Fall 2017 FNU Quarterly Bulletin Volume 92, Number 3

FNU

FRONTIER NURSING UNIVERSITY Fall 2017

Volume 92

Number 3

FNU Grants Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters to Donald & Barbara Jonas

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction to FNU.............................................................................................1 The Journey – Dr. Susan Stone..............................................................................2 Alumni Spotlight...................................................................................................5 Student Spotlight...................................................................................................7 Courier Corner......................................................................................................8 Courier Spotlight...................................................................................................9 Field Notes ...........................................................................................................10 Beyond the Mountains........................................................................................15 Notes.....................................................................................................................19 Wendover Report.................................................................................................21 Footprints.............................................................................................................22 In Memoriam.......................................................................................................23 Trustees................................................................................................................24 Board of Directors...............................................................................................27 Your Gifts at Work...............................................................................................28 US ISSN 0016-2116 Statement of Ownership Frontier Nursing Service Quarterly Bulletin, publication #835-740 is published four times per year. Mailing address: 132 FNS Drive, Wendover, Kentucky 41775. Contact person: Denise Barrett (859) 899-2828. The publisher, editor and managing editor of the Frontier Nursing Service Quarterly Bulletin is FNU, Inc., 132 FNS Drive, Wendover, Ky 41775. The owner is Frontier Nursing University, 132 FNS Drive, Wendover, Ky 41775. There are no other bondholders, mortgagees or other security holders. The tax status has not changed in the last 12 months.

Total number of copies

Average No. Copies Each Issue during previous 12 months

No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date

Outside county copies

9200

9412

In-county copies

115

121

Free or nominal rate copies mailed at other classes

0

0

Free or nominal rate distribution outside the mail

0

0

Total Distribution

9315

9533

Copies Not Distributed

50

50

Total Sum

9315

9533

Percent paid

0

0

Paid Electronic Copies

0

0

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Introduction to Frontier Nursing University

M

ary Breckinridge spent her early years in many parts of the world — Russia, France, Switzerland and the British Isles. After the deaths of her two children, she abandoned the homebound life expected of women of her class to devote herself to the service of families, with a particular focus on children.

Mrs. Breckinridge founded the Frontier Nursing Service in 1925 after several years of studying and practicing nursing and midwifery in the United States, England, Scotland and France. It was the first organization in America to use nurses trained as midwives collaborating with a single medical doctor, based at their small hospital in Hyden. Originally the staff was composed o f nurse-midwives trained in England. They Our aim has always been traveled on horseback and on foot to provide to see ourselves surpassed, quality primary care, including maternity care, to families in their own homes. In 1928, and on a larger scale.” she recruited young people to serve as Couriers – Mary Breckinridge, and help the Frontier staff and nurse-midwives in Wide Neighborhoods, 1952 all manner of efforts. In 1939, Mrs. Breckinridge established a school of nurse-midwifery. The school provided graduates, many of whom stayed to offer care to families in Leslie County, Kentucky.

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Today, Mrs. Breckinridge’s legacy extends far beyond Eastern Kentucky through Frontier Nursing University (FNU), which offers a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and a Master of Science in Nursing degree with tracks as a Nurse-Midwife, Family Nurse Practitioner and Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner. FNU has students and graduates serving all 50 states and many countries.

How to Reach Us The Office of Development and Alumni Relations: Please direct questions, comments or updates to Denise Barrett, Director of Development, at (859) 899-2828 or send an e-mail to development@frontier.edu.

The Wendover Bed & Breakfast Inn: The Big House, Mary Breckinridge’s home, is a licensed Bed & Breakfast Inn located at Wendover. For reservations or to arrange a tour, call Michael Claussen, Development Officer, at (859) 899-2707 or e-mail michael.claussen@frontier.edu. Group tours can be arranged, and we are always happy to set up tours for organizations and educational programs with an interest in nursing history and Appalachian studies.

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the journey

Barbara and Donald Jonas Receive Honorary Doctorates

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n honor of their extensive support and contributions to the advancement of nursing, Frontier Nursing University awarded honorary doctorate degrees to philanthropists Barbara and Donald Jonas. The ceremony took place on Thursday, July 27 in Greenwich, Connecticut.

“ My hat's off to you.

I never went to college, so this is my being a graduate. I feel like I’m right out there with you folks.”

– Donald Jonas

In 2005, the Jonas’, who are noted art collectors, auctioned off 15 of their abstract expressionist artworks. That generated millions in seed money to create their own masterpiece: The Barbara and Donald Jonas Family Fund.

As they sought the appropriate beneficiaries, Barbara, a psychiatric social worker, and Donald, a leader in retail, were drawn to the nursing shortage and its overall impact on the healthcare of individuals and communities. In early 2006, they established the Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence, a first-of-its-kind philanthropic program dedicated to advancing the nursing profession. The Center’s focus is to improve healthcare through nursing leadership, scholarship and research.

The impact of the Center has grown exponentially. In 2016, the Jonas Center celebrated its 10th anniversary reaching a milestone of 1,000 Jonas Scholars supported by the Center. As the nation’s leading philanthropic funder of graduate nursing education, the Jonas Cen-

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QUARTERLY BULLETIN ter has grown from a New York City-focused funder to a national organization in partnership with leading schools of nursing in 50 states.

“ Donald and I will always treasure the Doctor of Humane Letters that has been presented and bestowed upon us and we want all of you to go out and do marvelous things.”

– Barbara Jonas

Frontier Nursing University has been fortunate to participate as a partner with the Jonas Center since 2012.

