F R O N T I E R N U R S I N G U N I V E R S I T Y | V O L . 9 8 , N U M B E R 3 | FA L L 2 0 2 3
QUARTERLY BULLETIN
Commencement 2023
President’s Cabinet Susan Stone, DNSc, CNM, FACNM, FAAN President Shelley Aldridge, BA Chief Operations Officer Paula Alexander-Delpech, Ph.D., PMHNP-BC, APRN, Dean for Inclusive Excellence and Student Success Homecoming 2024 will be held March 22-24 on the FNU campus! All FNU alumni are invited and encouraged to attend. We are working on a number of special events again this year, highlighted by the annual alumni service awards dinner. All the details, including the full itinerary, lodging information, and the link to register, can be found at frontier.edu/Homecoming.
Statement of Ownership Frontier Nursing Service Quarterly Bulletin, publication #835-740, is published four times per year. Mailing address: 2050 Lexington Road, Versailles, Kentucky 40383. Contact person: Bobbi Silver (859) 251-4573. The publisher, editor, and managing editor of the Frontier Nursing Service Quarterly Bulletin is FNU, Inc., 2050 Lexington Road, Versailles, Kentucky 40383. The owner is Frontier Nursing University, 2050 Lexington Road, Versailles, Kentucky 40383. There are no other bondholders, mortgagees, or other security holders. The tax status has not changed in the last 12 months. Average No. Copies
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2023
Bobbi Silver, Chief Advancement Officer Joan Slager, CNM, DNP, FACNM, FAAN Dean of Nursing
US ISSN 0016-2116
Recognized
Emily Fangue, CPA, MBA, Chief Financial Officer
Academic Administration Audra Cave, DNP, FNP-BC Interim Department Chair Family Nursing Khara’ Jefferson, DNP, APRN, FNP-C DNP Director Rachel Risner, Ph.D., DNP, APRN, C-FNP, CNE Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Kevin Scalf, DNP, APRN, PMHNPBC, CNEcl, Department Chair of Psychiatric-Mental Health Eileen Thrower, Ph.D., APRN, CNM, CNE, FACNM Department Chair for the Department of Midwifery and Women’s Health
Letter from the President
Dear Friends,
Contents From the President
1
Commencement 2023
2-7
Alumni & Family Event 2023
8-9
President's Celebration Gala
10-11
News and Notes
12-26
Alumni Spotlight
27-29
Alumni News and Notes
30-33
Faculty Publications & Presentations 34-35 Trustees
36
Board of Directors
36
Memorial Donations
37
Though the timetable is not yet set, at some point in 2024, I will transition to a new role as the University’s appointed Distinguished Chair of Midwifery and Nursing. As I reflect on my 23 years as President of Frontier Nursing University, there have been too many wonderful moments, memories, and milestones to count. It is impossible to pick a favorite moment or memory. Each builds on the other, and over time, they are no longer singular events but part of the overall history and fabric of the university. Similarly, I don’t have one favorite commencement ceremony at Frontier. Every class, and every ceremony has been special in its own way. But what I can say – and do say every year – is that commencement is my favorite day of the year at Frontier. It is a day filled with joy as we celebrate the remarkable accomplishments of our students and acknowledge their determination, skill, and intellect. We also celebrate all those who helped them along their journey, including their friends and family members who provided essential support through the sometimes long and trying days. Commencement is also an opportunity for us to acknowledge our faculty and staff, who selflessly guide and assist our students throughout their journeys. Commencement represents all the very best of Frontier and reminds us that, no matter our role at the university – alumnus, student, faculty, or staff – what we do makes a difference every day. Though we pride ourselves on being a data-driven university, I must admit that our collective impact is immeasurable. Beginning with Commencement, this Fall has been a very busy time, but one also filled with celebration and joy. In this issue of the Quarterly Bulletin, we hope to share that joy with you and encourage you to read about Commencement, the ensuing alumni and friends event, our gala celebration, and so much more. Commencement is my favorite day of the year at Frontier, but it’s only part of what makes every Fall so special here. As we look forward to 2024, I urge everyone to cherish the amazing moments we have enjoyed and to be reminded why Frontier Nursing University is such a special place – the people. Regardless of your role or connection to Frontier, this university wouldn’t be the same without any of us. So maybe I don’t have a favorite memory in my time as President of Frontier, but I can assure you it’s been my favorite job. Thank you for your support, for taking the time to read the Quarterly Bulletin, and for being a member of the FNU community. Wishing you all the very best in 2024. Sincerely,
2050 Lexington Road Versailles, KY 40383 FNU@frontier.edu frontier.edu
Dr. Susan Stone DNSc, CNM, FACNM FAAN
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 1
Commencement 2023
FNU Graduates Celebrate with Friends & Family at Commencement 2023 FNU’s commencement ceremony honors the nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners who have completed the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, Master in Science of Nursing degree, or Post-Graduate Certificate. FNU awarded over 1,000 degrees again this year. Following commencement, all of the alumni and their guests were invited to a celebration on the Frontier campus. The event included food prepared by FNU’s culinary staff, live music, self-guided campus tours, and activities for kids and grownups alike.
Frontier Nursing University (FNU) President Dr. Susan Stone, DNSc, CNM, FACNM, FAAN, gave the keynote address at FNU’s commencement on Saturday, September 23. For the second consecutive year, the event was held at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky.
“Commencement is, of course, the biggest event on our calendar every year. It is the culmination and celebration of the incredible work our students complete to prepare themselves to care for the people in their communities across the country. We celebrate this day with their friends and family members who have sacrificed to help their loved ones achieve this goal. We also celebrate with our faculty and staff, who routinely go above and beyond to serve our students. I am excited and humbled to have the opportunity to give the keynote address to such an amazing group of people on their special day.” — Dr. Susan Stone, FNU President
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FNU Awards Honorary Doctorate to Michael Steinmetz
Honorary Doctorate recipient Michael Steinmetz (center) with FNU President Dr. Susan Stone (left) and FNU Board Chair Dr. Michael Carter (right).
During the commencement ceremony, FNU awarded an honorary doctorate to Michael Steinmetz. Steinmetz served as the Executive Vice President for Finance and Facilities at Frontier from October 2009 to August 2022, when he retired. From August 2013 to August 2022, he also served as the Chief Financial Officer for Frontier Nursing Service, Incorporated, helping to oversee the charitable foundation’s planning and investments. In 2017, he added a newlyreleased certification with the Certified in Strategy and Competitive Analysis credential. Steinmetz guided the university through several milestones, including the identification and purchase of the Versailles campus. He subsequently oversaw the donations of the Hyden campus and Wendover Bed & Breakfast to Leslie County Betterment, Inc., to benefit Hyden and the surrounding community. He managed the budgeting of the renovations and construction projects to prepare the Versailles campus, some of which continued during the pandemic. Michael’s guidance and preparation helped minimize the potential financial hardships that the pandemic brought to many other universities and institutions. His broad financial and managerial experience made him a deft leader outside the normal constraints of a chief financial officer. He helped oversee the property management of the university and propelled the university’s mission to become a datadriven institution, leading the efforts to select and implement a data dashboard and workflow system. “Michael was an integral part of the leadership and planning for our university,” said FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, DNSc, CNM, FAAN, FACNM. “He was a trusted advisor, always acting with the university’s best interests at heart. His keen and diligent oversight of the university’s financial position was invaluable to past, current, and future success.” For the many contributions that he made to Frontier Nursing University and the lasting impact of his outstanding work, we are proposing to award Michael Steinmetz the honorary degree of Doctor of Business Administration, Honoris Causa.
Dr. Susan Stone's Commencement Address Good morning, Graduates, Families, and Friends, Today, I stand before you deeply honored to address our graduates, families, and friends on this momentous day. Over the past two decades, my journey at Frontier Nursing University has been filled with invaluable lessons, which I am eager to share with you today.
In 1993, I embarked on my career at Frontier as a Regional Clinical Faculty member, living and working just 40 miles from my birthplace in Upstate New York. With three children and a fulfilling role as a nurse-midwife at Bassett HealthCare in Cooperstown, I was content, convinced that this was where I would spend my life. I cherished my work, caring for families, mentoring students, and contributing to the antepartum faculty team. However, life had other plans.
for the permanent role, as I was certain I could never leave my beloved Upstate New York. Yet, during my time as the Interim Director, spending one week a month at the school in Kentucky, something incredible happened. I gradually fell in love with Kentucky, its people, and the profoundly meaningful work we were doing here. In 1998, my husband and I made the life-altering decision to relocate our family to Berea, Kentucky. Here's my first lesson for you all: Never say never. Stay open to opportunities, especially those that allow you to engage in truly meaningful work. Moving to Kentucky turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made. During those early years in Hyden, KY, we had an extraordinary team of dedicated staff and faculty members. Together, we embarked on the rewarding journey of building this distance learning institution. Jeanette Woods, our registrar, not only taught me how to run the school but also exemplified kindness and brilliance, helping me navigate the cultural transition from Upstate New York to Southeastern Kentucky. Jeanette possessed the remarkable ability to remember every student and their unique circumstances.
Fate intervened when I assumed an interim director role at Frontier due to a leadership change. At first, I had no intention of applying
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Commencement 2023: Dr. Stone's Commencement Address So, lesson two: Build relationships wherever you go. Every member of the team, from faculty to staff to housekeepers to board members, played a vital role in our success. Reject the idea that some people are more important than others due to hierarchies. We all have significant contributions to make. Ensure that everyone feels included in the mission and goals.
