UTHSC College of Nursing Magazine - Fall 2018

FALL 2018

NURSING

Dedicated to a Healthy Community

You are here Well, you could be.

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Journey through the Pacific Northwest, cruise with Polar Bears and Beluga Whales, discover the Holiday Markets in Europe or enjoy the company of fellow UT alumni on one of our 30 other tours.

Tempting, isn’t it?

Contact us for a new Travel Catalog

The 2019 program will feature 35 tours and will cover most areas of the world!

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Questions? Call 865-974-2115 or email gsnow@utfi.org

UTHSC Chancellor Steve J. Schwab, MD Dean Wendy Likes, PhD, DNSc, APRN, FAANP Executive Associate Dean, Academic Affairs Shelley Hawkins, PhD, APRN-BC, FAANP Assistant Dean of Quality and Strategic Affairs Susan Jacob, PhD, RN Chair, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Mona Newsome Wicks, PhD, RN, FAAN Chair, Acute and Tertiary Care Sherry Webb, DNSc, RN, CNL, NEA-BC Associate Dean, Research Scott Howard, MD, MSc Assistant Dean, Center for Community Partnerships and Nursing Innovation Sara Day, PhD, RN, FAAN Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Affairs Love Collins III, MBA Associate Vice Chancellor for Development Bethany Goolsby, JD Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor for Alumni Affairs Chandra Tuggle Director of Alumni Programs Natassha Bowles

Table of Contents Letter from Dean Likes.................................................................................................2 Letter from Chancellor Schwab...............................................................................3 Letter from the Alumni Board President............................................................ 4 New Center Building Community Relationships..............................................5 New BSN Director Sees Exciting Changes Ahead..........................................8 Academic Partnerships Aim to Boost Nursing Numbers..........................10 CRNA Option Continues Growth.......................................................................... 14 Nursing Researcher Helping Premature Babies Thrive.............................. 17 CON’s Anne Alexandrov Named Health Care Hero..................................... 18 Smoking Cessation Focus of Pediatric Acute Care Student.................. 24 Alumna Brings Health Clinic to Rural Texas Community.......................... 26 Nursing Postdoc Writes Book for Kids with Endocrine Disorder........ 28 Congratulations to Our Graduates......................................................................30 CON Faculty/Staff.......................................................................................................34

Senior Director of Annual Giving and Advancement Services Jada Williams

2018 Alumni Awards................................................................................................... 38

Director of Development – College of Nursing Michelle Stubbs

2018 NightinGala Reflects CON’s Community Stature..............................42

Assistant Vice Chancellor for Communications and Marketing Sally Badoud, MBA Editor Peggy Reisser

Michael Carter Shaped Nursing at UTHSC and Beyond.......................... 40

Thank You to Our Generous Supporters..........................................................45 Golden Graduate Homecoming 2017.................................................................48 Where are You Now, Thanks to UTHSC?........................................................... 51 In Memoriam................................................................................................................... 52

Contributing Writers Peggy Reisser Jackie Denton Amber Carter Designer Adam Gaines Photography Allen Gillespie Peggy Reisser

On the Cover: New partnerships allow BSN students in the UTHSC College of Nursing to gain clinical skills and encourage a healthier community. Students Pauline Dinh and Kenneth Gentner are part of a team administering health screenings to young students at Libertas School of Memphis.

All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and admissions without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, or covered veteran status.

Eligibility and other terms and conditions of employment benefits at The University of Tennessee are governed by laws and regulations of the State of Tennessee, and this non-discrimination statement is intended to be consistent with those laws and regulations.

In accordance with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, The University of Tennessee affirmatively states that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or disability in its education programs and activities, and this policy extends to employment by the University.

Inquiries and charges of violation of Title VI (race, color, national origin), Title IX (sex), Section 504 (disability), ADA (disability), Age Discrimination in Employment Act (age), sexual orientation, or veteran status should be directed to the Office of Equity and Diversity (OED), 910 Madison Avenue, Suite 826, Memphis, Tennessee 38163, telephone 901-448-7382 (V/TTY available). Requests for accommodation of a disability should be directed to the ADA Coordinator at the Office of Equity and Diversity. E073801(006-190318)

Letter from Dean Likes As I looked out over the crowd at our second-annual NightinGala in May, I was struck by the breadth of knowledge, expertise, and dedication present in that room.

We were so honored to have Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams, the U.S. Deputy Surgeon General, as our guest speaker that evening. She epitomizes nursing leadership and excellence. Her gracious presence with our students on campus earlier in the day, and with our guests at the gala, speaks volumes about our profession.

It is no accident that nursing is continuously ranked as the most-trusted profession.

All those present on that festive Friday evening, from our accomplished keynote speaker to our newest graduate, are the reason.

I know you will see that excellence and dedication reflected here in the pages our 2018 Nursing Magazine. We have chosen to focus on the UTHSC College of Nursing’s increasing presence in the community as a collaborator, innovator, and problem-solver.

From our faculty and staff to our students and academic partners, the College of Nursing is changing health and health care wherever we can.

Read about the accomplishments of our Center for Community Partnerships and Nursing Innovation, which is working in Memphis and beyond to advance nursing practice and improve patient care.

Learn about the college’s growing research enterprise, with the addition of new faculty and an emphasis on clinical and translational nursing investigation.

Meet our wonderful students, who are the future of our profession and who make us proud with their academic excellence and their commitment to caring for others.

We have had an excellent year, and are thrilled to say that U.S. News & World Report has ranked our Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Number 23 among nursing schools. This puts us in the top eight percent of DNP Programs in the nation!

I know that you, our wonderful alumni, will be proud of that measure of success and of all our accomplishments. We honor our distinguished alumni and friends, and we are grateful for your ongoing support.

Please stay connected and engaged with us, as we forge this exciting future together!

Wendy Likes, PhD, DNSc, APRN, FAANP Dean of the UTHSC College of Nursing

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Letter from Chancellor Schwab This is an exciting time for the College of Nursing at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

The college is growing on every front, adding students and programs, expanding its research enterprise, continuing its outstanding clinical performance, and raising its profile in the community.

All this effort has netted national attention. I am sure you will join me in congratulating all who contributed to the College of Nursing being ranked at Number 23 among Doctor of Nursing Practice programs in the country by U.S. News and World Report. This is a milestone to celebrate!

It is also an exciting time for the university as a whole.

In May, we opened the doors of our new Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Simulation in Memphis. With the latest in technology and a collaborative, team-based training model, every day we are making sure our graduates will be ready to deliver the best care possible in the future. The College of Nursing, in particular, has been a leader in simulation education on our campus.

I am happy to share a few other recent achievements. A new Economic Impact Report shows UTHSC contributed a record $4 billion to the state’s economy in Fiscal Year 2017. In addition, enrollment, graduation rates, and first-time board pass rates continue to climb. We have successfully recruited many top-tier faculty and researchers to the university, and our outstanding faculty and students have supported the community with hundreds of volunteer hours and free health services for the underserved.

We are proud of all the accomplishments. We are look to the future. And we are grateful for the continued engagement and support from you, our wonderful alumni, in all we do.

Sincerely,

Steve J. Schwab, MD

Letter from the Alumni President Dear Fellow Alumni, It is an honor to assume the role of president of the UTHSC College of Nursing Alumni Board. I know many of you “older” alums from our time together on campus in the late ’70s and ’80s. I was involved with the university then, and again for the past 14 years serving on the board.

I am proud to say that the clinical and philosophical expertise I received from UTHSC prepared me for my 40-year nursing career. Under Dean Ruth Neil Murry, I graduated from UTHSC in 1975 with my BSN and completed my PNP/A certificate in an extended program in Pediatric Primary Care with instructors including Ruth Benfield, Brenda Mills, Hershel Wall and so many others, who were pioneers in establishing this advanced role for nurses.

I was employed by the UT Department of Pediatrics as the first PNP and worked with Dr. Marvin Gottlieb in the Exceptional Children’s Clinic for seven years. I completed my master’s degree in 1983 at Columbia University in Pediatric Primary Care as a PNP. I worked at several hospitals in New Jersey with a multidisciplinary team of pediatric professionals in the area of developmental-behavioral pediatrics, including with high-risk newborns. I served in the Army Reserves for 31 years and retired in 2011.

I came back to Memphis in 1996, did some consulting for Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, and then found my niche as a school nurse/PNP for 15 years. During this time, I found my way back to the CON through Dr. Diane Greenhill. She remains a very active member of the Alumni Association and board, and her memory of the college will impress anyone.

I am grateful to all who have served on the board and in the college in the past, especially James Hutcheson, our past president. Our dean, Dr. Wendy Likes, has led our alma mater into the prestigious national spotlight. I remember a phrase used in the 1970s — Nurses Are Change Agents — and the past 40 years have proven that for the College of Nursing. The distinguished faculty and staff continue to redefine what is possible in education, research, and practice.

I urge you to get involved in the college. Come back and see all the impressive advances, or come back for an advanced degree! Your support is greatly needed for scholarships and emergency funds for struggling students, who will make a difference in the future delivery of care. We all benefited from our alums. Please continue the legacy of greatness and become a member of the 1911 Society with a gift of $100 or more to the College of Nursing Fund.

I look forward to sharing more with you and hope to see you on Alumni Day, May 3-4. Come back home and be impressed.

Sincerely,

Tine Keller Williams, ‘75, ‘82 RN, MSN, PPC NP-BC ®

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Associate Professor Sara Day is the assistant dean for the college’s Center for Community Partnerships and Nursing Innovation, which is working with institutions across Memphis and beyond to improve nursing care, research, and patient outcomes.

Center for Community Partnerships and Nursing Innovation Building Local, Global Relationships

By Peggy Reisser

It has been a busy, but productive time for The Center for Community Partnerships and Nursing Innovation in the College of Nursing at UTHSC. Launched in late 2016, the center is designed to develop sustainable partnerships with clinical, research, and service institutions in the Mid-South and beyond to advance health care, foster innovative nursing strategies, reduce health disparities, and improve patient outcomes.

Already, it has done that on several fronts, partnering with nursing programs at the Shelby County Health Department, Regional One Health, Methodist Le Bonheur

Healthcare, St. Francis Hospital, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and others.

“We’re building strong relationships with community leaders and helping them,” said Sara Day, PhD, RN, FAAN, associate professor and assistant dean charged with leading the center. “It’s meeting their needs with specialized resources that support nursing research and evidence-based practice. We want to empower nurses to improve the quality of patient care and ultimately improve patient outcomes.”

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The center is working with Regional One Health to train nurses to defuse potential violent situations in hospitals.

Director Sara Day, foreground, observes a recent conflict resolution simulation.

The center’s mission aligns with recommendations for the future of nursing and nursing education laid out in a 2015 report commissioned by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. The report — “Advancing Healthcare Transformation: A New Era for Academic Nursing”— advised an expanded role for academic nursing institutions as a key to better health care.

“Really, the recommendation is to expand your horizon and work with nurses in your community and institutions, because they have needs that we can serve, and by working together, it helps all of us,” Dr. Day said.

To that end, the center has recently graduated the first cohort of seven in a new 12-month Public Health Nurse Residency Partnership Program that is the result of a collaboration with the Shelby County Public Health Department. In addition to 11 classes related to core competencies for public health nurses, the participants completed projects designed to improve their practice and change the quality of care delivered. Topics ranged from improving wait times in a local public health clinic, to improving recruitment and retention of local public health nurses, to assessing barriers to Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination by public health nurses.

Going forward, this program will be rebranded as a Nursing Scholars program, and two new initiatives in collaboration with the Health Department are being developed. A New Graduate Nurse Residency will expose newly minted BSN or associate-degree nurses to public

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health nursing, and a Nursing Fellowship will immerse graduate-degree nurses in a year’s mentorship in public health nursing.

“The Shelby County Health Department has enjoyed collaborating with the UTHSC College of Nursing to implement the Public Health Nurse Residency Partnership Program, the first to launch in Tennessee,” said Alisa Haushalter, DNP, RN, PHNA-BC, director of the Shelby County Health Department. “Our collective vision was to build local public health nursing leadership skills, while bridging academia and practice. We are very proud of the accomplishments of the residents. Public health nurses are essential to protecting, promoting, and improving the health of populations. Having a competent public health nurse workforce is essential to creating a culture of health.”