We have witnessed the positive, lasting contributions that our 10 Jonas Scholar graduates have made and continue to make in their communities across the nation and now into other countries. Frontier’s Jonas Scholars have made tremendous impact in their communities including policy work to advance their professions, recruitment of Native Americans into the profession, implementation of nitrous oxide for pain relief in Maine, design and implementation of programs to support pregnant spouses of deployed military personnel, and international work to improve communications and transport of emergency situations in Nepal. Each of their stories is inspiring and undoubtedly making a difference. And as we have seen as we read about their fellow Jonas Scholars from other institutions, they are part of an impactful group of leaders who will be at the forefront of improving healthcare in America.

Carolyn Jones

We are profoundly grateful to Barbara and Donald Jonas for their years of support to the nursing community. Funding research and scholarships, the Jonas’ have displayed incredible generosity and forethought. Their contributions are immeasurable. In recognition of their accomplishments and contributions, we are proud to confer upon Donald and Barbara Jonas the Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree.

l to r: Frontier Nursing University Board Chair Dr. Michael Carter, Donald and Barbara Jonas, and FNU President Dr. Susan Stone.

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FRONTIER NURSING UNIVERSITY We presented the degrees to the Jonas’ at a ceremony at their home in July, and again during our annual commencement ceremony held October 21 in Hyden, Ky. You can view the special video commemorating the Jonas’ degree ceremony at https://youtu.be/LGf_BLBtGdU. This year’s graduation ceremony celebrated more than 600 graduates from the past year and nearly 200 traveled to Hyden with their families to participate in the ceremony.

Congratulations to our newest advanced practice nurses and midwives as they join the more than 5,000 Frontier graduates serving communities across the country, and to the the Jonas’ for their tremendous efforts and impact to strengthen advanced practice nursing education.

With gratitude,

Susan E. Stone, DNSc, CNM, FAAN, FACNM President

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Front Row: Donald and Barbara Jonas.

Back Row (l to r): FNU Director of Marketing and Communications Brittney Edwards, FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, FNU Board Chair Michael Carter, FNU Director of Development and Alumni Relations Denise Barrett.

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alumni spotlight

JoAnne Burris, CNM CNEP Class 130

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rom birthing her child with the help of a midwife to becoming a Certified Nurse-Midwife herself, Alumna JoAnne Burris, CNM, is the picture of how Frontier Nursing University (FNU) provides its students with an education to match their passion.

JoAnne is fulfilling her dream of providing care, expertise, and empowerment to other women as they journey throughout their lifespan.

In her journey from patient to provider, JoAnne now seeks to provide women with holistic care using her degree from Frontier.

Suffering an uncomfortable experience with her first child’s birth, JoAnne was displeased with the way her birthing decisions were dominated by the health care providers. She sought the help of nurse-midwife Melissa Courtney in the birth of her second child a few years later.

Through Melissa’s gentle consideration, consistent reassurance, and willingness to allow JoAnne to make several of her own birthing decisions, JoAnne’s second birth experience was truly an enjoyable one.

It did not take long for JoAnne to feel a spiritual calling to provide the same care for other women. Within the year she began didactic classes at FNU (CNEP 130), after receiving her associate’s degree in nursing and then attending nursemidwifery clinical training at Womankind Midwives, a practice established by Melissa.

In 2016, she was hired at the University of Kentucky (UK) HealthCare Polk Dalton Clinic into the UK Midwife Clinic. The clinic collaborates with UK’s Obstetrics/Gynecology and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, ensuring the most resourceful care possible.

"I work in two patient population settings,” said JoAnne. “Half of my clinic time is spent in a downtown clinic that serves primarily Hispanic, refugee, and low5

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income women. The other half of my time is spent at a midwife clinic that serves patients who desire midwifery care specifically. I enjoy working at the University of Kentucky because it allows me to serve a diverse group of women.”

Together with Melissa and two other CNMs, JoAnne is fulfilling her dream of providing care, expertise, and empowerment to other women as they journey throughout their lifespan.

The community at FNU is thankful for JoAnne’s dedication to quality health care!

Support FNU Students To support students like JoAnne, make your gift to FNU. To donate, please contact Denise Barrett, Director of Development and Alumni Relations at (859) 899-2828, or Angela Bailey, Associate Director of Development and Alumni Relations, at (859) 899-2533 or visit http://weblink.donorperfect. com/FNUonlinegiving

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NU Board Member Nancy Fugate Woods, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N, was inducted as a Living Legend of the American Academy of Nursing at the Academy’s Transforming Health, Driving Policy Conference this fall in Washington, D.C. Recently retired, Woods was a professor in the Department of Family and Child Nursing and Dean Emerita of the University of Washington School of Nursing.

Her work has advanced nursing care for reproductive aged and mid-life women and has provided women with a better understanding of their health. In 1989 Dr. Woods and her colleagues established the first NIH-funded Center for Women’s Health Research at the University of Washington School of Nursing.

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student spotlight

Roxanne LaPointe, RN

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rontier Nursing University (FNU) student Roxanne LaPointe, RN doesn’t use her nursing education in a hospital or a traditional health care facility. Instead, Roxanne takes her talents to the South Carolina Department of Corrections, where she cares for elderly and chronically ill inmates.

“ I help give a voice and advocate for those who are forgotten and thrown away by society.”

“I chose Frontier because they believe in underserved populations,” she said. “I decided to pursue an advanced degree so that I could do more for my patients.”

Roxanne is pursuing a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) at Frontier to become a Family Nurse Practitioner, which will enable her to do the work she is truly passionate about.

Her patients include approximately 1,500 men from ages 18 to 80. On a daily basis, she addresses a wide range of illnesses in the correctional facility’s 20-bed infirmary. Roxanne, also a FNU Wide Neighborhoods Ambassador, has worked at her current position for over five years. She is working to make her profession more recognized in the medical world.

“I help give a voice and advocate for those who are forgotten and thrown away by society,” she said.

To that end, after she graduates with her MSN this year, she has decided to pursue a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from FNU. Why Frontier? Frontier is “real and gritty,” said Roxanne, just like her work.

Through her dedicated efforts, an education from Frontier is helping her make a difference.