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Together, we built a robust faculty practice covering six rural health clinics and the maternity services at the Mary Breckinridge Hospital, a small critical access hospital. Some of the clinicians who worked in that practice are still here teaching students today, such as Heidi Froemke, Debi Karsnitz, Laura Manns James, Angie Mitchell, and Julie Daniels. We also had many faculty who came in for Frontier Bound and Clinical
Bound (which, by the way, was two weeks long back then). Many of those faculty are still with us, like Mickey Gillmor, Amy Marowitz, and Vicki Burslem. I take immense pride and joy in having worked
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alongside so many passionate individuals for so many years. Strive to build relationships with all the people you work with; you will learn a great deal from each other. One person who was always front and center in our journey was Kitty Ernst. Kitty, a 1951 graduate of the Frontier Graduate School of Midwifery, one of the Frontier nurses on horseback, and a founder of the freestanding birth center concept, designed and implemented the distance learning program at Frontier Nursing University. Kitty loved attending every orientation session, considering it her personal responsibility to advise and inspire everyone she met – students, staff, faculty, and all. She reminded us constantly that our purpose was to improve the lives of the people and families we served. While caring for students, faculty, and staff was crucial, we must never forget who we were and why we were there. Kitty became a cherished mentor for me. She was the person I could confide in about the challenges of running the school and the ups and downs of life. She was always available for a conversation whenever I called to discuss any situation, often quoting Winston Churchill's timeless words, "Never, never, never give up!" So, my
final lesson in this section: Find your mentor. Seek someone who listens, advises, and inspires without judgment, and make a point to connect with them regularly. As time passed, we grew and gained a reputation for producing highly skilled graduates. We successfully reestablished the Family Nurse Practitioner Program using the distance model. However, national trends were shifting towards master's degrees, and our students were graduating with certificates. While we had a collaboration in place with Case Western Reserve University to offer the masters, it required extensive travel and was costly. Our students desired greater accessibility and requested that we seek accreditation to grant master's degrees. We began the arduous process of gaining institutional accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. During their first site visit, they advised against pursuing accreditation and suggested continuing our collaboration with CWRU. Even the nursing accreditors were not particularly encouraging. We were faced with a critical decision. The primary consideration was what our students needed to succeed: an accessible master's degree. It was during this pivotal moment that I stumbled upon an inspirational poster featuring a woman leaping from one mountain to another with the words "Take a Leap of Faith." This moment defined our path forward. Around this time, I was completing my doctoral degree at UT Memphis, and I knew that one of my professors, Carol Panicucci, was a site visitor for accreditation. She was also considering retiring from UT Memphis. My Dean at UT Memphis, Michael Carter, was highly supportive of our goal to pursue institutional accreditation, and he, too, was retiring. I seized the opportunity and hired Carol Panicucci to join us in an academic affairs role. I also recruited Michael Carter to become a member of our Board of Directors. With these people joining our team, we embarked on five years of relentless effort to achieve institutional and nursing accreditation for master's degrees. It wasn't an easy journey, but we tackled each criterion methodically, and nothing was deemed impossible. When I
reflect on this achievement, I am reminded that success is a collaborative effort, involving a dedicated team of faculty, staff, students, and board members who understood the paramount importance of our goal. By the way, that poster that inspired me, "Take a Leap of Faith," still hangs in my office today. And Michael Carter has walked beside me during this journey providing advice and assistance as the Chairman of our board for more than 20 years now. An invaluable lesson learned during the accreditation process was the importance of creating and effectively using a strategic plan. At FNU, we take strategic planning seriously. Every five years, we conduct a comprehensive analysis of both our country's needs and our own. We identify the most critical needs and determine how we can address them. In January of each year, we gather a group of about 30 representatives from across the university to evaluate the previous year's achievements and outline our goals for the upcoming year. We review our progress quarterly. I am convinced that many of our accomplishments have been made possible through this rigorous planning process. I urge each of you to engage in a similar process, both on a personal and professional level. Evaluate what your community needs and how you can contribute. How can you better serve your patients? How can you be
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 5
Commencement 2023: Dr. Stone's Commencement Address Nurses Association and began participating in exhibits at various diverse nursing organizations' annual meetings, including the Hispanic Nurses Association. We established mentoring opportunities and initiated a community-wide dialogue on unconscious bias and other related topics. We strived to create a holistic admissions process and introduced the Culture of Caring model, which emphasized professionalism, inclusivity, respect, positive communication, and mutual support. We aspire to live these values daily throughout our interactions with the entire community. Eventually, we appointed a Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, a member of the President’s Cabinet reporting directly
more effective in your role? Set measurable goals at the beginning of each year and systematically work towards them. You will be astonished at how much more you can accomplish when you establish specific objectives and pursue them with dedication. This approach allowed us to continue growing steadily over the years, leading to the implementation of the Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Program, the Doctor of Nursing Practice program in 2008, and later, the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program. Our students and graduates requested these programs, the nation needed these practitioners, and we were able to provide them. During this period, we also made a commitment to building a diverse nursing workforce to address the glaring health disparities that persist in our society. As we expanded the school, we initially believed that offering accessible education that nurses could access from anywhere in the country, combined with targeting our marketing efforts toward rural and underserved areas, would naturally create a diverse student body. However, around 2006, we took a closer look at our community and discovered that only 9% of our students identified as people of color, while our faculty and staff were predominantly white. In contrast, the country's population was approximately 35% people of color and growing. It became apparent that we had much work ahead of us. We partnered with the Black
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to the President. We also established an office dedicated to embedding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion throughout our operations. In the past year, we proudly recognized ten faculty members with the designation of DEI Fellow and currently have fifteen staff members enrolled in the DEI Ambassador Program. We celebrated our 14th year of our annual Diversity Impact Conference and received the national Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award for six consecutive years. Although we have made substantial progress, with 28% of our students now reporting as people of color, we acknowledge that there is much more work to be done. This underscores a fundamental lesson we all learned as children: Treat every person the way you want to be treated. The next chapter in our journey presented a significant challenge. Our facilities in Hyden were deteriorating. The aging, nearly 100-year-old buildings required increasing amounts of money for repairs, exacerbated by frequent mountain slips. We attempted to make plans to build anew, but contractors expressed doubts about whether the mountains could support new structures. Our student population had grown significantly, and travel to Hyden, located 2.5 hours from the nearest airport, became increasingly difficult due to snowstorms, bus breakdowns, and flooding. We were faced with a difficult decision. Hyden held immense historical significance as the place
where the Frontier Nursing Service began in 1925. It was a cherished home filled with history and love. We couldn't leave this place, or so we thought. However, once again, we were taught a vital lesson: Never say never. Kitty reminded us that our primary purpose was to produce excellent nurse practitioners and nurse-midwives to serve America. It was not our purpose to expend our precious resources maintaining a historic site. This lesson was challenging to accept, but we began the search for a new home. Realtors showed us various office buildings and old sites with just as many issues as our current location. Then, one of our staff members informed us that the old Methodist Home was going on the market. We initially looked at this space in 2016, and we were immediately captivated. It was situated in a beautiful rural area, a lovely small town, and only ten minutes from the airport and major highways. It took us five years of renovations and navigating a pandemic, but we did it. We are now fully operational on our new campus, which many of you will have the opportunity to visit later today. This process was not without its difficulties. We had to convey to the Hyden community that we were leaving, and while some employees chose to part ways with us, many joined us at the new location. In the end, we donated the Hyden property to Leslie County.
and confront challenges with unwavering determination. As you embark on your own journeys, remember that your path may lead you to unexpected places. But with an open heart and unwavering determination, you will find your way.
The lesson here is twofold. First, never say never, and second, always remember your purpose. An organization's purpose should be clearly articulated in its mission statement. This should guide every decision, program, or activity you undertake. Whenever you are faced with a decision, pause and consider the purpose behind your actions. What exactly are you trying to accomplish? This simple practice will help you stay on course and achieve your goals. In conclusion, I leave you with these enduring lessons: Embrace change, foster strong relationships, seek mentors, remain steadfast in your purpose, treat every individual with the respect you wish to receive,
Congratulations to each and every one of you, and may your own journey be as fulfilling and enriching as the one I have had the privilege to share with you today. Thank you.
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 7
Commencement 2023: Alumni & Family Event
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Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 9
President's Celebration Gala
Dr. Susan Stone Celebrated at Gala On Friday, October 27, approximately 150 people attended the President's Celebration Gala in honor of FNU President Dr. Susan Stone. Dr. Stone has served as FNU's President since 2001 and will transition into her new role as the University's appointed Distinguished Chair of Midwifery and Nursing sometime in 2024.
The Gala was held at the Griffin Gate Marriott in Lexington and included dinner and dancing, as well as an open mic opportunity for guests to share their memories and appreciation of Dr. Stone. FNU Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Dr. Paula Alexander-Delpech honored Dr. Stone with the announcement of a new
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award named in her honor. The Dr. Susan E. Stone Excellence in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Award will be given annually to a FNU student, faculty member, and staff member.
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 11
News and Notes
Frontier Nursing University Awarded $4 Million Maternity Care Nursing Workforce Expansion Grant
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded the Maternity Care (MatCare) Nursing Workforce Expansion Grant to Frontier Nursing University (FNU). The grant period extends from September 30, 2023, to September 29, 2027. FNU will receive $4 million – $1 million per year – to fund the grant project. Via the grant, FUN intends to increase the number and diversity of the nursemidwifery workforce with a focus on increasing the Hispanic population of nurse-midwives. FNU plans to graduate at least 300 nursemidwives each year. FNU anticipates that 30% will report as a person of color, and 10% will report as Hispanic. The grant funds will help broaden the scope and reach of FNU’s marketing campaigns and increase the university’s student support programs. Student support will include a mentoring program, retention strategies, and engagement with the Hispanic nursing community, including preceptors and Hispanic-serving nursing schools. “We are honored and thrilled to receive the Maternity Care Nursing Workforce Expansion Grant,” said FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, DNSc, CNM, FACNM, FAAN. “This grant offers FNU the opportunity to focus on an area of particular need in our country. According to 2022 data from the CDC, more than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. from 2017-2019 were preventable by simply providing better care. Data also overwhelmingly demonstrate that culturally congruent care improves patient outcomes by emphasizing interactions between
patients and practitioners based on empathy and respect. That is the type of care that nurse-midwives are trained to provide. It is vital that we increase the number and diversity of the nurse-midwifery workforce to combat the tragically high rates of maternal mortality and morbidity in our country.” FNU has maintained a strong focus on increasing diversity enrollment and retention through a number of initiatives, some of which were funded in part by HRSA Nursing Workforce Diversity grants awarded in 2017 and 2021. FNU’s many recent DEI initiatives include the implementation of a holistic admissions process, the expansion of its Office of DEI staff, diversity training for all members of the FNU community, mentoring programs, an annual Diversity Impact Conference, the formation of special Student Interest Groups, and the establishment of a DEI Faculty Fellows program. Since FNU committed to DEI as a priority, enrollment of students of color has increased from 9% in 2010 to 30% in 2023. Currently, 5% of FNU’s midwifery student population identifies as Hispanic. Nationally, only 5% of certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives identify as Hispanic. The Hispanic population typically has lower maternal mortality than the Black and American Indian/Alaska Native populations. However, according to a March 2023 report from the National Center for Health Statistics, the Hispanic population's maternal mortality rate has risen dramatically in the last four years, climbing from 11.8 per 100,000 in 2018 to 28 per 100,000 in 2021.
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“The Hispanic population in the United States is 19% percent and growing,” said Dr. Eileen Thrower, Ph.D., APRN, CNM, CNE, FACNM, Chair for the Department of Midwifery & Women's Health at Frontier Nursing University. Dr. Thrower will serve as the director for the MatCare project. “With the current rise in maternal mortality rates, it is imperative that we address this growing need through focused and datadriven initiatives to increase the Hispanic population of nurse-midwives.” As part of the MatCare grant, FNU will provide 100 scholarships ($5,000 each) as well as 100 stipends ($2000 each) for nursemidwifery students annually. Scholarships and stipends are managed through the university’s Scholarship Committee and the Financial Aid Department.
FNU's MatCare Project Goals • Increase the number of nursemidwives from underrepresented populations, focusing on the Hispanic population. • Increase the retention rate of nurse-midwives from 81% to 85%, focusing on Hispanic Nurses. • Enhance maternal mental health training to better address maternal mental health, maternal mortality, and morbidity risk factors. • Strengthen community-based training partnerships.
Frontier Nursing University Receives INSIGHT Into Diversity Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award for Sixth Consecutive Year Frontier Nursing University (FNU) received the 2023 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversityfocused publication in higher education. As a recipient of the annual Health Professions HEED Award — a national honor recognizing U.S. health colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion — FNU will be featured, along with 64 other recipients, in the November/December 2023 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. This is the sixth consecutive year FNU has been named as a Health Professions HEED Award recipient.