Through the center, the College of Nursing is also collaborating with Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare to develop and implement a Nurse Scholars Program to promote a culture of nursing-led research within the hospital system.

The partnership is assisting Methodist Le Bonheur Health Care in meeting Magnet Recognition Program requirements to generate new knowledge through research and clinical innovation; promote involvement of clinical nurses in research; improve the integration of nursing research into clinical settings; and guide and direct scholars’ projects.

Regional One Health staffers are shown prior to the crisis management simulation training held at UTHSC.

One completed research study was designed to determine if the Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare New Graduate Nurse Residency Program affects the retention rate of newly graduated nurses in relation to other variables, such as their nursing degree program, the area worked, and completion of an intern and/or extern program.

The center is also working with Regional One Health under a Tennessee Promise of Nursing grant to train nurses and nursing students to de-escalate potential violent situations in the clinic or hospital. Using a trainthe-trainer approach with classroom instruction and simulation, the program will eventually train the entire Regional One Health nursing staff of more than 600 nurses.

“Providing our current and future nurses and health care workers with additional skills to de-escalate disruptive behaviors more effectively will ensure a more therapeutic outcome for our patients and a safer work environment for our staff,” said Lisa Schafer, RN, MSN, NEA-BC, executive vice president, chief operating officer, and chief nursing officer for Regional One Health. “We are thrilled to partner with the UTHSC College of Nursing to develop a sustainable program to elevate the skills of our workforce.”

Dr. Day said the center has also participated in community service health initiatives. It has partnered with Libertas School, a nonprofit charter school for high-need children in the Frayser area, to offer health education and screening services for 130 students.

A newly established partnership with The Wellness & Stress Clinic of Memphis will provide a broad range of nursing services for the clinic, which was established by UTHSC and other community institutions at a church in an area of great need in Memphis.

A longstanding partnership with the Department of Global Medicine at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital extends the center’s reach by providing support for developing and implementing a comprehensive global nursing research program, identifying and disseminating opportunities for research funding and submitting proposals, presenting scholarly work at national and international meetings, and publishing scholarly work on a regular basis.

Dr. Day sums up the progress simply. “It’s just working as partners,” she said. “That’s what it’s all about. It’s a perfect blend.”

A series of 12 classes at St. Francis Hospital offered through the center as continuing education were designed to train nursing leaders to effectively manage staff and navigate workplace issues.

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New Curriculum on the Horizon with New BSN Director

By Jackie Denton

The new director of the BSN program at UTHSC first met Dean Wendy Likes through his involvement with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

“I have been seeking an academic setting that is health sciences focused and provides the level of education to enhance the profession of nursing. One where faculty and the nursing leadership are collegial and unified in their approach,” said Randall Johnson, PhD, RN. “The more I interacted with Dr. Likes, I just felt like this was the type of institution that I would like to be a part of, and I also felt like she was the type of leader who would be great to work alongside.”

As the new BSN program director, Dr. Johnson is working with key leadership to change nursing education in the program.

“The direction for nursing education has really been toward a concept-based educational process and curriculum,” Dr. Johnson said. “So we are in the process of implementing a concept-based curriculum. We are working to align concepts and the examples that go along with those concepts in our new curriculum with what we currently have, making sure we cover the necessary items in preparation for students and student success.”

The curriculum, which will start in the fall of 2019, will take the current curriculum from the traditional nursing education model that is content focused to a conceptbased program of study.

“When you go to a concept-based curriculum, you look at overarching concepts that may apply to several disease processes and then you teach to those concepts,” Dr. Johnson said. “You are covering more of the decision making and the process that the nurse would go through.”

Many benefits are linked with a concept-based curriculum model, including higher rates of retention, encouragement of critical-thinking skills, elimination of repetitive courses, and most importantly, increased clinical reasoning skills and clinical application.

Going forward, BSN applicants will be required to have a baccalaureate degree, allowing the program to change from its current 17 months to a 12-month program of study.

The cohort that started in August will be the final class under the old curriculum.

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“Part of the underlying premise behind the new program was to fill the nursing shortage more quickly, but also it lays the groundwork for everyone to be at the same level with the baccalaureate degree requirement,” Dr. Johnson said. “This is an intense program, and you have to be ready to hit the ground running. So we want to be sure we have qualified students who will be successful in the program.”

The BSN program is set up so students can continue their education at UTHSC, should they want to pursue an advanced degree through the college’s DNP and PhD programs.

“Our outcomes and focus are on innovative leadership and creating innovative leaders in our program,” Dr. Johnson said. “Overall, we want our nurses to be evidence based, and we want to also be sure they are making strides in their professional behaviors and interactions in the profession of nursing so they continue to contribute to the community, both in the area of service and in leadership.

We are really trying to cultivate that type of individual in our nursing program.”

A new partnership with Neighborhood Christian Centers allows BSN students to work with vulnerable populations to promote health and wellness. BSN students are also working with Libertas School of Memphis, an inner-city charter school, to provide health screenings.

Dr. Johnson has been a nurse for more than 30 years in pediatrics, pediatric critical care and rehab, and adult and pediatric trauma intensive care, working with nationally known hospitals, including Texas Children’s Hospital and the Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Ohio.

He joined UTHSC after serving as chair and associate professor for the School of Nursing at the University of West Florida in Pensacola for more than three years.

He has held leadership roles at Cedarville University in Cedarville, Ohio, where he served as assistant dean for the Graduate Nursing Program, and at Advent University of Health Sciences, where he was responsible for the oversight of 500 students in the RN to BSN program.

He is active in numerous professional organizations, including Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing and the National League of Nursing. He serves as a pediatric content editor for Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology.

“Our outcomes and focus are on innovative leadership and creating innovative leaders in our program.�

Randall Johnson, PhD, RN, director BSN program

Dr. Ralph Calhoun, special assistant to the president for Academic Administration at LeMoyne-Owen College, and Dr. Wendy Likes, dean of the UTHSC College of Nursing, sign the partnership enrollment program agreement.

CON Academic Partnerships Aim to Increase Nursing Numbers

By Jackie Denton

The College of Nursing has forged academic partnerships to help address the shortage of nursing graduates in the Mid-South.

The UTHSC College of Nursing Partnership Enrollment Program allows students enrolled at LeMoyne-Owen College and Rhodes College, who meet program requirements, guaranteed full admission to the accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at UTHSC upon graduation. The program also allows students who meet additional requirements to participate in a bridge Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) or PhD program.

“There is a tremendous need for BSN-prepared nurses on a local, regional, and national basis,” said Shelley Hawkins, PhD, APRN-BC, FAANP, professor and Executive Associate Dean of Academic Affairs in the College of Nursing.

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The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a shortage of more than 1 million registered nurses by 2022. To counteract this shortage, the National Academy of Medicine has issued a mandate to prepare a nursing workforce of 80 percent BSN-prepared nurses by 2020.

“Ultimately, these partnerships will help in preparing more BSN-prepared nurses and those with terminal degrees in nursing,” Dr. Hawkins said. “A growing number of the Memphis-based health care systems prefer to hire BSNprepared nurses, as opposed to those with associate or diploma degrees.”

In fact, some regional health care systems will hire only BSN-prepared nurses, according to Dr. Hawkins. An everincreasing evidence base supports differences in patient care and outcomes when BSN-prepared nurses are leading health care for patients, because these nurses

are prepared with strong clinical reasoning skills acquired and developed through completion of a BSN program.

LeMoyne-Owen College, which has roughly 850 students, hopes to have about a half-dozen to a dozen students participate in the program during the first year, according to Charlie Folsom, MS, director of Corporate Partnerships and Adult Education at LeMoyne-Owen. Folsom said that number could represent about 20 percent of the entering fall 2019 class for the College of Nursing.

The contract for LeMoyne-Owen College became effective July 1. The contract with Rhodes College was effective in 2017, and six students are currently participating. The UTHSC College of Nursing Partnership Enrollment Program also includes Southwest Tennessee Community College, which has two students participating, and Dyersburg State Community College. This provides opportunities for associate prepared nurses to earn the BSN degree. UTHSC initiated the partnership with all four colleges.

“This is a very important development from the standpoint of LeMoyne-Owen College,” Folsom said. “It provides an opportunity for incoming students who are interested in going to an HBCU and a smaller liberal arts college, who want that smaller environment, but didn’t have the option to go into nursing. Now they can, with this partnership.

This agreement creates a seamless pathway for students to achieve their career goals.”

The program will offer participants many benefits, including the regional out-of-state tuition discount; locked-in degree requirements at the time of acceptance

into the partnership enrollment program; an admission fee waiver; a guaranteed enrollment deposit waiver; a voucher for previously paid fees for the Nursing’s Centralized Application Service (NursingCAS); access to UTHSC’s Distinguished Visiting Professor lectureships, free group tutoring, and select library resources.

Another resource available to students is academic advising. Once the student is approved to participate, the undergraduate course of study including any future changes, will be reviewed by College of Nursing faculty advisers to ensure a seamless transition into the program.

Prior to admission to the BSN Program, the student must successfully complete a baccalaureate degree with a GPA of 3.0 (2.6 for science prerequisites) and be in good academic standing.

Participants in the partnership program have the opportunity to observe nursing and clinical experiences typically reserved for UTHSC nursing students, including access to the new Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Simulation on campus.

“That’s why this agreement is crucial,” Folsom said. “It provides campus staff and professors a guided pathway and helps to inform students on the front end, that if they are coming up to their second year or even if they are high school seniors and they say, ‘I want to go to the University of Tennessee eventually, but which college can I attend now in order to be prepared?’ This program says you can come to LeMoyne-Owen College and adequately be prepared to guarantee enrollment at UTHSC.”

Dean Wendy Likes talks with the media about the partnership with LeMoyne-Owen designed to offer a guided academic pathway for college students interested in a career in nursing.

By the Numbers

452

49

84

213

13

47

TOTAL ENROLLMENT

NEW STUDENT ENROLLMENT

JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS

BY FACULTY

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

BY FACULTY

REFEREED FACULTY PRESENTATIONS

INVITED FACULTY PRESENTATIONS

$374,512

28

FACULTY GRANT SUBMISSIONS

FACULTY GRANT FUNDING

100%

$373,600

PASS RATE NCLEX-RN (BSN)

SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED

THREE YEARS IN A ROW

*Source: UTHSC Office of Student Affairs

#23

AMONG U.S. DOCTOR OF NURSING PROGRAMS U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT (TOP 8% IN THE U.S.)

CRNA Concentration Grows as Attractive, Affordable Option

By Amber Carter

The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) concentration, available through the College of Nursing’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program, continues to grow. Fifty-eight students are now enrolled in the concentration.

“The CRNA profession is very valuable,” said Dwayne Accardo, DNP, CRNA, program director of the CON’s nurse anesthesia concentration. “Individuals who seek out this profession become highly skilled, very qualified, and necessary to make a difference in health care.”

Daniel Belu aspires to be a CRNA. He is in his third semester of the accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at UTHSC. “I really am interested in the operating room environment, the technology and math that goes along with figuring out anesthetics to each individual in their specific cases,” he said. “The science of anesthesia is always growing and there are a lot of unknowns that still exist in the field. It is something that we know works, but not always how it works. The opportunity to grow in a very challenging field that will keep me on a path of lifelong learning, while working closely with patients at some of their most vulnerable points, excites me about working in this specialty someday.”

According to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA), the CRNA credential has been official since 1956. The association reports the specialty is becoming more diverse. Males make up roughly 40 percent of the CRNA workforce.

Belu was inspired to pursue a nursing career by his mother, who is a certified nurse case manager. “I will always remember hearing her stories around the dinner table growing up about her long 12-hour shifts,” Belu said. “Seeing her work hard and knowing the great work she was doing while making a difference was always something to aspire to.”

A first-generation American, Belu was born and raised in Queens, New York. His parents emigrated from what was Yugoslavia. Belu did most of his undergraduate work at Auburn University and completed his degree in biology at the University at Albany.

