is to achieve universal health coverage by 2030. At Frontier Nursing University, we are very excited by the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife because it provides an opportunity to explicate the role of both nurses and midwives in improving health. In the United States, we have significant health challenges. In many cases, these are getting worse, not better. The maternal mortality rate has risen from 7 per 100,000 in 1987 to a current rate estimated at 26 per 100,000. The numbers are even worse for women of color, who die from pregnancy-related illness at three times the rate of white women. Mental health issues plague our country as well. Suicide is the 10thleading cause of death in the United States and more than 130 people die each day from opioid-related illness
Lack of access to primary healthcare, maternal healthcare, and psychiatric mental healthcare persists throughout the U.S., particularly in rural areas. Improving the health of our population begins with an increase in healthcare providers who are well prepared to provide culturally competent primary preventive care as well as the ongoing care of chronic disease. Accessible and high-quality maternity care is critical. The Centers for Disease Control reports that
nearly half of maternal mortality deaths are preventable. Changing this picture will take a team of health care providers and that team must include nurses and midwives. A recent study from Johns Hopkins University found that more 250,000 Americans die every year because of healthcare mistakes. The FNU Doctor of Nursing Practice program focuses on improving health care quality. Together we can make a change.
FNU will be celebrating the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife all year long! Please watch our Quarterly Bulletins, social media pages, blog, and e-newsletters for great stories, data, and resources all year long. Whether your are a nurse-midwife, nurse practitioner, preceptor, donor, faculty, staff, or volunteer, we encourage you to share your stories with us and to let us know what the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife means to you.
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Edith “Edie” Baldwin Wonnell While we recognize the negative information, the good news is that we can improve. At Frontier Nursing University we are educating nurses and midwives with the primary goal of assuring that they are well prepared to serve in rural and underserved areas. We must create a diverse healthcare workforce, a workforce that can competently serve persons and families from many different cultures that are representative of our United States. We can do this! The designation of 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and Midwife provides an opportunity for us to showcase the role of nurses and midwives. We must educate the public, our legislators, and our colleagues about the scope of
The world needs 9 million more nurses and midwives if it is to achieve universal health coverage by 2030. practice and qualifications of nurse practitioners and nurse-midwives. We need to assure that nurses and midwives are at the tables when decisions about healthcare are being made. We know that we must change and improve the current healthcare system. We have to be sure that every family and every individual has access to healthcare. We have to be able to provide healthcare in the community, in the home, in birthing centers, in family clinics, wherever it is that families are accessing healthcare. Throughout the Year of the Nurse and Midwife, we will be promoting the role of the nurse and the midwife and the role of nurse practitioners. We hope that you will view the stories about the impactful work of our graduates, students, faculty and preceptors. Join us in promoting midwifery and nursing across the United States throughout the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife.
FNU Mourns the Passing of Edith “Edie” Baldwin Wonnell, CNM (May 14, 1931 - December 21, 2019) It was with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Edith Baldwin Wonnell on December 21, 2019. Edie, as she was known, was a leader and pioneer in the nurse-midwifery in the United States. She beautifully modeled the mission of the nurse-midwifery program of Frontier Nursing University which states, in part, “to educate nurses to become competent, entrepreneurial, ethical, and compassionate nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners who are leaders in the primary care of women and families….” Because of her development of freestanding birth centers and her extraordinary life-long dedication to the profession, we were honored to present her with the Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, in 2018.
University. She first worked as a nursemidwife at the Home Birth Service of Maternity Center Association.
Edie’s remarkable story demonstrates the importance of applying relationship, resilience, and reflection to pioneering change. Her story reveals two of the most basic characteristics of all successful leaders: a passion for their work and willingness to take calculated risks. When Edie began her work, she had the wisdom and vision to see that ALL childbearing women were being underserved. She answered her call to nursing and midwifery by establishing a comprehensive family-centered maternity service in the 1960s and two freestanding birth centers in the 1970s.
Edie’s entrepreneurial drive led her to open the Bryn Mawr Birth Center in 1978 and The Birth Center in Wilmington, Delaware, in 1982. Today, both birth centers operate at full capacity. Simply put, she developed the entrepreneurial model that has played a major role in offering an alternative to the not-for-profit birth center model.
She grew up on a farm in Woodbridge, Connecticut. Her father was a state senator and chairman of the New England Republican Party in the years following World War II. Edie was educated in nursing at Skidmore College, and in midwifery in one of the first classes at Columbia
In 1961, Edie married Jim Wonnell and relocated to Pennsylvania. There, as Edie began her family of four children, she was recruited by a group of mothers to establish one of Philadelphia’s first childbirth education courses. The participants met in weekly evening classes in a church basement, laying the foundation for the activist women to proceed to establish the Philadelphia Childbirth Education Association. In 1967, Edie was recruited by the Wilmington Medical Center to establish their ground-breaking childbirth education and family-centered maternity care services.
A debt of gratitude is owed to Edie for her participation in national research on birth centers. Edie’s never-ending contributions in voluntary service on the Boards and Committees of the American College of Nurse-Midwives, American Association of Birth Centers, and the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers provide an extraordinary role model of selfless service. We will miss Edie tremendously, but her spirit, impact, and inspiration will live on for generations to come.
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The Power of Precepting
Believe. Begin. Become. Believe in the Power of Caring. Begin Your Journey to Creating Change. Become a Preceptor and Transform the Future.
In Their Own Words “The most valuable part for me as a preceptor is just the opportunity to give back to my midwifery community. The opportunity to help a student achieve their dream, advancing midwifery through research and keeping things up to date and passing that to the students. I’m always learning from the students as well as new things are coming out, so it’s just an opportunity to learn for both myself and the student.” Nephthalie Hypolite CNM
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Believe in the Power of Caring Every family deserves quality healthcare. With your help, we believe it can happen. With nearly 2,400 nurse-midwife and nurse practitioner students from all 50 states, it is crucial that we have established relationships with preceptors and clinical sites nationwide. To fulfill the dreams of all of our future nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners, we need providers like you who believe in the mission of FNU and the impact our graduates have on their communities. Your passion for caring for patients matched with our shared mission will lead to the best quality care for families across the country.
PRECEPTING BY THE NUMBERS ACTIVE FNU PRECEPTORS:
2,110 preceptors for all programs during the Winter 2020 term PRECEPTORS NEEDED:
In any given term, FNU has approximately 600 students in clinical courses
Begin Your Journey to Creating Change Compassionate healthcare begins with compassionate preceptors. It took dedicated practitioners like you to help you get to where you are today. Now is your chance to give back to your profession and follow in their footsteps. Your clinical experience and expertise can help guide the future of our students so they too can provide high-quality care and truly make a difference for families everywhere.
Begin Your Journey as a Preceptor with The Gift of Precepting CE Course • Participate in free online training courses for new and experienced preceptors - “The Gift of Precepting” and “The Master Preceptor” (.2 CEUs each) • Promote your profession through the education and guidance of your future peers • Help expand access to quality, compassionate care, to rural and underserved populations • Earn an honorarium based on the percentage of time spent precepting students • Learn more at www.frontier.edu/preceptor
In Their Own Words “When I’m around the students, I sometimes get a little weepy because they are so excited about being there, and it makes me realize we have to keep going for the sake of not only the women they’re going to serve, but it makes a huge difference in their lives. They’re very empowered. People are empowered by education. It changes their lives, so being around them is what keeps me going.” Nadene Brunk CNM, Class 08
Transform the Future Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 5
The Power of Precepting Become a Preceptor and Transform the Future With dedicated and passionate nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners like you, we can deliver better healthcare. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of women, children, and families everywhere. Take the next step and become a preceptor today.