"Receiving the INSIGHT Into Diversity Health Professions Education in Excellence in Diversity Award is an honor that is celebrated by everyone at Frontier Nursing University." — Dr. Susan Stone
“We embrace this award because it acknowledges Frontier's steps to prioritize diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging at all levels of our university. We also cherish the opportunity to apply for this award because every year, the award criteria and review process challenge us to look at our successes, existing gaps, and opportunities for improvement. Our DEI work is
essential to help prepare our students to provide culturally concordant care in their communities across the country.” FNU has maintained a strong focus on increasing diversity enrollment and retention through a number of initiatives, FNU’s many recent DEI initiatives include the implementation of a holistic admissions process, the expansion of its Office of DEI staff, diversity training for all members of the FNU community, mentoring programs, an annual Diversity Impact Conference, the formation of special Student Interest Groups, and the establishment of a DEI Faculty Fellows program. Since FNU committed to DEI as a priority, enrollment of students of color has increased from 9% in 2010 to 30% in 2023. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) recently awarded FNU the Maternity Care (MatCare) Nursing Workforce Expansion Grant. The grant period extends from September 30, 2023, to September 29, 2027. FNU will receive $4 million – $1 million per year – to fund the grant project. Via the grant, FNU intends to increase the number and diversity of the nurse-midwifery workforce, focusing on increasing the Hispanic population of nurse-midwives. “Frontier Nursing University is committed to being an equitable institution where everyone is respected, valued, and welcomed,” said FNU Dean for Inclusive Excellence and Student Success Dr. Paula
Alexander-Delpech, Ph.D., PMHNP-BC, APRN. “Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are central components of our data-driven initiatives and policies.” “The Health Professions HEED Award process consists of a comprehensive and rigorous application that includes questions relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees — and best practices for both — continued leadership support for diversity, and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. “We take a detailed approach to reviewing each application in deciding who will be named a Health Professions HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for schools where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being done every day across their campus.”
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 13
News and Notes
For the Third Consecutive Year, Frontier Nursing University Earns “Great College to Work For” Designation For the third consecutive year, Frontier Nursing University (FNU) has been named one of the best colleges in the nation to work for, according to the Great Colleges to Work For® program. The results, released today in a special insert of The Chronicle of Higher Education, are based on a survey of 194 colleges and universities. In all, 72 of those institutions achieved “Great College to Work For” recognition for specific best practices and policies. Results are reported for small, medium, and large institutions, with FNU included among the small universities with 500 to 2,999 students and more than 250 employees.
"This designation is so meaningful to us because it is based on data and information collected from our faculty and staff, whose responses verify that we have established a proven culture of caring, fairness, and belonging. In turn, that allows Frontier to perform at the highest level in service to our students and our mission." — Dr. Susan Stone
“To be identified as a Great College to Work For again this year is a wonderful honor,” said FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, DNSc, CNM, FACNM, FAAN.
“This designation is so meaningful to us because it is based on data and information collected from our faculty and staff, whose responses verify that we have established a proven culture of caring, fairness, and belonging. In turn, that allows Frontier to perform at the highest level in service to our students and our mission.” The survey results are based on a twopart assessment process: an institution questionnaire that captures employment data and workplace policies from each institution and a survey administered to faculty, administrators, and professional
FNU Announces Staff DEI Ambassador Program Participants This summer, FNU launched the Staff Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
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support staff. The primary factor in deciding whether an institution received recognition was employee feedback. The Great Colleges to Work For® program is one of the largest and most respected workplace recognition programs in the country. For more information and to view all current and previous recognized institutions, visit the Great Colleges program website at GreatCollegesProgram.com and GreatCollegesList.com. ModernThink, a strategic human capital consulting firm, administered the survey and analyzed the results.
Paula Alexander-Delpech Named FNU’s First Dean for Inclusive Excellence and Student Success Frontier Nursing University (FNU) announced that current Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer (CDIO) Dr. Paula Alexander-Delpech, Ph.D., PMHNP-BC, APRN, has been selected as the university’s first Dean for Inclusive Excellence and Student Success. Dr. Alexander-Delpech was named the university’s CDIO in 2022. The role of the Dean for Inclusive Excellence and Student Services is to fully incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to promote student success and retention throughout the FNU community. The creation of this high-level leadership position is an innovative step to centralize all of the university’s student services, such as orientation, academic advising, registration, retention, student activities and organizations, counseling, and more. “Dr. Alexander-Delpech’s leadership of Frontier’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives have been exemplary,” said FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, DNSc, CNM, FACNM, FAAN. “Utilizing her expertise as our first Dean for Inclusive Excellence and Student Success is an essential step in infusing DEI efforts throughout the university’s operations. We are confident that this will enhance our already impactful student services to provide even higher levels of support than ever before.”
Dr. Alexander-Delpech is co-chair of the President’s Task Force on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She is also co-chair of the Faculty, Staff, and Preceptor Development and Retention sub-committee of the DEI Task Force. Dr. Alexander-Delpech created and implemented the DEI Faculty Fellow and the DEI Staff Ambassador programs. Each program rejects the traditional DEI approach and instead uses an individualized peer education model to facilitate the development of skills and knowledge to address systemic racism and pervasive healthcare inequities. “I am honored to be appointed to this new role as the Dean for Inclusive Excellence and Student Success,” Dr. Alexander-Delpech said. “We have a great responsibility and opportunity to further Frontier Nursing University’s longstanding history and commitment to ensure the success of our students and prepare them to be skilled, ethical, and compassionate leaders in their communities. Many of our students represent rural and underserved communities, making their presence all the more impactful in providing culturally competent healthcare.” Dr. Alexander-Delpech is a Boardcertified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She is an appointed member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) diversity committee;
Dr. Paula Alexander-Delpech an inaugural member of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty (NONPF) diversity committee; a member of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA); the President-elect of the Florida chapter of the APNA; a member of the South Florida Council of Advanced Practice Nurses; and a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). FNU’s enrollment of students of color has risen from 9 percent in 2010 to over 30 percent today. During that span, the university created the CDIO position, the three-person Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and has held its annual Diversity Impact Conference every year beginning in 2010. FNU has been awarded the Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine each of the past six years (2018-2023) and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Advancing Diversity, Inclusion, and Sustainability in Academic Nursing Award in 2021 and 2023. SAVE THE DATE Diversity Impact Conference 2024 July 18–19, 2024
(DEI) Ambassador program. This program mirrors the Nurse Educator DEI Fellowship program initiated by FNU in January. Ten faculty members participated in the 12-week initiative, which was fully funded by Frontier. A total of 15 FNU staff members are participating in the Staff DEI Ambassador program.
The Staff DEI Ambassador program aims to promote the acquisition of DEI-related skills, build DEI capacity within the University, and evaluate a peer-to-peer education model to improve staff knowledge and engagement in anti-racism work. The program includes weekly 2-3 hour sessions.
Like the Nurse Educator Fellowship program, the Staff DEI Ambassador program rejects the traditional DEI approach and uses an individualized peer education model to facilitate the development of knowledge and skills to engage in anti-racism education.
“These initiatives came out of the President’s DEI Task Force,” said FNU Chief Diversity Equity and Inclusion Officer Dr. Paula Alexander-Delpech, Ph.D., PMHNP-BC, APRN. “I am so proud that the university has invested in this important development and training.”
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 15
News and Notes Frontier Nursing University Names Dr. Tanya Belcheff as Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Frontier Nursing University (FNU) announced that Dr. Tanya Belcheff, DNP, CNM, has been selected as the university’s Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Dr. Belcheff has been an assistant professor in FNU’s nurse-midwifery program since 2016. “We are thrilled that Dr. Belcheff has accepted the role as our Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,” said FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, DNSc, CNM, FACNM, FAAN. “She is an outstanding faculty member and has been very active and passionate in her support of our numerous diversity, equity, and inclusion goals and initiatives. I have complete confidence that, together with Dean of Inclusive Excellence and Student Success Dr. Paula Alexander-Delpech, they will further enhance the service we provide to each and every student.”
Dr. Belcheff became a Certified NurseMidwife at the University of New Mexico in 2002 and earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice at Frontier in 2019. She has taken an active role in FNU’s diversity initiatives, including as a member of the team that organized and implemented a $1,376,800 Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in 2018. The ANEW grant supported innovative academic-practice partnerships to prepare primary care advanced practice registered nursing students to practice in rural and underserved settings through academic and clinical training. In her role with the grant, Dr. Belcheff worked to help identify obstacles to retaining and training local providers in the Navajo Nation. “I am honored and excited for the opportunity to serve as the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,” Dr. Belcheff said. “We know from a wealth of data that diversity among our healthcare providers results in better health outcomes, and the road to preparing a diverse and culturally competent healthcare workforce starts at institutions like Frontier
Nursing University. With 2,500 students representing every state in the country, we have the opportunity, ability, and duty to bring positive change to our nation’s healthcare system.” Dr. Belcheff has served as the inaugural chair of the Intersectionality, Determinants of Health, Equity, and Advocacy subcommittee and co-facilitator of FNU’s DEI Fellows/Staff Ambassador programs. She also serves on the planning committee for the university’s Diversity Impact Conference. Held annually for the last 13 years, the Diversity Impact Conference is a two-day virtual event featuring presentations from DEI experts across the country. “It is essential that we have the right person in place to oversee and advance our diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging efforts,” said Dr. Alexander-Delpech. “I could not be happier that Dr. Belcheff, a longtime leader and contributor to these efforts, is now taking on this very important role.” In addition to her work at Frontier, Dr. Belcheff is part of a network of traumainformed educators and healthcare providers in her local community.
FNU Names Dr. Kevin Scalf as Department Chair of the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Department Frontier Nursing University (FNU) has announced that Kevin Scalf, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, CNEcl, has accepted the position of Department Chair of the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Department effective immediately. Dr. Scalf has been serving as the interim Department Chair since October 8. “Dr. Scalf is a highly respected member of our faculty who is a tremendous asset to his colleagues and students,” said FNU Dean of Nursing Dr. Joan Slager, CNM, DNP, FACNM, FAAN. “I am grateful for his service in an interim capacity and am excited to see the benefits of his leadership within
the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Department .”
to grow, mirroring the increasing demand for mental health care throughout our country.”
Born and raised in rural southeastern Kentucky, Dr. Scalf graduated from Eastern Kentucky University as a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) in 2011. In 2020, he graduated from FNU’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program. Dr. Scalf joined FNU in 2018 and has held several faculty positions, including Regional Clinical Faculty, Clinical Bound Team Leader, Clinical Bound Course Coordinator, Simulation Coordinator for the PMHNP program, and Clinical Transitions Coordinator.
Dr. Scalf ’s passion for healthcare began at an early age. Working as a PMHNP in various healthcare venues, Dr. Scalf has had the opportunity to appreciate the complexity and importance of high-quality healthcare. As the demand for mental health care increases across the nation, Dr. Scalf is eager to help prepare future psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners for entry into the workforce.