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Experience as a physical therapy volunteer and patient care associate cemented his career choice. “It made me realize how vast the field of nursing is,” he said. “It is full of opportunity in any specialty you can think of, and I was especially attracted to the higher degree of patient interaction you have as a nurse.”

Michael Koenig, a second-year DNP nurse anesthesia student, became interested in nursing after caring for his sister, who was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury from complications at birth and epilepsy later in life.

“Due to the complexities surrounding such a diagnosis, I had to assume the role of an advocate from a very early age,” he said. “It was during this period I realized I wanted to comprehend what was happening with my sister, which led me to develop a passion for science and understanding how the human body functions. These desires stayed with me throughout my childhood.”

Upon graduating from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Koenig, who is from Brentwood, Tennessee, began working in the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Erlanger Health System in Chattanooga. “I found my career to be extremely fulfilling; however, I still yearned for advanced knowledge and technical skills, so I explored becoming a CRNA. They are advocates for patients during their most vulnerable moments in life.”

Latoya Miller, now in her final year of the nurse anesthesia program, worked as a medical technologist before deciding to transition into the nursing field. “Working as a medical technologist in a laboratory dedicated to the neonatal population allowed me to have constant patient interaction,” she said. “I realized I’d like to have even more patient interaction, so I pursued a degree in nursing.”

Miller, who is from Hazlehurst, Mississippi, received degrees from Copiah Lincoln Community College and the University of Mississippi. “UTHSC’s nurse anesthesia program offers specialty clinical rotations other programs do not have access to,” she said. “I’m grateful for the didactic curriculum and clinical experience.”

Belu and Koenig chose UTHSC because of the College of Nursing’s reputation and affordability.

The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesia (CRNA) concentration continues to grow. Michael Koenig, Daniel Belu, and Latoya Miller, believe it is an excellent way to expand a nursing career.

For Miller, it was about the personal interaction with the College of Nursing staff. “Aside from being one of the best schools in the area, the program director, Dr. Dwayne Accardo, and Dr. Cynthia Dabney and Dr. Lanny Coker, associate program directors, were really welcoming during the admission interview,” she said. “They were interested in getting to know me as a person and really cared about helping me achieve my professional goals.

After leaving my interview, I knew UTHSC was where I wanted to be. ” Koenig said, the tuition at UTHSC is hard to beat, especially for an entry-level doctorate CRNA program.

“Not only are all of the clinical sites local, they are also

world-class facilities with great opportunities for firsthand clinical experience as a student,” he added.

“I was an older applicant and time was an important factor in determining where I would apply,” Belu said.

“Dr. Susan Jacob piqued my interest with UTHSC’s reputation, their NCLEX pass rates, and the new stateof-the-art CHIPS simulation center, which my cohort would be the first to use. Dr. Ricketta Clark sold me on her personal experiences as a Memphian, and the beauty, wonders, culture, cuisine, and people I could interact with in Memphis. She also helped give me great insight into the quality education I would receive, seeing as she is a UTHSC graduate herself.”

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“When you’re in the hospital, who does most of the patient care .... It’s the nurses.”

Randal Buddington, PhD, head of the new Institute for Prematurity and Perinatal Research

Nursing Researcher Working for the Littlest Among Us

By Peggy Reisser

Researcher Randal Buddington, PhD, has his sights set on helping the tiniest patients survive and thrive.

Dr. Buddington joined the College of Nursing as a professor in March. He is tasked with developing a research program at UTHSC that will cross colleges and focus on improving the care and outcomes of preterm infants.

Formerly a professor at the University of Memphis, Dr. Buddington transferred his research to UTHSC and is establishing an Institute for Prematurity and Perinatal Research. He had a similar program at U of M, but believes he will have access to more collaborators at UTHSC, enabling his research to grow.

Particular areas of interest are helping preterm infants breathe better and improving nutrition and fluid support for these babies with underdeveloped digestive systems.

Dr. Buddington has extensive industry funding for research projects involving issues with premature infants. Since coming to UTHSC, he has received a nearly $300,000 grant to research ways to help babies who develop bronchopulmonary dysplasia, a form of chronic lung disease that affects mostly premature newborns and infants.

Dr. Buddington has a special reason for wanting to help little patients — his daughter. “When my wife and I married, Andrea was 11 years old. I didn’t know she had been preterm,” he said. “I was already doing a lot of research on how to improve infant nutrition, and later on, as I began to change more to the preterm aspect, that was when I learned about the challenges Andrea faced.”

“The institute will form a consortium of basic scientists and clinicians who will be involved in not just research, but also in training,” Dr. Buddington said. “Once we learn how to do something better, then we can bring in neonatologists, respiratory therapists, nurse practitioners to UTHSC to actually learn how to do better in their own clinics.”

Mona Wicks, PhD, RN, FAAN, professor and chair of the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Department in the College of Nursing, said Dr. Buddington brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the college and the university. “His innovative work, energy, and commitment to training others will not only inform our educational mission, but also help to expand our clinical research enterprise in an area that will significantly impact the health outcomes and well-being of preterm infants locally, nationally, and internationally,” she said.

Dr. Buddington’s research expertise is in digestive, developmental and nutritional physiology; environmental and regulatory physiology; and translational animal model development and application.

He is excited that as a faculty member in the College of Nursing he will be able to introduce nurses and nursing students to this research. That can only help move solutions from the bench to the bedside, he said.

He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California, Riverside; a master’s degree from Arizona State University in Tempe; and a PhD from the University of California, Davis. He did postgraduate training in the Department of Physiology at UCLA Medical School in Los Angeles.

“When you’re in the hospital, who does most of the patient care,” he said. “It’s the nurses. This is allowing me to get even closer to the caregivers who really make a difference. As my program gets in place, it will begin to include not just nursing faculty, but nursing students. So before they actually go into the clinic, they will have had some experience.”

He was on the faculty at U of M since 2007, serving as a professor in the Department of Health and Sport Sciences; professor in the Department of Chemistry, professor in the School of Health Sciences and director of the Nutrition Science Program and the Institute of Prematurity and Perinatal Research. He has also been a professor in the Department of Physiology at UTHSC since 2008, and earlier was an associate professor and professor at Mississippi State University.

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CON’s Anne Alexandrov Receives 2018 Health Care Heroes Award

By Peggy Reisser

When Alabama resident Gerry Sandlin suffered a stroke aboard a cross-country flight in February and the plane was diverted to Memphis, a UTHSC College of Nursing professor and her team were waiting on the tarmac in a 14-ton stroke response emergency room on wheels ready to begin life-saving treatment.

Professor Anne Alexandrov, PhD, RN, AGACNP-BC, ANVP-BC, NVRN-BC, CCRN, FAAN, has been the chief nurse practitioner (NP) on the UTHSC Mobile Stroke Unit since it launched in 2016. Thanks to the quick early action by her and her team, Sandlin recovered without lasting damage.

For her outstanding leadership on the Mobile Stroke Unit, Dr. Alexandrov received a 2018 Health Care Heroes Award from the Memphis Business Journal. The awards are given annually to honor the best in local health care in several categories. Dr. Alexandrov was chosen in the Health Care Provider, Non-Physician category.

The nurse practitioner on board the Mobile Stroke Unit serves as the stroke expert in the field, examining the patient, reviewing the CT scans done on board, and directing the pre-hospital treatment that often involves administering clot-busting tissue plasminogen activator (tPA).

The Mobile Stroke Unit is designed to speed treatment and improve outcomes. The NP discusses each case with the physician on service at the hospital, where treatment continues upon arrival. But because 1.9 million neurons are lost each minute stroke is untreated, when it comes to successful outcomes, Dr. Alexandrov and her team are essential.

Dr. Alexandrov puts in at least 80 hours a month on the unit. To work on the MSU, an NP must complete a postgraduate vascular neurology fellowship and pass the vascular neurology board exam. There are very few nurse practitioners this educated and skilled in the country.

Besides nurse practitioners, highly skilled paramedics, CT techs, and AEMTs also work on the unit creating a team that Dr. Alexandrov says is “nothing short of phenomenal.”

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The unit is called to respond to possible strokes four to five times a day when it is in service, and can respond and treat on average 72 minutes faster than traditional hospital response.

“I love emergency stroke care,” Dr. Alexandrov said. “It is exciting and challenging, and there is nothing better than seeing a highly disabled patient recover because of what we do. You have to be able to thrive in chaos and manage things well under a great deal of stress.”

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. In 2007, she developed the NET SMART (Neurovascular Education & Training Acute Stroke Management & Reperfusion Therapies) post-graduate fellowship training program for advanced practice nurses in acute stroke, and has mentored more than 100 nurses nationally and internationally.

Dr. Alexandrov was the national president of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. She was the first nurse member of the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations’ Neurologic Device Approval Panel and is completing a third term on this panel. She is a former member of the American Stroke Association’s Executive Leadership Board, and a two-term past member of the board of commissioners of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

She is a founding member of the Association of Neurovascular Clinicians. Some of her other honors include the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses’ Flame of Excellence Award for her work in acute stroke, induction as an honorary ambassador to the World Federation of Critical Care Nurses, the Birmingham Metro Nurse of the Year Award, and induction as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.

“I love emergency stroke care. It is exciting and challenging, and there is nothing better than seeing a highly disabled patient recover because of what we do.”

Anne Alexandrov, PhD, RN, AGACNP-BC, ANVP-BC, NVRN-BC, CCRN, FAAN, professor and chief nurse practitioner for the UTHSC Mobile Stroke Unit

Anne Alexandrov, left, has been the chief nurse practitioner on the UTHSC Mobile Stroke Unit since it launched in 2016. She says the unit’s stroke response team is “nothing short of phenomenal.” Also pictured are: Keri Rogets, RT, CT tech; and Matt Crockett, AEMT and driver.

Excellence in Teaching Christie Cavallo, MSN, RN, instructor in the BSN/ MSN programs (left), and Assistant Professor Crystal Walker (right) received Excellence in Teaching Awards from the Student Government Executive Council for the 2017-2018 academic year. The awards are among the most prestigious a faculty member can receive.

National Stature Ann Cashion, PhD, RN, FAAN, a graduate of the PhD in Nursing Science program and a former department chair in the UTHSC College of Nursing, has been named acting director of the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR). Dr. Cashion has served as scientific director and acting deputy director of the national organization. She has been at NINR for more than seven years.

Major Funding Assistant Professor Ansley Stanfill, PhD, RN, received her first NIH R01 grant totaling $1.1 million over three years. An alumna of the College of Nursing, Dr. Stanfill’s project will promote a better understanding of the relative influences social, clinical, and genetic factors have on disability after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. She will also look at the disparities for this outcome between white and African-American patients. This work forms the foundation for a long-term program of research in developing targeted interventions to reduce post-stroke disability and improve outcomes.

Milestone Celebration During the College of Nursing’s May 2018 Pinning and Awards Ceremony, 73 DNPs and 43 BSNs received their pins. The ceremony, a precursor to commencement, celebrates graduating nurses and their entry into the nursing profession or advancement in the profession. The following day, 117 graduated during the College of Nursing’s Spring Commencement at Memphis Cook Convention Center.

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Having a Voice Students and faculty from the College of Nursing traveled to Nashville in early April to attend the Tennessee Nurses Association Legislative Summit. The event is an opportunity to stay up to date on legislation affecting the practice of nursing.

Role Model Susan Jacob, PhD, RN, has been a nursing educator for more than 30 years. In June, she was appointed assistant dean of Quality and Strategic Affairs for the College of Nursing. Since January 2017, she has served as interim director of the BSN program. Dr. Jacob has been a tenured professor on the faculties of the University of Memphis and Union University, where she also served as dean of the School of Nursing, prior to joining UTHSC as the executive associate dean (2003-2011) and interim dean (2011-2012). Dr. Jacob retired from UTHSC in 2012, and returned in November 2015 to assume the position of professor and interim associate dean of Academic Affairs in the College of Nursing until June 2016. In September 2016, Dr. Jacob became interim chair of the Department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, serving until July 2017.

