UT Health Science Center College of Nursing Magazine - Fall 2024
NURSING
THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER
Milestones of a Decade
Support Rural Health Education in the College of Nursing
In the past decade, 124 rural hospitals across the United States have closed their doors. Sixteen of them were in Tennessee, which is the second highest number in the nation. To address the need for increased health care access in rural areas, the College of Nursing at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center has established the rural health education program. Through opportunities such as the college’s UTHSC Nursing Mobile Health unit and a renewal of the
Advanced Nursing Education Workforce grant, faculty members are preparing nursing students in our undergraduate and doctoral programs to be effective resources for these communities.
As we continue to train nurses who are meeting these needs, we invite you to be part of this effort. Please consider making a gift to our College of Nursing Rural Health Educational Programs at uthsc.edu/give.
Chancellor Peter Buckley, MD
Executive Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, Chief Operating Officer
Raaj Kurapati, AIFA
Dean of the College of Nursing
Wendy Likes, PhD, DNSc, APRN-BC, FAAN, FAANP
Executive Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
Charleen McNeill, PhD, MSN, RN
Associate Dean of Research
Ansley Grimes Stanfill, PhD, RN, FAAN
Assistant Dean of Community and Global Partnerships
Sara Day, PhD, RN, FAAN
Assistant Dean of Student Affairs
Christie Manasco, PhD, RN, CNE
Assistant Dean of Finance and Operations
Victoria Y. Bass, CPA
Chair, Department of Acute and Tertiary Care
Sherry Webb, DNSc, RN, CNL, NEA-BC
Chair, Department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Mona Newsome Wicks, PhD, RN, FAAN
Chair, Department of Community and Population Health
Sarah J. Rhoads, PhD, DNP, WHNP-BC, RNC-OB, APRN, FAAN
Vice Chancellor for Advancement Brigitte Grant, MBA
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Alumni and Constituent Engagement
Chandra A. Tuggle
Vice Chancellor for Communications and Marketing
Sally Badoud, MBA
Editors
Leigh Ann Roman
Chris Green
Designer Adam Gaines
Writers
Chris Green
Janay Jeans, MA
Leigh Ann Roman
Peggy Reisser
Photographers
Caleb Jia
Leigh Ann Roman
Jay Adkins
On the cover: Nursing student Marshell Gates demonstrates a device that allows students to engage with PCS Spark, a virtual realityenabled online simulation platform. Students use this for health care communication training with AI-driven digital patients
Reaching Rural Residents
Assessing the impact of the mobile health unit >
< Building Nurse Leaders College experience bonds students
Remembering Dee Honoring the life of a dedicated alumna and nurse >
< Milestones of a Decade Innovation marks Dean’s tenure
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From the Dean
I am very proud to share that this has been another year of expanding opportunity and maintaining excellence at the UT Health Science Center College of Nursing.
Although this magazine will highlight milestones of the last decade, my letter to you allows me to communicate some of the accomplishments of the year that bring me the most gratification and encouragement as we move forward. Thank you for your continued support of our work building nurse leaders for the Mid-South.
The No. 25 ranking of our Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program by U.S. News & World Report illustrates our continued excellence in preparing nurses for advanced practice in eight different concentrations and three dual concentrations. Our Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program also remains highly ranked by U.S. News & World Report.
The college’s significant increase in grant funding, from $3.6 million last year to $5.8 million this year, exemplifies our growing commitment to research. In addition, the college held five Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grants simultaneously this year – a record for our institution. That these grants support the education of nurses committed to underserved areas as well as innovative education speaks to our college’s unwavering support of both.
Specifically, a four-year, $4 million grant will support midwifery education, and a three-year $1.5 million grant will support simulation in situations where social determinants of health contribute to poor health outcomes. A grant from the United States Department of Agriculture is allowing the college to take sickle cell disease education to emergency department providers throughout the Mid-South. These are all examples of how our college is expanding access to health care and improving the quality of care by training top-notch providers.
Even as we expand educational opportunities for our students, we are also growing community partnerships that provide education and advance the nursing profession locally and globally through the Center of Community and Global Partnerships. The college expanded the center’s leadership this year to support this development.
Finally, as you read this year’s magazine, please be sure to take a moment to enjoy the story of four young men who graduated from both our BSN and DNP programs together. I always say the greatest compliment a college can receive is for students to return for further education. The College of Nursing can boast many such students, and I am proud of their contributions to the nursing profession and our contribution to advancing nursing in the Mid-South.
Thank you for your continued support of our mission. We could not do this important work without the support of wonderful alumni like you and our committed faculty and staff.
Sincerely,
Wendy Likes, PhD, DNSc, APRN-BC, FAAN, FAANP Dean of the College of Nursing
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center
From the Chancellor
I am pleased to offer my congratulations to Dean Wendy Likes for her outstanding leadership of our UT Health Science Center College of Nursing over the past 10 years.
It is safe to say her innovative leadership of the college has changed nursing in Tennessee for the better and significantly improved health care for those who live in this great state. Each of the college’s graduates is a testament to this.
Dean Likes is an awesome and awe-inspiring leader and I’m most grateful for all she does for the College of Nursing, for UT Health Science Center, and for the State of Tennessee.
From BSN to DNP students, the college is in the forefront of training the next generation of nurses armed with the skills and the heart to help lift Tennessee from its spot near the bottom of the national health rankings.
At the same time, the college is focused on providing much-needed care in underserved areas of the state. Additionally, the college is helping to expand our university’s research portfolio with grants that support training our students and improving access to care in Tennessee.
As the college celebrates the accomplishments of the last decade, let me add my heartfelt congratulations for a job well done, as well as my enthusiasm for what I know the College of Nursing will do in the future.
Let me also offer my gratitude for our outstanding alumni, who graciously support the College of Nursing and the university in all we do. Our alumni are always ready to assist with their time, talent, and funds when needed.
We could not do what we do without you. You help make your College of Nursing, your university, and the state of Tennessee better.
With gratitude,
Peter Buckley, MD Chancellor
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center
From the Alumni Board President
Welcome to a new school year for the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s College of Nursing! It is my sincere privilege to begin my first term as your alumni board president. We are part of an exceptional legacy in our college’s history of nursing education known for training the best nurses and nurse leaders who have changed the quality of life for communities throughout our nation and our world.
Under the leadership of Dean Wendy Likes, our faculty continue to follow the same course of excellence set by our first dean, Ruth Neil Murry. I hope you will enjoy reading about a few of the many accolades celebrated by the college this past year that are covered in this magazine. While the college continues to move forward to train more nurses, we as alumni are needed to help maintain partnerships of support in these efforts. There are many ways for us to be involved!
Imagine what we can accomplish if we EACH do one thing to support our College of Nursing. I invite you to get involved in one of the many alumni activities planned for this year or participate individually through the support of student scholarships, clinical precepting, or special programs. As a start, be sure to mark your calendar for our annual alumni weekend set for May 1-2, 2025. For an additional list of ways you can participate, please visit the College of Nursing’s alumni page at uthsc.edu/nursing or the college’s Facebook page at facebook.com/nursing.uthsc.
With a highly-ranked Bachelor of Science in Nursing program by U.S. News & World Report, the college’s legacy of excellence remains strong. Yet the goal of training more nurses to serve our communities is still critical and sometimes challenging to meet. Through our commitment and support as alumni, we can help our college continue to build exceptionally well-trained nurses ready to meet this call.
I look forward to seeing you at our alumni activities this year. If you are interested in getting involved in our alumni events, please contact Bettye Durham at bdurham@utfi.org. If you would like to make a gift in support of the College of Nursing, please contact Brigitte Grant at bgrant@utfi.org.
College is Crossroads for Four Friends, New Nurse Leaders
By Leigh Ann Roman
Four young men who earned their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees together in 2017 and their Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degrees together in 2024 have taken their education and ethos into the world to make a difference in communities from Union City, Tennessee, to Dayton, Ohio.
Robert M. Kirby, DNP, CRNA, Christian Stauffer, DNP, CRNA, Matthew Keathley, DNP, FNP-C, and Wesley Gray, DNP, ACNPC-AG, RNFA, met in 2015 in the accelerated BSN program at UT Health Science Center. They graduated in 2017 from what was then an 18-month program as friends and colleagues.
The four men reunited in 2021 when they all decided to pursue their DNP at the college. Dr. Kirby and Dr. Stauffer entered the three-year program in nurse anesthesiology, while Dr. Keathley pursued the family nurse practitioner degree, and Dr. Gray began the DNP concentration in acute care. They graduated together again in 2024.
The Importance of Community
“I could not do this without my guys,” Dr. Kirby said. “During the BSN program, Wesley, Mathew, Christian, and I spent many hours together studying. Being in an accelerated program is demanding, and we decided early on that we needed to do it together.”
During the DNP program, Dr. Stauffer and Dr. Kirby were in the same specialty but also stayed in touch with Dr. Keathley and Dr. Gray. “We wanted to cross the finish line together. That applies to all aspects of life. Finding your community to accomplish challenging goals is essential to success,” said Dr. Kirby, originally from Madison, Mississippi. As a participant in the Health Professions Scholarship Program, Dr. Kirby is serving three years of active duty in the U.S. Air Force, and in return, the military is covering his tuition. He is a certified registered nurse anesthesiologist (CRNA) stationed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.
Dr. Stauffer, 31, returned to his hometown to practice as a CRNA at South Sunflower County Hospital in Indianola, Mississippi. Dr. Keathley also has returned to his hometown of Union City, Tennessee, to work at the Stern Cardiovascular Foundation as a family nurse practitioner. And Dr. Gray, who grew up in Arlington, Tennessee, and now lives in Hernando, Mississippi, plans to practice in the Memphis metropolitan area in an acute care setting.
Dr. Gray, 28, said the peer support was important to his success. “The other guys were a little bit older and more mature in their young adult life. They were good mentors to me not only as an aspiring nurse and college student but also as a young adult.”
As the men were progressing along the same professional path, they also were experiencing many of the same things personally. All are married, and several have recently started families.
“Going through everything together and being able to work through and talk through life related to school, as well as unrelated to school, with those guys was an invaluable support system to have,” Dr. Gray said.