Thank you for your diligence in serving a truly underserved population. We are proud to have you as an FNU student!

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courier corner

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e are excited to announce the arrival of Larissa McLaughlin, our new Courier Coordinator/Development Officer. Larissa officially joined our team on October 2.

She comes to Frontier having previously worked in student services at the University of Kentucky. Larissa has a Master of Arts from Savannah College of Art and Design in Arts Administration. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Kentucky and also worked in development with LexArts in Lexington, KY. Please join us in welcoming Larissa! You can reach her at Larissa.McLaughlin@frontier. edu or Courier.Program@frontier.edu.

Once a Courier, Always a Courier—Let’s Connect!

Like us on Facebook!

Share your story! I want to capture your memories!

Contact me at courier.program@frontier.edu for an interview.

Host a “high tea” at your home. I will help you plan it!

Come home to Wendover! Visit the place where your journey began! I will meet you for tea!

Check out our website at www.frontier.edu/courier Join the Wide Neighborhoods Program and be an ambassador in your state.

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courier spotlight

Carolyn Gregory

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hile she was growing up, Carolyn Gregory’s parents always encouraged her to seek new and meaningful experiences, which led her to Frontier Nursing Service (FNS) in 1947. Carolyn enjoyed her time as a Courier so much that she decided to remain at Frontier as the FNS Christmas Secretary and as an assistant to Agnes Lewis and Betty Lester in 1948.

“I truly enjoyed the spirit of the organization and what I was doing to help their cause,” said Carolyn.

During her time with FNS, she was especially impressed with the way the midwives understood the most intimate and special experience in women’s lives: the births of their children.

“The midwives handled deliveries with both the mother and her child’s best interest in mind,” said Carolyn. “I definitely believe that nurse-midwifery is integral to health care in this country and abroad.”

The midwives were empowering role models for Carolyn. The time she spent at Frontier Nursing Service was the first time she had seen women working independently within the medical field.

Carolyn had the opportunity to observe a birth as well as a death in rural mountain cabins while accompanying FNS midwives. She remembers these experiences vividly, and they have profoundly impacted her life. Because of these experiences, Carolyn believes she has gained a greater understanding of life, death, and what it means to be a human being.

After serving as a Courier, Carolyn later obtained a master’s degree from Northwestern University and has been a speech language pathologist for most of her life.

She continues to carry forward the lessons she learned as a Courier.

Carolyn has remained involved with Frontier over many decades as a donor, member of the Courier Advisory Committee, and friend to Frontier Nursing University.

Thank you for your service to Frontier, Carolyn!

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field notes

Marcus Osborne Joins FNU Board of Directors

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he FNU Board of Directors unanimously approved the appointment of Marcus Osborne to the board. Marcus serves as Vice President, Health & Wellness Transformation for Walmart. In that role, he is focused on furthering Walmart’s stated goal of improving the healthcare industry in the U.S. by increasing access, quality and affordability in the system for consumers. Prior to joining Walmart, Marcus was a Senior Management Consultant with Alliance Consulting Group in Boston, Massachusetts. He also served as the Chief Financial Officer of the Clinton Foundation HIV/ AIDS Initiative. Marcus attended the Harvard Business School and received his Master’s in Business Administration, graduating with honors.

Maria Valentin-Welch Appointed Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer FNU has announced the appointment of Dr. Maria ValentinWelch to the newly created position of Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. Maria comes into this position with a long career of working on diversity and inclusion efforts. She has worked as a member of the Frontier faculty and a Co-Chair of our Diversity and Inclusion Committee. She is highly qualified to step into this position at this exciting time at FNU. Further, she will be relocating to Kentucky in 2018 in order for us to enhance the efforts by being present when students, faculty, staff and other visitors are on our new campus. Maria formally began this position on October 1, 2017.

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Alumni and Courier Homecoming On September 22, Alumni, family and friends gathered at the Big House in Wendover, Ky., to celebrate the annual Frontier Nursing University Homecoming. The weekend featured many special moments including a district tour, formal tea, and a cookout with live bluegrass music under the stars. As The annual Homecoming activities included a always the highlight of Homecoming formal tea. weekend was the Awards Ceremony held in the Big House living room where Mary Breckinridge looks on from her portrait over the many men and women who are working daily to continue her vision.

Congratulations to our 2017 Award Winners Distinguished Service to Alma Mater: Patty Kandiko The Distinguished Service to Alma Mater honors an alumnus who has continued to provide support to Frontier through volunteer efforts and/or donor support.

We are proud to honor Patty Kandiko with this award. Kandiko is a graduate of Midwifery Class 70 in 2012. She began her nursing career after graduating from the St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing in Peoria, Ill., in 1974. She later earned a bachelor of science in nursing from Marian University in Wisconsin 1993.

Today, Kandiko owns the Bloomin’ Babies Birth Center with her husband Dick in Grand Junction, Colo. They opened the center in October 2013. In 2014, they helped 16 mothers give birth. That number doubled in 2015 and continues to grow every year.

The Bloomin’ Babies Birth Center is the only such center in the state outside the metropolitan area of Denver. In addition to supplying a valuable service to the community and state, Kandiko also continues to support Frontier Nursing University as a preceptor, working with three FNU students since 2015.

We proudly present the Award for Distinguished Service to Alma Mater to Patty Kandiko in recognition of her commitment to midwifery and her support of FNU.

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Jill Alliman, left, and Patty Kandiko, right, were presented with Distinguished Service awards at Homecoming.

Distinguished Service to Society: Jill Alliman The Distinguished Service to Society Award recognizes an alumnus who goes above and beyond to provide exceptional service in his or her community. We are extremely proud to present this year’s award to Jill Alliman.

Dr. Alliman earned a Certificate in Nurse-Midwifery from the Medical University of South Carolina; a bachelor of science in nursing from the University of Tennessee; a master of science in nursing degree from Case Western Reserve; and her doctor of nursing practice from Frontier Nursing University.