“I am very pleased that Dr. Scalf agreed to fill this extremely important position,” said FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, CNM, DNSc, FAAN, FACNM. “Our PsychiatricMental Health Nurse Practitioner program was launched in January 2017 and continues
16 Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin
“It is an honor to accept this new opportunity, and I look forward to building upon the strong foundation of the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Department,” Dr. Scalf said. “It is an unbelievable privilege and responsibility to help people across our nation. Our students understand that and are up for the challenge as they answer the call to serve.”
Student Issues Day of Giving Challenge Current FNU nurse-midwifery student Ainsley Stone (no relation to FNU President Dr. Susan Stone) issued a $7,500 Day of Giving challenge to inspire others to give back to the university. Ainsley’s challenge that 20 gifts be made to the Annual Fund was met early on in the 24-hour giving event. The Annual Fund (unrestricted dollars) supports the areas of greatest need on campus, including scholarships, opportunities for academic and extracurricular excellence, and the enhancement of campus facilities and resources.
Thank You for Supporting the Day of Giving!
Ainsley, whose expected to graduate in the summer or fall of Ainsley Stone 2025, fulfilled her pledge after her Day of Giving challenge was met. Despite the daily demands of being a mother and student, Ainsley took the time to answer our questions to explain why giving back to the university is so important to her. Tell us why you chose Frontier and what you're finding special about the institution.
I am currently enrolled in the CNEP program at Frontier. I was drawn to Frontier because of its history as the oldest midwifery program in the country. I have known many Nurse-Midwives who received their education from Frontier, and I have been impressed by their training and thought highly of them. Where do you work?
Before transitioning to a full-time stay-at-home mom and student, I worked as a Family Nurse Practitioner in a family practice office near Detroit. My nursing background is in women’s health and obstetrics. What motivated you to contribute a challenge gift as part of the University's Day of Giving?
I firmly believe in the power of supporting academic institutions we deeply believe in. Contributing to a university is not just a financial transaction; it’s a tangible display of confidence in its programs and a meaningful way to give back to the institution and its students. I strongly advocate for the idea that if you have the means to contribute, you should, with the understanding that education should be accessible to everyone. How do you hope your challenge encouraged others to participate in the Day of Giving and contribute to the university's goals?
As a current student at Frontier, I hope my active participation in the Day of Giving served as a rallying call for fellow students. I see participation not just as a financial contribution but as a vote of confidence in the university and the programs that shape our academic journeys. It’s a collective effort that strengthens the bond within our community and reinforces the shared commitment to the growth and success of Frontier. Can you share any specific experiences or insights that influenced your commitment to FNU and made you want to support the university philanthropically?
Midwifery holds a special place in my heart, driven by a profound belief in the necessity of improved access to women’s healthcare. My commitment to contribute stems from a desire to encourage others to join this profession and support the program that educates a substantial portion of our nation’s midwives. Through its inclusive approach and dedication, Frontier ensures that the doors to midwifery are open to all who aspire. My philanthropic efforts aim to contribute to this outreach, playing a role in making midwifery education accessible to a broader audience. I want to be a part of Frontier’s mission to shape a future where quality women’s healthcare is not just a goal but a reality for all.
Our second annual Day of Giving was held from noon on October 24 to noon on October 25, and it was a great success! We asked you to support FNU by making a gift to the area of your choice. Our goal was to raise $50,000 from 100 donors. We are so happy to share that we far exceeded those goals, with 129 donors giving gifts totaling $73,442! Each gift impacted Frontier Nursing University immediately. We are extremely grateful for each and every donor and can’t wait for our 2024 Day of Giving, which will be October 2223 with goals of $75,000 and 125 donors! With gratitude,
Lisa Colletti-Jones Director of Annual Giving and Courier Programs
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 17
News and Notes
Support FNU’s Memorial For Kitty Ernst
Frontier Nursing University held a memorial ceremony under the ginkgo tree on FNU’s campus for Kitty Ernst on Monday, September 25. Kitty, who passed away in December 2021, was a pioneer who planted the seeds for community-based midwifery and led the development and implementation of FNU’s Communitybased Nurse-midwifery Education Program
(CNEP) program. Kitty’s life was devoted to serving others. She taught, she led, and she lifted others up. She inspired everyone to pay it forward through service to the profession and to our communities. Kitty’s visionary leadership set Frontier on an inspired course of innovation and expansion. Most of FNU’s more than 9,000
alumni were blessed with the opportunity to meet Kitty and be inspired by her. To help ensure that Kitty’s memory endures for future members of the FNU community, Frontier plans to place a bench in her honor near the ginkgo tree on campus. To support this project, please visit https://frontier.edu/give. Thank you!
FNU Personnel Participate in Miles for Midwives 5K The Kentucky affiliate of the American College of NurseMidwives hosted its first Miles for Midwives 5K on September 2 in Lexington, Kentucky. “Our affiliate is small but mighty,” said FNU faculty member and Clinical Bound Team Leader Dr. Dee Polito, DNP, CNM, FACNM. “Among our many goals is to support student engagement in ACNM and continue to advocate for legislative changes in Kentucky. One recent successful project was the elimination of the requirement for a collaborative agreement for prescribing controlled substances for all APRNs. We will continue working with both professional and grassroots organizations in Kentucky to eliminate barriers to the development of birth centers and improve reimbursement for APRNs. Did you know there are NO birth centers in Kentucky? Did you know that APRNs receive only 75% of the physician fee schedule for Medicaid services? We have much to accomplish, and the 5K will support those endeavors.” The event, which was sponsored by FNU, included several members of the Frontier community.
18 Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin
Frontier Nursing University Announces Plans to Implement Anthology System Frontier Nursing University (FNU) has announced plans to begin the implementation of Anthology as the university’s new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software system. According to the Anthology website, “Anthology offers the largest EdTech ecosystem on a global scale for education, supporting more than 150 million users in 80 countries. With a mission to provide dynamic, data-informed experiences to the global education community through Anthology Intelligent Experiences™, we help learners, leaders, and educators achieve their goals by offering over 60 SaaS products and services designed to advance learning.” FNU has assembled a team of leaders from multiple departments within the university to oversee the process of implementing Anthology, which is expected to take approximately two years to complete. The multidisciplinary and cross-functional team brings together talented individuals from various departments who possess the necessary knowledge and skills to ensure the success of this initiative. FNU’s President’s Cabinet serves as the project’s steering committee to make directional decisions, prioritize deliverables, and provide strategic and budgetary oversight. Chief Financial Officer Emily Fangue serves as the Executive Project Sponsor and will consult with and provide updates from the President's Cabinet and Board of Directors. Director of Information Technology Marc Blevins serves as the Project Champion and will be actively involved in executing the Anthology contract and ERP implementation. Sonia Cattoi has been hired part-time to manage the project. She has extensive experience managing projects in various industries and brings perspective from both the business and implementation sides of project implementations.
Project phases and milestones include:
Anthology was created by merging four of the world’s leading education technology companies: Blackboard, Campus Management, Campus Labs, and iModules. Frontier recognizes that true student success requires us to have full lifecycle products. This includes everything from enhancing the recruitment process by engaging learners and helping to guide them from classroom to career with labor market information, skill acquisition, in-demand career data, and more. Ultimately, we will be able to bolster deeper, more personalized relationships with alumni and donors through enhanced fundraising, event management, etc. An enhanced student information system and enterprise resources will enable us to manage growth with practical tools and analytics for course registration, financial aid, and advising. Moving to one ERP means united and more efficient communication across functional areas to support students and alumni like never before. “This project will play a pivotal role in revolutionizing both our student experience and nearly every administrative process,” said
Blevins. “The implementation of a modern and comprehensive Enterprise Resource Planning software system represents a significant milestone for our university. Anthology encompasses a wide range of modules, including student, enrollment, admissions, financial aid, finance, and advancement, which will unify, optimize, and standardize our core administrative functions. By centralizing these key areas, we aim to enhance operational efficiency, improve our data and decision-making capabilities, and, most importantly, deliver a seamless experience for our students, faculty, and staff.” “For more than 80 years, Frontier Nursing University has been strengthening communities by training the next generation of health care professionals,” said Jim Milton, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Anthology. “It’s critical work, foundational to the well-being of communities across the country. Our team shares that sense of purpose to help Frontier learners achieve their goals and administrators in delivering a modern, world-class learning experience.”
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 19
News and Notes Frontier Celebrates National Nurse-Midwifery and National Nurse Practitioner Weeks
Thank You For Your Service!
Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton (left) presents the Nurse Practitioner Week proclamation. Thank you to FNU's Student Veterans Association Chapter for compiling and creating this collage of some of our FNU student veterans and their affiliated family members. We are proud of you and thankful for your service!
Versailles Mayor Brian Traugott (center) presents the Nurse-Midwifery Week proclamation. Frontier Nursing University proudly celebrated National Nurse-Midwifery Week (October 1-7) and National Nurse Practitioner Week (November 12-18) with several events. Lexington, Kentucky, Mayor Linda Gorton and Versailles, Kentucky, Mayor Brian Traugott both issued proclamations in recognition of these special weeks. Additionally, FNU’s free 2023 Empower Virtual Events coincided with the nurse-midwifery and nurse practitioner weeks. Sponsored by Southern Cross Insurance, the virtual events have been held for each of the past nine years and feature presentations on a variety of topics from leading nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners from around the country.
FNU has over 100 current veteran students (and/or their family members) across the degree programs. This Veteran's Day, FNU thanks all those who have served for their
sacrifice and commitment! As one veteran family member stated: "I am able to attend this program because of my Marine Corps veteran husband. I receive the Chapter 35 stipend that provides us with financial means to support the furthering of my education, and his military disability allows him to be at home and available to care for our children while I am in clinical. I wouldn’t be a student at FNU without him."
FNU Student Invited to Student Veterans of America Leadership Institute Robyn Roche-Paull, MSN, RNC-MNN, IBCLC (DNP Class 52), was selected as a member of the 2023 cohort of Leadership Institute Fellows at Student Veterans of America (SVA). The Leadership Institute was held in Washington, D.C., in October. According to the SVA, “This premier student leadership experience brings together our country’s top SVA chapter leaders through an immersive experience designed to equip tomorrow’s leaders to serve and create a lasting community of impact.” The competitive application process results in just 100 students being selected for the Leadership Institute.
Robyn Roche-Paull
20 Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin
“We learn how to be effective leaders in our industries and at our schools,” Roche-Paull said. “We meet with government officials, and we become SVA Fellows. I hope to bring back a lot of good information and ways to further our SVA chapter at FNU's goals of supporting our military students.”
83 FNU Students Inducted As Sigma Theta Tau Members
“I am glad to share that we had a very large class of 83 inductees to the FNU Chi Pi Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society,’ said FNU Associate Professor Bonni Cohen, Ph.D., DNP, APRN, ANP-C, FNP-C, CNE, FAANP. Dr. Cohen is also the President of the Chi Pi Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society.
“Each new member must demonstrate superior academic achievement, academic integrity, and professional leadership potential.” Founded in 1922 by six nursing students, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (Sigma) has more than 100,000 active members and 600 chapters at institutions of higher education and healthcare partners from Armenia, Australia, and Botswana to Thailand, the United States, and Wales. Sigma members include clinical nurses and administrators, academic nurse educators and researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and others working to fulfill the organization’s vision of connected, empowered nurse leaders transforming global healthcare. The mission of Sigma is “Developing nurse leaders anywhere to improve healthcare everywhere.”