In Their Own Words “It is a very rewarding experience because you get to take young midwives under your wing and you help them become a midwife. And it’s just very rewarding because over the years you see those students, those students remember you, they’re no longer students, now they’re midwives, and it’s just like, you go back and reminisce with them. It’s just such a rewarding experience to work with students and to see them become midwives.” Marcia Jackson CNM 6 Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin
You believe in the power of caring, FNU’s mission, the importance of improving access and quality of care and the impact that nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners have on communities. Now it’s time to begin your journey to giving back, to molding our nation’s practitioners and creating change. Become a preceptor and transform the future.
What is the role of Regional Clinical Faculty? The Regional Clinical Faculty (RCF) serves as the student’s advisor during the clinical portion of the program. The RCF will approve the overall clinical plan and provide guidance and support to both the student and preceptor during this time in the student’s curriculum. The RCF evaluates both the clinical site and preceptor to ensure excellence before the student begins the clinical experience. Like our students and course faculty, our RCFs are located across the United States. Most students are matched with an RCF who lives in the region of the country close to them.
Real Talk About Precepting: RCFs Audra Cave and Cathy Cook Share Their Insights as Preceptors To better explain the role of RCFs and answer questions about precepting, RCFs Audra Cave, DNP, FNP-BC, Class 49 and Cathy Cook, MSN, CNM, CNEP Class 17, agreed to share their experiences as preceptors. “I decided to precept for several reasons,” said Cave, who precepts in Spindale, North Carolina. “It is an excellent opportunity to give back to the community of FNPs. I want Audra Cave (left) and Cathy Cook (right) to help the next generation of FNP providers as I had help along the way too. I also learn from students. Precepting keeps me on my toes.” “Students teach us as much as we teach them,” added Cook, who precepts in Galesburg, Illinois. “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.”
Part of that shared learning process is finding the time to do so. Cave suggested that having a plan can reduce stress and provide the best outcomes for the preceptor, student, and patient. Building a relationship between preceptor and student is important so that both parties understand the other’s expectations. “Meeting the student where she/he is and figuring out how best they learn,” Cook said when asked about how to create a positive mutual experience. “What works with some does not work with others.” Both Cave and Cook stress that there are significant benefits to being a preceptor. Cave said that the best part of precepting is “the connection to the student and watching student growth.” Cook added that she enjoys the moment “the light bulb comes on when the student gets it and watching their confidence soar.” Those are the reasons Cave and Cook continue to give back and why they are encouraging their colleagues to do the same. They stress the importance of precepting and the mutual benefits it can have for both student and preceptor. “Do it, you will be glad you did,” Cave said. “It will remind you of your humble beginnings and refresh your passion for patient care. Knowing that you played a part in teaching a competent new provider is rewarding.”
Are You Qualified to Be a Preceptor? Let’s Check! FNU needs preceptors with the following credentials: National certification in specialty area One year of relevant experience in advanced practice role Master’s Degree or higher in nursing-related field (we do allow BSN for midwives, but an MSN is preferred) MDs and DOs For PMHNP students: MSN prepared LCSWs, LSWs, MFTs, and LDACs.
Qualifications for Preceptors Frontier Nursing University recruits preceptors from the following specialties: • Certified Nurse-Midwife • Certified Family Nurse Practitioner • Certified Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner • Certified Psych-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
In Their Own Words “I would encourage anyone who is considering being a preceptor to go for it. You have nothing to lose, you have everything to gain. The friendships that you will build with the new generation of midwives, the fact that you’ll be learning along with your students. The fact that you’re giving back to the midwifery community is just invaluable.” Susan Clapp CNM, Class 81 Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 7
The Power of Precepting Dear Preceptors Thank you letter from Megan Ames, RN, BSN, CNEP Class 157 to Rebecca Cole, CNM Rebecca,
less barriers and more connection. You labored with moms, rubbed their backs, encouraged them, you were with women. You never shamed me for naturally being “hands poised,” but encouraged me to seek the moments when “hands-on” may be appropriate. All of these moments solidified for me that there is room for me as a midwife in a hospital setting. That I can flexibly mold and find the moments that bring connection. The moments that truly help clients “remember their birth well.”
This past year I have really challenged myself to function differently than I ever have. I have charged myself with the motto, “it’s all already been created, stay curious, just keep walking this out.” I felt so challenged after my initial labor experiences in the hospital setting in Yakima not knowing if I had made the right choice in pursuing nurse-midwifery. I wondered if I would be able to stay soft, to safeguard normal birth, to allow for a calm transition for the birthing family. I questioned if I had missed something “big” in my didactic courses. When we attended labors together I sensed your calm immediately and it is something I treasure so much. You have such a wealth of experience surrounding labor and birth that you just flow in that setting. I want to bottle it up for the first labor and birth I attend as a midwife and sprinkle it on my head before I go into the birth. The moment you showed me how to set up for catching a baby without breaking the bed down I almost cried. You chucked the long blue garb of a sterile gown and I thought “oh thank you Jesus.” I was so desperate for an experience even 1% similar to my own out-of-hospital birth experiences,
Thank you for saying yes to having a student. It requires always thinking out loud, remembering to text another person when the hospital calls, moving more slowly in clinic, allowing for a change in your routine, sitting on your hands during a birth when you probably really would rather have your hands on that sweet baby and momma. I am grateful for you. You have a nurturing spirit and allowed room for me to find my own way. I promise to take that with me as a baby midwife. Forever grateful, Megan Ames
CONTACT US To learn more about precepting, contact The FNU Department of Clinical Outreach and Placement. Our staff will be happy to: • • • •
Answer questions about the process to become a preceptor Provide support to preceptors as they utilize the online preceptor profile portal Provide information regarding our Master and Expert Preceptor programs Answer questions regarding preceptor honorariums
You can reach our department via email at ClinicalAdvising@frontier.edu.