Dr. Alliman currently serves as course faculty at Frontier Nursing University in the Nurse-Midwifery education program. She is also the project director for the American Association of Birth Centers Strong Start for Mothers and Newborns Initiative. The Strong Start initiative is collecting data from 45 birth centers to measure the impact of birth center care on the reduction of preterm birth rates.

For 26 years, Dr. Alliman led the Women’s Wellness and Maternity Center in Madisonville, Tennessee. For 14 of those years, she also served as clinical faculty at Vanderbilt School of Nurse-Midwifery.

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Today, Dr. Alliman uses her three decades of experience to make contributions to extending the birth center model of care to a wider group of women. She has worked diligently to improve access to care for some of the most underserved women in the United States. Her work with the American Association of Birth Centers has demonstrated that even a small group of innovative, dedicated individuals can make a significant impact on health care for women and newborns.

She also previously served on the Tennessee Scope of Practice Task Force, commissioned by the state legislature to explore healthcare access and nursing scope of practice issues.

Because of these tireless and extensive efforts to support your community, Dr. Alliman, you are a most deserving recipient of this year’s Distinguished Service to Society Award.

Courier Unbridled Service Award: Cherry Forbes Wunderlich The Courier Unbridled Service Award is given annually to a former Courier who has carried the torch of Mary Breckinridge beyond the mountains, perpetuating the mission and spirit of Frontier in their own lives. The criteria for this award includes dedication to serving others; ongoing, longstanding stewardship of Frontier; and demonstration of personal conviction, courage and a zest for adventure.

We are honored to present this year’s Courier Unbridled Service Award to Cherry Forbes Wunderlich. Cherry served as a Courier for the Frontier Nursing Service in winter and spring 1965, during her semester away from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, where she was a junior.

Raised on a Wyoming ranch, Cherry was familiar with rural life and took to her Courier role quickly. At Wendover, she helped care each day for the three horses, did varied projects in the Big House and outdoors, and drove a jeep for errands into Hyden and to the outpost nursing centers.

Cherry’s time with FNS has strongly influenced her life since then. She taught classes for expectant parents for several years. Her professional career and volunteer life have centered around writing and editing, including health education materials. She coauthored and edited 4 handbooks for expectant and new parents; training manuals for youth educators; and, most recently, 4 handbooks for patients being tested or treated for all types of thyroid cancer.

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She earned a Bachelor’s Degree at Mount Holyoke College and a Master’s in Economics at George Washington University. For the past 17 years she has served on the board of the nonprofit ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association. She lives in Bethesda, Maryland, with her husband John, a cancer researcher. Their two grown sons and families live in California and New York.

She has also remained involved in the work of FNU through her work with the Washington, D.C. Committee and her annual donations to support the mission.

Ms. Wunderlich was presented a Mary Breckinridge Society “Continuing the Vision” pin at the 2014 Washington, D.C. Luncheon in recognition for her commitment to building the FNU Endowment.

We thank you Cherry Wunderlich for many years of service and happily present Ms. Wunderlich with this year’s Courier Unbridled Service Award.

Mary Breckinridge Lifetime Service Award: Thompson Charitable Foundation The Mary Breckinridge Lifetime Service Award recognizes an individual or organization providing longstanding support and commitment to the mission and work of Frontier Nursing Service and Frontier Nursing University.

We are exceptionally proud to present this year’s award to the Thompson Charitable Foundation. Founded in 1987, the Foundation was established with the primary focus of funding projects related to education, health, and human services. This includes funding for capital and building improvements for human service organizations and educational institutions along with funding for youth and Christian organizations.

The Thompson Charitable Foundation has supported capital improvement needs for the Frontier Nursing Service and Frontier Nursing University totaling more than $600,000 and spanning more than 20 years. This loyal support sustains and improves our facilities and has allowed Frontier to continue to invest in innovation, programs, and students. We appreciate the Thompson Charitable Foundation’s understanding of the importance of support for capital projects to ensure these expenses do not deter from our mission to educate nurse practitioners and nurse-midwives to provide primary care. We look forward to continuing our partnership into the future.

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beyond the mountains

FNU Boston Committee Events Lees Breckinridge Yunits, Boston Committee Chair

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he Boston Committee for Frontier gathered together for an astounding three days in Boston and on Cape Cod. Special thanks to Breckinridge Capital Advisors for hosting a Case Presentation Day for students and faculty. The presentations brought to light how compassionate the caretakers of Frontier are.

At the reception afterwards, faculty members and clinical directors glowed with enthusiasm as the large group enjoyed the warmth of the September sun. Thank you to Peter Breckinridge Coffin and his brother, Tim Coffin, for hosting both the Case day, the social, and the next day’s luncheon for their staff. Every event shared a spark for FNU that Mary Breckinridge would have relished.

Likewise, a luncheon was held Friday at the home of Lees Breckinridge Yunits, on Cape Cod. Dr. Susan Stone and Director of Development Denise Barrett brought out a lively discussion with many first-time Frontier guests, as well as a current student midwife (Kristin Chatelain) and a former courier (Debby King). News of the progress of Frontier, especially the new campus in Versailles, set up a future full of possibilities. To those unable to attend, especially readers who live in the Boston area or on Cape Cod, feel free to contact Lees Yunits at lyunits@gmail.com.

Every year the Boston Committee for Frontier holds an event or two and would be honored to have you attend.