Dr. Keathley, 31, knew no one when he started the BSN program in Memphis. He had attained a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology from the University of Tennessee at Martin and was working in Memphis as an emergency department scribe when he decided to become a nurse.
“The program and professors allowed me to quickly acclimate to my new environment. We had the opportunity to train and learn at some of the best hospitals in the country. I also had the pleasure of meeting some of the people who would become lifelong friends,” Dr. Keathley said.
He returned to UT Health Science Center for his DNP because of his positive experiences in the BSN program.
“With my experience, I knew that UT Health Science Center would provide every opportunity for success.”
Moving Forward, Giving Back
All four friends said the caliber of the faculty was an outstanding attribute of the college. Dr. Stauffer said, “When I recall my BSN program, what stands out to me the most is the inspiration from my professors. They were truly admirable, and I wanted to do everything possible to emulate their characteristics in my own professional career.” After earning his BSN, he began working in the cardiovascular intensive care unit at Methodist University Hospital, where he remained until beginning the DNP program.
The new graduates echoed one another in their commitment to giving back to their communities, a value they also saw reflected in the college. “I feel it is important to give back in all we do,” Dr. Kirby said. “With my DNP, I can work in academic facilities to further influence the future of the CRNA profession and patient care. The faculty gave so much to us, and I feel it is my responsibility to continue to give back to the next generation of CRNAs.”
Dr. Gray is particularly grateful that UT Health Science Center gave him the opportunity to become a nurse. He was admitted to the BSN program conditionally because one grade in a pre-requisite course was slightly below requirements, and he was retaking the class.
“They extended that leap of faith into me, and I got into a very difficult and challenging program and succeeded,” he said. “They gave me a chance, and that really meant a lot.”
From left, Dr. Matthew Keathley and his wife, Dr. Robert Kirby and his wife, Dr. Wesley Gray and his wife and baby, and Dr. Christian Stauffer.
$5,842,542
Total Grant Funding
$989,254
Total NIH Funding
$419,215 Awarded in Scholarships
617
(FY2024)
432
Nursing Students Received Scholarships
27
Faculty Grant Submissions
Total CoN Enrollment 160
Faculty Presentations 40
Faculty Journal Publications
Data on this page was collected by the College of Nursing for FY2024 (July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024).
Clinical Trial on Stroke Makes International Impact
By Leigh Ann Roman
Research findings in a clinical trial led by a professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s College of Nursing are likely to dramatically change care and improve outcomes for patients suffering from acute stroke. The International Stroke Conference ranked the multisite clinical trial the top trial of 2024.
Professor Anne Alexandrov, PhD, AG-ACNP-BC, RN, CCRN, ANVP-BC, NVRN-BC, FAAN, presented results of the five-year clinical trial titled Zero-Degree Head Positioning in Acute Large Vessel Ischemic Stroke (ZODIAC) at the International Stroke Conference in Phoenix, Arizona, in February. ZODIAC sought definitive results on the impact of head positioning on patients with large artery acute ischemic stroke prior to thrombectomy. A thrombectomy is a surgery to remove a blood clot from an artery or vein.
“Our conclusions are that acute large vessel occlusion (LVO) ischemic stroke patients that have viable brain that can be saved by thrombectomy should immediately be positioned with the head at 0 degrees to preserve brain function prior to the thrombectomy procedure,” said Dr. Alexandrov, the trial’s principal investigator. “Ambulance and helicopter personnel need to know this, as well as all emergency department personnel. We expect that our findings will change patient care dramatically in this patient population.”
Dr. Alexandrov is a recognized clinical expert in emergency and critical care with concentrations in neuroscience and vascular dynamics and is considered the leading international nursing expert in acute stroke management. The Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science (CANS), a signature initiative of the American Academy of Nursing, recognized Dr. Alexandrov as the Outstanding Nurse Scientist for 2024 and cited the ZODIAC trial as one of her major achievements.
The ZODIAC clinical trial was a multisite, prospective, randomized-outcome, blinded evaluation funded by $2.3 million from the National Institute of Nursing Research. The clinical trial enrolled 92 patients at 12 sites over five years, and the Data and Safety Monitoring Board ended the study in November due to the overwhelmingly positive results of 0-degree head positioning. A Data and Safety Monitoring Board is a committee of experts responsible for reviewing clinical trial data on an ongoing basis to ensure the safety of study subjects and validity and integrity of the data.
The clinical trial’s conclusion was that 0-degree head positioning is safe and imparts stability and clinical improvement in these patients prior to the thrombectomy, making head positioning an important rescue procedure, Dr. Alexandrov said. The study’s findings are consistent with Dr. Alexandrov’s pilot work showing a 20% increase in blood flow when the head is positioned at 0 degrees. Use of 0-degree positioning is one of the most important first steps in managing a LVO thrombectomy candidate.
All patients had a baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale Score (NIHSS) taken immediately after completion of computed tomographic angiography scanning while still in the 0-degree position. The NIHSS score is a measure of neurologic disability from stroke. Patients were then randomized into one of the two groups: 0-degree head positioning and 30-degree head positioning. The patients underwent repeat NIHSS scoring every 10 minutes, with the final score determined by a certified practitioner who was unaware that the group was conducting research on head positioning.
The researchers found that head positioning at 0 degrees ensured a reduction of disability by keeping patients clinically stable. They also found that for patients in the 30-degree group, one out of two deteriorated significantly. This finding is a tremendous departure from 30-degree head elevation for patients with neurologic disorders which has been a long-standing tradition in both nursing and medical practice. The new 0-degree standard is already being widely adopted across the United States and internationally.
The researchers also saw a positive impact of 0-degree head positioning on patients after the thrombectomy. Twenty-four hours after the surgery, patients in the 0-degree group had significantly better improvement in neurological disability compared to the 30-degree group. The 0-degree group also had significant improvement in neurological disability compared to the 30-degree group seven days after the surgery or at discharge from the hospital – whichever came first.
College of Nursing Dean Wendy Likes, PhD, DNSc, APRN-BC, FAANP, FAAN, said, “Dr. Alexandrov’s work is an amazing example of what nursing science is and the positive impact it has on health.”
College Grant Funding Increases, Supports Innovative Research
The College of Nursing’s research activity grew exponentially over the last year, with grant funding up more than $2 million dollars for FY2024, at $5.84 million. Many grants were awarded in the college’s areas of excellence, which include stroke, sickle cell disease, and rural and underserved care.
$1.5 Million Grant Supports Simulation in Health Care Education
Assistant Dean of Student Affairs Christie Manasco, PhD, is project director of a new, three-year, $1.5 million federal grant that will help students identify and address issues that lead to patients’ health problems. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant is called “Training and Education to Advance Critical Health Equity Readiness Using Simulation,” or TEACH US. The UT Health Science Center College of Nursing is the first nursing program in Tennessee to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) generative program focused on health equity and student retention. The TEACH US grant will train more than 250 undergraduate and graduate nursing students annually using simulations.
The grant will support simulation exercises that help students role play situations in which the social determinants of health contribute to poor health outcomes. The simulations will use a standardized patient—a person acting the role of a patient. The social determinants of health are conditions that can affect health and quality of life outcomes. These include economic security, health care access and quality, education access and quality, social and community context, and the neighborhood environment.
Grant Supports Research to Identify Barriers to Care for Black Women
Assistant Professor Janeane Anderson, PhD, is a principal investigator on a three-year, $1.58 million grant that seeks to identify sociocultural and structural factors that are root causes of cancer health disparities for Black women in the Mid-South. The study, “A prospective qualitative exploration of multilevel factors affecting outcome disparities among Black women with or at high risk for breast cancer in the U.S. Mid-South region,” is funded by Gilead Sciences, Inc. – a biopharmaceutical company based in California that also develops antiviral drugs used in the treatment of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, influenza, and COVID-19. Dr. Anderson will serve as co-principal investigator along with Gregory Vidal, MD, PhD, director of clinical research and a medical oncologist at West Cancer Center and Regional One Health. Dr. Vidal, an expert in breast cancer, is also an associate professor in the UT Health Science Center College of Medicine.
NIH Grant Could Aid Stroke Patients
Associate Dean of Research Ansley Stanfill, PhD, RN, FAAN, has received a two-year, $421,188 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to improve cognitive screening in people who suffer from a devastating type of stroke called aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). Dr. Stanfill has devoted her program of research to improving outcomes for people who survive strokes. Her latest grant aims to determine if an existing screening tool can be used in a new way to assess patients following aSAH and trigger a referral to an in-depth neuropsychological assessment, which could lead to earlier effective interventions. “Over the last 20 years we have done a much better job of saving people. But there is always the question, ‘What are we saving them to?’” Dr. Stanfill said. “My goal is to return them to a good quality of life and to ameliorate their symptoms.”
USDA Grant Seeks to Improve Sickle Cell Care
The college has received a $364,502 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that will allow a specialized education outreach to health care professionals in the Mid-South Delta region to improve care for patients with sickle cell disease. The college will work in collaboration with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Baptist Memorial Health Care to reach 240 health care professionals over the next two years, including health care providers of both primary and emergency care. The principal investigator for the grant is Sara Day, PhD, RN, FAAN, assistant dean for Community and Global Partnerships. Co-investigators are Yvonne M. Carroll, RN, JD, director of patient services in the Department of Hematology at St. Jude; Keesha Roach, PhD, assistant professor in the College of Nursing; and Brooke Clemons, MSN, RN, a PhD student in nursing science at UT Health Science Center.
MOBILE HEALTH IMPACT
Launched in May 2023 and open for patient visits since October 2023, the UT Health Science Center Nursing Mobile Health unit is staffed and operated by faculty and students from the College of Nursing to increase health care access in Lake County and Lauderdale County, Tennessee. Funded through a four-year, $3.9 million grant to the college from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the unit allows the college to integrate rural health education into its undergraduate and graduate programs. Unit staff offer appointments in both counties each week and participate in community outreach, such as health fairs and sports physicals.
During FY2024, the unit has been involved in the following activities:
The last decade of the College of Nursing has been marked by an expansion of nursing education and college-community partnerships while elevating excellence in all areas.