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Dear Preceptors Thank you letter from Ruby Stocking, MSN, RN, CNEP Class 170 to Preceptor Karen Swift, CNM Karen, Where to begin. I mean it when I say that there are no words to truly express my gratitude for you. You have given me my most important and most treasured gift. You have given me my dream. You have made me a midwife. I think back on the beginning of this journey for me, putting my passion into fruition and going through literal blood, sweat, tears, and amniotic fluid to become a midwife. As with any journey, there are ups and downs, but I can say without a sliver of doubt that this journey, as hard as it has been, has been the most rewarding, fulfilling, and positive experience of my entire life and it is because of you, Karen. I often wonder what I did to deserve having wonderful you as my preceptor, because I am the luckiest student midwife and thank the universe every day for aligning the stars in the way that to bring you into my life. To have had the opportunity to watch you with women, absorb your brain-full of all of the most evidence-based knowledge, hear your elegant way of speaking, and observe the way you listen has been the most cherished learning opportunity. You have a sprinkle of some intangible, unexplainable goodness that makes you exceptional and it has been the greatest honor to have truly learned from the best. Thank you for letting me be your student. Thank you for always pushing me to dive deeper into my skills and learning, even when it felt so uncomfortable. Thank you for exercising the greatest amount of patience every time I have slowly repaired a laceration. Thank you for always saying ‘good job’ at the end
of every call shift – you’ll never know how closely I hold on to your compliments. Thank you for always laughing with me until we cried and for always talking to me about our shared passion for composting, animal rescues, and healthy creamer in our downtime. You have become so much more than a preceptor to me Karen. You are a maternal figure, a best friend, my greatest role model, and my midwife in every sense of the word. Thank you for midwifing me through the hardest part of my midwife journey. My heart is forever full. Love, Ruby
In Their Own Words “My preceptor is very valuable to me. You can feel and you know that they actually want you here and they want you to actually become the best nurse-midwife you can be, so they’re very valuable to me.” Stephanie Allotey MSN, CNM, DNP, Class 31
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Dr. Rhoda Ojwang Is On A Mission Dr. Rhoda Ojwang Leads Effort to Make Healthcare Accessible Globally Dr. Rhoda A. Ojwang, DNP, FNP-C, Class 17, is leading an organization with an ambitious mission: “To make healthcare accessible among the underserved in Kenya, across Africa, and eventually globally.” Dr. Ojwang, who lives in San Diego, California, works with Advanced Pain Associates, an interventional pain management practice in Imperial Valley treating and managing acute and chronic pains. She also serves as the president and founder of Healthcare Access International Group (HAIG), a 501c3 non-profit organization incorporated in San Diego in 2018 dedicated to making healthcare accessible worldwide. HAIG’s mission is made possible through shortterm medical mission trips to underserved areas. “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 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.”
Ojwang was inspired by her father, who is an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist in Kenya. He also organizes free medical clinics to help the community’s underserved population.
Dr. Rhoda Ojwang individuals manage their diseases and stay connected with their health care providers. Ojwang says that HAIG is focusing on Kenya currently, and plans to spread its wings into some other underserved areas of Africa, and other parts of the world in the very near future.
HAIG strives to connect people with sustainable healthcare systems to help
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“My passion for serving the underserved came to fruition in April 2016 when I joined a group of health care professionals that went to deliver free medical care to an underserved area in Kenya,” Ojwang said. “This was my first medical mission trip. During this trip, I experienced an epiphany as to how much need there was among this community in terms of access and affordability of basic healthcare.” Ojwang began her nursing career at Southwest Tennessee Community College, where she received her Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) in 2007. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at Chamberlain College of Nursing in 2010 and a Masters in Nursing (MSN) as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) at Azusa Pacific University in 2013. Soon thereafter, she enrolled at Frontier Nursing University, obtaining her Doctor of Nursing Practice. “I am a proud FNU alumnus and wide neighborhood ambassador,” Ojwang said. “The DNP role prepares the graduate for the leadership role in the clinical setting, education, and the executive level. Pertaining to HAIG, I believe my leadership skills have been amplified with the attainment of the DNP degree.” HAIG’s work is 100% dependent on donations. All financial donations received go towards the purchase of medications and supplies. Currently,
“HAIG is also very supportive of students, and would be willing to take a few FNU students on its medical mission trips to experience treatment and management of tropical diseases among other cases rarely seen in the United States,” Ojwang said. “HAIG would like to establish this long-lasting partnership with FNU. Student participation in HAIG’s medical mission trips would count towards their clinical hours as the HAIG team has medical professionals who would offer preceptor-ship and sign for hours.”
Ojwang said that one of the primary areas of focus for HAIG is preventative medicine. She noted that cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in low and middleincome countries, due to inadequate access to screening and treatment. HAIG has three board members and 12 organizing team members. “We are all volunteers who share the same vision in making healthcare accessible to the underserved areas,” Ojwang said. “Running a non-profit organization is not an easy task. You have to ensure the people you are working with share the same vision as the organization does.” Early last year, HAIG served the underprivileged community in Kitale, Kenya, during a five-day medical mission 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. Patients were referred for continuity of care, treatment initiation, medication management, and follow-up. This was made possible through a partnership with AMPATH Kenya, which is an academic medical partnership between North American academic health centers led by Indiana University School of Medicine and Moi University School of Medicine in Kenya. AMPATH’s mission is to make quality
healthcare achievable and sustainable for all. The partnership between AMPATH and HAIG provides comprehensive and preventive care through a sustainable health system that reduces health disparities. HAIG has another medical mission trip planned for June 15-18, 2020, to Kisumu, Kenya. In addition to the services offered on last year’s trip, HAIG hopes to recruit surgeons who can offer general surgery, orthopedic surgery, and ophthalmology services this year.
“HAIG is on the forefront in increasing awareness about this killer disease through screening and vaccination,” Ojwang said. “Global health focuses on improving people’s health worldwide, reducing inequalities, and protecting society from global threats such as preventable diseases that do not stop at the national borders.” To learn more about HAIG, visit their website at www.haighealthcare.net
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 11
Alumni Notes Alumni Spotlight: Janice Macopson, FNP-C, DNP For 44 years, Janice Macopson, FNP-C, DNP, Class 30, has worked in various positions at Carolinas Healthcare System – Blue Ridge, an Atrium Health Hospital in Morganton, N.C. She became a nurse practitioner in 2001 and began her work at Blue Ridge Cardiology in 2011. In June 2019, Macopson crossed a major item off her bucket list, earning her Doctor of Nursing Practice from FNU. “My friend told me about this amazing school in Kentucky,” Macopson said. “I did some research for myself and read about Mary Breckinridge, and I was just taken in. Coming from rural North Carolina and working with women and children, I felt it was ideal, a perfect match for me.” After being accepted into FNU’s DNP program, Macopson read Wide Neighborhoods, Mary Breckinridge’s biography. “I could not put the book down,” she said. “I felt like I was in the trenches with her. It’s almost mystical, when you have a passion for nursing, to read about how passionate she was.”
manage their condition, Macopson’s DNP project was to implement the “Get With the Guidelines – Heart Failure” program into her practice. An American Heart Association program, “Get With The Guidelines – Heart Failure” is an in-hospital program that promotes consistent adherence to the latest scientific treatment guidelines and has demonstrated success in achieving significant improvements in patient outcomes. Macopson teamed up with the quality improvement committee at Carolinas Healthcare System – Blue Ridge to implement chart audits and analyze what they could improve upon using the “Get With The Guidelines” measures. Macopson’s continuity advisor Khara Jefferson, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, played a major role in her DNP project. “My weakness was the Internet, YouTube, and online classes,” Macopson said. “Khara was always available to me, answered all my calls and calmly helped me through my planning phase. She was especially patient when it came to helping me through presentations and other things online.”
Jacqueline Peterson Joins Wentworth Health Partners OB/GYN & Infertility
Macopson puts that passion into her current position at Blue Ridge Cardiology, where she sees adults with coronary artery disease, cardiac illnesses, and other conditions that put them at high risk for heart failure, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and hypertension. Knowing firsthand how difficult it is for diagnosed heart failure patients to understand and
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Jacqueline Peterson, MSN, CNM, Class 142, recently joined Wentworth Health Partners OB/GYN & Infertility in Dover, New Hampshire.