Nursing Leaders

Mission of Mercy

The College of Nursing has many faculty members who are leaders in professional organizations. Dean Wendy Likes has been invited to serve on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Executive Development Series Subcommittee for a two-year term. Shelley Hawkins, PhD, APRN-BC, FAANP, professor and executive associate dean of Academic Affairs, was elected to the nominating committee for Fellows of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Assistant Professor Tracy McClinton, DNP, AGACNP-BC, APRN, is the president of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses Greater Memphis Area Chapter.

Nursing students volunteered their time at the Mid-South Mission of Mercy, a two-day free dental clinic for the underserved in Memphis and the Mid-South. The idea for the community service event was initiated locally

by Mitch Godat, DDS, MS, an alumnus of the UTHSC College of Dentistry.

Mid-South Mission of Mercy is sponsored by the Memphis Dental Society, with assistance from the Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas Dental Associations, along with a legion of other volunteers. Since 2016, more than $3.4 million worth of dentistry work has been provided to more than 6,200 patients with the help of nearly 6,000 volunteers.

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Community Health Leader Peg Hartig, PhD, APRN-BC, FAANP, was recognized for service to the Common Table Health Alliance, a regional health collaborative. The recognition came during the organization’s annual board meeting in May. She has served on the board of directors as co-chair of the board advisory committee from 2016 to 2018. Dr. Hartig is also the co-principal investigator for the Memphis Breast Cancer Consortium (MBCC), a project of the Common Table. MBCC is focused on the needs of AfricanAmerican women with breast cancer and the quality of services they receive, as well as on prevention, detection, and support.

Health Promotion Mona Newsome Wicks, PhD, RN, FAAN, has been named Chair of the Department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in the College of Nursing. She previously served as interim chair. Dr. Wicks received her Associate and Bachelor of Science degrees in nursing from the University of Memphis in 1978 and 1981. She earned an MSN (medical-surgical nursing) from UTHSC in 1987 and a PhD from Wayne State University (1992). A faculty member in the College of Nursing since 1987, Dr. Wicks mentors students enrolled in the PhD program and teaches DNP and PhD in Nursing Science program courses.

Raising Awareness

A Healthy Start The College of Nursing was well represented at the 30th annual Back-to-School Family Affair held at UTHSC in mid-July. Student and faculty volunteers from across the university, including many from the College of Nursing, provided free health care services to more than 600 children. In addition to medical and dental screenings, and immunizations, participants also received free backpacks filled with school supplies.

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The Assisi Foundation of Memphis, Inc., and United Way of the Mid-South invited Assistant Professor Marion Donohoe, DNP, APRN, CPNCPPC (in flowered jacket), to facilitate a simulation training to help members of the community gain a better understanding of the challenges faced by those living in poverty. Dr. Donohoe directed the educational program titled, “A Simulation of Living in Poverty,” during a Poverty Summit for the MLK50 commemoration in May. The simulation allows participants to walk in the shoes of someone who is living in poverty in order to gain a better understanding of what is faced every day. Dr. Donohoe has presented the training many times at UTHSC.

High Honor Nikia Grayson, DNP, MPH, MA, CNM, FNP-C, a College of Nursing DNP-FNP graduate, was selected as a 2018-2019 Fellow in the prestigious Duke-Johnson and Johnson Nurse Leadership Program. Dr. Grayson is a certified nurse midwife at CHOICES Memphis Center for Reproductive Health. Her work in Memphis was featured on the “PBS NewsHour” in May in a story about pregnancy, race, and the work of midwives.

CON Welcomes New Director of Development

Ready to Serve The White Coat Ceremony is a rite of passing that serves as validation of a student’s ability to begin providing patient care. The white coat is a visible symbol of readiness to care for patients in the clinical setting. During the March 2018 ceremony, 31 BSN students received their coats.

Michelle Stubbs has joined the College of Nursing as the new director of development.

Stubbs received a dual degree in communications and marketing from Freed-Hardeman College. She began her career as the community education coordinator for the March of Dimes covering the Greater Mid-South region and helped launch the Campaign for Healthier Babies.

She was recruited to join a local restaurant chain as the assistant marketing director overseeing the corporation’s community involvement and multimillion dollar charitable grants programs.

When the company was sold, she moved to ALSAC/ St. Jude as the Southern Region assistant director, and later served as the director of development for Memphis Harding Academy.

From 2005 to 2014, she was the director of development for Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.

Stubbs spent a few years as a philanthropic giving consultant prior to joining UTHSC earlier this year.

Contact her at mstubbs@uthsc.edu or 901.448.2076.

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Pediatric Acute Care Student Brings Awareness to Smoking Cessation

By Jackie Denton

Jamila Smith-Young graduated from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville with a degree in microbiology and began her career doing asthma research before interning with the pulmonary unit at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.

Eight years later, through a quality improvement project, she is changing the way the pulmonary division interacts with patients whose parents smoke.

As a student in the College of Nursing DNP Pediatric Acute Care Program, she noticed that a simple question routinely posed to the parents or caretakers of her pulmonary pediatric patients was being interpreted multiple ways.

“One question we ask is ‘Are there any smokers in the home?’ And the parents would say, ‘No, but we smoke outside,’ ” Smith-Young said. “So, are we asking the right questions when we see families? Part of what I’m trying to change is the way we approach and address all of that.”

A conference on smoking cessation she and a colleague attended with the American Academy of Pediatrics sparked the interest in the project. Smith-Young, along with her colleague, created materials and facilitated one-on-one training with staff members to increase knowledge of how an environment with smokers affects their patients. They focused not just on the negative effects of cigarette smoke, but secondhand and residual smoke as well.

“We have lots of patients in our area we see daily who have caregivers who smoke,” Smith-Young said. “I felt, as a division, we could do more with asking and helping families to quit, because smoking affects the person who is smoking, as well as the patient. A lot of families don’t realize that smoking can exacerbate asthma and lead to other issues, such as ear infections or bronchitis, which can affect the child.”

Smith-Young often works with pediatric patients who have bronchial pulmonary dysplasia, asthma, cystic fibrosis, and children with vents and tracheostomies, some of whom continue to use oxygen, diuretics, and heart monitors after they are discharged from the hospital.

By asking the right questions and practicing consistency with documentation and audits, Smith-Young and the division have been able to work with families who want to receive help with smoking cessation.

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Offering quit line information, counseling, brochures, and appropriate paperwork to families, the division has helped them receive resources at no cost, including nicotine gum and patches. “Just doing more as providers in the health care setting can reduce the risks associated with smoking, as opposed to just asking and then moving on to take care of the patient,” Smith-Young said. “It really does affect readmission rates for kids who have asthma, whether you are smoking inside, outside, or in the car.”

Smith-Young said just in the last eight months, multiple parents have stopped smoking and have said they are grateful for the help.

She plans to expand the project this fall, bringing it to the hospital side, working with respiratory therapists in incorporating smoking cessation counseling and the quit line for families of asthma patients who are hospitalized.

In December, Smith-Young will be the first DNP graduate of the College of Nursing’s Pediatric Acute Care Program.

She said she chose the program because of her exposure to the university as a nurse faculty preceptor.

“UT is a great program, I wanted to come to UT, being that I worked for the university in the College of Nursing and it is ranked in the Top 25 in DNP programs in the country,” Smith-Young said. “It definitely sparked an interest in applying and getting a degree from here, and I wanted to expand my knowledge and be more advanced in the area of nursing, so that I could be more aware of health policy and advocate for our patients and our community.”

After graduation, Smith-Young will continue her work at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, while also giving back to the community. She plans to assist in bringing pediatrics to the scope of services offered at the Wellness & Stress Clinic of Memphis at the Healing Center Baptist Church.

The clinic was the vision of her in-laws, who serve as the pastors of the church and collaborate with UTHSC on the clinic, which provides free health care services to adults in the Oakhaven community.

“I’m a big advocate in investing in our community and doing more to help the kids,” she said. “We have children from all walks of life who come through our doors, and in order to understand how to treat them, you have to understand where they come from.”

“I’m a big advocate in investing in our community and doing more to help the kids.”

Jamila Smith Young, student in the DNP Pediatric Acute Care Program

UTHSC College of Nursing alumna Elizabeth Ellis cuts the ribbon at opening ceremonies for the B.I.S. Community Clinic in Bedias, Texas.

(Photos courtesy of Elizabeth Ellis)

College of Nursing Alumna Brings Health Clinic to Rural Texas Community

By Peggy Reisser

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center played a role in the health care history of a small town in Texas as far back as the late 1800s. A three-time graduate of UTHSC’s College of Nursing has rekindled that connection.

On September 28, 2017, UTHSC College of Nursing alumna Elizabeth Fuselier Ellis, DNP, RN, FNP-BC, FAANP, CRHCP, opened the doors of a primary care clinic in Bedias, Texas, a rural community north of Houston that had not had its own health care clinic in more than 90 years.

Beverly “Bev” Harrison, Carl V. Barnes, and Luther Barnes, the last three physicians to provide care in that community, were graduates of UT (now UTHSC) or institutions that eventually merged with UT. “It is such an amazing story that we at UTHSC would have such an impact on a community that is so far away,” Dr. Ellis said. She is happy to carry on the tradition as an owner, manager, and director of the B.I.S. Community Clinic, named for Bedias, Iola, and Singleton, communities the clinic serves.

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Dr. Ellis was in the second graduating section of the accelerated BSN program in UTHSC’s College of Nursing.

“I changed careers to become a nurse, and UTHSC made that very possible by its accelerated program,” she said.

She was almost 30 and working in the insurance business, managing worker compensation injury claims in Mississippi. “I met a nurse practitioner in Mississippi. She impacted my life,” Dr. Ellis said. “I could not believe what a difference she was making in the community. I said, ‘that’s what I want to do.’ That was the best change I ever made.”

She started in the College of Nursing in 1992, received her BSN 18 months later, and then completed her master’s as a family nurse practitioner in 1995. Dr. Ellis worked in rural Mississippi and in Chattanooga for a time, before taking a job at Ochsner Health System in New Orleans, where she had family. Promoted to lead nurse practitioner, she worked there for almost six years.

Upon completing her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, she accepted an offer to direct the UT Health Services Clinic for The School of Nursing at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

(Left) Dr. Ellis, right, is a three-time graduate of UTHSC’s College of Nursing. When she received her DNP degree, she was photographed with Donna Hathaway, PhD, FAAN, University Distinguished Professor. (Right) Dr. Ellis proudly displays the sign for the clinic prior to its opening.

When her husband retired from his job as chief financial officer at that university, the couple sought the rural life.

In 2009, they settled in Bedias, an area he knew well from hunting and fishing there since childhood.

The clinic is located in the center of Bedias, an incorporated city with a bank, a grocery store, two gas stations, and a little over 400 people. The extended zip code encompassing several small surrounding communities has about 10,000 people. The county has an ambulance service based in Bedias, and the city recently added high-speed internet and city water, making the clinic possible, Dr. Ellis said.

She and her husband own and operate the clinic, along with an investor. A medical director (the supervising MD), a pharmacist, a patient-access representative and a medical assistant are on staff.

The clinic was established to treat newborns to seniors, offering chronic care management, preventive health, well-child/adult visits, home visits for the Medicare home bound, house calls, immunizations, vaccinations for children, minor injury treatment, employee health, and other services as a primary care provider.

Dr. Ellis has full credentials at two of the four hospitals that are within 60-minutes driving time. In March, she became a Certified Rural Health Care Professional in the first class through the National Rural Health Association.

cities and towns in the county, despite being delayed 10 days by Hurricane Harvey, “This community wants something to call their own, a health care provider they can feel at ease with and at home with and not have to jump in a car and drive 35 to 50 minutes to get there,” Dr. Ellis said at the time.

Now, Dr. Ellis said she still can’t believe her longtime dream of a clinic has become a reality. “Venturing down the path of opening my own independent rural health clinic has been an enormous, challenging, and rewarding accomplishment,” she said. “I love serving the rural health community and bringing much-needed health services to our county and surrounding communities.”

In October 2017, the clinic was accredited as a Rural Health Clinic by The Compliance Team, a nationally recognized accreditation organization. CMS and Texas Medicaid have awarded it official Rural Health Designation. In the spring, the clinic received a Class D Pharmacy license, enabling it to provide affordable antibiotics to the uninsured population.