Lees Breckinridge Yunits, John and Anne Grandin, and Susan Stone

FNU alumni Jennifer Stevens and Julie Paul shared information about their work in the Boston area with Breckinridge Capital Advisors

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Bluegrass and Louisville Luncheons September was a busy month in Bluegrass state! On September 19th the Bluegrass Committee hosted their annual luncheon to support Frontier Nursing University. The luncheon was held at the beautiful Lexington Country Club with nearly 60 in attendance. Guests enjoyed a display of historic FNS memorabilia and an Linda Roach, Chair of the Bluegrass update from Dr. Stone. The Louisville CommitCommittee, with Susan Stone tee held their annual luncheon to support FNU on September 20 at the River Valley Club. More than 30 guests enjoyed hearing updates from Dr. Stone and fantastic river views.

Our sincere thanks to the members of the Bluegrass and Louisville Committees for your dedication to the work of FNU!

Thank you to all of our guests at the Bluegrass and Louisville events!

Frontier Reception Held at American Association of Birth Centers Birth Institute in Anchorage, Alaska It was a joy to unite Frontier faculty, staff, students, alumni, and preceptors attending the AABC Birth Institute.

Guests enjoyed networking, hearing updates from Frontier, and getting a dose of inspiration from Kitty Ernst.

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FNU Recognizes National Midwifery Week A National Call to Action

Denise Barrett, Director of Development, with Ann Geisler, President of Southern Cross Insurance, a sponsor of FNU's virtual event.

In honor of National Midwifery Week, October 1-7, Frontier Nursing University (FNU), which educates more than a third of our nation’s certified nurse-midwives, hosted a week of virtual events and participated in several events in New York City celebrating and supporting the important work of midwives. FNU also hoped to help bring attention to our country’s high rates of maternal death and injury and the vital role that nursemidwives play in filling this healthcare gap.

The FNU community believes that now is the time to advocate for action to improve maternity care. FNU students, alumni, faculty, staff and supporters attended the Today Show on Friday, October 6 in hopes of raising awareness of some of the alarming health care issues facing mothers and infants in the United States. One in every three Americans is born through cesarean section — twice as many as are medically necessary. At the same time, the United States has the highest rates of maternal death and injury, the lowest birth weights, and the widest disparities in the entire developed world.

Black mothers are three to four times more likely than white mothers to die from pregnancy and childbirth.1 These racial disparities affect black mothers whether they live in urban centers or in rural areas and whether they are affluent or poor— and in some parts of the U.S., the gap is widening. In New York City, black mothers

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used to die at seven times the rate of white mothers; now they are 12 times more likely to die.2 These statistics are unconscionable and Frontier Nursing University is committed to raising awareness of the issue and educating the healthcare providers that can make a difference. To highlight the important impact of Frontier nurse-midwifery graduates, Frontier hosted a series of online events throughout the week. One session entitled, Freestanding Birth Centers: A Place for Woman Centered Care, was broadcast live from the American Association of Birth top: Members of the panel included Melissa Avery, Diana Jolles, Linda Cole, Kathryn Schrag, Neel Shah, Centers Birth Institute in AnchorSusan Stapleton, and moderator, Jill Alliman; age, Alaska. This panel discussion bottom: Enjoying New York and the Today Show featured co-editors and several authors of the recently published book Freestanding Birth Centers: Innovation, Evidence, Optimal Outcomes. To view recordings of the sessions, please visit www.fnudigitalsummit.com.

The mission of FNU is to educate nurses to become competent, entrepreneurial, ethical and compassionate nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners who are leaders in the primary care of women and families with an emphasis on underserved and rural populations. Increased access to care in these underserved and rural populations will help reduce maternal death and injury rates across the country.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System, www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/pmss.html

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New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Bureau of Maternal, Infant, and Reproductive Health - Pregnancy Associated Mortality, New York City, 2006-2010

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NOTES The International Nurses Association welcomed FNU alumnus Rebecca L. Epperson, DNP, DNP Class 15, to their prestigious organization with her upcoming publication in the Worldwide Leaders in Healthcare. Rebecca L. Epperson is an established Doctor of Nursing Practice and Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner currently serving patients within the Western Washington Medical Group in Everett, Washington. Featuring over two decades of experience in nursing, she is a family nurse practitioner, specializing in otorhinolaryngology and the treatment of allergies and asthma.

Congratulations to Charles Davis, CFNP student Class 154 for his publication: “Nurse-scientists nurse-engineers. Nurse-driven device innovations and inventions can improve patient care.”

American Nurse Today (the official Journal of the American Nurses Association) November, 2017 Authors: Charles R. Davis, PhD, BSN, RN, AE-C (School Nurse, Webutuck Central Schools, Amenia, NY) and Mary Ellen Smith Glasgow, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN (Dean, School of Nursing, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA).

Faculty Innovation Award Winners Thanks to generous support from Dr. Alan Howard and family and the Denver Foundation, Frontier hosts the annual Faculty Innovation Awards to spotlight innovation in advanced practice nursing and midwifery education. The purpose of the Faculty Innovation Award is to recognize faculty members who promote critical thinking and application of knowledge in innovative online learning experiences.

Each application is evaluated with respect to: • Innovative use of evolving technology.

• Promotion of critical thinking and application of knowledge.

• Sound evaluation plan and strong, positive evaluation data.

• Extent of potential effect on student learning effectiveness, future curriculum development, furthering the mission of FNU, or professional practice.

The winner in each category will receive $2,250 per course.

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2017 Winner in Category 1 (Courses that have been through Innovation 101): NP702 Primary Care I Course Coord.: Vicky Stone-Gale, DNP, FNP-C, ARNP, FAANP (top) Course Faculty: DeLana Gardner, DNP, FNP, ARNP (bottom) Title and brief description of innovative learning activity: Breaking Bad News Simulation Activity This online simulation activity allows students to practice giving news of a serious diagnosis to patients through a structured interaction with a standardized patient (SP) via a web conferencing platform, BigBlueButton. After a pre-briefing, each student meets individually with an SP and delivers the news of a recent biopsy result indicating malignant melanoma. The SP responds in an authentic manner and together the student and the SP work through the conversation and planning the next steps in the management process. After the simulation, the SP provides structured feedback about communication and then students gather as a small group for a faculty-facilitated debriefing. Debriefing topics include clinical management, role transition, scope of practice, clinician self-care, intra- and interprofessional communication, and continuity of care. After the online simulation and debriefing experiences, students completed an individual written reflection.