Steven Benso Receives DAISY Foundation Nurse Leader Award Steven Benso, MSN, FNP, Class 146, received the DAISY Foundation Nurse Leader Award this fall. Benso provides primary and express care at The Allegheny Clinic in Wexford, Pennsylvania. Benso was nominated for the award by a coworker, whose submission letter stated, “I am a behavioral health provider embedded in the primary care/ express care office in which Steve works and have the opportunity to work with Steve on a regular basis. I am always extremely impressed with his attention to the behavioral health concerns of his patients, his attunement to the mindbody connection, his compassion for his patients, and his willingness to go above and beyond for them. The mutual patients he and I share always rave about his care, and I feel lucky to be a colleague of Steve’s!” For nearly 20 years, The DAISY Foundation has been recognizing the compassion and skill direct care Nurses bring to their patients every day. Over 125,000 nurses have received The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses in 3,700+ healthcare facilities and schools of nursing internationally. After graduation, Benso continued his education by taking a psychiatric pharmacology course at FNU. “I believe that the primary care setting must help the current burden of patients that our psychiatric/mental health professionals provide care
to,” said Benso, who continued his education after graduation by taking a psychopharmacology course at FNU in 2018. “There are times where individuals may not be seen in a timely fashion by a specialist. Being mindful of the attention to a patient’s mental health is crucial and necessary in order to provide total care to them as a person.”
Marie Labadie-DeGennaro Presents at WRNRC and IHI Conferences
Darla Berry Leads New Nurse-Midwifery Practice at Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital Darla Berry, MSN, CNM, Class 13, is the manager of nurse-midwifery services at Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital’s new midwifery practice. In a report about the practice published on the hospital’s website, Berry talked about the collaboration with physicians in the hospital. “We work very closely with physicians,” Berry said. “Our care philosophy is research-based, and my job is to help women walk that path and know what their options are and know why they’re choosing to do or not to do something.” She added that she hopes the addition of the practice will help address Indiana’s high mortality rates. “What this practice and an endorsement by the School of Medicine can do is solidify our place at the table as midwives and as owners of that midwifery body of knowledge that acknowledges we are a piece of the solution to this problem.”
Labadie-DeGennaro recently accepted a position at the University of South Florida where she hopes to pass on what she has learned. “I have always wanted to teach and impact new learners while they find new ways to improve healthcare within their communities,” she said. “I will continue to pursue my passion for research and quality improvement in the clinic and in the classroom.” She credits FNU for inspiring her to make a difference and to lead others to do the same.
Marie Labadie-DeGennaro, DNP, Class 32, was chosen to present her DNP poster at the Washington Regional Nursing Research Consortium (WRNRC) 10th Annual Doctoral Student Research Conference in November and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) National Forum in December. Labadie-DeGennaro treats patients at Care One of Florida Urgent Care in Hudson, Florida. She also recently passed the certification exam as a Child Protection Team Medical Examiner and is now a member of the child protection team for Pasco County, Florida. “My doctoral project was done in urgent care on improving patient-centered respiratory care through shared decision making,” Labadie-DeGennaro said. “My passion for patient-centered care and palliative care focusing on comfort, satisfaction, and evidenced-based practices drove my project and team to show improved overall outcomes.”
“I was lucky to have continuity staff and wonderful influences during my journey with Frontier,” she said. “Dr. Holly Powell Kennedy, Dr. Diana Jolles, Dr. Jane Houston, and Dr. Jacquelyne Bodea all sparked excitement for learning that isn’t ordinary. It truly made the educational process less painful and more of an exciting evolution of uncovering more about myself and what differences I can make in healthcare and quality improvement.”
Julie Percefull DNP’s Project Published in the Journal of American Association of Nurse Practitioners
Julie Percefull
Judith Butler
Julie Percefull, DNP, Class 31, FNP, recently had her DNP project published in the 2020 Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. The article by Percefull and FNU assistant
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Alumni Notes professor Judith Butler, DNP, CNM, WHNP, CNE, is entitled “Improving mammography through effective screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment at a rural health center.*”
Melanie Emily Joins Heart of Kansas Family Health Care In December, Melanie Emily, FNP, DNP, Class 31, joined the Heart of Kansas Family Health Care in Great Bend, Kansas.
*Percefull, J.; Butler, J. “Improving mammography through effective screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment at a rural health center”. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, v. Online Now, 9000. ISSN 2327-6924.
Jennifer Cameron Delivers First Baby of 2020 Jennifer Cameron, MSN, CNM, Bridge 74, made headlines on New Year’s Day when she delivered the first baby of the year in Manistee, Michigan. It was news because the baby was born at Transitions Women’s Wellness Center, a free-standing birth center in Manistee, instead of a hospital. “For this to be so historic of an event in Manistee County is pretty special. This is the first time that the first baby in Manistee was not born in a hospital,” Cameron told WPBN-TV.
“I started my nursing career 13 years ago and have always been passionate about rural health and increasing access to care,” Emily told the Great Bend Tribune. “This calling was fueled by the mission of Frontier Nursing University and then amplified as I worked on my doctorate. I saw first-hand how difficult it is for uninsured patients to receive the treatment they deserve for preventive, primary and chronic care. The mission of Heart of Kansas answers the call to my heart.”
Charles Davis and Jodie Kaufman Present at Nurse Practitioner Association Conference
Transitions Women’s Wellness Center has become much busier of late since Munson Healthcare Manistee discontinued delivery services in the spring of 2019. “I’ve picked up the slack here at Transitions,” Cameron said. “We’ve gotten a lot busier since this has happened and I’m really thankful that I’m here and able to fill that gap. This is my hometown. I love this community and I treat them as though they’re family.”
FNU Well Represented at Institute for Healthcare Improvement Forum on Quality Improvement in Health Care
More than 30 FNU students, alumni, and faculty attended the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Forum on Quality Improvement in Health Care in Orlando, Florida, last December. Altogether, the FNU representatives accounted for nearly two dozen poster presentations.
Melissa Slaght is Part of New Childbirth Center
Charles R. Davis, MSN, FNP, Class 154, and Regional Clinical Faculty Jodie Kaufman, DNP presented a poster titled, “Nurse Practitioners as Healthcare Inventors and Innovators: A New Primary Space Practice Opportunity” at the Annual Nurse Practitioner Association Conference in October in Verona, New York.
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Melissa Slaght, CNM, Class 71, is a certified nurse-midwife at Geisinger Women’s Health in Scranton, Pennsylvania. In October, she was part of the team that opened the Geisinger Community Medical Center’s new Childbirth Center.
FNU Alumni Association The Frontier Nursing University Office of Alumni Relations is here to support YOU! Our purpose is to find new and meaningful ways to engage and support Alumni — from graduation throughout your career. Alumni are an integral part of FNU’s development because you demonstrate the excellence of FNU in everyday practice and because you are our primary recruiters and most loyal donors. We appreciate your commitment to FNU, and we plan to offer additional rewarding programs in return soon. Services are open to all graduates of FNU. We currently have more 6,000 alumni in all 50 states and many countries around the world. We encourage you to explore the services, programs, and activities offered and to become involved. There are several wonderful ways to stay in touch with friends and connected to FNU including; reunions, conference receptions, case days, eNews, and our very active Facebook Group. To take advantage of all member services, please make sure we have your updated contact information by emailing us at alumniservices@frontier.edu.
Cortez Integrated Healthcare Welcomes Back Kirsten Howell
Jean Stagner Named Co-Chair of Memorial Medical Center Department of OB/GYN
Kirstin Howell, MSN, FNP, Class 130, recently returned to Cortez Integrated Healthcare in Cortez, Colorado, where she previously completed her clinical training. Howell sees all patients but focuses on pediatrics and women’s health.