“UTHSC made it possible for me to achieve this new clinic and gave me the skills to do so and to meet our mission, which is to partner with the individuals, families, and employers to provide personalized, affordable, and accessible quality health care for all,” Dr. Ellis said.

The ribbon-cutting for the clinic roughly a year ago brought out state and local politicians, law enforcement officials, school principals, and citizens of most of the

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Nursing Postdoc Author of Book for Kids with Rare Endocrine Disorder

By Peggy Reisser

Lacretia Carroll is a nurse, a researcher, and a children’s book author.

She graduated in May from the PhD in Nursing Science Program at UTHSC and is a postdoctoral Fellow in the College of Nursing. When she left bedside nursing to pursue her PhD in 2014, she became interested in endocrinology. Her research eventually drew her to write a book for children affected with a rare genetic endocrine disorder — congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH).

“I found a population that was rare and nobody was doing a lot of research, and I was like, ‘hey, there’s a need here,’ ” Dr. Carroll said. Prior pediatric nursing work made her particularly sensitive to children diagnosed with the disorder that causes the body to make too much androgen, affecting growth, electrolyte balance, sexual characteristics, and sometimes fertility.

“There was nothing for these kids and they feel out of place,” she said. “There’s information about diabetes and other diseases, but there was nothing for the younger kids.”

She wrote “The CAH Wonderclub,” found an illustrator, got it published, and put it on Amazon. In the book, a boy and a girl with CAH consider their diagnosis a superpower. In age-appropriate terms, the children help readers learn about the disorder, what to expect at a doctor’s visit, and that health care workers are dedicated to helping them feel better.

“It lets them know that it wasn’t their fault, it’s something they’re born with,” she said. “Toward the end of the book, it lets them know that just because they have this disorder, it doesn’t mean they can’t live a happy life.”

Since CAH affects one in 10,000 to 15,000, you might wonder how wide the audience for her book could be. Dr. Carroll said sales have been good. The book is available on Amazon. She also sees support for the book on social media, and was thrilled when a mom shared a photo of her child with CAH reading the book.

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Dr. Carroll’s dissertation focused on the health-related quality of life for girls diagnosed with this disorder. Her research has included trips to the CARES Foundation headquarters in New Jersey and New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center to talk with patients, family, and caregivers.

She intends to continue to advocate for and support those with CAH. Her current research focuses on improving quality of life outcomes in children and adolescent’s with disorders of sexual development.

“She is enthusiastic, focused, and highly motivated — seeking out opportunities to learn and develop as a researcher, and to contribute,” said Carolyn Graff, PhD, RN, FAAIDD, who has served as Dr. Carroll’s mentor for three and a half years. “She will make outstanding contributions as she moves forward with her research on children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia.”

Dr. Carroll said she is motivated “to help in a different way” as a nurse researcher. “I think we all know how nurses help at the bedside, and we get that direct patient care,” she said. “But somebody also has to be there to push for the political stuff, to do the research, so that people at the bedside can know what to do.”

“I think we all know how nurses help at the bedside, and we get that direct patient care. But somebody also has to be there to push for the political stuff, to do the research, so that people at the bedside can know what to do.�

Lacretia Carroll, PhD, a postdoctoral Fellow in the College of Nursing

Congratulations to Our Recent Graduates!

SPRING 2018 COMMENCEMENT DOCTOR OF NURSING PRACTICE Hannah Allen Lindsay Barton Malory Berry Katie Blalack Hannah Braden Natasha Bronson-Woods Jennifer Burchfield Erika Camp Cary Carter Kelly Comer Brianna Dale Brittany Davis Mallory Dixon Elizabeth Dykes Tarsha Elliott Krystal Ferguson Jared Garrison Soraya Ghelichkhani Jauclyn Green William Hardy Phylicia Harris Tosha Harris Chelsey Harrison Mary Hatfield Ebony Hazzle Gloria Hicks James Hightower Maggie Ho Meagan Hunt William Hunter Caroline Jarrett Leslie Jeffries Raven Johnson Jack Keiser Penny Leininger Cecilia McCoy Ashley Mize Andrew Monasterio Ramona Moore Brian Morrison Wendi Koonce Morse Deanne Murrell Cassie Nations Amy Owens Catherine Pantik Mary Piraino Chandra Price Margaret Ray

Teresa Reder Sara Redmon Shaunta Roane Shelby Rogers Abdul Karim Sesay Nakiesha Shepherd Carl Shorter Tiffany Simpson Brenan Smith Jillian Smith Hannah Sullivan Katey Taylor Courtney Thompson Tiffany Trowles Kasyn Vestal John Walker Heather Walton Steven Wells Christopher Wilbanks Sara Wilkinson Ashley Williams Bobbie Willis Amanda Woodall Sitra Yonis Addison Zaya AG-ACNP CERTIFICATE Annette Caple Alisha Williams RNFA CERTIFICATE Shelby Cook Dina Darby Joshua Fowler Jauclyn Green Brooke Laws Jo’Niece Phillips Kathryn Wright BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING Havilah Adkins Sydney Black Ericha Brauer Jessica Brumley Hannah Carpenter Morgan Dixon Di’Yana Fisher Mary Elizabeth Follador Autumn Glenn Kristi Haisler Mary Hale

Leah Hamilton Courtney Hancock Jessica Hardin Gia Hoang Ashley Hollis Lisa Huber Christina James Virginia Jenkins Samantha Kalwas Catherine Lancaster Catherine Lang Aaron Law Kate Leathers Letricia Maxwell Ashley McCray Elizabeth Min Enid Mitchell Bedford Laura Morrison Amelia Murray Tamika Nash-Heyser Lauren Nguyen Amy Nguyen Elizabeth Oigara Madeleine O’Kelly James Ping Kathleen Reed Haley Russell Christina Vo Tat Jasmine Walker Stephanie Whiting Adriana Zachary Harding Zills HONORS BSN highest honors (Cumulative GPA 3.85 - 4.0) Havilah Adkins Laura Morrison Kathleen Reed Stephanie Whiting BSN high honors (Cumulative GPA 3.70 - 3.84) Aaron Law BSN honors (Cumulative GPA 3.50 - 3.69) Mary Hale Ashley McCray Lauren Nguyen Elizabeth Oigara

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WINTER 2017 COMMENCEMENT DOCTOR OF NURSING PRACTICE Patricia O’Sullivan Allmon Beth Crouch Summer Rae Culbert Avery Dale Joshua Fowler Carrie Gann Cristina Martinez Tonya Newsom Cassandra Newsome Brian Paramore Takiyah Rowe Gregory Tipton Rita Trivette Dale Viox

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING Anttrenika Anderson Candace Barnett Kelly Barton Nicole Beal Anne Beyens Yvette Bussell-Taylor Lauren Campbell Taylor Chesser Madison Cobb Madison Cowherd Chelsea Lyn Cranford Posonya Currie Mary Delgado Rachel France Britton Friedman Frankie Graves Wesley Gray

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Rita Hall Daniel Hawkins Catherine Hayes Alexandria Hearn Shelby Husband Matthew Keathley Robert Kirby Ashley Monet Lewis Tiara Littlejohn Carrie Janelle Mabry Allie Davis Mackimm Juanita Martin Bonds Madison Mcclanahan Kristina Milford Haley Moore Katherine Muth Lauren Kelsey Nollner Anna Parks Janice Peters Ta’Couria Rayford Lydia Reid Diana Sabin Jacob Schmidt Marcia Scott Callie Smith Allie Sparks Autumn Spight Sherman Stauffer Bailey Sullivan Margaret Teed Kamri Thompson Philip Thompson Yevheniya Tidwell Grant Ulmer Thomas Van Duren Kate Vincent Grace Ann Wegener Carmen Woods Ariel Yates

HONORS

BSN highest honors (Cumulative GPA 3.85 - 4.0) Nicole Beal Sherman Stauffer Margaret Teed BSN high honors (Cumulative GPA 3.70- 3.84) Diana Sabin BSN honors (Cumulative GPA 3.50-3.69) Madison Cowherd Frankie Graves Catherine Hayes Robert Kirby Madison McClanahan Marcia Scott Allie Sparks Yevheniya Tidwell Haley Russell Paige Anne Fisher

Students Lead The Way! Our Nursing Student Government Association accomplished much in 2017-2018.

• Attended Movie Nights at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, bringing snacks and toys for children and their families.

• Participated in “Kicking for The Kids,” a competitive kickball tournament among several local nursing schools that raised funds for Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.

• Participated in “Pedal Pushing with Campus Police,” a bike ride hosted by the UTHSC Campus Police Department to raise nonperishable food products for the Mid-South Food Bank.

• Hosted the first semi-formal event for the college with more than 100 students and their dates/friends in attendance.

• Had an impressive showing at the Student Government Association Executive Council Banquet. Twelve students from the College of Nursing were inducted into the Imhotep Society, recognizing involvement and academic achievement.

• Continued to build a peer mentor program to help coach new classes as they move forward in the college.

2018-2019 OFFICERS President: Kenny Gentner

Fundraiser Chair: Virginia Goetzinger

Vice President: McKenna Buchanan

BSN Representatives Fall 2018 Class: Brooklyn Howard and Rachel Finkenstaedt

Secretary: Lauren Isbell Treasurer: Jane Shin Honor Council Chair: Clare Anderson Social Chairs: Abigail West and Hallie Rose Website/Social Media Chair: Joslyn Watermier

BSN Representatives Fall 2019 Class: Bria Sharp DNP On-Campus Representative: Amanda Poole Faculty Adviser: Dr. Emma Murray Faculty Liaison: Jamie Overton

Community Service Chair: Emily Ponder

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2018 College of Nursing Faculty/Staff UTHSC DISTINGUISHED PROFESSORS

ASSISTANT PROFESSORS

Michael A. Carter, DNSc, DNP, FNP/GNP-BC, FAAN

Dwayne Accardo, DNP, CRNA Program Director of Nurse Anesthesia Option

Donna K. Hathaway, PhD, RN, FAAN

PROFESSORS Anne W. Alexandrov, PhD, RN, CCRN, ANVP-BC, NVRN-BC, FAAN

Trina Barrett, DNP, CCRN, CNE Xueyuan “Shawn” Cao, PhD Vicki Chandler, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC Ricketta Clark, DNP, APRN-Bc

Randal Buddington, PhD

Lanny Coker, DNSc, CRNA

J. Carolyn Graff, PhD, RN, FAAID PhD Program Director

Cindi Dabney, DNP, CRNA

Margaret Thorman Hartig, PhD, APRN-BC, FAANP Shelley Hawkins, PhD, FNP-BC, GNP, FAANP Executive Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Scott Howard, MD Associate Dean of Research

Marion Donohoe, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC PNP Concentration Coordinator Mark Dunavan, DNP, MNA, CRNA Amy R. Koehn, PhD, NNP-BC NNP Concentration Coordinator Sharon Little, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC

Susan Jacob, PhD, RN Assistant Dean of Quality and Strategic Affairs

Donna Lynch-Smith, DNP, RN, NE-BC, ACNP-BC, APN AG-ACNP Concentration Coordinator

Diane Pace, PhD, APRN, FNP-BC, NCMP, FAANP, FAAN

Samuel Maceri, MPA, DNSc, RN, NEA-BC

Wendy Likes, PhD, DNSc, APRN-BC Dean

Tracy McClinton, DNP, AGACNP-BC

Tommie L. Norris, DNS, RN Mona Newsome Wicks, PhD, RN, FAAN Chair, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

Emma Murray, DNP, ACNP Allyson Matney Neal, DNP, APN, PMHNP-BC Stephanie Nikbakht, DNP, PPCNP-BC, AGN-BC Keevia Porter, DNP, MSN, NP-C, RN

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS Bobby Bellflower, DNSc, NNP DNP Program Director Jacqueline R. Burchum, DNSc, FNP-BC, APN, CNE Sara Day, PhD, RN, FAAN Assistant Dean, Center for Community Partnership and Nursing Innovation