Dr. Wendy Likes became interim dean of the college in 2014 and was named the permanent dean in 2015. The growth of educational offerings soon followed. Since 2017, the college has added two concentrations to the Doctor of Nursing Practice program: one focused on pediatric acute care and the other on nurse-midwifery. A dual acute pediatric and primary care pediatric DNP concentration was established in 2020. A 12-month accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) began in 2019, and a traditional, four-semester BSN was launched in 2022.
“Over the last ten years, we have obtained broad stakeholder feedback and thoughtfully reflected to inform our very strategic growth in an effort to meet the needs of our region and to offer cuttingedge programming,” Dr. Likes said.
A vision of community collaboration has defined the last decade. Established in 2016, the Center for Community and Global Partnerships has grown to encompass programs and partnerships that empower nurses to improve health care outcomes, advance their education, and ensure the safety of health care providers.
To recognize excellence in nursing throughout the community, the college began hosting the annual NightinGala during National Nurses Week in 2017. The event attracts sponsors from throughout the community and honors nursing excellence in the Mid-South.
As the college expanded its reach, it continued its educational excellence, marked by a top-25 ranking for the DNP. In 2021, the college was named a National League for Nursing Center of
Excellence in Enhancing Student Learning and Professional Development. That same year, the college established the Dr. Margaret A. Newman Center for Nursing Theory. Most recently, the college has established three Areas of Excellence: Stroke, Sickle Cell Disease, and Rural and Underserved Health Care.
The college’s excellence and outreach are illustrated by a record five grants from the Health Resources and services Administration (HRSA) held simultaneously – a first for the college. Many of these grants support the education of advanced practice nurses committed to practicing in rural or underserved areas.
One grant provided Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner training for 90 nurses in West Tennessee over three years. A four-year HRSA grant has deployed a mobile health unit to two rural counties where residents have very poor health outcomes. Two other grants support the education of advanced practice nurses. One supports the education of 19 nurse practitioner students annually who are committed to serving rural or underserved areas, and a four-year grant for nurse-midwifery supports the training of 17 nurse-midwifery students annually. Further evidence of the college’s groundbreaking tradition can be seen in a project of the college’s fifth HRSA grant – the first artificial intelligence generative program focused on health equity and student retention.
“We are proud of the impact our College of Nursing is having and the accomplishments over the last decade,” Dr. Likes said. “I always say, ‘We stand on the shoulders of giants,’ and we continue our historical reputation of being cutting edge and outcome focused. We have many other innovative programs in the pipeline and are looking forward to another 10 years and beyond of excellence.”
Dr. Wendy Likes named interim dean of the College of Nursing
Dr. Wendy Likes named permanent dean
Started a Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner DNP and a Registered Nurse First Assistant (RNFA) certificate program Held the
Established a Dual Primary Care/Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner DNP concentration
2021
Opened a DNP concentration in Nurse-Midwifery
Became a National League for Nursing Center of Excellence
Established The Dr. Margaret A. Newman Center for Nursing Theory
Began a traditional, four-semester BSN concentration
2023
2020 2024 2022
Expanded the college’s Partnership Enrollment Program to 10 colleges
Launched the UT Health Science Center’s Nursing Mobile Health Unit
Held five grants from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) at once – a first for the college
Established three Areas of Excellence in the college: Stroke, Sickle Cell Disease, and Rural and Underserved Health Care
Became the first nursing school in Tennessee to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) generative program focused on health equity and student retention
College of Nursing
Enrollment and Grant Funding
$6,000,000
$5,500,000
$5,000,000
$4,500,000
$4,000,000
$3,500,000
$3,000,000
$2,500,000
$2,000,000
$1,500,000
$1,000,000
$500,000
Midwifery Graduates and Grant Poised to Make Impact
By Leigh Ann Roman
Just three years after the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Nursing opened a NurseMidwifery program, it celebrated its first graduates and attained a $4 million federal grant to support more midwifery education.
Established in 2021, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Nurse-Midwifery offers specialized knowledge and skills in family-centered primary care with a mission to improve health outcomes for pregnant people and their children.
It is the only DNP in Nurse-Midwifery at a public university in Tennessee. In addition to the six students who graduated in May, 15 are currently earning their DNP in Nurse-Midwifery, and seven were admitted to the program this August. The program’s first graduates look forward to empowering women, serving the underserved, and taking a holistic approach to health care.
The Care of a Midwife
Alison Doyle, DNP, a mother of four who was among the first midwifery graduates, knows from experience what a difference a midwife can make. “The midwives that provided care for me through my pregnancies were inspirational in every aspect of their lives,” she said. “Plus, it is such a miracle to witness the blossoming of a family. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?”
Dr. Doyle, 35, of Oxford, Mississippi, will work as a nursemidwife at the Northwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center in Clarksdale. Another Mississippi native, Lacey Ballard, DNP, is taking her new nurse-midwifery degree and skills across the country to Tacoma, Washington, where she will work at Tacoma General Hospital as a midwife seeing patients in the hospital and clinic.
Dr. Ballard attained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from UT Health Science Center, too, but chose to move to Washington to be closer to her nephews.
The DNP in Nurse-Midwifery “is the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done,” she said. “Every time I pass a new mother her newborn, I am reminded that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”
New graduate Stephanie Maupin, DNP, decided to pursue the degree because “I loved the care model provided…I appreciated that the midwifery model focused more on low interventions and treating the whole person, not just the issue at hand,” she said. She plans to work in a birth center or hospital.
Jasmine Walker, DNP, has joined the midwifery practice of Regional One Health in Memphis, achieving her goal of working in an underserved community. She also wants to get involved in policymaking and would like to help develop more resources for patients to improve overall health outcomes in maternity care. “The Midwifery program has reinforced my concerns that being compliant with care plans is influenced by so many other factors like lack of transportation and finances,” she said.
Dr. Walker chose to pursue the DNP in Nurse-Midwifery because “Midwifery represents everything I stand for: women’s empowerment, creating a safe environment to build rapport with people, educating and providing evidence-based practice care, and decreasing the gap between access and equity of care.”
The Impact of the Grant
In 2020, the maternal mortality rate in Tennessee was 58.5 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to the 2022 Report to the Tennessee General Assembly from the Tennessee Department of Health on Family Health and Wellness. This is much higher than the national maternal mortality rate for 2020 of 23.8 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Tennessee, more than three out of four of those maternal deaths were considered preventable. Residents in 35 of Tennessee’s 95 counties have no access to maternity care, according to the 2022 March of Dimes report on maternity care deserts.
The $4 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Association will enable the college’s NurseMidwifery program to expand its partnerships to include the following institutions as clinical learning sites: the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi; Professional Care Services, which operates clinics in rural West Tennessee; Baptist Memorial Health Care, which operates hospitals throughout the Delta; the Shelby County Health Department; and the UTHSC Nursing Mobile Health Unit, which serves patients in Lake and Lauderdale counties. The college will continue partnering with the midwifery practice at Regional One Health.
More than 70% of the grant’s funding annually will be applied to student training costs. The remaining funds will be used in developing those vital clinical partnerships. The grant’s principal investigator is Professor Kate Fouquier, PhD, APRN, CNM, FACNM.
Why UT Health Science Center
Meredith Morris, DNP, came to the UT Health Science Center program because she wanted to learn from Dr. Fouquier, who leads the Nurse-Midwifery program, and because the program provided preceptors. “Preceptors in a CNM program are very hard to find. This has been the best program I have been part of,” she said.
Dr. Morris plans to work in Mississippi, where she lives. “My biggest goal is to give women informed choices and autonomy in their own care. I want women to feel trusted and heard.”
Jessica Martin, DNP, also plans to continue working in Mississippi. “I hope to improve birth outcomes in Mississippi for all women,” she said. “I want to provide care that decreases birth trauma, and I want to increase awareness about midwifery and what midwives are capable of doing.”
Students Find Value in Operating Room Scholars Program
By Chris Green
After graduating from college, Lucas Parrish worked multiple odd jobs trying to find use for his biochemistry degree. He intended to pursue a graduate degree in anesthesiology, but that plan changed when he started taking care of his wife’s grandmother after an accident.
“She fell and broke her shoulder and was no longer able to use her walker. Because of that, I ended up helping her around the house and helping take care of her,” he said.
The experience reminded Parrish of when he worked as a certified nursing assistant while studying at Tennessee Tech University. Witnessing how he took care of his family, Parrish’s aunt, who is a nurse at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, encouraged him to return to nursing and attend her alma mater, UT Health Science Center.
Parrish, originally from Waynesboro, Tennessee, began the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program with a goal of eventually becoming a certified registered nurse anesthesiologist (CRNA). When he learned the College of Nursing was starting an Operating Room (OR) Scholars program, he applied in hopes of gaining experience in the operating room.
Parrish is one of two students in the OR Scholars program’s first cohort. Launched last year in collaboration with Baptist Memorial Health Care, the program aims to help address the shortage of perioperative nurses, who fulfill nursing roles before, during, and after surgical procedures. The program grew this year with three students in its second cohort.
OR Scholars receive additional education and simulation in perioperative care and work in the Baptist OR during their first summer in the program. This additional training can help prepare students by reducing the time they must spend in orientation or residency at hospitals after graduating, and it can assist in the retention of perioperative nurses. Accepted students receive tuition support from Baptist, and in return, they agree to work for the hospital for two years after graduation.
“The collaboration between Baptist Memorial Health Care and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Nursing on the Operating Room Scholars program has been such a success that we expanded the program to include the cardiac catheter lab this year,”
said Mary Ellen Sumrall, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, vice president and chief nursing executive of Baptist Memorial Health Care. “Perioperative nurses are in high demand because of the increase in surgeries and an aging workforce. Through the OR Scholars program, nursing students are exposed to didactic and clinical experiences in highly complex procedural areas to help prepare them to work in the OR immediately after graduation. I am very excited to be a part of this leading-edge training.”
Racheal Otts is in the second cohort of OR Scholars. Nursing is her second career after working as a teacher in North Mississippi for a decade. She considered pivoting to nursing after seeing the amazing work of a hospice nurse who cared for her grandmother at the end of her life. She said a conversation about finances with her sister, a nurse at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, also convinced her to make the career change.