The 83 new FNU student inductees are: Christy Aluko Gladys Anokam Stephanie Arnot Brittany Denise Arrington Brittany Asterino Beth Audet Morghan Austin Jeanne Baker Kristin Benavidez Syvette Bethea Rebekah Bolick Arthur Boomgard Michelle Brantingham Elizabeth Bumpas Melissa Cadwalader Abby Caron Mary Chaney Lauren Cisco Kendra Collins Julia Conduff Ashely Dandrea Marlyn Echevarria Mariam Fawaz Celine Ferland Amy Filleman Clara Fynbu Eggert Desiree Gilbert Mona Gray
Savannah Griffith Joy Gummow Carcena Harvey Crage Henderson Chelsi Hennessey Malori Hinchen Tamarah Hinkle Brigid Horan Sarah Jeniolionis Regina Jones Sally Jurgensmeyer (Pollock) Katherine Kasowitz Sarah Kermelewicz Julie Kilzer Ashley Koong Sarah Kumar Amber Licht Mackenzie Liedel Leslie Lotz Liggia Luciano Ashley Mabry Jennifer Malalel Jennifer Matson Kathryn McKinney Cynthia Moreno Tonya Morrow Courtney Nelson
Stephanie O’Callaghan Ilene Perez Abril Reck Christine Reever Alicia Rios Jeniece Rivera Siobhan Romano Julie Runcie Teresa Sanford Bethney Seifert Brenda Smith Christin Smith Jennie Speter Elizabeth Sung Amber Taylor Tarshia Timothy-Jackson Jammie Tompkins Marybeth Valentine Larly Vang Samantha Vazquez Olivia Vergura Sylvia Von Dollen Kristin Warrington Nicole Waugh Kiomi Williams Taylor Williams Jeffrey Wolf Demetria Woodruff
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 21
News and Notes
FNU Accepting Applications for the 2024 Courier Program Public Health Internship After a successful resumption of FNU’s Courier program in 2023, Frontier is seeking to fill 6-8 internship spots for the 2024 program. Applicants should be majoring in public health, nursing, healthcare-related fields, social work, or psychology. Student applicants should have at least one year of higher education. The Courier Program is a public health internship sponsored by Frontier Nursing University that places students with rural public health clinical sites in an observation setting. Clinical sites can range from observing the county health department, home healthcare, midwifery clinics, and much more. Students will gain knowledge and understanding of the definition of rural public health and what it means to
provide healthcare services in underserved communities. The Courier Program is a hybrid of virtual and in-person sessions. The distance learning component will be conducted June 10-28. Then, students will come to Versailles and stay on the FNU campus from July 8 to August 2 for their in-person observations. The Couriers will shadow local healthcare professionals in a variety of settings. Last year, for example, the Couriers shadowed a local physician, EMS, and a hospice nurse, among others. At the end of the summer session, the Couriers present a report about their experiences and how the program impacted their interest in a career in public health.
In order to successfully complete the program, Couriers MUST participate in both components, complete summer reading, and work/present two projects during their time with FNU. Each student chosen to participate in 2024 will receive a $1,000 stipend, reimbursement for background checks, and free room and board (including meals and groceries). To apply for the 2024 Courier Program Public Health Internship, please visit https://frontier.edu/frontier-nursinguniversitys-courier-program-internship/ or contact Lisa Colletti-Jones, Director of Annual Giving and Courier Programs, at lisa.collettijones@frontier.edu.
The Legacy of the Courier Program The Courier Program was established in 1928 by Frontier Nursing Service, which eventually became Frontier Nursing University. Young people were recruited to help serve the nurse-midwives in the Kentucky Mountains. Couriers escorted guests, delivered medical supplies, and learned about service to humanity. Over the decades, the program has evolved with the evolution of the needs in public healthcare. Today, the program serves the communities of Versailles, Midway, and Woodford County, Kentucky.
"Each week, we have discussions with different practitioners and professionals who are experts in their fields. It has been amazing getting everyone's knowledge and insight and advice on how improving the healthcare system is a must.”
22 Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin
— Rebecca K., 2023 Courier
“One thing I have loved about the experience is that it showed me the true motivation behind my wanting to become a nurse. The program reinforced my decision to pursue nursing as a career.” — O. ‘Echi’ E., 2023 Courier
In Memory of Dr. Lisa Chappell
FNU Mourns the Loss of Dr. Lisa Chappell FNU Associate Professor and Department Chair for the Department of Family Nursing, Dr. Lisa Chappell, Ph.D., FNP-BC, CRNP, passed away on November 21, 2023. Dr. Chappell’s expertise as an educator was surpassed only by her kind and caring nature. She was a dear friend to everyone at Frontier Nursing University, and we join her family and loved ones in mourning her loss.
OBITUARY
Dr. Harriet Elizabeth Haynie Chappell (Lisa) Dr. Harriet Elizabeth Haynie Chappell (Lisa) stepped into the arms of Jesus on Nov. 21, 2023, in Auburn, Alabama, after a brief illness. Lisa is preceded in death by her father, Bobby Ray Haynie, and her husband of 48 years, David Bryson Chappell. Lisa was born in Opelika on July 17, 1955. She was a lifelong resident of Opelika, leaving only briefly to live in New York. Lisa’s calling was to be a nurse. She graduated from Southern Union Community College with her LPN certificate in 1975, followed by a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Auburn University in 1992, a Master’s Degree in Nursing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1995, and a Ph.D. in Nursing Research from the Medical College of Georgia in 2007. She worked at East Alabama Medical Center for 20 years before moving into academia. She has been with Frontier Nursing University since 2009, where she was the Associate Dean of Family Nursing. She touched the lives of hundreds of people through her nursing career and later as an educator and mentor. She was an avid reader with a large collection of books and a music lover, as well. Lisa was a devoted wife, mother, daughter, sister, grandmother, and friend. She will be greatly missed. She is survived by her mother, Jane Leverett Haynie; two sons, John (Laurel) Chappell and Nathan (Kelly) Chappell; grandchildren, Olivia and Bryson Chappell; siblings Linda (Tom) Caudle and Rob (Carolyn) Haynie; as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, and loved ones. The family wishes to thank the staff at East Alabama Medical Center and Bethany House.
“Today, I am reaching out to pay tribute to the memory of Lisa Chappel. Lisa was not only a dedicated nurse at her core but also a loving wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, and friend. Commencing her nursing career in 1974, she consistently held various nursing positions until shortly before her passing November 21, 2023. We at Frontier Nursing University were fortunate to count her as a teacher, colleague, and friend from 2009 onward. Lisa initially joined as course faculty, but her exceptional leadership skills swiftly propelled her into the role of Course Coordinator. In 2014, she assumed the role of Associate Dean of Family Nursing, later rebranded as the Department Chair of Family Nursing. For nearly a decade, she led the Family Nurse Practitioner Program, achieving outstanding success with national board pass rates consistently approaching or reaching 100% annually. As we reflect on Lisa's impact on students, faculty, and staff, a recurring sentiment emerges. Many express, "Lisa was my mentor" or "Lisa imparted invaluable knowledge to me." Others fondly recall Lisa's unwavering support in challenging situations, with sentiments like, "I always appreciated Lisa's calm support in the face of challenges" or "When I first started at FNU, Lisa took me under her wing and ensured I had what I needed." Lisa embodied the roles of teacher, mentor, collaborator, and friend for numerous individuals at Frontier Nursing University. While her absence is deeply felt, her influence will endure in the lives of those she cared for, whether as a clinician, educator, mentor, or friend, for many years to come.” FNU President, Dr. Susan Stone, DNSc, CNM, FACNM, FAAN
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Lisa’s honor to Bethany House in Auburn, AL.
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 23
In Memory of Dr. Lisa Chappell
“Lisa was a mentor and a friend. She was a firm but kind leader who commanded respect but was very much loved and admired by her faculty. She loved her work and her Frontier family.” Dean of Nursing Dr. Joan Slager, CNM, DNP, FACNM, FAAN
“Dr. Chappell was always so kind, compassionate, and determined with her work. She had a quiet presence about her but was always willing to help and had such graciousness about her. Even though she was the Chair of the FNP Department, I never felt intimidated by her title and always felt welcome to reach out with questions, big or small. She made me feel like I mattered, and that is how she treated all our students, too. She really wanted all students to be successful here. She will be missed so much!”
“Dr. Chappell oriented me to Frontier Bound and was exceptionally kind and gracious – and funny!” Dr. Eva Fried, DNP, CNM, WHNP
Gail Spake, MA
Dr. Audrey Perry, DNP, M.Ed.(c), CNM, CRNP, A-GNP-C, CNE, FACNM
“Lisa was one of a kind. She was Southern hospitality personified. I remember meeting her for the first time when I went to Hyden for my faculty interview. I was sitting alone in the admin conference room, and she sat next to me, introduced herself, and started talking to me about my life and my goals. At the end of it, she said, "I wish I would've known you first. You should come work in my department." Then she smiled her beautiful smile, laughed, then said, "I'm serious!" She saw the best in everyone. It was a pleasure to work with her closely over the past 2.5 years. I will cherish her mentorship, friendship, and kindness forever.” Dr. Khara’ A. Jefferson, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, CHC
Lesia Hansen, MA
Jamie Wheeler, MA
I joined the FNU faculty in 2014 and attended my first Frontier Bound in September 2014. I met Lisa and remember how welcoming she was to me and talking with her about the importance of APRN practitioners in our society. I came from a university college of nursing where only DNPs were awarded, and I would now also be supporting faculty in our master's level programs as the Writing Support Specialist. Over the years, I've seen how devoted Lisa has been to the students in our FNP programs but, even more, her dedication to supporting our FNP faculty. Lisa was always approachable and diplomatic as our programs were constantly evolving, and change was a constant for our practice as nursing educators. Lisa was the embodiment of caring, and she was inspiring and encouraging to support new ideas and sustain practices that bound our community of caring with respect and engagement. I will miss Lisa and her indomitable and progressive spirit.”
“Dr. Lisa Chappell exuded kindness and maturity in all interactions. I am grateful for her guidance and role-modeling unfaltering dedication to the university and the nursing profession.”
Dr. Chappell was the chair of FNP when we started the advising center over nine years ago. She was instrumental in helping us navigate our new roles. I always appreciated her kindness and her collaborative spirit. Despite her experience, she was always quick to ask my opinion or talk through a situation instead of just handing down a decision. She will be sorely missed.”