Laura Reed, DNP, FNP-BC FNP Concentration Coordinator Michelle Rickard, DNP, CPNP-AC Pediatric Acute Care Concentration Coordinator Jennifer Russell, MSN, RN, NHDP-BC, CCRN-K, IBCLC, CHEP Jacqueline Sharp, APRN, PMHNP-BC PMH Concentration Coordinator

Carrie Harvey, PhD, APRN-BC, ACNP-BC

Jami Smith Brown, DHEd, RN, CNN

Alisa Haushalter, DNP, RN

Ansley Grimes Stanfill, PhD, RN

Randall Johnson, PhD, RN BSN Program Director

Shaquita Starks, PhD, RN, APRN, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC

Sherry Webb, DNSc, RN, CNL, NEA-BC Chair, Acute and Tertiary Care

Reba Umberger, PhD, RN, CCRN-K

Nina Sublette, PhD, APRN-BC Melody Norris Waller, PhD, MSN, RN Crystal Martin Walker, PhD, DNP, FNP-C Loretta “Alexia” Williams, PhD, RN

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UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2018

INSTRUCTORS

Davin Johnson, MSN, CNM

Nancy Armour Appling, MSN, CNOR, CRNFA, ACNP-BC

Lara Koral, MSN, FNP-BC

Christie Cavallo, MSN, RN

Brenda “Breia” Loft, MSN, CNM

Alise Farrell, MSN, RN

Meghan Madea, MSN, CNM

Gabrielle Jackson, MSN, RN

Mia McCoy, MSN, PNP

Kathy C. Gaffney, MSN, APN, PHMCNS, PNP-BC

Amber Peasley, MSN, CNM, FNP

Landon McDonald, MSN, RN

Ashley Pounders, MSN, APRN, FNP

Ashley Bolden Neal, MSN, RN

Amanda Rothenberry, MSN, FNP-C

Patricia Jones Purdy, MSN, RN

Anna Meredith Shaw, MSN, APN, CPNP-AC

Terri Stewart, MSN, RN

Ryan Stephens, MSN, APN, MBA

Anita Settles-Seymour, MSN, RN

Charles Stewart, APRN, CPNP-PC

CLINICAL FACULTY ASSISTANT PROFESSORS

Loretta Smith, MSN, CPNP-PC Elizabeth Swift, MSN, CPNP Tracy Tidwell, RN, MSN, PNP, FNP

Leslie Long, DNP, PNP

Amanda Travis, APRN, CFNP

Holly Lydigsen, DNP, CPNP-PC

Edna Tucker, MSN, CNM

Elizabeth Paton, DNP, APN, APNP-BC

Kelly Ward, PPCNP-BC

Tracee Ridley-Pryor, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC

Lauren Siebrase Wilkes, MSN, FNP-C

Leslie N. Rhodes, DNP, PPCNP-BC

Jamila Smith-Young, MSN, MPH, CPNP-AC

Andrea Sebastian, DNP, APNP

CLINICAL FACULTY INSTRUCTORS

EMERITUS FACULTY Kay Engelhardt, PhD, FAAN

Leah Apalodimas, MSN, PNP

Veronica Engle, PhD, RN, GNP, AHN, LADS, FGSA, FAAN

Melissa Chando, MSN, APRN-BC, FNP

Dianne Greenhill, EdD, EdS, MS

Kincharska “Nikki” Freeman, MSN, FNP-C, CNOR

Susan Jacob, PhD, BSN, MSN

Rebecca Goedecke, MSN, APRN-BC, CPNP-PC

Sarah Mynatt, EdD, MS

Emily Gray, MSN, APN, FNP-C

Carol Panicucci, PhD

Mary Harlow, MSN, FNP

Sylvia Price, PhD, RN

Lela Herring, MSN, FNP

Elinor F. Reed, EdS, MSN, BSN

Patricia Hess, MSN, FNP-BC

Cheryl Cummings Stegbauer, PhD, APN, FNP-BC, FAANP

Sharon Hogue, MSN, APRN, CPNP-PC

Carol L. Thompson, PhD, DNP, ACNP, FNP, FCCM, FAANP

Jenny Strelsin Houston, MSN, CPNP-AC

The College of Nursing annually recognizes our outstanding preceptors.

2018 Preceptor Award Recipients

2017 Preceptor Award Recipients

Anita Fay Golden-Simmons, FNP

Timothy W. Calicott, MD

Mary Claire Harlow, PNP-BC

Carolyn S. Moore, DNP

Jason Koch, BSN, RN

Scholarship 2018

Total Faculty Grant Funding* $374,512 *Fiscal Year 2018

Faculty Presentations

Faculty Grant Submissions by Fiscal Year TYPE

FY 2018*

TYPE

2016

2017

2018

Federal

6

2

15

REFEREED

INVITED

International

31

6

Foundation

2

5

3

National

37

17

Internal (UT and CON)

14

5

7

Regional

10

0

Professional Organizations

2

1

2

State

4

3

State

2

21

TOTAL

84

47

Local TOTAL

Journal: 49 Other: 13

TYPE

*7/1/2017 through 6/30/2018

NCLEX-RN Pass Rates for BSN Program began August 2013

Graduated Taken

2014 –

2015

2016

Dec. ‘14 Dec. ‘15

2017 Dec. ‘16

n/a

36

60

46

Passed

–

36

60

46

% FT Pass

–

100%

100%

100%

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UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2018

1

1

15

28

PhD Student Grant Submissions

by Fiscal Year

Faculty Publications FY 2018*

NURSING

1 25

2016

2017

2018

Federal

-

–

–

Foundation

1

1

2

Internal (UT and CON)

–

–

–

Professional Organizations

1

1

–

State

–

–

–

TOTAL

2

2

2

CON Enrollment

452

CON New Student Enrollment 2018 213 Total

CON TOTAL

255 DNP

4

109 Accelerated BSN

BSN

6

RN–BSN

*Some students are enrolled in both the DNP and a graduate certificate program. They are reflected once in the final numbers.

- Acute Care

2D NP Pediatric Primary Care

6 RN to BSN 20 D NP Psychiatric 2 P ost DNP Psychiatric Mental Health Certificate

Grad Certificate*

187

3D NP Pediatric

20 DNP Nurse Anesthesia

Mental Health

4 DNP Neonatal 9D NP Dual Adult Gerontology - Acute Care

7 DNP Adult

Gerontology - Acute Care

21 DNP Family Nurse Practitioner

2 DNP Dual Psychiatric Mental Health

1A dult Gerontology

- Acute Care Certificate

7 R egistered Nurse First Assistant Certificate

2018 Alumni Awards Winners RECENT ALUMNA AWARD

OUTSTANDING ALUMNA AWARD

Katherine Darling, DNP

Debbie Dawson Hatmaker, PhD (CON ’79)

(CON ’10) Dr. Darling received her DNP degree from the College of Nursing’s PsychiatricMental Health Nurse Practitioner program in 2010.

Since then, she has advocated for the profession and is active in the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), into which she was inducted as a Fellow in 2015.

She serves as the AANP representative for Arkansas and has worked diligently to gain statistics regarding the advanced practice registered nurse provider’s role in buprenorphine treatment. Through an $8 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Dr. Darling and a group of nurse practitioner leaders are working to increase the number of nurse practitioners in the state who obtain the Drug Enforcement Administration waiver required to treat opioid use disorder with buprenorphine.

Dr. Darling is the founding member of the Arkansas Nurses Roundtable, established in 2017. The group is comprised of advanced practice specialty nurses and association groups, who promote legislative policy for nurse practitioners in Arkansas.

Dr. Darling is active in the Arkansas Nurse Practitioner Association (ANPA) and the Arkansas Nurses Association (ARNA). She is the founder of the ANPA and a board member.

Currently working as a contractor for outpatient psychiatric mental health care in outpatient clinics, Dr. Darling serves as the co-chair of the ANPA Legislative and Policy Committee and the interim chair of the Political Action Committee. She has practiced in community mental health outpatient clinics, inpatient acute hospitals, and owned a private practice from 2014-2016.

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UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2018

Dr. Hatmaker is a nationally known nurse leader. She currently serves as the interim chief executive officer of the American Nurses Association (ANA) Enterprise, representing the 3.6 million registered nurses who are members of the organization. She is also an active member of the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), which promotes excellence in nursing and health care through credentialing programs globally, as well as the American Nurses Foundation, the charitable arm of the American Nurses Association.

She holds another leadership role for the American Nurses Association, serving as its executive director/ executive vice president, leading the strategic plan of the organization to advance policy, advocacy, and national communication agendas on behalf of its members.

She has held many elected and appointed leadership roles, including president of the Georgia Nurses Association from 1999-2002; the first vice president of the ANA from 2006-2010; and president of ANCC, serving two terms from 2007-2011. She was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 2012.

MOST SUPPORTIVE ALUMNA AWARD

Charlotte Smalley, FNP (COM ’75, ’79) Actively involved in educating nurse practitioner students, Dr. Smalley has served as an adjunct professor in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga School of Nursing for more than 20 years. She taught women’s health courses to the first family nurse practitioner cohort of UTC’s School of Nursing in 1996, and continued to teach the course for many years.

Dr. Smalley received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from UTHSC in 1975 and her Master of Science in Nursing from the UT College of Nursing in Knoxville in 1979. She is certified as a family nurse practitioner from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and is a member of the American Nurses Association, the Tennessee Nurses Association, and Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society for Nursing.

She has served not only as a preceptor, but in private practice settings. Her roles have included public health nurse for the Chattanooga Hamilton County Health Department, family nurse practitioner and local health director for the Southeast Regional Health Office, and family nurse practitioner for the Homeless Health Care Center in Chattanooga. She has also been with the Erlanger Women’s Institute for Specialized Health (formerly WISH), a world-class OB/GYN in Chattanooga, for more than 20 years.

In 2016, Dr. Smalley was the recipient of the first Champions in Health Care Award in the non-physician category from the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Edge magazine, and the Chattanooga Hamilton County Medical Society for her work in the Chattanooga area.

CON Alumna Receives John Runyan Community Nursing Award During the 2018 NightinGala, the Dr. John W. Runyan, Jr., Community Nursing Award was presented to Cathy R. Taylor, DrPH, MSN, RN, dean of the Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences and Nursing at Belmont University in Nashville. Named for a Memphian and internationally recognized advocate for the role of nurses in community health care, the award celebrates a champion of the efforts of nurses.

Dr. Taylor earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Alabama, Huntsville; a master’s degree in nursing from the UTHSC College of Nursing; a doctor of public health degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham; and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in health outcomes at Vanderbilt University.

She served as assistant commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Health’s Bureau of Health Services Administration. Prior to that, she was on the faculty at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing as the director of the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance Disease Management Program, and has held administrative and clinical positions at Alvin C. York VAMC, Fentress County Hospital, Middle Tennessee Medical Center and Hendersonville Hospital.

In 2006, Dr. Taylor was appointed by then-Governor Phil Bredesen to chair the board of the Tennessee Center for Diabetes Prevention and Health Improvement. She has served as a consultant on projects for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and China’s Ministry of Health.

UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2018

39

Michael Carter Shaped Nursing at UTHSC and Beyond

By Peggy Reisser

For more than three decades, Michael Carter helped shape nursing education at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. In doing so, he was also a major influence on the profession in Memphis, across Tennessee, nationally, and globally.

Formerly dean of the UTHSC College of Nursing and University Distinguished Professor of Nursing, he retired in January, ending a career that saw the profession change in many ways, while remaining true to its origins.

“There are some things that stay true, and some things change,” he said. “The things that stay true are that nurses are still the ones who have committed to caring for patients wherever those patients are and whenever it is. What has changed is science has really exploded our knowledge base and the way we practice.”

With his impressive credentials — DNSc, DNP, FAAN, FNP/GNP-BC — he knows what he’s talking about.

Dr. Carter grew up on a farm in Missouri. “I had a commitment to provide some service,” he said. “I was going to either care for people or plants or animals.”

He chose nursing, he said, because he “was trying desperately to escape the farm.”

He received his BSN in 1969 from the University of Arkansas, his MNSc in family nursing in 1973, and became an instructor there. From 1975-1976, Dr. Carter was an assistant professor at Boston University School of Nursing, and moved to the University of Colorado School of Nursing in 1976, serving until 1982 as an assistant professor, an associate professor, and chair of the Medical-Surgical Department. He received his DNSc from Boston in 1979.