Jean Stagner, CNM, FNP, Class 157, was recently named co-chair of the Department of OB/GYN at Memorial Medical Center in Las Cruces, N.M. Along with Alison Clark, CNM, they are the first nurse-midwives to serve as co-chairs of the department.
Tara James Joins AdventHealth Medical Group Tara James, MSN, FNP-C, Class 127, recently joined AdventHealth Medical Group Urgent Care in Calhoun, Georgia. Previously, James worked as a nurse practitioner in AdventHealth’s emergency department in Gordon County, Georgia.
Attention 2015, 2017 and 2019 Graduates FNU surveys its alumni one year, three years and five years post-graduation. The Alumni Survey is designed to give graduates an opportunity to reflect upon their education at Frontier Nursing University after graduation. The information collected is used to identify strengths in our programs as well as areas that need further development. During March we will be surveying alumni that graduated Jan – March of 2015, 2017 and 2019. All participants will be entered into a drawing to win prizes from the gift shop. Please participate by checking your email and completing the survey. If you do not receive an email with a link to the survey or prefer a paper copy please contact the Director of Institutional Assessment Marilyn Lyons at Marilyn.Lyons@Frontier.edu.
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Dr. Geraldine Young FNU Welcomes Dr. Geraldine Young as New Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Dr. Geraldine Young, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CDE, FAANP, has been appointed as the new Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer (CDIO) at Frontier Nursing University. Dr. Young, who began her new position on January 6, will be working with Dr. Erin Tenney, Interim CDIO, through March 22 in an orientation role. Dr. Young, whose service in the nursing profession spans over 19 years, holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (2010), an MSN from Alcorn State University (2005), and a BSN from the University of Mississippi Medical Center (2001). She is also a board-certified family nurse practitioner (FNP) (2005) and a certified diabetes educator (2011). “We are so proud to welcome Dr. Geraldine Young to Frontier Nursing University,” said FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, CNM, DNSc, FAAN, FACNM. “She is an incredibly strong advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion and brings a wealth of experience and leadership to FNU. We are excited to have her lead our diversity and inclusion initiatives and build upon the progress that we have made.” Dr. Young is a National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) Leadership Fellow and Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (FAANP). She has been deemed a content expert for one of the leading credentialing bodies for NPs, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). She serves on an array of national committees to advance nurse practitioner education, including the NONPF Curricular Leadership Committee (co-chair) and Conference Committee. She is also a member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Essentials Task Force.
Inclusion Coordinator Chris Turley, and Assistant Director of Diversity and Inclusion Devon Peterika. FNU has received the prestigious Higher Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine in both 2018 and 2019. The Health Professions HEED Award is the only national honor recognizing U.S. medical, dental, pharmacy, osteopathic, nursing, veterinary, allied health, and other health schools and centers that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion across their campuses. As a member of the Essentials Task Force, Dr. Young is ensuring cultural diversity and inclusion are at the forefront of nursing education to address the health disparities and inequalities that exist in our nation. She has effectively delivered models of clinical practice to improve the outcomes of underserved and minority populations with diabetes in conjunction with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS). “It is truly an honor and a pleasure to be selected as the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Frontier Nursing University,” Dr. Young said. “I, along with my colleagues, look forward to transforming Frontier Nursing University to the next level by continuing to strengthen an environment that promotes diversity, inclusion, and equity and promotes the success of all community members.” In 2017, FNU established the position of Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer (CDIO), which is a member of the President’s Cabinet. Dr. Maria ValentinWelch was FNU’s first CDIO and, behind her leadership, the Diversity and Inclusion Office has now grown to include the CDIO, Diversity and
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FNU’s commitment to emphasizing and valuing diversity and inclusion was formally instituted in 2006 when we began intense efforts to recruit minority students to our programs. FNU’s initial efforts were funded through the support of an Advanced Nurse Education grant from the Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA). In 2010, FNU held its first annual Diversity Impact Conference. Held each summer since then, the Diversity Impact Conference opens the door for nurse practitioner and nurse-midwifery students plus faculty and staff to foster collaborative discussions, address health disparities, and find proactive solutions to improve minority health among underrepresented and marginalized groups. Today the goal of a diverse health care workforce continues with efforts to recruit and educate faculty, staff, students, and preceptors and integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts throughout all of FNU operations with a goal that it should be fully integrated in the university’s culture. FNU’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts are currently funded with a Nursing Workforce Diversity Grant from the HRSA.
News and Notes Diana Jolles and Susan Rutledge Stapleton Published in The Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing
FNU Faculty Members Published in Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health
Nursing/ Childbirth category in the American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Awards announced in December. The book was also awarded second place in the Community and Public Health category. Pictured left to right are Diana Jolles and Susan Stapleton FNU faculty member Diana Jolles, PhD, CNM, FACNM, and Susan Stapleton, DNP, Class 01, co-authored “The Experience of Land and Water Birth Within the American Association of Birth Centers Perinatal Data Registry, 2012-2017*”. The article, which was published in The Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing, was also co-authored by Carol Snapp, DNSc; Jennifer Wright, MA; and Nancy A. Niemczyk, PhD. *Snapp, C.; Stapleton, S. R.; Wright, J.; Niemczyk, N. A. et al. “The Experience of Land and Water Birth Within the American Association of Birth Centers Perinatal Data Registry,” 2012-2017. The Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing, 34, n. 1, p. 16-26, 2020.
“The Maternal Health Crisis in America” Awarded Two Book of the Year Honors “The Maternal Health Crisis in America*”, co-authored by FNU professor emerita Dr. Barbara A. Anderson, DrPH, RN, CNM, FACNM, FAAN, and Lisa R. Roberts, DrPH, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, CHES, FAANP, was awarded first place in the Maternal-Child Health/Prenatal/
Diane John and Cydne Marckmann Co-Author Article for The Journal of Nurse Practitioners
Pictured left to right are Dwynn Golden, Dawn Lovelace and Linda McDaniel FNU faculty members Dwynn Golden, DNP, CNM, OB/GYN NP; Dawn Lovelace, DNP, CNM, FNP-C; and Linda McDaniel, DNP, MSN recently co-authored “Long-term effects of breast cancer surgery, treatment, and survivor care.+” The article was published in the Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health. The article states, “Breast cancer survivors have multiple long-term sequelae of treatment and require holistic primary care to meet the physical, psychological, and social needs.” +Lovelace, D., McDaniel, L.R., Golden, D. (2019). Long-term effects of breast cancer surgery, treatment, and survivor care. Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health, 64(6), 713-724.
Pictured left to right are Diane John and Cydne Marckmann FNU Associate Professor Diane John, PhD, ARNP, FNP-BC, and Cydne Marckmann, FNP, Class 157, were recently published in The Journal of Nurse Practitioners. Their article is entitled “Telemedicine, Quality Initiative for Concussion Management.”^ ^Marckmann, C. & John, D. (2020). “Telemedicine, Quality Initiative for Concussion Management.” The Journal of Nurse Practitioners, 16 (1). e9-e12.