2017 Winner in Category 2 (Courses that have not been through Innovation 101): NP706 Primary Care III Course Coord.: Jana Esden, DNP, APNP, FNP-BC (top) Course Faculty: Debra Hunt, PhD, FNP-BC, GNP-BC (bottom) Title and brief description of innovative learning activity: Proctored Case Study Assignments Proctored case study assignments in NP706 use graded low-fidelity simulations to assess student knowledge of the content and require a high level of critical thinking from students. Students are given a complex patient situation that they must work through from start to finish using their clinical sources, nursing knowledge, and critical thinking skills. Throughout the assignments, students are required to prioritize differentials or clinical actions in multiple option items. There is also a focus on documentation, and students are required to, for example, place pieces of provided patient information into the proper SOAP note sections using the matching feature. The assignments are open book/note/internet and are administered through Canvas, making use of alternative assessment options that Canvas offers.

Items are matching, multiple drop down, multiple choice, ranking, and true/false.

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wendover report Michael Claussen, Development Officer

Showcasing Wendover

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he Wendover Bed and Breakfast Inn was featured at many regional events this past season. In August, our B&B was chosen as one of many “solutions” to bring a greater economic impact to our Appalachian region. Wendover was part of 130 blueprint aligned projects that were featured in the SOAR (Shape our Appalachian Region) Summit. The event drew over 1,200 attendees including Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin and Congressman Hal Rogers. FNU continues to be very engaged in Hyden, Ky. This year, our university proudly sponsored the Osborne Brothers Hometown Bluegrass Festival and the Mary Breckinridge Festival. Many friends stopped by our booth to get additional information of all Wendover has to offer.

Handmade Items Continue To Be Requested Homemade baby caps, blankets, and scarves continue to be very needed for our FNU Students. Frontier nurse-midwifery students present a baby cap to the family of a baby whose birth they attend, and our nurse practitioner students present lap quilts or scarves to their patients. As our university continues to grow, we will need more and more of these wonderful items. The size needed for lap quilts is approximately 40 by 42 inches. Yarn should be worsted weight.

We greatly appreciate the many knitting groups and friends who send items to us.

These baby caps, scarves and blankets are circling the globe as our students pass them on to women and families and share the story of Mary Breckinridge and the Frontier Nursing Service. It’s such a special way to pass on the vision and mission of Frontier!

Thank you to the following individuals who have recently sent items to Wendover: Marlene Butts, Sue Dodds, Kate Dodds, Nancy Kramer, Susan Dow Johnson, Harriet Palmer, Irene Shearer

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FRONTIER NURSING UNIVERSITY

footprints This excerpt is taken from the 1942 Annual Report of the Frontier Nursing Service.

It is interesting to read how times have changed 75 years later. Frontier continues to fill the gaps in healthcare by increasing access to quality care through our nurse practitioner and nurse-midwifery graduates.

Through its Graduate School, the Frontier Nursing Service is training nurses in midwifery to care for the rural mother. This School, opened in the Autumn of 1939 to meet the drain of the battle of Britain on our own Anglo-American staff, has now become of national significance. Our work is listed as "in the national defense� as we discovered As more and more when we applied this Spring for permission to get doctors are called materials to rebuild a structure, essential to our into the armed forces, work, which had burned. In our Graduate School it becomes urgent for we no longer give training in midwifery to meet our us to increase the own needs only. We began during this past fiscal number of nurses year to train graduate nurses sent us on Federal we can qualify as scholarships for service in other remotely rural midwives. areas. As more and more doctors are called into the armed forces, it becomes urgent for us to increase the number of nurses we can qualify as midwives. To do this we will have to enlarge the maternity section of our Hospital. At present we cannot begin to meet the demand. Of one thing we are sure. If it is our lot in this war to fill more and more of the gaps left in rural areas by the departure of physicians, then the ways and means of doing so will come to us.

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tributes The following people gave contributions to Frontier in memory of their friends or loved ones. The names in bold are the deceased.

Virginia L. Bowling Linda and Mike Bauby Barbara and Ken Bowling Pete and Barb Gale Mike and Sarah Oleniczak Monterey Parker and Cheryl Tryon

Jane H. Hope Diane Cashman Jane Tyrrell Dr. Thomas Howald Keith Evans Kate Ireland William Leach

S Sally Chuzas Lewis, RN Patricia Lewis Murphy Jewel Sizemore Barbara Bane Jane Leigh Powell Barbara Bane Dorothy Johnson Vey Barbara Bane

The following people gave contributions to Frontier in honor of their friends or loved ones. The names in bold are the honorees.

Erica Burkhart Leslie Burkhart

William Hall William Leach

Kitty Ernst Linda Cole

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Anne Judge, DNP Diane Wille

FRONTIER NURSING UNIVERSITY

trustees Mrs. Tia Andrew, Hamilton Parish Ms. Sarah Bacon, Brooklyn, NY Mrs. Andrea Begley, Hyden, KY Mrs. Heather Bernard, Hamilton, NY Gov. Steven Beshear, Lexington, KY Mrs. Betty Brown, Louisville, KY Dr. Timothy Bukowski, Chapel Hill, NC Dr. Wallace Campbell, Berea, KY Miss Anna Carey, Hyden, KY Ms. Carlyle Carter, Evanston, IL Mrs. Jean Chapin, Oldwick, NJ Dr. Holly Cheever, Voorheesville, NY Mrs. Lois Cheston, Topsfield, MA Mrs. Julia Breckinridge Davis, Winston-Salem, NC Mrs. John Dete, West Liberty, OH Mrs. Selby Ehrlich, Bedford, NY Mrs. Robert Estill, Raleigh, NC Mrs. Angela Feltner, Hyden, KY Mrs. Noel Smith Fernandez, Pomona, NY Mr. John Grandin, Chestnut Hill, MA Dr. Joyce Fortney Hamberg, Southgate, KY Dr. Horace Henriques, Lyme, NH Mr. & Mrs. John Hodge, Berwyn, PA Mrs. Robin Frentz Isaacs, Lincoln, MA Mrs. Mary Carol Joseph, Mayor, City of Hyden