“Teaching just wasn’t cutting the bill,” she said. “My sister and I talked about things that I tend to generally have a knack for, and caring for people is one of them, so she said, ‘Why don’t you try nursing?’ And so, I thought about it and decided there was no better time than the present, so I sold my house and used the money to go to nursing school.”
Otts is training in the catheterization laboratory, or cath lab, which falls under the OR umbrella. The cath lab is an examination room in a hospital or clinic where diagnostic imaging equipment is used to visualize the arteries and
chambers of the heart and treat abnormalities. Otts shadowed in the cath lab for three days before applying to be an OR Scholar, and by the end of that experience, she was certain it was where she wanted to be.
“By my second day, I had multiple people who were very willing to teach me what to do in a very handson way—not in a way that made me feel like they were condescending to me or talking down to me because I was a student, but in a way that genuinely felt helpful and that genuinely talked me through the process of what was happening, what I was looking at, what materials to use, what to do, and what not to do,” she said. “There’s never been a moment when I’ve felt like I couldn’t ask somebody for help. I’ve never felt belittled or like I was a burden to anybody.”
Having enjoyed her experience so far, Otts is confident in her desire to work in the cath lab long-term. For Parrish, being part of the OR Scholars program is a beneficial step toward his goal of being a CRNA one day.
“The program with UT Health Science Center and Baptist has been very valuable, both in terms of the financial assistance and the experience it has given me in the OR,” he said. “I would 100% recommend doing the OR Scholars program because you learn so much, you work at a different pace than on the floor, and you get to feel more confident in what you are doing as a nurse.”
Manasco Serves as New Assistant Dean of Student Affairs
Assistant Professor Christie Manasco, PhD, RN, CNE, began her new role as assistant dean of Student Affairs for the UT Health Science Center College of Nursing on July 1.
In her new position, Dr. Manasco reports directly to Dean Wendy Likes. Her primary responsibilities are student recruitment and engagement and operations in the college’s Student Affairs Department.
Since joining the college in July of 2020, Dr. Manasco has been very active in research and teaching. She is the principal investigator for a three-year, $1.5 million Health
Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant called “Training and Education to Advance Critical Health Equity Readiness Using Simulation,” or TEACH US. She is also co-investigator on the $3.98 million HRSA grant for the UTHSC Nursing Mobile Health unit. In that role, she has led the rural education segment for students in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. In addition, she is co-investigator on the three-year, $1.5 million HRSA grant to expand Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) training in West Tennessee. Dr. Manasco earned the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Faculty in 2022.
Prior to joining UT Health Science Center, Dr. Manasco was assistant dean of Nursing for the Lambuth campus of the University of Memphis in Jackson, Tennessee. She earned her BSN at the University of South Alabama, her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, and her PhD in Nursing Education and Administration from William Carey University in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
“Dr. Manasco has a solid history of nursing leadership,” Dean Likes said. “She has also proven herself an innovative and strong leader since joining our College of Nursing. I have no doubt she will excel in this new role, and I look forward to working with her to strengthen the student experience.”
Dr. Manasco said, “I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the College of Nursing as assistant dean of Student Affairs. With my experience in nursing education and leadership, I am eager to enhance our admissions, recruitment, and enrollment processes. I am particularly excited about fostering a vibrant, supportive, and inclusive student community that prepares our future nurses to excel in their careers and beyond.”
Welcoming Our New Faculty Members
The UT Health Science Center College of Nursing has added several new faculty members over the last year.
Ja‘Quay Brister, DNP, PMHNP-BC
Dr. Brister joined the College of Nursing in July 2023 as an assistant professor to teach in the Psychiatric Mental Health concentration of the DNP program. Dr. Brister teaches Child and Adolescent Mental Health Care in Advanced Pediatric Nursing and Psychiatric Mental Health Assessment Strategies. She received her DNP in 2018 from the UT Health Science Center College of Nursing. She earned a BSN from Union University in 2013.
Shakila Erby, DNP, MSN, BSN
Dr. Erby joined the College of Nursing in December 2023 as an assistant professor in the BSN program. Dr. Erby completed her DNP in 2023 with a concentrated area of study in Nursing Administration and Education at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. She received her Master of Science in Nursing Education in 2016 from Capella University and her BSN in 2009 from Baptist Health Sciences University. Before joining UT Health Science Center, Dr. Erby served as a clinical development specialist for Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare.
Melanie Fant, PhD, BSN
Dr. Fant joined the College of Nursing in April 2024 as an assistant professor. She earned her BSN from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 2010 and a PhD in Nursing Science in 2023 from UT Health Science Center. An adjunct faculty member for the BSN Maternal Health course at UT Health Science Center for several years, Dr. Fant also worked in hospital administration as a Senior Clinical Nurse Educator, managing clinical staff education in more than 60 outpatient clinics. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society and the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses Organization.
Rhonda Johnson, DNP, APRN, CNE, c-EFM, CNM, FACNM
Dr. Johnson joined the nurse-midwifery faculty team as an associate professor in July 2023. She is a certified nurse midwife with more than 27 years of experience. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from the University of Florida in 1994, her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of Pennsylvania in 1995, and her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Case Western Reserve University in 2018. She is an accreditation specialist for the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers (CABC) and a site visitor for Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education. Dr. Johnson is actively involved in the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) taskforce on bullying. She was inducted as a fellow into the American College of Nurse-Midwives in 2022.
Louise Manasco, MSN, BSN
Manasco joined the faculty of the College of Nursing in September 2023 as an instructor. She received her Master of Science in Nursing Education from Union University in December 2017 and her BSN from Baptist College of Health Sciences in April 2012. She teaches in the BSN program as an instructor in the clinical setting. Manasco began her practice as a Registered Nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at Baptist Hospital. She is a member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society.
From Local to Global: Innovative Center Grows, Expands Focus
In late 2016, the Center for Community Partnerships and Innovation began with a lofty mission: to develop sustainable partnerships with health systems in Memphis, the Mid-South, and throughout Tennessee to advance the profession of nursing and improve health outcomes.
The mission of the center fulfills the vision of Dean Wendy Likes on how the College of Nursing can improve the lives of people in the Mid-South through initiatives ranging from workforce development to communityfocused efforts.
Eight years on, the Center is fulfilling that mission and has expanded to include a director, as well as the assistant dean who established it, Professor Sara Day, PhD, RN, FAAN. The initiative also has changed its name to the Center for Community and Global Partnerships.
Assistant Professor Lisa Beasley, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, AFN-C, took on the role of center director on March 1, 2024, and said the leadership of the Center is complementary. “We have different areas of expertise that are focused on building partnerships from local to global,” she said.
Dr. Day agreed, saying, “It is the perfect blend that expands what the Center is able to do.”
The local-to-global dynamic can be seen in the diverse areas of focus of the Center. Dr. Beasley leads the college’s Rural Health Task Force that looks to bring outreach efforts in rural health together to create the greatest impact for rural and vulnerable populations. The college recently established an area of excellence in Rural and Underserved Health Care, and Dr. Beasley would like to eventually develop a Center of Excellence in Rural Health.
Dr. Day works closely with the International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP) Baseline Nursing Standards Special Interest Group and serves as cochair of the research pillar. She is the first author of manuscripts published in Lancet Oncology, Cancer Control, and Journal of Pediatric Hematology/ Oncology Nursing describing the development and evaluation of the SIOP Nursing Standards. The standards are published in eight languages and are being implemented at 49 sites in 29 countries.
Another example of the impact of partnerships can be seen in the college’s partnership with Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, which was recognized with the 2023 American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Exemplary Academic-Practice Partnership Award. Established in 2016, this innovative partnership enabled advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) at Le Bonheur to transition to full-time faculty roles in the College of Nursing at UT Health Science Center while maintaining full clinical practice. The APRNs who are clinical faculty members maintain a role that is 95% clinical practice and 5% teaching. Forty APRNs at Le Bonheur are on the clinical faculty at the college, and several others serve as volunteer faculty.
The assistant dean and director of the Center recently sat down to discuss the Center’s primary accomplishments since its inception and its goals for the future.
Dr. Sara Day
Dr. Lisa Beasley
Sickle Cell Disease Initiative
A significant accomplishment is the Sickle Cell Initiative that began with a five-day Sickle Cell Boot Camp to Promote Nursing Excellence to improve front-line care for patients who have the disease. The boot camp is a collaboration of the college, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and the International Association of Sickle Cell Nurses and Professional Associates. Since 2022, 130 national and international participants have completed the program. Twenty-four nurses from rural and underserved areas also completed a two-day course.
The Sickle Cell Disease Initiative is also providing workshops on emergency management of sickle cell complications at 15 hospitals throughout the Delta region in collaboration with Baptist Memorial Health Care.
Supporting Nurse Scholars
A major goal of the Center is “supporting nurses in academic advancement to give them the resources they need to change practice,” Dr. Day said.
The Center developed a Nurse Scholars Program with Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare and a Nurse Residency Program with the Shelby County Health Department. Thirteen nurses graduated from the program at Methodist during its tenure. The program also helped Methodist North attain magnet status, Dr. Day said. She also said the nurse residency partnership with the health department resulted in new initiatives to improve the health of the community, such as screening for adverse childhood experiences in a public health clinic.
Community Grants
Since 2018, the Center has provided nine Nursing Innovation grants for nurses in Memphis who want to improve patient care in their area of practice. The grants are funded through money raised at the college’s annual NightinGala, which celebrates the profession of nursing and honors outstanding local nurses with the Nurse
Hero Awards. Grant recipients have included nurses from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Methodist Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center, Regional One Health, Methodist North Hospital, and Campbell Clinic Orthopaedics.
Dr. Beasley is charged with helping to expand community grants. “Frequently, nurses in clinical areas notice changes that can be made to improve patient care but may not know exactly how to study their idea and implement a change,” she said. “The nurses are guided by Dr. Day or me, and these small grants help them implement those ideas and perhaps present them and/or get them published.”
Continuing Education
Dr. Beasley also is the lead nurse planner and accredited provider program director for the Nursing Continuing Professional Development unit. The unit has nurse planners who develop programs for continuing education for all nurses in the Mid-South. In this role, Dr. Beasley also works to bring national speakers to the college for three distinguished visiting professorships each year.