FNU Staff Donate Undergarments to Local Schools FNU employees embraced the Culture of Caring this holiday season by donating needed items to local elementary school Family Resource Centers (FRCs). In particular, the FRC identified a need for children’s undergarments in all sizes. Employees answered the call, utilizing funds and personal donations to provide new undergarments for Simmons/ Northside Elementary Schools. In total, more than 50 packages of new underwear (approximately 200 garments) were donated and delivered to the schools in January.
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News and Notes
Stay Up to Date with The Frontier Digital Depot The Frontier Digital Depot has content to help keep you up to date on clinical topics! There are videos, slideshows, and other instructional content from current FNU courses. You can also explore DNP student final projects and view recent
FNU Faculty Present at Conference on Meaningful Living and Learning in a Digital World 2020
Pictured left to right are Katheryn Arterberry, Lisa Chappell, and Diane John. FNU faculty members Katheryn Arterberry, DNP, MSN, FNP; Lisa Chappell, PhD, FNP-BC; and Diane John, PhD, ARNP, FNP-BC, were co-presenters at the Conference on Meaningful Living and Learning in
publications and presentations from FNU faculty, staff, and students. Find the Frontier Digital Depot at https:// frontier.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/ or by simply typing “Frontier Digital Depot” into your search engine.
a Digital World 2020 in February. The title of their presentation was “Promoting a Culture of Self Care in a Virtual Community.#” #Arterberry, K.; Chappell, L.; John, D. (2020). “Promoting a Culture of Self Care in a Virtual Community.” Conference on Meaningful Living and Learning in a Digital World 2020.
students from underrepresented populations to become nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners. Conference participants have the opportunity to learn and celebrate, while also connecting with and providing information to prospective students. FNU is a proud recipient of the Nursing Workforce Diversity (NWD) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant that funds a Professional Organizational Mentoring Program (POMP) which makes it possible to send faculty mentors and student mentees to many conferences throughout the year. Conferences Diversity Impact students and faculty attended the last few months include:
Diversity Impact Ambassadors Attend Multiple Conferences in 2019
• American College of NurseMidwives (May)
FNU is proud to celebrate diversity in nursing, which is why student Diversity Impact ambassadors, faculty members, and alumni attend a variety of annual conferences that do just that. A product of FNU’s diversity and inclusion initiative, the Diversity Impact Program promotes diversity in nursing and nursemidwifery by recruiting and retaining
• National Black Nurses Association ( July)
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• American Association of Nurse Practitioners ( June)
• National Association of Hispanic Nurses ( July) • Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (September) • American Association of Birth Centers (September)
FNU Staff Volunteer for Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Program
On December 11, a group of approximately a dozen FNU staff and their families volunteered at the distribution center for the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program in Lexington, Kentucky. Each year, the Angel Tree program collects donations of clothing and toys for children in the program. Those gifts are collected at the mall and then transported to the warehouse, where all the gifts need to be organized. The volunteers helped organize the gifts, matching the items on the children’s wish lists with the donated items. It was the sixth consecutive year that FNU staff members have volunteered with the Angel Tree program.
FNU Celebrates National Rural Health Day On November 21, 2019, healthcare providers and organizations across the country came together to celebrate National Rural Health Day (NRHD). Organized by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health, NRHD is an opportunity to celebrate the “Power of Rural” by bringing to light the unique challenges that rural communities face and the efforts of rural healthcare providers to address these challenges. Frontier Nursing University (FNU) participated in the NRHD festivities by offering free online sessions led by FNU faculty and alumni as they discussed how they address unique healthcare challenges faced by people in rural communities. The programming was partially funded by the Advanced Nursing Education Workforce grant. NRHD kicked off with FNU alumna and preceptor Estella Wetzel, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, in her session, “Improving Care through Drug Testing Education.” Studies show that misinterpretations of drug test results are quite common and can lead to many negative outcomes. Estella addressed commonly prescribed controlled medications by metabolites to simplify drug test interpretation. FNU Dean Dr. Joan Slager CNM, DNP, FACNM went live to present a free Continuing Education Course, “Billing and Coding Tips and Tools: Is There a Hole in Your Bucket?” The workshop focused on how to select correct CPT and ICD-10-CM codes, especially for complex patient encounters, in order to accurately reflect services provided and enhance revenue. Course faculty member Stacie Olson, DNP, PMHNP-BC gave a presentation entitled “Rural Health Opioid Overdose Prevention.” She spoke to viewers about general opioid overdose, public health prevention strategies, and identification of FDA approved medication for treatment of opioid use disorder. Our last session, “Midwifery and Women’s Health in the Last Frontier,” was presented by FNU alumna and preceptor Ana Verzone, DNP, APRN, CNM, FNP-BC. Ana drew from her experience as a healthcare provider and educator in Alaska to discuss the unique challenges midwives face providing care for rural Alaskans and the Alaska Native Population. Since its foundation more than 80 years ago, FNU has been committed to serving rural communities and meeting their unique healthcare needs. Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate NRHD and the Power of Rural. Recordings from FNU’s NHRD event can be viewed at www.frontier.edu/NRHD. Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 19
Courier Corner Former Courier Authors Book
Paul W. Florsheim, PhD, who was a Courier in 1983, and co-author Dave Moore, PhD, recently wrote “Lost and Found: Young Fathers in the Age of Unwed Parenthood.*” Published by Oxford University Press, the book chronicles the lives of young fathers as they transition into parenthood, framed in the context of developmental psychology, social history, and family dynamics and therapy. Florsheim is a professor in the Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Trained as a clinical psychologist, his primary research interests include the interpersonal developmental processes across the transition to parenthood and the prevention and treatment of mental illness in adolescents. David Moore, PhD, is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Puget Sound.
Courier Spotlight: Eric Lakomek A Frontier Nursing University (FNU) 2019 summer Courier was recently featured in a Wabash Global Health tweet after his presentation detailing his experience in the program. Wabash Global Health is an initiative of Wabash College, located in Crawfordsville, Ind., with the goal of impacting the lives of students and communities through education, investigation, and service. Eric Lakomek is a junior at Wabash where he is studying psychology with minors in chemistry and global health. He is on track to graduate in May 2021 and then plans to attend medical school. Eric first learned about the Courier program from Wabash alum Matt Hodges, who participated in the program in the summer of 2016 and encouraged Eric to apply. The Courier program is an eight-week, rural and public health, service-learning program with a rich and adventuresome history. The program targets college students with an interest in public health, health care or a related field. The sites are often remote, located in culturally-unique communities throughout Appalachia and elsewhere. “I was interested in learning about rural public health, particularly the opioid epidemic, and I knew in Appalachia I would experience it firsthand,” Eric said.
*Florsheim, P.; Moore, D. Lost and Found: Young Fathers in the Age of Unwed Parenthood. Oxford University Press. 2020. ISBN 978-0190865016
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For the first several weeks of his summer in Hazard, Ky., he visited each medical provider in the Kentucky Mountain Health Alliance, including dental, primary care and behavioral health centers. He chose to focus on the primary care center at the Little Flower Clinic for the remainder of the summer. At the clinic, he shadowed the nurse practitioners and on-site physician; he also traveled with caseworkers during patient home visits and community work. As part of the Courier program, Eric and his fellow Couriers developed a project based on a community needs assessment of the Hazard community area. They created a comprehensive diabetes care program for local patients, complete with information brochures, menu guidelines and care packs with blood pressure cuffs, weight scales, pedometers, and other items not covered by insurance. Eric’s favorite part about his summer as a Courier was being able to experience the culture and community of Appalachia, and he left with a sense of gratitude. “I realized the privilege I have in my life,” said Eric. “Little Flower is a clinic that primarily serves less fortunate individuals, and I learned that my problems pale in comparison to what these individuals experience on a daily basis.” “Eric truly shined during his summer as a courier with FNU. In fact, Eric was chosen to present his experience to the Breckinridge Capital Advisors, as well as other prominent members of the FNU board,” said Tara A. Dykes-Barnes, FNU’s Courier Program Coordinator.