“Lisa was truly one of the most gentle souls and I am grateful to have had the privilege of calling her my friend. I worked with Lisa in many different roles over the years, but most fondly remember times with her in the faculty house (Hyden) during DNP Bounds. We bounced around many ideas, which helped us grow the DNP program, and also had deep conversations, sharing many things which included both personal and professional advice. Lisa was one of a kind, and I will miss her. Rest in peace, Lisa!” Dr. Deborah Karsnitz, DNP, CNM, FACNM, CNE
“Lisa Chappell was a wise and fair leader, devoted to her faculty and our students. Lisa was an awesome mentor. For me, joining the FNU faculty was a bit of a culture shock. Lisa never waivered in her support and guidance. I suspect that many of us have benefited from Lisa's wise council. We are all grieving, but hopefully, we can find solace in the knowledge that Lisa Chappell has left an indelible mark on our hearts and minds. Her spirit will live on through the values she instilled in us and the lives she touched. Rest in peace, dear Lisa. Your legacy will endure, and your impact will resonate in our hearts forever.” Dr. Debra Hunt, PhD, FNP, GNP, CNE
“Dr. Lisa Chappell was an exemplary educator, leader, and mentor. I am truly blessed to have known her.” Dr. April Phillips, DNP, FNP-c, PMHNP-BC
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“Dear Lisa, I pray you are safe and well and in the arms of your beloved husband. May God continue to watch over you.” Dr. Carol McFarland, DNP, APRN, NP-C, PMHNP-BC, CDE
“Dr. Chappell was a quiet force at Frontier Nursing University. Her calm demeanor and gentle Southern accent could lead you to believe that she was weak, but don't be fooled. Lisa could be clear and strong as needed. I first encountered her strength and diplomacy when we were at Clinical Bound together and dealing with an interpersonal problem between a faculty member and a student. She was amazing. As a member of the Emergency Fund Scholarship Committee, I witnessed her compassion and generosity time and again while also requiring adherence to policies and procedures. She will be sorely missed at Frontier and in my life.”
a look and a "wait a minute now" comment. She didn't like everything we did, but she did love each and every one of us. She loved to cook, read three books at a time, and sing to Carrie Underwood's version of Victory in Jesus as ardently as Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars. I still hear her singing, "Gotta kiss myself, I'm so pretty." When David, her husband, died, she was devastated. She turned to work and was buoyed by her desire to serve "her people" (us) and the FNP Department. We helped her through her loss. When she shared her diagnosis with me, I asked her what I could do for her. She asked that I help take care of her people and the Department. She also wanted us all to know that there is never enough time. It gives me great comfort to know where she is and that she is with David. I love you, Lisa.” Dr. Joanne Keefe, DNP, MPH, FNP-c, CNE
Dr. Audra Cave DNP, FNP-BC
“Lisa Chappell was a wonderful boss, mentor, and friend to me. She was a woman who steered her life by her faith. Often, she told me she just had to get out of the way to let the Lord work through her. That showed in all that she did. Lisa has a wonderful biological family and has created a family here at FNU with us. She could be stern with
Dr. Tia Andrighetti, DNP, CNM, APRN, CHSE-A, CNE, FACNM
“Lisa was a remarkable woman whose spirit and unwavering dedication to education have left a permanent mark on all who were fortunate enough to know her. Her commitment to the faculty and students was not merely professional; it was a deeply personal investment in our lives and the future of her students. Her love for her job was evident in her devotion to the betterment of FNU. Her legacy is one of kindness and compassion and will live on in all of us as we continue the work of education here at FNU. She will be deeply missed.” Dr. Nancy Pesta Walsh, DNP, FNP, PMHNP
Mickey Gillmor, MN, CNM
“Thank you, Dr Chappell, for your wisdom, mentoring, and friendship. You were the FNP Department champion for faculty and students. Your legacy is the lasting impact of kindness, humility, quality, and accountability in nursing education. May we continue to honor that legacy.”
teaching, navigating the politics of working at a university, and taking care of oneself in the process. You had the kindest soul and could always make me laugh. I will never forget your description of the beds on the Hyden campus and you calling them "child's beds" in your southern drawl. I still smile to this day thinking about that! You are sorely missed.”
“Dr. Chappell was an amazing woman who practiced the culture of caring every day. To know her for the past 10 years has been something I will always treasure. Her humor, smile, and laugh were infectious, and whenever she met with me, she always ended our meeting with a positive comment and made me feel special even on my worst day. Her support was unwavering, and she always had my back. We had so many wonderful talks about work, life, and family. She always made sure to ask how everyone was. I would always say, "I hope I can be half of the person Dr. Chappell is" because she was someone who inspired me to be a better person. She will be deeply missed. RIP our wonderful colleague and friend!” Dr. Vicky Stone-Gale, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, FAANP, FNAP
“Thank you, Lisa, for sharing all of your time, talents, and wisdom with us at Frontier. I know I personally spent many hours talking to you around the big tables in Hyden and learned a tremendous amount about
“I am so GRATEFUL for her compassion for the students and also the faculty/staff. Her unwavering support and encouragement. Thank you for being such a GREAT leader and example for US ALL, Lisa. Frontier LEGEND!!!! May we make you PROUD as we strive to prepare the next generation of FNPs for GREATNESS, DIVERSITY, and CULTURE OF CARING. ” Dr. Torica Fuller, DNP, MSN, FNP-BC, FNP-C, WHNP-BC, CDP, CGRN, CPN, NRCME
“I have worked closely with Lisa since her start at FNU--first as course faculty in the same courses and then as my Associate. Dean. She was so much more than her title; she was an advocate, encourager, friend, and confidante. Her heart was big and beautiful, and she cared deeply for others. I will miss her laughter and witty jokes. I will miss the peace and calm that she brought to every circumstance. And, goodness, she gave the best hugs! FNU was truly graced with Lisa's presence and leadership. Fly high, lovely lady . . . and rest well. May your memory be eternal.” Dr. Nena R. Harris, PhD, FNP-BC, CNM, CNE, FACNM
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 25
News and Notes
s g n i t e e r G ’s n o Se a s … from Our Home to Yours. Dear FNU Community, As my time as the President of Frontier Nursing University comes to an end, I simply want to thank each and every one of you for your kindness, support, friendship, and our shared love of this university. I have been honored to serve you in this role. I humbly invite you to watch this brief video by scanning this QR Code or visit Frontier.edu/holiday. Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a joyous new year. Dr. Susan Stone, DNSc, CNM, FACNM, FAAN & the employees of Frontier Nursing University
We are looking to spotlight FNU community members in our blog! Tell us your story by scanning the QR code and filling out the form or email stories@frontier.edu. Then, someone will contact you soon. These spotlight stories help us shine a light on all of the amazing accomplishments and the impact our community members have on their home communities and the University community.
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Alumni Spotlight TABETHA “JAREL” BROWN:
A Nurse’s Journey at Pinnacle Health. “They lease their space from me. We share our ancillary staff, and we have our own nurses. That business model has worked really well for me. Outwardly to the community, we are Pinnacle Health, which is the nicest clinic in town where everyone wants to go. Our other Nurse Practitioners get the benefit of being in the group, but they also get to work their own business as well. So far, it’s been extremely effective.”
Tabetha “Jarel” Brown, FNP (FNU Class 91), APRN, CNP, NP-C, always pictured becoming a nurse. She even has the picture to prove it. In third grade, she drew a nowand-then picture. The “now” picture was her as a third grader, and the “then” was her as a nurse. Today, that framed picture hangs in her office at Pinnacle Health Integrative Nurse Practitioners in Poteau, Oklahoma. Jarel and her husband PJ opened Pinnacle Health on October 1, 2018. After purchasing the property for the practice in May 2018, their dream started on notebook paper as PJ designed the building and contracted the build from start to finish. He handles the business side, while Jarel is in charge of the health care practice. The facility has nine exam rooms, a procedure room, a lab, nurses stations, three offices for providers, and offices for billers, a business manager, and a lab technician. Since opening, she has added two additional nurse practitioners, and they all three operate as independent businesses working out of the same building. “They are not my employees, they are my colleagues,” Brown said of the other two nurse practitioners
The residents of Poteau likely feel the same way about Pinnacle Health, which serves a rural area in eastern Oklahoma. Poteau is home to about 9,000 people, including a large population of Native Americans and Hispanics. “We’re in a rural, small town,” Brown said. “There’s a strong need for primary care providers. What I saw growing up was that we would have providers come through, they would get established, and they would leave. Access to care is a huge thing here. We have no specialists in town other than a podiatrist. The closest specialist is Fort Smith, Arkansas, which is about 30 minutes away. Then patients are having to travel across the state line, which, when you’re dealing with state Medicaid, tends to be problematic. To stay in Oklahoma, patients
must travel to Tulsa and Oklahoma City, which are two and three hours away.” Brown’s journey to becoming one of the primary care providers Poteau so desperately needed began with obtaining her BSN from the University of Arkansas in 2010. She then worked in the ER and labor and delivery before enrolling at Frontier Nursing University in 2011. “I have always been drawn to the care of women and children. Through undergrad at Arkansas, I worked as a CNA in labor and
delivery in Poteau,” Brown said. “When I was trying to figure out which track I wanted to go as far as a master’s degree, I went back and forth between women’s health and midwifery and family practice. Frontier was a home run because I knew if I ever wanted to transition to a different track in terms of women’s health, it would be easy to make that change there. Frontier was a clear choice for me.”
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 27
Alumni Spotlight While no specific plans are in place to expand Pinnacle Health, Brown has already broadened her reach as a primary care provider well beyond Poteau. Since 2020, she and her family have become actively involved in Advocates for Africa, an evangelistic non-profit organization founded in Oklahoma and based in Rwanda, Africa. While the prime mission of the organization is to “bring hope, compassion, and education to the content of Africa,” Brown has gravitated particularly to the medical needs of the people in Rwanda. Since becoming involved with Advocates for Africa, Brown has been to Rwanda several times, the first in early 2020, right before the COVID pandemic.
Brown graduated from Frontier as an FNP in 2013 and started at a walk-in clinic, which she ran for about a year before working for a local doctor in primary care in 2015. She worked there for four years, often seeing the doctor’s overflow patients. She established a good group of primary care patients, which helped give her the confidence to open her own practice at Pinnacle Health. She is in the clinic five days a week and sees patients of all ages, from newborns to geriatrics. Her rural and diverse patient population presents a wide variety of medical conditions. “I’m Cherokee Indian, and we are in an Indian nation,” Brown said. “They have good healthcare services here, but I do see a lot of overflow. We have common minority healthcare issues such as an increased incidence of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and chronic care conditions. I feel like we provide a great service for our area.” The need for primary care providers in Poteau isn’t likely to diminish any time soon. Wisely, Jarel and her husband designed the building to allow for expansion, which could enable the addition of more providers or even imaging services.
“Our good friends started Advocates for Africa,” Brown said. “They are not medical. They started evangelizing and actually built a school in Rwanda. On several occasions, they organized various trips to Rwanda, where we went and taught women’s hygiene practices. They don’t have access to menstrual products, so we brought them washable menstrual pads and showed them how to use them. Seeing their basic unmet needs is when I committed to giving my time and medical expertise to Advocates for Africa and the people of Rwanda.” The school built by Advocates for Africa includes a space for a clinic, but there was no medical professional to operate it. Brown realized she had a chance to combine her passion to serve with her expertise as a nurse practitioner. “I told them, ‘This is my jam’,” she said, and “They passed it over to me, and since then,
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I have met with officials of the Rwanda government, trying to figure out how to get through the red tape. I started a clinic in the United States, so the next challenge is to establish a medical program within Advocates for Africa in Rwanda, which has its own set of challenges. Because there are communication and language barriers, I have been over there just to meet people in person. You can’t really effectively meet with them on Zoom. Too many things get lost in translation.” Rwanda is a small country, roughly the same size as Maryland, but with more than twice the population. The Bugesera District in Rwanda, where the school built by Advocates for Africa is located, has a population of more than 550,000 despite being an extremely rural area. After flying into the capital city of Kigali, Brown said that it is a 90-minute drive to the Bugesera District. “It is literally the bush of Africa. It is very, very rural,” Brown said. “I was doing some community surveying to establish a need for a clinic, and the closest clinic from the school we work out of is about an hour's walk. I used the word ‘clinic’ very lightly. It is very rudimentary. People just don’t have access there.”