Ms. Deborah M. King, Westport, MA Mrs. Patricia Lawrence, Westwood, MA Mrs. Henry Ledford, Big Creek, KY Mrs. Marian Leibold, Cincinnati, OH Dr. Ruth Lubic, Washington, DC Mr. William Lubic, Washington DC Mrs. Joan Lambert McPhee, Potomac, MD Mr. Wade Mountz, Louisville, KY Mrs. Barbara Napier, Hyden, KY Dr. Spencer Noe, Lexington, KY Mrs. Frank O’Brien, Boston, MA Mr. Dean Osborne, Hyden, KY Mrs. Helen Rentch, Midway, KY Mrs. John Richardson, Washington, DC Mrs. Linda Roach, Lexington, KY Mrs. Georgia Rodes, Lexington, KY Mrs. Sandra Schreiber, Louisville, KY Mrs. Sherrie Rice Smith, Franklin, WI Mrs. Austin Smithers, Lyme, NH Mrs. Robert Steck, Arlington, MA Mrs. Mary Clay Stites, Louisville, KY Mr. Richard Sturgill, Paris, KY Ms. Mary Frazier Vaughan, Lexington, KY Mrs. LouAnne Roberts Verrier, Austin, TX Dr. Patience White, Bethesda, MD Mr. Harvie Wilkinson, Lexington, KY

Frontier Nursing University Susan Stone, DNSc, CNM, FAAN, FACNM, President

Michael Steinmetz, CPA, CMA, Vice President of Finance

Julie Marfell, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP, Dean of Nursing

Shelley Aldridge, BA, Chief Operations Officer

Anne Cockerham, PhD, CNM, WHNP-BC, CNE, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs

Denise Barrett, MBA, Director of Development and Alumni Relations

Tonya Nicholson, DNP, CNM, WHNP-BC, CNE, FACNM, Associate Dean of Midwifery and Women’s Health

Angela Bailey, MA, Associate Director of Development

Lisa Chappell, DNP, FNP-BC Associate Dean of Family Nursing

Michael Claussen, BA, Development Officer

Joan Slager, CNM, DNP, CPC, FACNM, DNP Director

Beulah Couch, Human Resources/Site Manager

Jacquelyne Brooks, DNP, MS, ADN-MSN Bridge Director

Barb Gibson, Facilities Manager

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Ruth and Bill Lubic Join Frontier Trustees

W

e are honored that Ruth and Bill Lubic have joined the Frontier Trustees. The Frontier Trustees are a group of individuals organized to support the mission of Frontier Nursing University through active engagement in University activities, playing an advisory role in strategic planning, providing thoughtful feedback to the organization, and acting as ambassadors of Frontier Nursing University in their own communities and fields. Ruth and Willliam Lubic exemplify all of these traits and have been instrumental in the strategic direction, vision, and growth of Frontier.

The Lubics have been instrumental in the strategic direction, vision, and growth of Frontier.

Ruth Watson Lubic, CNM, Ed.D, FAAN, FACNM is a nurse-midwife and applied anthropologist who has championed personalized care during pregnancy and childbirth for all women, particularly those in low-income neighborhoods. Dr. Lubic has received honorary degrees and special recognitions from ten universities including Frontier,and is the first nurse to have received a MacArthur Fellowship.

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FRONTIER NURSING UNIVERSITY

She served as an Expert Consultant to the HHS Assistant Secretary for Health in Washington, is a charter member of the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine and, in 2001, received the Academy’s prestigious Lienhard Award. Also in 2001, the American Academy of Nursing, named her a Living Legend. The American College of Nurse-Midwives honored her with its highest recognition, the Hattie Hemschemeyer Award. She has been made an Honorary Member of Alpha Omega Alpha, the medical honor society. In 2006, the American Public Health Association conferred its Martha May Eliot Award.

Currently, Dr. Lubic serves as Founder of the Developing Families Center, an innovative, collaborative service including the Family Health and Birth Center and Early Childhood Development services in Washington, DC. The service is designed to improve the health and quality of life of all childbearing and childrearing families, including those of low income, who suffer high rates of infant and maternal perinatal morbidity and mortality.

William J. Lubic, J.D. is a retired founding partner of the law firm, Kagan, Lubic, Lepper, Finkelstein, & Gold, LLP. Together with his partner, they became well known for their work in community activism on Manhattan’s West Side and their participation in the evolution of the West Side Urban Renewal Plan.

Bill was formerly counsel for the Northeast Neighborhood Health Association, the Chinatown Health Clinic and for both their land and building site developments. He was a member of the Community Board’s Select Committee for West Side Urban Renewal Site Designation. He was given its official recognition by the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), and as well was the recipient of the Public Advocate Award from NACC in 2004, both organizations being of national character. He was also instrumental in the establishment in New York of the ACNM Foundation.