He was recruited to UTHSC in 1982 by then-Chancellor James Hunt to lead the College of Nursing. “He came to Denver three times to get me to consider the position here,” Dr. Carter said. “We came, and we dearly love Tennessee.” He held the position until 2000, and received his DNP from UTHSC in 2009.

Shortly after arriving, Dr. Carter and his wife, Sarah Carter, MD, decided they needed to know more about their adopted state. They traveled across Tennessee, learning how the college could best serve statewide needs.

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UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2018

He began developing the college’s clinical affiliations to meet the growing demand for more expertise in nursing clinical practice.

“The whole world of primary care was changing, and the need for us to develop clinical experts had been pushed really hard,” Dr. Carter said. “We had to rapidly grow the graduate program, we had to build and negotiate and put together the new PhD program, and we had to build a very robust faculty practice program. We got a lot of recognition for that.” The college was recognized as the top program in the country for faculty practice in nursing.

The college also grew its research enterprise under his watch. “At one time, we were No. 16 in the nation for NIH funding in nursing,” he said.

He helmed development of the college’s distance learning component.

“Our idea was that our focus was the state of Tennessee, so we had to alter the way we did education,” he said.

“Today, we call it distance programs. We started with some creative things. We had speaker phones and fax machines. Students would gather in places like Knoxville, so they could attend classes without driving to Memphis.”

Next, distance classes were taught by two-way television.

“This was all before the internet,” he said. “So, then the internet came, and we’ve built our educational programs to assure that if you happen to live anywhere in Tennessee you can attend our graduate programs, most of them, and you can remain in your community.

That really helped change the distribution of nurse practitioners throughout the state. “ He is proud that in 1999, the college launched the first clinical doctorate, a predecessor of the doctorate of nursing practice degree that became the new standard for the nation. “And it all started right there with us,” he said.

“A visionary,” is how UTHSC Professor Mona Wicks, PhD, RN, FAAN, described Dr. Carter. “He’s not afraid to take risks.”

Sylvia Anderson Price, BSN, MPH, PhD, professor emeritus in the UTHSC College of Nursing, simply called him her dear friend. She met Dr. Carter when she interviewed him

In 2015, Dr. Michael Carter was honored for lifetime achievement in supporting nurse practitioners by The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties. He is pictured with Sheila Melander, PhD, RN, ACNP-BC, FCCM, FAANP.

for a study on the role of the nurse. He later recruited her to teach nursing administration in his distance education program. She taught in the program for 10 years, coming to Memphis periodically, and staying at his home. “Michael is a wonderful, caring colleague and friend,” she said.

10 and probably more who are deans of nursing, and that doesn’t count the hundreds of individuals, who every day are providing care to people who need it, that I think I’ve had something to say about encouraging them along and pushing them a little harder down the road.”

After stepping down as dean, Dr. Carter continued to be a strong influence in the college, as well as a stellar representative of the university and his profession,

Wendy Likes, dean of the UTHSC College of Nursing, said Dr. Carter had an amazing career. “Dr. Carter has been a powerful influence on so many of us as professionals and on our profession as a whole,” she said. Dr. Likes, a threetime alumna of the UTHSC College of Nursing, obtained her MSN degree in 1999 under Dr. Carter’s leadership as dean.

In 2015, The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties awarded Dr. Carter its Lifetime Achievement Award for decades of advocating for increased access and opportunities for nurse practitioners.

Dr. Carter’s work extends beyond the United States.

He was asked to travel to the city of Perth in Western Australia to establish primary care nurse practitioner clinics to help deliver health care to isolated regions.

He helped establish a doctoral-level degree at Curtin University in Perth.

His influence reaches even further through his many students. “I can count among the students I’ve worked with, at least three who are university presidents, about

“It is difficult to put into words the appreciation and respect we all have for Dr. Carter,” she said. “Not everyone can say they have had the privilege to be a student and a colleague of such an innovative and influential individual.

What he has done for academic nursing, the practice of nursing, and health care in general is really quite amazing and inspiring.”

UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2018

41

Second-Annual NightinGala Reflects CON’s Presence in Community The second-annual NightinGala celebration in May was a testament to the College of Nursing’s local and national stature.

Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams, PhD, RN, FAAN, the U.S. Deputy Surgeon General, was the featured speaker at the dinner and silent auction at The Great Hall and Conference Center in Germantown, Tennessee.

More than 200 people, including the Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell and Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, joined in the celebration that saluted the accomplishments of nursing and the impact the profession has on the community.

A former nurse officer in the U.S. Army, Rear Admiral Trent-Adams spoke about the future of nursing. Earlier in the day, she met with UTHSC nursing students at a luncheon on campus.

“We were honored to have Deputy Surgeon General, Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams as the guest speaker for

our second-annual NightinGala,” said Wendy Likes, dean of the College of Nursing. “Nurses comprise the largest number of individuals in the health care sector, making a positive impact on so many lives. It was a pleasure seeing so many nurses and leaders in our community coming together as a way to honor the contributions of nursing.

I couldn’t ask for a better way to start our celebration of Nurses Week.”

Proceeds from the gala support the efforts of the Center for Community Partnerships and Nursing Innovation in the College of Nursing, which is partnering with clinical, research, and service institutions in the Mid-South to advance health care and foster innovative nursing strategies.

The NightinGala was held in conjunction with National Nurses Week May 6 through 12.

Why Make an Annual Gift to UTHSC? Donating to UTHSC 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.

Your gift in any amount will make a difference.

Donate $100 or more and become a member of our 1911 Society!

For details, go to giving.uthsc.edu/1911.

Make your gift today! giving.uthsc.edu/give | 901.448.5516

1911 Society Donor Recognition The 1911 Society recognizes the generosity of UTHSC financial supporters, who are critical to our mission of educating some of the best minds, conducting innovative research, and improving health throughout our community. Membership in the 1911 Society is granted across three levels: Annual Giving Partners, who make a donation of $100 or more to our Annual Giving Program in any given fiscal year; Sustaining Partners, who give annually at any amount for five or more consecutive years; and Lifetime Partners, who make cumulative commitments of $25,000 or more during their lifetime.

connect via mail, telephone, or email giving opportunities, please take a moment to make a difference for our students, faculty, and researchers through a donation to the Annual Giving Program. Please make your secure online gift today by visiting giving.uthsc.edu/give.

To retain membership in the 1911 Society, simply renew your annual gift! Donating to UTHSC every year gives you the continued satisfaction of helping us provide scholarships, laboratory equipment, travel grants, 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 college, and our programs.

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center offers a number of vehicles through which you can make a gift.

Cash gifts can be made online, through mail, or over the phone. Other ways to give include: matching gifts, gifts of stocks or bonds, real estate, gifts in kind, and various planned giving options, which can be incorporated into your overall estate plan. Each is an excellent way to support UTHSC!

Your support is critical to strengthen our impact here in Memphis, across the state, and throughout the world. UTHSC is grateful for your partnership. For more information, please contact the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs at 901.448.5516 or visit online at uthscalumni.com/1911.

There are many opportunities to renew your giving — or make your first gift! — throughout the year. Whether we

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Dr. Olamide Odunayo Adeleye * Mrs. Vashti J. Alley * Mr. Murphy Appling * Mrs. Carol Haynes Barraza * Dr. Elizabeth Barrett * Dr. Tonnichaka Lashaun Barrett Mrs. Sherry and Dr. Bill E. Barry * Ms. Victoria Young Bass * Dr. Bobby Lynn Bellflower * Mrs. Coleen and Lt. Marvin L. Bertsch * Dr. Claudia Jean Beverly * Mrs. Jean Couts and Mr. William H. Bigger Miss Edna Mae Billingsley * Ms. Patricia A. Blissitt Mrs. Linda Moore Bronfin * Mrs. Shirley Dean and Dr. Kirby Bryant * Dr. Jacqueline Lee Burchum Mrs. Nancy Smith and Mr. William W. Burton *

Mrs. Angela P. and Mr. Charles Buss * Dr. Nancy Bernadette Cabelus * Mrs. Tammy E. and Mr. Jason Calvasina * Dr. Xeuyuan Cao and Ms. Ming Juan Wang * Mrs. Patricia Presson and Mr. Michael G. Carlson * Mrs. Joan B. and Dr. J. Woodson Carter * Ms. Megan Kennelly Carter Mrs. Glenda and Dr. Richard James Cavallaro * Mrs. Christie M. Cavallo * Dr. Barbara Jean * Ms. Shunta L. Chevis Ms. Mary Teresa Clepper * Dr. Lanny L. Coker * Mrs. Marilyn Comstock * Ms. Emily J. Cooley Dr. Patricia Kathleen Cooper * Mrs. Dee Ann and Mr. John W. Cox, Jr. Mrs. Margo F. and Dr. Donald R. Cox * UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2018

45

Mrs. Mary Ortmeyer Acuff Croes Ms. Millie Josie Dailey Ms. Cynthia Renee Demonbreum * Ms. Janet E. DePriest * Dr. Sattaria Smith Dilks * Dr. Marion L. Donohoe * Mrs. Ginger Dorris Dr. Jasmine D. Dorsey * Dr. Carolyn Jean Driscoll * Ms. Marilyn Kay Dunavant * Mrs. Shirley D. Edmonson * Ms. Jehan Rekae Ellis Dr. Stacy A. Emerson Mrs. Barbara F. Ensley * Mrs. Nancy Alise Farrell * Mrs. Inna Finkelshteyn Mrs. Mary G. Fong * Dr. Jerry Thomas Francisco Mrs. Melanie Kay and Mr. David M. Gardner Ms. Tina Gerardi * Mr. Marlon Dewayne Gibson Dr. Anne Elizabeth Gill * Mrs. Sharon Glenn * Dr. Carolyn Graff * Mrs. Patricia Anne Grayson * Dr. E. Dianne Greenhill * Mrs. Barbara M. and Mr. Leonard N. Grossman * Ms. Stacie Beverly Groves * Mrs. Patricia S. and Dr. John R. Hague * Mrs. Mary J. and Dr. Vincent D. Hamilton * Mr. Rex K. Hamm Dr. Margaret Thorman Hartig * Drs. Mary S. and Charles Hartwig * Dr. Margaret B. Harvey * Mrs. Rowena Carol and Mr. Jerry D. Harville * Mrs. Christine Cobb and Mr. Henry J. Hasselle * Dr. Alisa Renee Haushalter * Dr. Shelley Y. Hawkins * Mrs. Elizabeth A. Heilig * Ms. Betty J. Henry * Mrs. Marion Edith and Dr. George Alan Hill * Dr. Linda C. Hill * Dr. Amelie Anne Hollier * Mrs. Brenda G. and Mr. Malcolm H. Holt * Ms. Angela R. Hudson Mrs. Sally Hrymak Hunter Mrs. Ashley H. and Mr. James Albert Hutcheson IV * Dr. Susan and Mr. Dick Jacob * Mrs. Joan Ledbetter Jennings * Dr. Cheryl Johnson Joy * Ms. Angela M. Johnson Dr. Ragan N. Johnson Mr. Steven J. Johnson * 46

UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2018

Drs. Myra Susan and Gordon F. Jones * Ms. Cindy Jones Mrs. Linda Douglas and Mr. Stan Joyner * Ms. Deborah P. Judy Mrs. Lisa R. Kanter and Mr. Eugene S. Schweig III * Mrs. Virginia Ann Keith * Mrs. Patricia Anne and Mr. Ronald A. Kent * Mrs. Gertrude M. Killen * Mrs. Tharon M. and Rev. Cecil E. Kirk Mrs. Mary Anne G. and Mr. Scott R. Koeppel * Ms. Ly Kim Kouch Mrs. Violetta and Mr. Edward Kozlowski Mrs. Sarita Drake Kramer Mrs. Emily Roberts Laird * Dr. Margaret Heins Laning * Ms. Mary Kathryn Lawrence * Mrs. Shaunda Lou Lewis * Dr. Wendy M. Likes * Dr. Sharon H. Little Mrs. Melissa Jane and Dr. William J. Littman * Mrs. Reba Hare Lunney * Dr. Holly Lydigsen Dr. Samuel L. Maceri * Mrs. Paula Marie MacMorran * Drs. Belinda S. and Timothy David Mandrell * Mr. Dean J. Martin * Dr. Judy Carbage and Mr. Willie E. Martin, Jr. * Mrs. Clara A. Mason Mrs. M’Liss Darr and Dr. Jon A. Mather * Dr. Carol Ann Matthews * Mrs. Vicki D. McCall Mrs. Pamela Jo McCart * Dr. Tracy Denise McClinton * Mrs. Ila S. and Mr. Barry McDonald Ms. Wynema McGrew * Mrs. Rebecca A. and Dr. Jolly McKenzie * Dr. Laura A. Melaro * Mr. Byron A. Mitchell * Mrs. Anita C. and Mr. James Bechara Mobrak IV Mrs. Nancy Anne Moffatt * Mrs. Cynthia E. and Dr. Norton T. Montague, III Mrs. Alice E. B. Morris * Dr. Emma C. Murray * Dr. Sarah Irvin and Mr. Robert M. Mynatt * Mrs. Judy Evelyn Narramore * Dr. Allyson Matney and Mr. Timothy H. Neal * Mrs. Martha Nooner and Mr. Stewart P. Nelson * Mrs. Bridget Alison and Dr. Mark S. Newman * Dr. Stephanie Horn Nikbakht * Dr. Damaris A. Olsen * Mrs. Emily M. and Dr. Ben Roy Ousley * Mrs. Jamie A. Overton * Dr. Diane Todd Pace *

Mrs. Denise Pollard and Dr. Benson L. Parris Mrs. Nancy Morris and Mr. William J. Paschall Mrs. Lindaree L. Pearce ** Mrs. Nancy Elizabeth and Mr. Alan Pechacek * Mrs. Patricia A. and Dr. Richard D. Peppler * Ms. Sara Elizabeth Perry * Ms. Ramona S. Pierce Dr. Stephanie A. Powelson and Mr. Thomas H. Tucker II Dr. Sylvia C. Price * Mrs. Sheila Johnson Ramdhane Mrs. Debbie S. Redd * Dr. Laura K. Reed * Dr. Sarah Jane Rhoads * Dr. Michelle N. Rickard * Dr. Lillian D. Riddick Ms. Adawa Patricia Robertson * Mrs. Susan and Mr. Richard G. Rossen * Mrs. Pat Royal * Ms. Nancy Kim Rudge * Mrs. Cynthia K. and Mr. Jerry Russell * Mrs. Barbara I. and Dr. John R. Sanders * Dr. Susan T. and Mr. Randy Sanders * Ms. Lisa W. Schafer * Mrs. Cheryl B. and Mr. James J. Shields * Dr. Laura Owens-Simmons * Mrs. Marguerite Royal and Dr. Thomas E. Simpkins, Jr. * Mrs. Martha L. Simpson Ms. Kathryn Skinner Mrs. Charlotte W. Smalley * Ms. Patricia C. Smith Dr. Richard Lee Smith Mrs. Susan Riley Smith * Mrs. Leslie C. and Dr. Gregory W. Snodgrass * Ms. Latrondria Somerville Mrs. Pamela Bernice and Dr. William Speitel * Mrs. Barbara L. Spencer Mrs. Mary Arnette Stewart * Mrs. Alicia D. and Mr. Samuel J. Stigler, Jr. * Mrs. Dorothy A. and Mr. James E. Stockdale * Ms. Michelle Stubbs * Dr. Nina Katherine Sublette * Mrs. Lynda Stigall and Dr. Lourell E. Sutliff * Mrs. Marilyn S. Swain * Ms. Virginia E. Tacker * Dr. Cathy R Taylor * Mr. Martin J. Taylor Mrs. Nancy Dempsey Telford * Mrs. Diane Yates Trent Ms. Telise Elaine Turner * Dr. Reba Antionette Umberger * Ms. Judy Carol Valdez * Mrs. Karen Bryant and Mr. Tony Valk * Mrs. Jane Holz and Mr. Michael Vercruysse

Mr. Kelly Baker Wade * Dr. Melody N. Waller Miss Sallie J. Walton * Mrs. Jeanne and Mr. Johnny W. Ward Mrs. Amanda Ross Wardlaw Ms. Alice U. Warren * Dr. Charla Michelle Watkins * Ms. Lana Shamin Watts Mrs. Lisa B. Webb Dr. Sherry S. Webb * Mrs. Jean Wellshear * Mrs. Jo Ann Ann West * Dr. Sharon Fran West * Mrs. Sherrod Walker and Dr. John H. West, Jr. * Ms. Cheryl Lynne White Dr. Sarah J. and Mr. Bruce D. White * Mrs. Heather D. Whitehead * Dr. Johnenne Evette Whitmore * Dr. Mona N. and Mr. Sammie J. Wicks * Mrs. Armantine K. Williams * Ms. Sandra Willmarth * Mrs. Linda L. Winstead * Ms. Falisha Wynn Dr. Cathy Louise Young * Mrs. Kimberly Sue and Mr. Eugene Zilske * For more information on how to support the College of Nursing, please contact Michelle Stubbs, director of Development for the College of Nursing at mstubbs@utfi.org or 901.448.2076. **Deceased

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Golden Graduate Homecoming 2017 Alumni from all six colleges at UTHSC, including eight from the College of Nursing, traveled to Memphis to attend Golden Graduate Homecoming, held October 11-13, 2017.

This milestone celebration’s events included dinner at The Rendezvous, open houses at the various colleges, a tour of the new Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Simulation on campus, and the Golden Graduate Ceremony and Dinner at the historic Peabody Hotel.

Where are you now, thanks to

?

Patricia Cowan, PhD, RN HOMETOWN: Hazelwood, Missouri WHERE DO YOU LIVE?: Little Rock, Arkansas

CURRENT POSITION: Dean and professor in the College of Nursing at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

WHY DID YOU SELECT THE COLLEGE OF NURSING AT UTHSC? The PhD in Nursing program provided me with an excellent education and stellar mentorship in research.

I was impressed by the research being conducted by faculty in the college, particularly Donna Hathaway. Their passion for research, strong interprofessional programs of research, and commitment to mentorship ultimately caused me to choose UTHSC.

WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE TO OTHER ALUMNI ABOUT GETTING INVOLVED? A university is judged by its alumni. As an alumna, you become an ambassador for the college and university.

There are many ways to participate: advocate for the university, recommend UTHSC to potential students, donate to a scholarship or college initiative, volunteer to mentor a student, serve on an advisory committee, be a guest speaker, or attend alumni functions.

HOW ARE YOU CURRENTLY ENGAGED WITH UTHSC? I continue to collaborate with several faculty at UTHSC. Most recently, these collaborations have been around publication of research findings and programmatic outcomes.

WHAT ARE SOME NOTABLE MEMORIES FROM YOUR TIME AT UTHSC? My first class, Philosophy of Science, was taught by then-dean Dr. Michael Carter. It was a mind-expanding experience. From day one, we were engaged in the programs of research of Dr. Hathaway and her team.

I looked forward to our weekly research team meetings and faculty-student group meetings. The environment fostered the development of all involved — a successbreeds-success environment. It was very rewarding to conduct clinical research and then see that research translated into practice to improve outcomes in transplant recipients.

WHY DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN THE UTHSC ALUMNI ASSOCIATION? The alumni association provides a wonderful opportunity to connect with colleagues and stay abreast of campus initiatives. Two of our children graduated from UTKnoxville and one attended UTHSC, so we are keenly interested in UT System and campus-wide initiatives.

Photo by Johnpaul Jones/UAMS

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In Memoriam 1946 Ruth McCord, BSN Memphis, Tennessee

1947 Ellen McNair Faribault, certificate Porter, Texas Louise Priestly Simmons, BSN Olathe, Kansas

Alumni Board of Directors 2018–2021 PRESIDENT Armantine “Tine” Williams, ’75, ’81

SIGMA THETA TAU Cheryl Johnson Joy, ’78, ’88, ’97

PRESIDENT-ELECT Susan Sanders, ’09

PAST PRESIDENTS Dianne Greenhill, ’62 Patti Ketterman, ’89 (UTK), ’06 James “Hutch” Hutcheson, ’07

SECRETARY Kim Zilske, ’07 TENNESSEE REPRESENTATIVES

1955 Lindaree Ledbetter Pearce, BSN Shreveport, Louisiana

WEST Vacant Emily Mewborn, ’09, ’13 Crystal Walker, ’11, ’15, ’16

1958 Gloria Zepatos Goldberg, BSN Toms River, New Jersey

MIDDLE Hallie Bensinger, ’01 Melissa Flatt Littman, ’81 Patricia Cooper, ’10

1960 Patricia Manges Cotton, BSN Yuma, Arizona

EAST Allyson Neal, ’10 Linda Hill, ’93, ’04 Sandy Bateman, ’79. ’81

1990 Debbie Hoozier Sweeney, MSN, Memphis, Tennessee

OUT-OF-STATE REPRESENTATIVES Barbara Cherry, ’06 Brittany Hill, ’07 Kim Zilske, ’07

1993 Sarah Jennifer Corbett, BSN Louisville, Kentucky

This listing is inclusive from February 28, 2017 through July 31, 2018. To inform the UTHSC Office of Development and Alumni Affairs of any errors or omissions, or to make a donation in memory of a classmate or friend, please contact the office at 901.448.5516 or alumni. uthsc.edu.

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UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2018

REPRESENTATIVES AT-LARGE Belinda Mandrell, ’08 Diane Pace, ’96, ’98, ’71 Methodist Diana Dedmon, ’99 Susan Sanders, ’09 Susan C. Donlevy Irma Jordan, ’97, ’10 Armantine “Tine” Williams, ’75, ’81 Dee Blakney, ’07 Pam Castleman, ’95 Pat Speck, ’82, ’85, ’05

NSGA PRESIDENT Kenny Gentner FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE Marion Donohoe, ’10 DEAN Wendy Likes, ’99, ’04, ‘09

The UTHSC College of Nursing Continuing Education Presents The 2018 William T. Cashdollar Distinguished Visiting Professorship Friday, November 2, 2018 Memphis Botanic Garden 8:45 am – Noon Theme: “Ethical Challenges in Pediatric Palliative Care” Keynote Speaker: Justin Baker, MD, FAAP, FAAHPM, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital 2 CE credit hours will be awarded for this event. There is no charge for the Nursing CE credit.

Register Online: 2018cashdollardvp.eventbrite.com For more infomation, contact Roylynn Germain at 901.448.2726.

Dr. Baker, a pediatric oncologist and palliative care physician, is chief of the Division of Quality of Live and Palliative Care at St. Jude and the medical director of the Quality of Life for All Service, the St. Jude Palliative Care Team.

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

Legacy donors become members of the Hershel “Pat” Wall Legacy Society Dr. Wall’s 50 years of dedication as a student, faculty member, and administrator to UTHSC are unsurpassed. His legacy will live forever, as will the impact made by our donors.

For more information about planned gifts to UTHSC and Legacy Society membership, contact Bethany Goolsby at 901.448.5516 or estateplans@uthsc.edu.

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Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Memphis, TN Permit No. 4026 Office of Development and Alumni Affairs 62 S. Dunlap, Suite 500 Memphis, TN 38163 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

SAVE THE DATE

May 4, 2019 Memphis Botanic Garden alumni.uthsc.edu/Nightingala2019 FEATURED SPEAKER: Renee L. Ellmers Regional Director of Region 4, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Renee Ellmers was appointed by the White House as Regional Director of Region 4 of the United States Department of Health and Human Services in May 2017.

A registered nurse, Ellmers provides executive leadership as the primary representative for Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar. She serves as liaison to federal, state, local, and tribal government organizations, and regional stakeholders.

Ellmers is responsible for the eight southeastern states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, as well as six federally recognized tribes. Region 4 is the largest of 10 HHS regions.

Prior to her appointment as regional director, Ellmers was elected to three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives for North Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District.