To try to begin providing some basic access, Brown organized a medical team to go to Rwanda this summer. The 15-person, all-Oklahoma-based team included Brown, another Pinnacle Health nurse practitioner, five nurses, a chiropractic student, a medical student, a counselor, two teachers, her parents, and Brown’s 12-year-old son Max and 9-year-old daughter Austen.
miles for water, so how do you tell a patient who’s dehydrated to drink more water when they have to walk six miles for water? Others complained of musculoskeletal pain. They sleep on the ground their entire lives. So there were some things we couldn’t do a whole lot about. We had a very small formulary where we could prescribe some medications. They waited 6-8 hours just for
In the meantime, Brown hopes to return next year with another medical team. “From here on out, we will probably specialize the trip – dental, vision, pediatrics, primary care.”
“We weren’t able to work out of the clinic yet because we weren’t quite far enough in the process. There is a lot of preparation required because the moment you offer that service, you would have thousands and thousands of people showing up,” Brown said. “What we did was partner with a clinic that was about a 30-minute drive away. They let us use some of their rooms and set up for two days. We had basic medical and maternity care and partnered with a dental group and a couple of ophthalmologists. Our team worked alongside several local doctors, and in those two days, a thousand people were treated.”
the opportunity to see us. They are just such happy people and were so thankful.”
which was an eight-day hike up Mount Kilimanjaro. The campaign raised $30,000 for the medical aspect of the Advocates trip. Team members raised their own money separately to cover their personal travel expenses.
Brown said they treated a wide variety of health issues compounded by what she described as “tropical health.” “We saw probable tuberculosis, everybody has a parasitic infection, and everybody’s stomach hurts,” she said. “We saw malnourished babies. You see pictures or videos of that, but seeing that in person just hits you differently, and you feel really, really helpless. I got to deliver two babies. It was a very overwhelming couple of days. We saw every complaint known to man, which would have been simple complaints here in the States, but there it was a challenge. A lot of the adults complained of dizziness or weakness when they got too hot. It was dehydration. Some of them have to walk six
Jarel recalls a man riding up on an old rickety bicycle with a woman sitting on a metal rack over the back tire. The woman was holding her completely mentally and physically disabled nine-year-old daughter in her arms. That was the only way she was able to get her daughter to the American medical team to be seen. Brown said she and the rest of her team relied heavily on translators from nonmedical members of the Advocates team. “It was so neat seeing this team that knows nothing about health coming in and providing translating services for us and doing the best that they could.” Despite the natural frustration of not being able to do more, Brown embraces the positives and the progress and has big plans for the future of the clinic in Rwanda. “Currently, the school where the clinic is serves ages nursery up to fourth grade,” Brown said. “Each year, they are adding a grade. My goal is that, by the time they grow to where they have graduated high school, we will have a program within the clinic that will be training nurse assistants and dental assistants.”
To help fund this summer’s medical trip, Brown, her husband, and her son all completed a Climb for Kids Campaign,
“To be able to raise the money for the medical clinic, which was my ultimate goal, and then to reach the goal of making the summit was so surreal and so awesome. It was an experience I will never forget,” Brown said. Brown credits her passion for serving such extremely rural and underserved areas to her experience at Frontier and the university’s beginnings in the mountains of southeastern Kentucky. “Mary Breckinridge started Frontier in some of the toughest climate and conditions and thought, ‘if I can provide care here, we can provide care anywhere,’” Brown said. “Eastern Oklahoma is rural, and access to care is tough, but Rwanda is a next-level challenge. But you just start, plant those seeds, and teach those around you. That mindset goes so far, and it can reach Africa, too.” The clinic, the trained medical providers, a healthier country … can you just picture it?
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 29
Alumni News and Notes
Annual Service Award Nominations Due January 12
Frontier Nursing University annual alumni service awards are presented to FNU alumni who have gone on to make significant contributions to their communities or to the university. The awards will be presented at a ceremony during FNU’s Homecoming event on March 23. “So many of our alumni have gone on to do amazing things in communities all across the country and even the world,” said FNU
President Dr. Susan Stone, CNM, DNSc, FACNM, FAAN. “I am so proud of how they represent and support Frontier Nursing University. Their dedication, commitment, and generosity are truly inspiring. Each year, I look forward to celebrating and congratulating each of these very deserving award recipients.”
The Unbridled Spirit Award honors a former Courier who is dedicated to serving others; has ongoing, longstanding stewardship of Frontier; and has demonstrated conviction, courage, and a zest for adventure. The Lifetime Service Award recognizes an individual or organization providing long-standing support and commitment to the mission and work of Frontier Nursing Service and Frontier Nursing University.
The Distinguished Service to Society Award recognizes an alum who goes above and beyond to provide exceptional service in their communities. The Distinguished Service to Alma Mater Award honors an alum who has supported Frontier through volunteer efforts and/or donor support.
The form to submit nominations can be found at Frontier.edu/alumni. The deadline for nominations is January 12, 2024. You may submit up to four nominations via this form.
Enter the FNU Preceptor Celebration Week Contest for a Chance to Win a $500 Travel Gift Card FNU held its first Preceptor Celebration Week from August 14th to 18th, but the acknowledgment of the importance of preceptors doesn’t stop there. Preceptor Celebration Week also marked the beginning of FNU’s preceptor contest, with the three winning preceptors each receiving $500 gift vouchers. This contest will run throughout the next ten months, with nominations for outstanding nurse practitioners and nurse-midwives accepted through June 1, 2024. The nominee must be
an FNU-credentialed preceptor. Winners will be announced via email by July 1, 2024. To nominate a preceptor and for a complete list of contest rules, please visit frontier.edu/ preceptorweek. “Preceptors play an essential role in the education and preparation of our students,” said FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, DNSc, CNM, FACNM, FAAN. “We are so grateful to the thousands of preceptors across the country who give their time and
30 Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin
PRECEPTORS play a key role in advanced nurse practitioner and nurse-midwifery education.
expertise to train the next generation of nurse practitioners and nurse-midwives.”
Meet Sarah Harlan, Senior Philanthropy and Alumni Relations Officer Frontier Nursing University is thrilled to introduce Sarah Harlan, our new Senior Philanthropy and Alumni Relations Officer. With a wealth of experience, a passion for fostering alumni connections, and a vision for the future of our alumni community, Sarah has already started engaging with alumni all over the U.S. and looks forward to connecting with as many Frontier alumni as possible. As Senior Philanthropy and Alumni Relations Officer, Sarah brings a diverse background in higher education alumni and development, having spent over two decades
Morgan Steele Honored by Professional Soccer Team
in the field. She joins us from the University of California, Davis, where she spent the last seven years growing the university’s alumni and philanthropic participation. Sarah is committed to enhancing the alumni experience, facilitating meaningful connections, and creating opportunities for our alumni family to thrive both personally and professionally. Join us in welcoming Sarah to our Frontier family. Stay tuned for more communications from Sarah to learn about alumni engagement opportunities. If you would like to get more involved in alumni activities or would like to talk with Sarah, please reach her at sarah.harlan@ frontier.edu
next step and got my Doctorate of Nursing Practice,” Steele said in an interview with OL Reign. “It’s not required to become a Nurse Practitioner, but I’m proud to be able to say that I have learned the most that I can within my specialty. In terms of my career, I’m very proud of the high-risk clinic that we have built. Most people don’t know their risk status, so to be able to educate the community and take action is really fulfilling.”
On October 1, the OL Reign, a professional women’s soccer team based in Seattle, Washington, honored Morgan Steele, DNP (Class 29), as part of the team’s Legends Campaign. A partnership between OL Reign and Starbucks, the Legends Campaign “honors women for their extraordinary contributions to our community in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.” Steele was honored on the field prior to the OL Reign’s annual Kick Breast Cancer Match. Steele works in breast surgery at MultiCare Regional Cancer Center in Tacoma, Washington.
Antoinette Kleiner Joins Guam Memorial Hospital Authority Board of Trustees
“When it comes to something more personal, I’m really proud that I took the
Kleiner began her career as a research nurse at Johns Hopkins University — Center for
Antoinette Kleiner, FNP (Class 151), recently joined the Guam Memorial Hospital Authority Board of Trustees. Kleiner has an extensive background in nursing and is an instructor of nursing at the University of Guam.
American Indian Health and served as a clinical nurse at the Indian Health Service – Northern Navajo Medical Center and the San Juan Health Partners – Pediatrics. She is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and worked as an educator at the Indian Health Service – Northern Navajo Medical Center from 2012 to 2021. In March 2021, she returned to Guam to serve at the University of Guam. “After a lifetime and career on the mainland, I realized it was time to come home to Guam,” Kleiner said in a news release. “Here, I hope to bring my experience and passion to improve personal and community health by helping the Board of Trustees continue their mission to provide safe, quality care to the people of Guam.”
Amy Borove Joins Wayne Memorial Community Health Centers Wayne Memorial Community Health Centers in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, recently welcomed Amy Borove, CNM (Class 198). She is a midwife with Wayne Memorial’s Women’s Health Center and facilitates births at Wayne Memorial Hospital’s New Beginnings Birthing Suites.
Benefis Teton Medical Center Welcomes Karen Braseth Karen Braseth, FNP (Bridge 168), recently joined Benefis Teton Medical Center in Choteau, Montana. She provides healthcare in the community clinic, emergency room, and long-term care wing.
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 31
Alumni News and Notes Bethany Brown Joins West Shore Community College
Bethel University Welcomes Paige Hardyth
Bethany Brown, DNP, CNM, WHNP, joined West Shore Community College this fall as an associate professor of nursing. She previously worked as the assistant director of nursing at Central Michigan University. and was a certified nurse-midwife, sexual health counselor, and educator for the Michigan Department of Health (and Human Services).
After four years as an adjunct professor in Bethel University’s nurse-midwifery program, Paige Hardy, MSN (Class 152), was recently named an associate professor at the university located in St. Paul, Minnesota. She previously worked as a certified nurse-midwife for 20 years at a rural clinic in Morris, Minnesota.
Guthrie Clinic Welcomes Kristen Frost Kristen Frost, CNM (Bridge 177), recently joined the midwifery and obstetrics/ gynecology teams at Guthrie Clinic in Cortland, New York. Her scope of care includes adolescent gynecology, contraceptive management, and maternity care.
Jennifer Goldby Joins FryeCare Women’s Services FryeCare Women’s Services in Lenior, North Carolina, recently welcomed Jennifer Goldby, CNM (Class 112), as the first certified nurse-midwife to join FryeCare Physicians Network. Goldby specializes in well-women care, contraceptive counseling, prenatal and postpartum care, breastfeeding support, endometrial biopsy, and vulvar biopsy.