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board of directors Chair Michael Carter, DNSc, DNP, FAAN, FNP, GNP-BC, Tumbling Shoals, AR Vice Chair Michael T. Rust, Louisville, KY Secretary Wallace Campbell, PhD, Berea, KY Treasurer Della Deerfield, CPA, Richmond, KY Board Members Peter Coffin, Chair, Frontier Nursing Service, Inc. Foundation Chestnut Hill, MA Eunice (Kitty) Ernst, CNM, MPH, Perkiomenville, PA Nancy Hines, Shepherdsville, KY Jean Johnson, PhD, RN, FAAN, Cabin John, MD Phyllis Leppert, MD, PhD, Salt Lake City, UT Robert Montague, JD, Urbanna, VA Marcus Osborne, Bentonville, AR Kerri Schuiling, PhD, CNM, FAAN, FACNM, Marquette, MI Peter A. Schwartz, MD, Wyomissing, PA Nancy Fugate Woods, PhD, RN, FAAN, Seattle, WA May Wykle, PhD, Cleveland, OH Board Members Emeritus John Foley, Lexington, KY Marion McCartney, CNM, FACNM, Washington, D.C. Kenneth J. Tuggle, JD, Louisville, KY

Front row (l to r): May Wykle, Kitty Ernst, Susan Stone, Phyllis Leppert, Wallace Campbell Back row (l to r): Peter Schwartz, Kerri Schuiling, Michael Carter, Jean Johnson, Robert Montague Not pictured: Michael Rust, Della Deerfield, Peter Coffin, Nancy Hines, Nancy Fugate Woods, Marcus Osborne

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FRONTIER NURSING UNIVERSITY

your gifts at work

Dean’s Emergency Fund

M

any FNU students were impacted by the devastation caused by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria this fall. The Dean’s Emergency Fund exists to help FNU students in need, such as those affected by the hurricanes.

Through a grant from the Denver Foundation and funding from the Gertrude E. Skelly Foundation, Frontier has funds available for students facing financial situations that threaten their ability to continue with their studies. Students experiencing unexpected circumstances such as a fire, family illness, job loss, or other emergencies, can request financial assistance to help continue the program.

Here are a few numbers reflecting the impact of the Dean’s Emergency Fund over the past few months: May 2017 to September 2017: Students impacted by hurricanes: $21,000 awarded to 13 students Students facing other emergencies: $52,850 awarded to 53 students Total awarded: $73,850 to 66 students To donate to the Dean’s Emergency Fund, please indicate “Dean’s Emergency Fund” on your check donation or give to the fund online at http://weblink.donorperfect.com/deansemergencyfund.

A note of thanks from one recipient of Dean’s Emergency Funds: I am living in St.Croix, US Virgin Islands and work in a clinic that cares for the underserved. I lost personal items in the hurricanes, including books, computer, printer, etc. I am currently enrolled in the DNP program, and have just started the 2nd session. After the hurricanes, I applied for and was granted a scholarship from the Dean's emergency fund for a replacement computer and printer so that I may continue with my classes at Frontier.

I am writing to ensure that the donors to the Dean's emergency funds are made aware of my appreciation of the scholarship. During this difficult time on my island home, with no running water, electricity only through gas-powered generators, and very limited internet, I intend to continue to serve the community's medical needs as well as maintain my focus on furthering my education at FNU. Through your generous support, I can continue with my doctoral education during this time of adversity.

Thank you for your support and generosity. – Janette Bowers, RN, MSN, FNP-BC

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Ways to Give: A Lasting Investment Your investment in Frontier Nursing University is an investment in quality healthcare for all.

There are many ways you can support FNU. Gifts ranging from donations for operations to trust instruments to testamentary gifts each provide much needed support for our work. Some of the more common methods are: • A nnual Fund Donations: Gifts may be made by check or credit card and can support the general operations of FNU, or be restricted to particular programs. You can use the enclosed remittance envelope or make a gift online at www.frontier.edu/ online-giving.

• S tock Gifts: You can donate your appreciated stock directly to FNU. Please call the Office of Development for instructions.

• C haritable Remainder Trusts: These gift instruments allow you and/or your loved ones to benefit from monies placed in the trust during your/their lifetime. Upon the death of the named beneficiary, the remaining balance in the trust is transferred to FNU. • P erpetual Income Trusts: These gift instruments allow the income from monies you place in trust to benefit FNU in perpetuity. The principal of your gift remains intact for the life of the trust, and the income it generates is transferred periodically to FNU. • Life Insurance: You can name FNU as the beneficiary of your life insurance policy, or transfer ownership of the policy directly to FNU. • Charitable Gift Annuity: You can give a one-time gift to FNU in exchange for fixed, recurring payments over the balance of your life. Upon your death, the balance of your original gift is maintained by FNU for its general use.

• Testamentary Gifts: You may make provision in your will to provide a specific bequest to FNU, or provide for some or all of your remaining estate to be given to FNU upon your death.

Each of these gift avenues has specific tax implications. Please contact your attorney or financial advisor for further information. For additional information on making a gift to FNU, please call 859-899-2828 or email Denise Barrett, Director of Development at denise.barrett@frontier.edu.

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FRONTIER NURSING UNIVERSITY

FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE, Inc. Its motto:

“He shall gather the lambs with his arm and

carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead

those that are with young.�

Isaiah 40:11 Its object:

To safeguard the lives and health of mothers and children by providing and preparing trained nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners for rural areas where there is inadequate medical service; to give skilled care to women in childbirth; to give nursing care to the sick of both sexes and all ages; to establish, own, maintain and operate hospitals, clinics, nursing centers, and educational programs for nurse-midwives and nursepractitioners; to carry out preventive public health measures; to educate the rural population in the laws of health, and parents in baby hygiene and child care; to provide expert social service; to obtain medical, dental and surgical services for those who need them, at a price they can afford to pay; to promote the general welfare of the elderly and handicapped; to ameliorate economic conditions inimical to health and growth, and to conduct research toward that end; to do any and all other things in any way incident to, or connected with, these objects, and, in pursuit of them to cooperate with individuals and with organizations, private, state or federal; and through the fulfillment of these aims to advance the cause of health, social welfare and economic independence in rural districts with the help of their own leading citizens.

From the Articles of Incorporation

of the Frontier Nursing Service.

Article III as amended April 1999

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