Expanding Safety Education
A continuing area of focus for the Center is the Managing Aggressive Patient Situations (MAPS) curriculum developed by the college’s faculty and implemented in a train-the-trainer model. MAPS integrates verbal strategies for de-escalation, communication skills, and simulation experiences in clinical settings. This program is geared specifically for health care workers. Since 2022, more than 140 nurses across the state have been trained using this strategy, which they can then share with their colleagues.
As she looks ahead to goals for her first year as director of the Center, Dr. Beasley said, “I would like to help make the Center more visible to our community, our practice partners, and our nurses. I believe establishing connections and collaborating helps our community.”
Dr. Day teaches emergency department providers at Baptist Memorial Health Care-Covington.
The college is recognized with the AACN Exemplary AcademicPractice Partnership Award.
Eighth-Annual NightinGala Celebrates Nursing
By Leigh Ann Roman
About 250 people celebrated nursing on May 3 at the eighth-annual NightinGala and Nurse Hero Awards. The University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s College of Nursing presented the program at the Great Hall and Conference Center in Germantown.
The college hosts the event each year to launch the celebration of National Nurses Week, May 6-12. WMC-TV News Anchor Joe Birch emceed the awards program, and UT Health Science Center Chancellor Peter Buckley, MD, also attended and spoke at the event.
“We consider it a privilege to offer this event each year to honor excellent nurses in our own community and to recognize the importance of the nursing profession in all communities,” said College of Nursing Dean Wendy Likes.
Event sponsors included St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Baptist Memorial Health Care, Regional One Health, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, and West Cancer Center and Research Institute.
Zenobia Harris, DNP, MPH, BSN, of Little Rock, Arkansas, received the Dr. John W. Runyan, Jr., Community Nursing Award for her work with the Arkansas Birthing Project. Established in 1979, the Runyan Award recognizes a registered nurse practicing in Tennessee, Mississippi, or Arkansas, who has made significant contributions to the development and promotion of community health nursing. Dr. Harris is the executive director of the Arkansas Birthing Project and a retired public health nurse in Arkansas.
The birthing project pairs pregnant women with mentors for approximately 18 months. Dr. Harris, who earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice at UT Health Science Center, also has been the acting board president of the Birthing Project, USA, since 2022.
Micah Lindsey, RN, received the Bedside Nurse Hero Award for her dedication and work in the Baptist Memorial Health Care Neuro ICU. When she accepted her award, she spoke about how she tries to treat her patients as she would want her family to be treated.
Amanda Taylor, DNP, ANP-BC, SANE-A, SANE-P, was recognized with the Advanced Practice Nurse Hero Award. Dr. Taylor is the director of the Shelby County Crime Victims and Rape Crisis Center, where she has worked since 2015. Dr. Taylor received her Doctor of Nursing Practice in Forensics from UT Health Science Center in 2011 and is a certified Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner for pediatrics and adults. She also is committed to educating the nursing community about forensic nursing. She allows many students to precept with her and is active in community outreach.
The Executive Nurse Leader Hero Award honored Claudia Neira, DNP, FNP-BC, chief clinical officer for Lifedoc Health, which opened in 2005 as a family health care practice to serve the growing and underserved Hispanic community. She is also a founding partner of Lifedoc Research.
Dr. Neira’s contributions have been vital to expanding Lifedoc’s clinical model to serve a larger population. Today, Lifedoc cares for nearly 20,000 patients, 85% of whom are on Medicaid. It is a multidisciplinary health care organization with integrated, outcome-oriented, and culturally competent treatment interventions.
“The award winners this year are a wonderful example of the breadth of nursing and its impact,” Dr. Likes said. “Nurses provide compassionate care in all aspects of life – every step of the way.”
195 Students Earn Nursing Degrees
During three commencement exercises over the last year, 195 students earned nursing degrees at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. One hundred and eighteen students earned their Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degrees, 72 students attained their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees, and five students received their PhD in Nursing Science degrees.
• August 21, 2023: 48 BSN graduates
• December 11, 2023: 36 DNP graduates, 3 BSN graduates, and 2 PhD graduates
• May 13, 2024: 82 DNP graduates, 21 BSN graduates, and 3 PhD graduates
In August 2023, three nursing students received awards at graduation. BSN student Dalton Sims received the Alumni Award, which is presented to a student who has displayed enthusiasm for learning and nursing, as well as superior patient care skills and excellence in interaction with peers, patients, and staff. Samantha Quattlebaum received the BSN Class Award, an award given by classmates to an outstanding role model. And BSN student Chad Kennedy
received the Sigma Theta Tau Leadership Award, presented to a graduating BSN student who has shown a high level of professionalism.
In December 2023, five students received nursing awards. BSN student Matthew Darling and DNP student Lauren Faulkner each received the Alumni Award. BSN student Taylor MeCwan received the BSN Class Award. DNP student Latoya Reed received the Doctor of Nursing Practice Clinical Award, which is presented by the DNP faculty to a member of the graduating class who demonstrates advanced levels of clinical judgment or scholarship in nursing practice, as well as professional values and ethical decision-making.
BSN student Brianna Glass received the Sigma Theta Tau Leadership Award.
In May 2024, five students received nursing awards. BSN student Jensen Lewis and DNP student Alyssa Ptacek received the Alumni Award. DNP student Rachel Faller received the DNP Clinical Award. DNP student Evan Gregory received the DNP Leadership Award, which is presented by faculty to a member of the graduating class who exemplifies leadership in clinical practice. And BSN student Arcieri Lowe received the Sigma Theta Tau Leadership Award.
Congratulations to all our graduates!
Alumna Dee Blakney Remembered for Life of Service
Dedication is a word that comes up repeatedly when people remember Dee Blakney, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, ACNP-BC.
Dr. Blakney, who had served on the College of Nursing’s Alumni Board since 2016, passed away July 31, 2024, at 60, following a battle with cancer. In 2021, the Rural Health Association of Tennessee (RHAT) recognized her as the Rural Practitioner of the Year.
“Dee was so well respected among her peers, and deeply loved by her patients. Her dedication to the rural communities she served was unparalleled. Dee’s tireless commitment to providing compassionate care and support to her patients will leave a lasting impact on all who knew her,” said Assistant Professor Lisa Beasley, DNP, who is director of the college’s Center for Community and Global Partnerships. Dr. Beasley is also on the RHAT board.
A Memphis native, Dr. Blakney attained her nursing diploma from the Methodist Hospital School of Nursing in 1989 and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from the University of Memphis in 1998. She earned her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) as a family nurse practitioner in 1999 and her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in 2007, both from the UT Health Science Center College of Nursing.
Assistant Professor Diana Dedmon, DNP, called Dr. Blakney one of her favorite classmates from her MSN program at the College of Nursing. “She was driven and dedicated to her patients, always impressing me with her commitment and compassion. Dee always watched out for the most vulnerable, and I would say she truly lived to serve others,” she said. Dr. Dedmon leads the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant that supports the UTHSC Nursing Mobile Health unit that serves rural Lake and Lauderdale counties.
Dr. Blakney was very committed to increasing health care access for rural patients. In 2005, she became co-owner of Michie Healthcare, a clinic in rural McNairy County. In 2009, she opened another clinic in rural Hardeman County, Whiteville Family Medical Clinic. Rural health and the care of the underserved were among her top priorities as a provider.
She received many awards throughout her career, including the University of Memphis Nursing Leadership Award, Methodist Hospital Shining Star, and Top 11 in Nursing for Shelby and Fayette Counties’ Celebrate Nursing program. Dr. Blakney was one of the most dedicated preceptors for family nurse practitioner (FNP) students from UT Health Science Center, said Associate Professor Laura Reed, DNP, who coordinates the FNP concentration at the college.
“She was a very experienced nurse practitioner who shared her knowledge and skills with our FNP students all while nurturing them as they progressed to the role of a new graduate nurse practitioner. She continued as a mentor for many of our students after they graduated, as well.”
College of Nursing Dean Wendy Likes said Dr. Blakney’s life made an impact on many. “She had a passion for caring for underserved populations that was palpable to all who worked and interacted with her. She loved nursing, her family, and her community. She certainly left the world a little better than the way she found it.”
A scholarship to benefit a Doctor of Nursing Practice student has been created in Dr. Blakney’s memory. Gifts may be made at giving.uthsc.edu/blakney.
Dr. Blakney was also a committee member on the Tennessee Nurses Association task force for full practice authority and a preceptor for the UT Health Science Center College of Nursing, the University of Memphis, Union University, and Chatham University.
Dr. Blakney (second from left) receives the 2021 Rural Practitioner of the Year Award.
2024 Most Outstanding Alumnus
Robert David Lane, DNP, PMHNP/FNP
An early entrant into advanced practice nursing, Dr. Dave Lane attended a nurse practitioner certification program in 1976 after completing his Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at the University of California, Los Angeles. He became a highly credentialed advanced practice nurse (ANP, GNP, PMHCNS) with additional master’s degrees in social work (MSW) and public health (MPH) from UC-Berkeley, but he did not hold an advanced nursing degree.
In 2005, Dr. Lane started commuting from Oklahoma to enroll jointly in the (hybrid/distance) UT Health Science Center College of Nursing Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in the family nurse practitioner and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner concentrations. He continued to serve on the Oklahoma Board’s Advanced Practice Committee introducing prescriptive authority and held offices and board positions for the Oklahoma Nurses Association, the Oklahoma State Hospice Association, and others. He graduated with his MSN in 2006 and his DNP in 2008. He later took the USMLE Step 3 medical licensing exam to become a Diplomat in Comprehensive Care.
In post-graduate employment, Dr. Lane introduced the advanced practice role into almost every facility and inpatient setting in which he worked. He developed and taught in the West Virginia University/Charleston Health Science Center Gerontologic Nurse Practitioner program and taught pharmacology and physical assessment in their Family Nurse Practitioner program.
After moving to North Carolina, he introduced the nurse practitioner role at Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte. He was recruited to East Carolina University to develop their PMHNP curriculum in July 2016. The first students were admitted to MSN and post-master’s certificate programs in August 2017, and to date have added more than 200 newly certified PMHNPs to the North Carolina psychiatric provider pool.