Courier Program Featured in The Bridge Magazine The Bridge Magazine, a publication of the Kentucky Office of Rural Health, recently published a story featuring FNU’s Courier Program. “Training the Next Generation of Rural Health Care Providers,” tells the stories of students, clinicians, and community members who have been positively impacted by the program. You can find the full story online at https://ruralhealth.med.uky. edu/cerh-bridge.
Interested in Being an FNU Courier? To learn more about the FNU Courier program, please email the Courier Coordinator, Tara Dykes, at courier.program@frontier.edu. What are the goals of the Courier Program? • To introduce Couriers to the value of public health, advanced practice nursing, and primary healthcare services to people living in rural and underserved communities;
Calling All Former Couriers! Have a story you remember and want to share? We publish stories about former Couriers on our website and in the Quarterly Bulletin. Or you can share your story via “Courier Coffee,” our vlog series that showcases present and former Couriers. If you are interested in doing recording a Courier Coffee, please email Courier.Program@ frontier.edu for more information.
• To support clinical and other community sites; • To foster cultural humility through Courier engagement with diverse communities and fellow Couriers; • To facilitate Couriers’ experience of FNU’s mission in action and encourage them to embody the Frontier legacy in their later vocations and personal lives.
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Wendover Report
Education Partner Luncheon Held at Wendover On Friday, December 6, Wendover Bed & Breakfast and Retreat Center hosted the Education Partner Luncheon. The luncheon was held as a celebration of key partners in the local school systems, including Family and Youth Resource Center (FYRC) directors, Berea College’s Partner Corps and AmeriCorps VISTA, Save the Children, UNITE, and 21st Century Directors. After lunch, gifts purchased via FNU’s Christmas and Children’s fund were given to all FYRC directors in attendance. The FYRC directors from each school provided FNU with a list of students who were in need during the holiday season. FNU purchased necessities and gifts for nearly 40 students in the county, ranging from kindergarten through 12th grade. Most students received new outfits, new shoes, a new coat, and other essential items. Mary Breckinridge’s holiday tradition of distributing fruits and candies to all of these students as well as those in attendance at the luncheon was also upheld. Special thanks Berea College’s PartnerCorp program for assisting with gift wrapping and to the Leslie County School System for coordinating the distribution of the gifts. Additional thanks to the staff of the JCPenney in Hazard for their diligence, patience, and assistance with the gift-buying process.
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Wendover Featured on KET Wendover Bed & Breakfast and Retreat Center was featured on “Kentucky Life” on Kentucky Educational Television (KET) in February. According to a statement from KET, the show, which aired several times, featured “the mountain home built in the 1920s that became the heart of the Frontier Nursing School, founded by Mary Breckinridge. Today, Wendover is a retreat center, a bed and breakfast, and an enduring symbol of Breckinridge’s enduring commitment to families of Appalachia.” FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, FNU Board of Directors member Carlyle Carter, and FNU Leadership Council member Julia Breckinridge Davis were among those who appeared in on-camera interviews for the program. To watch the episode, please visit https://youtu.be/N3VSRm-TaiA or search “Wendover on Kentucky Life” on YouTube.
Book Your Stay or Retreat at Wendover Bed & Breakfast and Retreat Center To plan your stay, please contact Wendover Operations Manager, Debra Turner, at 606-672-2317 or visit wendover@frontier.edu to book online. You can follow Wendover on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
To make reservations online. Please visit our website at wendoverbb.com
In Memoriam / Tributes Remembering Former FNS Employee Mary E. LaMotte Slusher
MEMORIAL DONATIONS
December 15, 1923 - December 21, 2019
The following people gave contributions to Frontier in memory of their friends or loved ones. The names in bold are the deceased.
Mary E. LaMotte Slusher was born on December 15, 1923, in Red Lion, Pennsylvania. Her mother passed soon after birth. Mary was raised by her father Fred K. LaMotte and his wonderful wife, Lida. During those years she learned to bicycle, ice skate, roller skate, ballroom dance, speak French and play the piano and basketball, lettering three years at Red Lion High School. She loved the water and spent a lot of time on the sailboat and was part of an aquacade. She loved to travel, taking many trips including New York, Atlantic City, Florida, Bermuda, Canada, and the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.
Jeanette Bartelt Ms. Jean Bartelt
Mary grew up in Pennsylvania giving “her pennies” to Red Bird Mission in Beverly, Kentucky. As a young woman, she came to Red Bird as a volunteer and met Ernest Calvin Slusher, who she later married. Mary worked at Frontier Nursing Service while waiting on Ernest to return from Korea. At the time of Ernest’s death in 2015, they had been married for 60 years. They lived in Bell County, except for Ernest’s schooling after their marriage, until moving to Wesley Village Retirement Community in 2013.
Mary Elizabeth Yundt Kilbourn Rev. Mary K. Kilbourn-Huey
They had three children. Major Ernest Timothy “Tim” Slusher, USAF, Ret. and his wife Pilar are now in Pensacola, Florida. After the Air Force, Tim taught high school science and then went on to become an aircraft mechanic and aircraft maintenance inspector. Along with his wife, Tim is now working and ministering to their family there and helping his own family around the country. Pilar developed a special relationship with Mary, who she lovingly cared for after several of Mary’s hospitalizations and surgeries including during her final days. Dr. Tina Marye Slusher is now in Roseville, Minnesota, and a professor of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota where she is actively involved in global health both professionally and through missions. She is also a pediatric intensivist at Hennepin Healthcare. Dr. Ida L. Slusher is now in Nicholasville, Kentucky, and a professor of nursing at Eastern Kentucky University. She is also involved in missions locally and globally. For many years Ida cared lovingly for both Mary and Ernest, devoting most of her free time to meeting their needs and helping them live active and full lives to the end. Mary was a faithful member of First Baptist Church in Pineville, Kentucky, for over 60 years and was under the watch care of Anchor Baptist Church at the time of her passing. She undergirded her husband throughout their marriage, providing much of the administrative support for the numerous organizations for which he was a leader, the working farm the family lived on and, working briefly, at Arjay Elementary School. However, the most important job was raising her family. She enriched the lives of her family through their many trips and expanding her children’s horizons and preparing each of them for the work to which God called them. She passed on December 21, 2019, surrounded by family. Mary was preceded in death by her parents, Fred Knapp LaMotte, Louise Tyson LaMotte, and Lida R. LaMotte; her husband, Ernest C. Slusher; sisters, Esther Field and Linda Ruth LaMotte; and brother, James LaMotte. She is survived by her three children and grandsons, Adrian Michael Slusher and Andrew McLaurin Slusher; her sister, Dorcas LaMotte Townsley (husband Jesse); and numerous nieces and nephews.