Dr. Lane returned to clinical practice and introduced the nurse practitioner role in his current inpatient setting. He enjoys warm relationships among providers and staff at all levels of care, both for his supportive posture to co-workers, and advocacy for clients with serious and persistent mental illness.
Dr. Rhonda Finnie is a nurse practitioner with Baptist Health Neurosurgery Arkansas in Little Rock. She earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Lyon College in 1992 and attained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in 2002 at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. She earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in 2013 from UT Health Science Center.
Dr. Finnie is a board-certified adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner, advanced neurovascular practitioner, and advanced stroke coordinator. She created the first Advanced Practice Council and is currently the advanced practice coordinator at the Baptist Health Little Rock campus. She is the chair of the Board of Directors of the largest nonprofit hospice agency in Arkansas, Arkansas Hospice, and serves on the Neurocritical Care Society’s Advanced Practice Provider Leadership team. She has been an active member of the Association of Neurovascular Clinicians (ANVC) and was elected as the ANVC president-elect for 20232024. She has received numerous awards throughout her career, including the 2018 Harding University Carr College of Nursing Alum of the Year and the 2022 AANP State Excellence Award.
After reading Joe Tye’s book, The Florence Prescription: From Accountability to Ownership – A Manifesto for a Positive Healthcare Culture, Dr. Finnie found a motto to cling to: proceed until apprehended. She is currently enrolled in the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at Arkansas State University with a concentration in health care because she believes that we can’t become what we need to be by remaining what we are.
2024 Most Supportive Alumna
Patti Scott, DNP, PNP, RN, NCSN-E
Two-time College of Nursing alumna Patti Scott (’80, ’09) has experienced a varied and rewarding nursing career, and she continues to give back. After her first years as a registered nurse in acute care pediatrics at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Dr. Scott shifted to public health nursing, aiming to prevent the problems she saw in acute care settings. This included two decades in school health. Dr. Scott then spent a decade in state public health administration and senior/executive leadership roles in Arkansas and Tennessee, where she was able to influence and strengthen preventive services in those states. She has also served on faculty at the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing and the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.
Throughout her career, Dr. Scott has remained a loyal supporter of the UT Health Science Center College of Nursing. She is currently president-elect of the College of Nursing Alumni Board. In 2019, she and her husband, Jay Deshpande, MD, a 1976 graduate of the UT Health Science Center College of Medicine, established the Dr. Patti Scott Scholarship for a nursing student pursuing a career in public health.
In her most recent full-time role, Dr. Scott was the clinical director for the Tennessee Department of Health Office of Primary Prevention. After retirement, she continued to work with the Primary Prevention team as a part-time consultant. Dr. Scott currently is employed part time at the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing where she serves as a school health consultant to the University School of Nashville.
Dr. Scott is one of 25 nurses from across the country selected to be a Public Health Nurse Leader, a onetime cohort, by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Dr. Scott has authored articles in peer-reviewed journals and chapters in pediatric nursing and school health texts, and she has presented at many national, regional, and state conferences.
2024 Most Outstanding Methodist School of Nursing Alumna
Wanda Jan Harrell, FNP-BC, MSN, BSN
Jan Harrell graduated from the Methodist Hospital School of Nursing with a Diploma in Nursing in 1966 and worked in the hospital’s emergency department before returning to her alma mater as an instructor in 1970. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1973 and her Master of Science in Nursing in 1977 from UT Health Science Center while working as an instructor at Methodist, where she eventually became assistant director for the faculty and curriculum.
When the decision was made to close the Methodist Hospital School in 2000, Ms. Harrell was responsible for managing the school closing. Courses and faculty were phased out as students graduated, and care was taken to continue the high-quality curriculum and excellent clinical experiences. The last class graduated in April 2006. Ms. Harrell attained a post-master’s certificate as a family nurse practitioner (FNP) from UT Health Science Center in 2005 and began working as an FNP in a privately-owned clinic in Munford in 2006. Ms. Harrell worked there until 2016, when she retired after 50 years in nursing.
Ms. Harrell has been a member of the American Nursing Association, Tennessee Nursing Association, and District One Tennessee Nursing Association. She is also a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.
Alumna Becki Baker ‘Gives Back to the Fountain that Gave to Her’
By Janay Jeans
Becki Baker, BSN, RN, BSEd, has a passion for nursing that began when she was five years old and received a nursing outfit for Christmas.
“My favorite picture is from that particular Christmas where I’m dressed in a nurse’s outfit, which was the only gift I wanted,” Baker recalls. “I’ve always been interested in life sciences, and even as a small child, I would call the neighborhood children together and we would dissect a frog to just look at its parts.”
Now, Baker is an alumna of the College of Nursing and has around 30 years of clinical nursing experience in acute care and long-term acute care (LTAC), clinical education and training, business development, clinical marketing, and multiple leadership roles. She had a career
shift 15 years ago, moving into complex population health with a focus on value-based care, which is a health care model centered on quality of care and improving the patient experience. Since then, Baker hasn’t looked back.
She is the founder and chief executive officer of her consulting agency, Synergy 3C, The Clinical Consulting Cooperative, LLC, based in Nashville where she along with her team specialize in consulting and advisory services aimed at helping health care organizations develop or improve their value-based health care initiatives and strategies.
Education has been a part of her family, leading her decision to become an educator early on. When she was studying for her undergraduate degree at the University of Memphis, her mother was a secondary school teacher, and her sister was an early childhood educator.
Baker earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Memphis in secondary education, English, and biology. After graduating, she taught high school AP English in Shelby County Schools for six years but longed to be in a health care role. Deciding to study nursing, she applied to UT Health Science Center’s College of Nursing and received the Ruth Neil Murry Endowed Scholarship, established in memory of the first dean of the College of Nursing.
“I was very excited about it because I felt like I was doing what my heart always wanted to do,” she said. “My mother found that picture in a family box and she gave it to me for Christmas the year I graduated, along with a Littman Cardiology II stethoscope, and said, ‘this little girl is finally realizing her joy’.”
Baker was in the second class of the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, where she fell in love with nursing.
“I went through the accelerated program and fell in love with nursing not with a child’s view of it, but with an adult’s view. I said this is what I really want to do, because I have to know diagnoses, pathophysiology, and appropriate drug classes for treatment, but I also get to deal with people in their humanity and when they’re at their worst. I consider that an honor,” she said.
Photo credit: Candice Baise
Baker felt very prepared through the program and enjoyed collaborating with professors and students. “Many of our professors got to know us as individuals. Some of the best times I had were collaborating with them and other students after hours and they were very open about what their paths looked like,” she said.
She also gained experience in a three-week practicum in the cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU) at thenBaptist Central in Memphis. After graduating with her BSN in 1991, she started practicing as a staff nurse in the same unit.
“I went straight into the CVICU as a staff nurse directly after graduation. You don’t really hear much of that anymore. People go into lower levels of nursing and intern programs. Because of the three-week practicum, which is absolutely invaluable, I found my niche and loved critical care,” she said.
She practiced as a staff nurse and then as a nurse manager until the hospital closed in 2000. Deciding to shift in a different direction, Baker moved to the postacute sector and served in multiple leadership roles in hospice, LTAC, and corporate hospital case management, and later found complex population health.
Baker says she discovered her passion working with complex populations in a value-based care model, rather than fee-for-service, and saw lives changed. “Complex geriatrics was my first population health experience. I absolutely fell in love with it and became passionate about population health. Not just two patients at a time in ICU, but affecting mass change through targeted, proactive preventive care, early identification and detection, and intervening then and not waiting.”
During the pandemic’s height, she founded Synergy 3C to provide support for value-based care, which she learned from the ground up for more than 10 years. “We hit the ground running and at first, I said I would do the work all myself and see what it was like as a consultant. Before I knew it, by the end of the sixth month I had four clients, and I was working 180 hours a month and more people were calling. I started adding consultants and we did amazing work this first couple of years,” she said.
The agency offers many value-based health care consulting and advisory services to health care startups, established value-based care companies, and existing health care organizations seeking to implement valuebased care initiatives. Services include clinical program and business modeling, workflow development, technology enablement and implementation, and alternative payment strategies.
With her innovation, Baker develops clinical programs and business models that enhance patient outcomes and reduce the cost of care.
“The models I develop or collaborate on and have been involved with for the past 15 years, truly highlight the effectiveness of multidisciplinary care, just as we were taught in nursing school,” she said. “The results have been fantastic and deeply rewarding as a clinician. The best part is that patients feel genuinely cared for and happy, and the clinicians providing the care are fulfilled.”
With a passion to support and help cultivate more nurses, Baker has established a planned gift to the College of Nursing in her estate after her passing that will provide nursing scholarships. She was inspired by the legacy gifts in the American Lung Association, where she served on the charter governing board for the Midland States for 14 years.
“Giving back to the fountain that gave to me is very important. I have nothing but respect for UT Health Science Center and especially the College of Nursing. I know that my life was enriched because of my time there,” she said. “And to any potential donor, if you want to leave this planet better than you found it, healthier than you found it, fund it.”
Baker also noted the university’s efforts in rural health care. “I am also very thankful that UT Health Science Center has taken up the cause of rural health in the states,” she said. “There is such a need there in identifying our medical and nursing deserts, food and shelter deserts, and being able to come up with paradigms to address those deficits is huge.”
Her son, Harding Zills, followed in her footsteps and graduated from the accelerated program in 2018 and is now a practicing nurse. “My son has a master’s in acupuncture and was a sports acupuncturist and I said, ‘you would make a great nurse,’” she said. “Some people sometimes need to change lenses and the direction of their lives. Money should not be an inhibiting factor for becoming someone who contributes to society in a very meaningful way by helping grow health care in the direction it needs to grow.”
To her fellow alumni, she shares this thought: “How do you want to be remembered? As somebody who was a health care advocate and that every person deserves good health care? Then help make it happen. Give to what gave to you.”
If you would like to learn more about planned giving, visit uthsc.giftplans.org.
1911 Society Donor Recognition
The College of Nursing would like to recognize its 1911 Society donors for the impact they have made on our students, faculty, and staff in the past fiscal year. The 1911 Society recognizes the dedicated supporters of the university who are vital partners in our mission of educating students, conducting innovative research, and improving health outcomes. Membership in the 1911 Society is granted across multiple levels, recognizing annual and cumulative contributions to UT Health Science Center. To learn more online, visit alumni.uthsc.edu/ recognition-societies.
Your donations are critical to strengthening our impact across the state and around the world. There are multiple ways to support the College of Nursing. Cash gifts can be made online, by mail, or by phone. Other giving options include employer matching contributions, gifts of stock or bonds, real estate, gifts in kind, and various planned giving vehicles. For more information on how you can impact the College of Nursing, please contact the Office of Advancement at giving@utfi.org or 901.448.5516. Make your gift today! Visit giving.uthsc.edu/give
We are grateful to the following donors for their gifts of $100 or more through June 30, 2024.
Thank you for your generous support!
ANNUAL PARTNERS
Leslie A. Akins and Mark A. Akins
Sandra Gray Alford and Gene Alford
Carol Wells Allen
Vashti J. Alley
Betty Alsup
Nancy Appling and Murphy Appling
Stephen G. Atkinson
Sally Badoud and Jeffrey Badoud
Diana C. Baker and Hal L. Baker
Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation
Antoinette P. Bargagliotti
Sherry Barry and Bill Barry
Victoria Young Bass
Sandra Bateman and Richard Bateman
Lisa Darlene Beasley
Mary Adeline Bedwell
Bobby Lynn Bellflower and Larry Dale Bellflower
Hallie P. Bensinger and Patrick E. Bensinger
Coleen Bertsch
Michelle L. Boone
Terrilyn Boyd
Jennifer L. Bradford
Virginia Tanner Bradley
Linda Bronfin and Philip Bronfin
Frendessa Hagood Brosnahan
Jami Smith Brown and Granger Brown
Jacqueline Burchum and Tony Burchum
Nancy S. Burke
Nancy Smith Burton
Tammy Calvasina and Jason Calvasina
Joyce E. Carimi
Patricia P. Carlson and Michael G. Carlson
Yvonne M. Carroll
Joan B. Carter and J. Woodson Carter
Ann Cashion and Ted Cashion
Vicki L. Chandler and Steve Chandler
Sharon Bailey Chapman
Barbara J. Cherry and Michael Cherry
Deborah L. Chyka and Peter A. Chyka
Mary Teresa Clepper
Joyce Coats
Lanny L. Coker
Janice Collins-McNeil
Marilyn Comstock and Barton Comstock
Patricia Cowan and Dwight Cowan
Dee Cox and John W. Cox, Jr.
Lois Crenshaw
Thomas Bruce Cronemeyer
CVS Health Foundation
Diana Dedmon and Darren Dedmon
Janet E. DePriest
Shyam Deshpande and Lillian Buchhalter
Sattaria Dilks and Lawrence Dilks III
Susan Carol Donlevy
Ginger Dorris and Gary Dorris
Carolyn Jean Driscoll
Bettye Durham and Saxon Durham
Ann Eason and Dan S. Eason
Deborah Edwards and Lelon Opal Edwards, Jr.
Sherri Edwards and Michael Edwards
Gerry Emmons and Jerry L. Emmons
Deborah Esmon
Sharon Evans Thorpe and Edwin M. Thorpe, Jr.
Nancy Farrell and Mike Farrell
Valencia Fleming
Kate Fouquier and Mark Fouquier
Mary Girardi and Robert Girardi
Natasha Goins
Bethany Goolsby
Carolyn Graff and Paul Graff
Brigitte Grant
E. Dianne Greenhill
Barbara M. Grossman
Carmella Rose Guy
Trisha J. Hanna
Michael Edward Hans
Nancy D. Haramaki
Jada C. Harding
Tosha Harris
Zenobia E. Harris
Charles Hartwig and Mary Elizabeth Hartwig
Margaret Harvey
Alisa Haushalter and David Charles Mills, Sr.
Ronald C. and Martha E. Highfield
David Brent Hightower
Brenda Holt and Malcolm Holt
Jerry Mason Hook
Roenella Goolsby Hornsby
Lee Kauerz Hover
Sally Stevens Humphrey and John Humphrey
Diana Carolyn Hunt
Sally Hrymak Hunter and James S. Hunter
James A. Hutcheson IV and Ashley H. Hutcheson
Julie Isaacson and Michael Isaacson
Susan Jacob and Dick Jacob
Randall Lee Johnson
Rhonda Johnson and Bob Johnson
Myra S. Jones and Gordon F. Jones
Sally Lou Jones
Sissye V. Jones
Connie Jongewaard
Stan Joyner and Linda Douglas Joyner
Lisa Ruth Kanter and Eugene S. Schweig III
Kimberly D. Kennel
Patricia A. Kent and Ronald A. Kent
Carla Kirkland
Mary Anne Koeppel and Scott R. Koeppel
Emily R. Laird and Brent C. Laird
Robert D. Lane
Margaret Heins Laning and Ralph Ferraro
Janice Shelley Ledbetter
Brian T. Lewis
Shaunda Lou Lewis
Wendy M. Likes
Mary Line and Robin Line
Estate of Alys H. Lipscomb
Sharon H. Little and V. O. Little
Melissa J. Littman and William J. Littman
Cynthia A. Long
Reba Hare Lunney
Donna Lynch-Smith and Donald Smith
Meghan Madea and Greg Madea
Christie Carnell Manasco and Brandon Dorris
Louise Manasco
Belinda S. Mandrell and Timothy D. Mandrell
Dean J. Martin
Judy C. Martin and Willie E. Martin, Jr.
Jon A. Mather and M’Liss Darr Mather
Jeddie L. Maxwell
Tracy McClinton and Eric McClinton
Estate of Camille D. McCray
Wynema McGrew
Rebecca A. McKenzie and Jolly McKenzie
Margaret Grim McMahan and Thomas K. McMahan
Sandra E. McMillin and John M. McMillin
Charleen C. McNeill
Linda Medford and David A. Medford
Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare
Emily Mewborn and Michael Mewborn
Shelley A. Miller and David M. Miller
Stacey Morgan
Patricia A Mosley
Emma C. Murray
Jane M. Mustain
Robert Mynatt and Sarah Mynatt
Brooke Nadzadi
Karen Phillips Nellis
Hattie Nevels and Arthur Nevels
Helen New and Paul New
Tijuana Nichols
Barbara Hudspeth Norris
Barbara D. Norwood and Stephen W. Norwood
Alice Nunnery and James Allison Nunnery, Jr.
Maureen Burke Orians
Diane Pace and Jim Pace
Elizabeth Anne Paton and Robert Paton
Patricia A. Peppler and Richard D. Peppler
Pink Ribbon Open
Julia Ponder
Stephanie A. Powelson and Thomas H. Tucker II
Farris Jean Carr Quinn
Debbie Stepter Redd
Beverly Ann Reed
Kathleen Reed
Laura K. Reed and John B. Reed
Regional One Health Foundation
Registered Nurses Club
Sarah Rhoads
Muriel and Charles Rice
Michelle N. Rickard
James G. Roberts, Jr.
Nancy Kim Rudge
Cynthia Russell and Jerry Russell
Jennifer Russell and Steven Russell
Sheron Salyer and John Salyer
Jane S. Sander
Susan T. and Randy Sanders
Patricia Scott and Jayant Krishanath Deshpande
Andrea Sebastian and Greg Sebastian
Fannie T. Shelton and Franklin Shelton
Nakiesha Shepherd
Cheryl B. and James J. Shields
Willie Nathaniel Simon
Marguerite Royal Simpkins
Robert Wayne Skelton
Estate of Ruth M. Smith
Susan Smith and Prentiss Smith
Carol Sneed and Scott Sneed
Paula Spears
Patricia M. Speck and Ronald L. Speck
William A. Speitel and Pamela B. Speitel
St Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Nancy Staub and James Staub
Alicia D. Stigler and Samuel J. Stigler, Jr.
Nancy Strohschein
Michelle Stubbs and Doug Stubbs
Marilynn Susan Bell Swain
Cathy R. Taylor
Nancy Utter Terry
Alicia A. Tollison and Benjamin H. Tollison
Judy Valdez and Jose Valdez
Tony Valk and Karen Bryant Valk
Virginia Wages and David Wages
Carolyn F. Walker and Richard H. Walker
Sallie J. Walton
Jacqueline Watkins and Randall Watkins
Bobbie Waxler
Sherry S. Webb
Jo Ann West
Sherrod W. West and John H. West, Jr.
Sharon F. and Steven K. West
Amy Whitaker and Hall B. Whitaker
Sarah J. White and Bruce D. White
Linda O. Wible
Mona N. Wicks and Sammie J. Wicks
Barbara Carol Wilkey
Sara Ann Wilkinson
Armantine K. Williams
Cord D. Williams and Valerie J. Williams
Loretta Williams and Tavari Williams
Garland Wilson
Evelyn Wright-Lewis and Douglas Lewis
Jan Young
Kimberly S. Zilske and Eugene J. Zilske
2024–25 College of Nursing Alumni Board Officers
PRESIDENT
Sandy Bateman, ’79, ’81
Board of Directors
TENNESSEE REPRESENTATIVES
West – Michael Hans, ’93; Jan Young, ’02
Middle – Hallie Bensinger, ’02
East – Karen Valk, ’83
OUT-OF-STATE REPRESENTATIVES
Michelle Boone, ’16
Kathleen Reed, ’18, ’22
Patricia Speck, ’82, ’85, ’05
PAST PRESIDENTS
Kim Zilske, ’07
Armantine “Tine” Williams, ’75, ’81
PRESIDENT-ELECT
Patricia Scott, ’80, ’09
SECRETARY Tosha Harris, ’18
REPRESENTATIVES-AT-LARGE
Judy Martin, ’88, ’94
Emily Mewborn, ’09, ’13, ’23
Julia Ponder, ’17
Belinda Mandrell, ’08
Sara Wilkinson, ’18
Susan Donlevy, ’77
David Hightower, ’82
Diane Pace, ’71, ’96, ’98
METHODIST SCHOOL OF NURSING
Deborah Esmon, ’80, ’96
James “Hutch” Hutcheson, ’07
Dianne Greenhill, ’62
Susan Sanders, ’09
Leave Your Legacy
Have you thought about the legacy you will leave behind?