Jackie Chapman Ms. Karen Watt Sylvia Leatherwood Enriquez Ms. Harriet J Palmer Leonard Lynn Hood Ms. Edith E. Anderson Jane H. Hope Mr. and Mrs. Bruce and Barbara Haldeman
Robert Lawrence Mrs. Fran Keene Molly Lee Ms. Harriet J. Palmer John Robert Longfellow Mr. and Mrs. Stephen and Linda Longstreth Gertrude and Ed Longstreth Mr. and Mrs. Stephen and Linda Longstreth George H. Mead, Jr. Mrs. Marianna Mead O’Brien Janet Mirtschin Mr. and Mrs. John Albert Priebe Patricia Nachowicz Dr. and Mrs. Gregory Gutgsell Mary Wilson Neel Mr. David B. Karrick Jr. Judy and Newt Stammer Ms. Suzie Lou Stammer Larry Stone Dr. Susan Stone Jane Cheever Talbot Mr. Peter H. Talbot Mary E. Weaver Ms. Sally Siebert Ruth and Ernie Wright Mr. and Mrs. Stephen and Linda Longstreth
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 23
Trustees New FNU Trustees Has Long, Unique History with FNU When new FNU Trustee Bill Corley first was introduced to Frontier, FNU was still FNS -- the Frontier Nursing Service. That was in 1969. In 2015 he returned to Hyden and learned of Frontier’s growth and transition to becoming Frontier Nursing University. “I thought, wow, I had just a little bit to do with that,” Corley said. What was his role in FNU’s history? Corley, who earned his bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary and then obtained his master’s degree in hospital administration from Duke University, was a consultant with the Chicago-based firm of Booz, Allen and Hamilton in 1969. “One of my first jobs was to look at FNS,” he said. “They were giving the midwives a paper certificate with no academic connection. We were trying to see whether or not FNS could affiliate with a university. We got a green light from Case Western University, so the degree or training was from a nursing school and they could be ‘real’ nursemidwives, even though they already were real nurse-midwives, just without the degree.” During that time, Corley was a frequent visitor to campus and also stayed at Wendover several times. He developed an appreciation and affection for the people and the area. “I respected the nurses because they not only took care of the babies, but they took care of everybody,” he said. Corley, who served as the director of plans and operations for the 3rd Field Hospital for the U.S. Army in Saigon, Vietnam before his work with FNS, went on to a lengthy career in healthcare administration. He served as the Associate Hospital Director at the Albert B. Chandler Medical Center, University of Kentucky from 1971 to 1975. In 1975, he was named the hospital director of Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. In 1978 he was hired as president and CEO of Akron General Medical Center in Ohio. For 25 years he served as president and chief executive officer of the Community Health Network in Indianapolis. As a non-profit health system with more than 200 sites of care 24 Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin
and affiliates throughout Central Indiana, Community’s full continuum of care integrates hundreds of physicians, specialty and acute care hospitals, surgery centers, home care services, MedChecks, behavioral health, and employer health services. In 1990, Corley received the highest honor bestowed on individuals by Indiana’s Governor — The Sagamore of the Wabash (Evan Bayh 1990), which is given to those who have rendered distinguished service to the state or to the governor. He retired from the Community Health Network in 2010. In 2015, he was driving to visit some friends in Tennessee with his wife Angela. As they passed through Kentucky, he was reminded of Frontier and took a detour, spending a day in Hyden where he learned of the transformation from FNS to FNU and the subsequent growth and success of the university. “It was the same as when I was there in 1969,” he said. His interest piqued, he came to visit the Versailles campus last fall. “I came to Versailles and started seeing what you’re doing there and I said ‘This is a story that needs to be told’,” he said. “People need to know about Frontier Nursing University. There is a shortage of primary care physicians. I predict that nurse practitioners will be the replacement for family physicians in the future. I want to somehow help Frontier Nursing University to become known throughout the United States. No organization can do what they are doing now. FNU is in the right place at the right time.” Corley remains active in retirement to the point that his wife Angela has said that he “has flunked retirement twice.” Currently, he is working with INSTEP, a non-profit organization in Indianapolis focused on coordinating the effort to overcome substance use disorder, with a focus on opioid dependency. “We are trying to get substance abuse disorder organizations to collaborate and develop a system of care for addiction,” he said. “You have to keep helping other people because there are a lot of people who need to be helped.”
TRUSTEES Mrs. Tia Andrew, Hamilton Parish, Bermuda
Mrs. Marian Leibold, Cincinnati, OH
Ms. Sarah Bacon, Brooklyn, NY
Dr. Ruth Lubic, Washington, DC
Mrs. Andrea Begley, Hyden, KY
Mr. William Lubic, Washington DC
Mrs. Heather Bernard, Hamilton, NY
Mr. Robert Montague, JD, Urbanna, VA
Gov. Steven Beshear, Lexington, KY
Mr. Wade Mountz, Louisville, KY
Mrs. Betty Brown, Louisville, KY
Dr. Judy Myers, Ph.D., RN, New Albany, IN
Mrs. Amy Pennington Brudnicki, Richmond, KY
Ms. Barbara Napier, Irvine, KY
Dr. Timothy Bukowski, Chapel Hill, NC
Ms. Sandra Napier, Stinnett, KY
Dr. Wallace Campbell, Berea, KY
Dr. Spencer Noe, Lexington, KY
Miss Anna Carey, Hyden, KY
Mr. Dean Osborne, Hyden, KY
Mrs. Jean Chapin, Oldwick, NJ
Mrs. Helen Rentch, Midway, KY
Dr. Holly Cheever, Voorheesville, NY
Mrs. John Richardson, Washington, DC
Mrs. Lois Cheston, Topsfield, MA
Mrs. Linda Roach, Lexington, KY
Bill Corley, Indianapolis, IN
Mrs. Georgia Rodes, Lexington, KY
Mrs. Julia Breckinridge Davis, Winston-Salem, NC
Mrs. Sandra Schreiber, Louisville, KY
Mrs. John Dete, West Liberty, OH
Mrs. Sherrie Rice Smith, Franklin, WI
Mrs. Selby Ehrlich, Bedford, NY
Mrs. Austin Smithers, Lyme, NH
Mrs. Robert Estill, Raleigh, NC
Mrs. Robert Steck, Arlington, MA
Mrs. Noel Smith Fernandez, Pomona, NY
Mrs. Mary Clay Stites, Louisville, KY
Ms. Mary Ann Gill, Versailles, KY
Mr. Richard Sturgill, Paris, KY
Mr. John Grandin, Chestnut Hill, MA
Ms. Mary Frazier Vaughan, Lexington, KY
Dr. Joyce Fortney Hamberg, Southgate, KY
Mrs. LouAnne Roberts Verrier, Austin, TX
Dr. Horace Henriques, Lyme, NH
Dr. Patience White, Bethesda, MD
Mr. & Mrs. John Hodge, Berwyn, PA
Mr. Harvie Wilkinson, Lexington, KY
Mrs. Robin Frentz Isaacs, Lincoln, MA
Ms. Vaughda Wooten, Hyden, KY
Mrs. Rosemary Johnson, Versailles, KY Mrs. Mary Carol Joseph, Hyden, KY Ms. Deborah M. King, Westport, MA Mrs. Patricia Lawrence, Westwood, MA Mrs. Henry Ledford, Big Creek, KY
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 25
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26 Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin
P.O. Box 528 • 195 School Street Hyden, KY 41749 FNU@frontier.edu • 606.672.2312
Frontier.edu Our mission is to provide accessible nurse-midwifery 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.