With a Planned Gift, you can:
• Simplify your estate for your family
• Reduce the tax burden applied to your assets
• Benefit causes you hold dear
The UTHSC Legacy Society
The Legacy Society was inspired by the dedication and generosity of the late Dr. Hershel “Pat” Wall, former chancellor and dean of the College of Medicine at UT Health Science Center, special assistant to the UT System President, and instructor in pediatrics.
For more information about planned gifts to the UT Health Science Center and Legacy Society membership, contact Bethany Goolsby at 901.448.5516 or estateplans@uthsc.edu
Thank you to our Legacy Society Members!
Estate of Reba Absher
Estate of Beverly Bowns
Estate of Mary Jane Brewer
Estate of Lucile G. Buderer
Estate of Kathrin Cashdollar
Estate of Kathryn Crane
Ms. Janet E. Depriest
Estate of Helen C. Dunkin
Dr. Elizabeth Fuselier Ellis
Estate of Geneva Belk Greene
Dr. E. Dianne Greenhill
Estate of Emma L. Heim
Dr. Susan Robertson Jacob and Mr. Richard Jacob
Dr. June H. Larrabee
Mrs. F. Aline Larue
Estate of Dr. Alys H. Lipscomb
Estate of Lily L. Lusk
Mr. Dean Martin
Estate of Camille D. McCray
Estate of Dr. Margaret A. Newman
Dr. Stephanie A. Powelson and Mr. Thomas H. Tucker II
Ms. Elinor F. Reed
Estate of Elizabeth Reese
Dr. William A. and Mrs. Catherine Clark Shell
Estate of Ruth M. Smith
Estate of Dorothy Stockdale and James E. Stockdale
Estate of Esther Jean Trentham
Estate of Dr. Janet A. Williamson
SGAEC Teaching Award Winners
Assistant Professor Nakeisha Shepherd, DNP, APRN, AG-ACNPBC, and Assistant Professor Kimberly Kennel, PhD, RN-BC, CCRN-K, CNE, received the Student Government Association Executive Committee (SGAEC) Excellence in Teaching Awards, which recognize outstanding teaching and genuine concern for students.
DNP Ranked No. 25 Nationwide
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s College of Nursing has again achieved a ranking in the top 25 for its Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program in the list of Best Graduate Schools by U.S. News & World Report. The college has the most highly ranked DNP program of any public university in the state. The latest ranking places the college in the top 7% of all DNP programs ranked nationwide and in the top 17% of DNP programs, ranked and unranked, in the U.S. The college was ranked No. 25 this year.
Associate Dean Honored with Founders Award
Associate Dean of Research
Ansley Stanfill, PhD, RN, FAAN, received the Founder’s Award from the International Society of Nurses in Genetics for Excellence in Genomic Research (ISONG) in 2023. The ISONG Founders Awards were established to recognize excellence in genomic nursing education, research, or service. Dr. Stanfill was also recognized for her service as Secretary on the Board of Directors from 2019-2023.
College, Southwest Partner in HELP Center
The College of Nursing and Southwest Tennessee Community College (STCC) launched a free health resource center for STCC students, faculty, and staff at a ribbon-cutting November 8, 2023. The Health Education and Lifestyle Promotion (HELP) Center is a collaboration of the college and STCC. The HELP Center allows the community college’s students, faculty, and staff to obtain physicals, referrals, and health care resources provided by a nurse practitioner on the faculty of the College of Nursing one day per week. This is the first such collaboration between STCC and the College of Nursing.
Shepherd Kennel
Dr. Graff Honored by UT Alumni Association
Professor Carolyn Graff, PhD, RN, FAAIID, has been recognized as a University of Tennessee Alumni Association (UTAA) Distinguished Service Professor. This prestigious award recognizes faculty across the university system annually who have a passion for teaching, a commitment to public service, and a dedication to each campus and its students. Dr. Graff has served as Director of the PhD in Nursing Science for 16 years and is the principal investigator for the Shelby County Relative Caregiver Program. She joined the college in 2006.
Second SANE Conference Sees Excellent Turnout
The Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) grant team held its second annual forensic nursing conference April 26, 2024, at the FedEx Event Center. More than 100 people attended. The conference is funded through a three-year, $1.5 million federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration that supports an expansion of SANE training and certification in West Tennessee.
Nurse Anesthesiology Students Receive Scrub Caps
The Class of 2025 for the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Nurse Anesthesiology received their scrub caps in a ceremony December 4 in the Mooney Library. The Scrub Cap Ceremony is an important rite of passage, marking the transition for students in this program from the classroom to clinical education. The 2025 cohort includes 24 students.
155 Students Receive White Coats
One hundred and fifty-five Bachelor of Science in Nursing students received their white coats in two separate ceremonies during the academic year: October 2, 2023, and February 12, 2024, at the Memphis Botanic Gardens. The ceremony marks the students’ transition from classroom to clinical education and is an important milestone. The students recite the White Coat Pledge, in which they promise to provide excellent care with compassion.
Dr. Dedmon Receives State Award for Nurse Practitioner Excellence
Assistant Professor and Director of Clinical Affairs Diana Dedmon, DNP, FNP-BC, AFN-C was awarded the Tennessee Nurse Practitioner Award for Excellence by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) at the national conference in June in Nashville. This award is given to a nurse practitioner in each state who has demonstrated excellence in clinical practice and has shown efforts to advance the image, profile, and visibility of nurse practitioners at the state level. Dr. Dedmon is the principal investigator on a $3.9 million HRSA grant funding the UTHSC Nursing Mobile Health Unit.
Faculty, Staff Recognized for Excellence During Nurses Week
Assistant Professor Andrea Sebastian, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC, AFN-C, SANE-P, and Assistant Professor Trina Barrett, DNP, RN, CCRN, CNE, received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty during National Nurses Week, May 6-12, 2024. These awards recognize faculty members for their commitment to and inspiration of their students. College of Nursing staff members also received awards during the DAISY program during Nurses Week. Director of Scholarship and Special Projects Stephanie Breuer, MBA, MM, CRA, received the Most Outstanding Staff Award. BSN Program Coordinator Ramona Jackson, BA, received the EAAS (Encouraging, Aiding, Assisting, and Supportive) Award.
Day of Service Expands in Third Year
The College has established a Day of Service tradition in November. In 2023, so many people volunteered that the college offered two days of service in which faculty and staff could pack boxes of food for their neighbors in need at Catholic Charities of West Tennessee. Combining both days, volunteers from the college packed 910 boxes.
Sebastian Barrett
In Memoriam
Class of 1953
Mrs. Zella Maye Boyle
September 29, 2023
Class of 1954
Mrs. Kay Parker Carr
July 9, 2023
Mrs. Maxine Crawford Greek
February 21, 2024
Class of 1956
Mrs. Peggy Jane Fowler
June 10, 2024
Class of 1961
Mrs. Lynda Ann Brittain
October 4, 2023
Class of 1966
Mrs. Jane Ellen Hartley
May 16, 2024
Class of 1968
Mrs. Brenda J. Liu
May 26, 2024
Class of 1972
Mrs. Victoria Barney
April 16, 2024
Class of 1973
Mrs. Teresa Jane Keith
July 25, 2023
Ms. Martha McKelvy
February 8, 2024
Class of 1974
Mrs. Janet Tidwell
December 9, 2023
Class of 1976
Mrs. Patricia Nichols McFarland
January 8, 2024
Class of 1982
Ms. Delsa Teresa Davis
April 19, 2024
Class of 1999
Dr. Dee Blakney
July 31, 2024
Why Make an Annual Gift to UT Health Science Center?
Donating to UT Health Science Center every year helps us provide scholarships, laboratory equipment, travel grants, community outreach initiatives, and many other benefits that would not be available using state or tuition-provided dollars alone!
Thank you for being a partner with our campus, our colleges, and our programs.
The UT Health Science Center College of Nursing Professional Development Unit Presents
Keynote Speaker
The 2024 William Cashdollar Distinguished Visiting Professorship
Friday, November 1 | 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
FedEx Events Center | Shelby Farms Park 415 Great View Drive East | Memphis, TN 38134
Megan Lippe, PhD, MSN, RN, ANEF, FAAN
Associate Professor, University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio
Dr. Megan Lippe is an associate professor with tenure and a palliative care expert. She is a national leader for palliative nursing care education with published works in areas related to palliative care education, simulation, interprofessional education, and social justice. She is a co-investigator of the End of Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) focused on advancing palliative care education in schools of nursing throughout the country. In 2023, Dr. Lippe was inducted as a fellow of both the American Academy of Nursing and the Academy of Nursing Education. In 2024, she was inducted as a Fellow of Palliative Care Nursing by HPNA.
Register Online for this Free Event https://cenow.uthsc.edu/2024-william-t-cashdollardvp Nursing Credit
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s College of Nursing is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation (ANCC). Three ANCC credit hours will be awarded for this event. There is no charge for the credit.
For more information, please contact Dr. Lisa Beasley at lbeasle9@uthsc.edu.
May 2, 2025 | Memphis
Join us to celebrate nursing in the Mid-South at the 2025 NightinGala! Our keynote speaker will be none other than Nurse Blake, the nationally known nurse influencer, comedian, author, and speaker. Blake is a registered nurse and earned his BSN from the University of Central Florida.
NightinGala, in its ninth year, will also offer fine food and the annual Nurse Hero Awards as we recognize local nurses who represent the best of the profession in our community.
Registration information will be available at uthsc.edu/nightingala in January 2025.
Join the Office of Advancement as we honor the 1974 College of Nursing graduates with a multi-day gathering, which culminates in the Golden Graduate Homecoming Ceremony and Dinner. You don’t want to miss this special reunion or the opportunity to catch up with friends and classmates! Other planned events include a welcome reception, breakfast and lunch with classmates, college open houses, and a tour of the Center of Healthcare Improvement and Patient Simulation (CHIPS).
Registration is available at alumni.uthsc.edu/golden.
For more information, contact Blair Duke, Assistant Director of Alumni Programs, at bduke@utfi.org or 901.448.2555