Monica Heck Joins Faculty at Eastern Mennonite University Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, recently welcomed Monica Heck, DNP (Class 16), as assistant professor of nursing.
Seasons for Women Welcomes Amanda Horn Seasons for Women in Bristol, Virginia, recently welcomed Amanda Horn, CNM (Class 201). She specializes in gynecologic care, contraceptives, conception and infertility, and prenatal, intrapartum, postpartum, and perimenopause care for all women.
32 Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin
Jessica Kingsley Joins Bronson Obstetrics & Gynecology Specialists Bronson Obstetrics & Gynecology Specialists in Battle Creek, Michigan, recently welcomed Jessica Kingsley, CNM (Class 178). She has a special interest in postpartum mental health.
PMH Women’s Health Center Welcomes Ashley Kristofzski Ashley Kristofzski, DNP (Class 52), CNM, recently joined PMH Women’s Health Center as a certified nursemidwife. She previously worked as a labor and delivery nurse.
Morgan La Joins Birth & Women’s Health Center Morgan La, CNM (Class 196), recently joined the Birth & Women’s Health Center in Yoder, Kansas. The Birth Center, which was built as a cooperative effort by the county’s Amish and Mennonite churches, serves a rural population. Morgan also served in the US Air Force as a medical technician from 2012 to 2018.
Katy Marcum Joins CHI Saint Joseph Medical Group Katy Marcum, DNP (Class 39), FNP, recently joined CHI Saint Joseph Medical Group OB/GYN in Bardstown, Kentucky. She has had more than
12 years of experience in obstetrics, nursing and gynecology, and pain management
Northern Light Women’s Health Welcomes Danielle Pelletier Danielle Pelletier, CNM (Class 75), recently joined Northern Light Inland Hospital in Waterville, Maine. She provides preconception planning; birth control management; care during pregnancy, labor, and birth; postpartum support; and wellwoman care from adolescence through menopause.
Northfield Hospital and Clinics Welcomes Senja Ruuska Senja Ruuska, CNM (Class 197), recently joined Northfield Hospital and Clinic's Women’s Health Center in Northfield, Minnesota. She also sees patients in Northfield’s Lakeville and Farmington locations.
Rachel Sherman Name Director of Nursing and Clinical Advocacy In August, Hospice of the Chesapeake (Maryland) appointed Rachel Sherman, DNP (Class 36), CRNP, FNP-BC, ACHPN, to the newly created role of Director of Nursing and Clinical Advocacy. Sherman previously served as the Director of Medical Services at Hospice of the Chesapeake. As Director of Nursing and Clinical Advocacy, Sherman provides nursing
discipline guidance to Hospice of the Chesapeake’s 200+ team members under the nursing umbrella, including registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and certified nursing assistants. She also advocates externally for the evolution of advanced illness care in the community.
Jeanine Valrie-Logan Serves As AABC Conference Keynote Speaker Jeanine Valrie Logan, CNM (FNU Class 146), MSN, MPH, was a keynote speaker at the American Association of Birth Centers annual conference held in October in Tucson, Arizona. She is in the process of starting the Chicago South Side Birth Center.
Stay in the Know We know you want to stay informed about all that is happening at FNU. To make sure you don’t miss communications such as the Quarterly Bulletin or our monthly e-newsletters, please take a moment to make sure we have your updated contact information. Please send your updated contact information, including your preferred email address, phone number, and mailing address, to alumniservices@frontier.edu. Thank you!
The Frontier Nursing University Office of Alumni Relations is here to support YOU! Our purpose is to offer helpful programs and services that support our graduates. Alumni are an integral part of FNU’s development because you demonstrate the excellence of FNU in everyday practice. You are also our primary recruiters and most loyal donors. We deeply appreciate your commitment to FNU. The Alumni Association is open to all graduates of FNU. We currently have more than 8,000 alumni in all 50 states and many countries around the world. We encourage you to explore the services, programs, and activities offered and become involved. There are several ways to stay in touch with friends and connect to FNU, including conference receptions, case days, e-newsletters, and the FNU Alumni Facebook Group. Please ensure we have your most recent contact information to take advantage of all member services. Email us at alumniservices@ frontier.edu.
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 33
Faculty Publications and Presentations
Tia Andrighetti, DNP, CNM, CHSE, CNE Associate Professor
Megan Arbour, Ph.D., CNM, CNE, FACNM Associate Professor
Lisa Barnes, DNP, MSN, PHMNP-BC Instructor
Anne Cockerham, CNM, WHNP-BC, Ph.D., CNE Professor
Linda Cole, DNP Assistant Professor
April Phillips, DNP, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC Clinical Director, PMHNP Program
Dolores Polito, DNP, CNM Course Faculty, Clinical Bound Team Leader
Charlotte Swint, DNP, MPH, FNP-BC, CNE, Ph.D., APRN, CNM, FACNM Associate Professor
Ann Schaeffer, DNP, CNM, M.Ed., CNE, FACNM Assistant Professor
Tammy Whitehead, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC, CNE Assistant Professor
PODIUM PRESENTATIONS Megan Arbour Healing the Healers: A Deep Dive into Trauma-Informed Practices for Addressing Second Victim Phenomenon Amongst Colleagues. Florida ACNM Affiliate Cruise, May 10-13, 2024. Lisa Barnes Barnes, L. (2023, May). Enhancing Empathy Through Simulation in Nursing Education, a Systematic Literature Review [Poster Presentation]. 14th Annual Nuts & Bolts Conference, Mall of America, Minneapolis, MN. Anne Cockerham Cockerham, A. Z. (April 27, 2023). Preconception and Prenatal Genetic Testing: What’s New, Equitable, and Patient-Centered? Paper session presented at Kentucky Association of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse-Midwives Coalition Conference, Lexington, KY. Catherine Collins-Fulea Collins-Fulea, C & Jefferson, K. (2023). Improving Timeliness of Obstetrical Triage Throughput in an Urban Tertiary Care Hospital (Poster Presentation) International Confederation of Midwives Congress, Bali, Indonesia.
Collins-Fulea, C., Coulter, C., Crain, A., DiLorenzo, G., Gleason, C., Niebure, J., Richards, K. (2023) Midwifery in Cambodia: Comparison and Contrasts to Care in America. Citizen Ambassador Cambodia Program, Phnom Penn, Cambodia. Megan Danielson Danielson, M., Bailey, J., & Oravitz, C.J. (2023, June 21-22). Approaches to Improve Maternal Health During Labor and Birth [Conference Presentation]. 2023 Maternal Infant Health Summit, Lansing, MI, United States. Diana Jolles Johnson, Flores, Nguyen, Jolles (2023) AABC Research Committee Health Disparities Panel: Asian and Latinx Birth Outcomes within the AABC Perinatal Data Registry 2007- 2021. General research session. AABC Birth Institute, Tucson, AZ. October 12-15, 2023 Flores, Bradbury, Ryan, Jolles. 2023. Lessons from Cactus Flowers- Birth Center Research and Policy Sustainability Think Tank Breakout Session. AABC Birth Institute, Tucson, AZ. October 12-15, 2023 Heard, Krause, Nguyen, Jolles (2023).
34 Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin
Catherine Collins-Fulea, DNP, CNM, FACNM Assistant Professor
AABC Research Committee Developing Scholars Clinical Research Panel: American Association of Birth Centers Perinatal Data Registry Clinical Queries, poster, and webinar. AABC Birth Institute, Tucson, AZ. October 12-15, 2023. Amber Littlefield Whitehead, T. & Littlefield, A. (2023). Adult ADHD: It Is Time to Start Paying Attention. AANP National Conference New Orleans, LA. Amber Littlefield 6/12/2023 23:09 Poster presentation Littlefield, A. & Whitehead, T. (2023). An Algorithmic Approach to Adult Transgender Care in Primary Care, Poster Presentation. AANP National Conference New Orleans, LA. Whitehead, T. & Littlefield, A. (2023) Navigating Ambiguity Among Transgender and Gender-Diverse Individuals. Podium presentation at The Kentucky Coalition. Lexington, KY. Laura Manns-James Manns-James, L. (2023, October 19). "Menopause Myths and Maxims: Using Current Evidence to Individualize Care" [virtual presentation]. National Conference for Nurse Practitioners 2023 Fall Virtual Event.
Megan Danielson, DNP, CNM Instructor
Diana Jolles, Ph.D., CNM, FACNM Clinical Faculty
Angela Mitchell Mitchell, A. (2023, April 26). Does the physical exam matter? [Podium presentation]. Kentucky Coalition of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Midwives 2023 Conference, Lexington, KY. Audrey Perry Perry, A (2023). Community is Essential: Using community-engaged curriculum design to incorporate the AACN Essentials. Podium presentation. ACEN Transform 2023. April Phillips Phillips, A. ( October 6, 2023). Creating A More Inclusive Psychiatric Nurse Workforce: How to Inspire Students Through the Integration of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Concepts into Clinical Curricula. American Psychiatric Nurses Association 2023 Conference, San Antonio, TX. Dolores Polito Polito, D. (2023, April 25-28). Are you really an A.P.R.N? Are you an Advocate in Politics Representing Nursing? [Conference presentation]. 35th Annual Convention Conference of Kentucky Association of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Midwives, Lexington, Ky, United States. https:// www.kcnpnm.org/events/EventDetails. aspx?id=1477633. Polito, D. (2023, October) The B.R.I.G.H.T Program at University of Kentucky. Presented to OBNET Women’s Healthcare Network, LLC’s 2023 Clinical & Malpractice Risk Management Workshop, Georga Tech, Atlanta, GA.
Laura Manns-James, Ph.D., CNM, WHNP-BC, CNE, FACNM Associate Professor
Mary Kay Miller, DNP, CNM Instructor
Angela Mitchell, DNP, FNP-BC Course Coordinator
Charlotte Swint Swint, C. (2023, September 28-30). Through the camera’s lens: An analysis of the term Nurse using photographs of caregivers described as nurses in Georgia in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries [Podium presentation]. 2023 American Association for the History of Nursing Annual Conference. Pittsburgh, PA. Ann Schaeffer Schaeffer, A., & Gianelis, K. (2023). Coaching Nurse-led Rapid-cycle Quality Improvement Initiatives: Novice to Expert in 150 Days. Podium Presentation at the IHI Annual Forum in Orlando, FL, December 10-13, 2023. Tammy Whitehead Whitehead, T., & Littlefield, A. (2022, April 27). Navigating Ambiguity Among Transgender and Gender-Diverse Individuals [Conference Presentation]. Littlefield, A., & Whitehead, T. An Algorithmic Approach to Adult Transgender Care in Primary Care [Poster]. Whitehead, T., & Littlefield, A. (2023, June 21). Adult ADHD: It's time to start paying attention [Conference]. ARTICLES IN PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS Tia Andrighetti Cole., L., Andrighetti, T., Thrower, E., & Engstrom, J.L.(2022). Teaching professional peer review with the use of simulation. Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing,37(2), 108-115.
Audrey Perry, DNP, CNM Instructor
Perry, A, & Andrighetti, T. (2022). Evaluation of online distant synchronous interprofessional simulations. Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing, 37(2), 123- 130. Megan Arbour Arbour, M., Walker, K. and Houston, J. (2023), Trauma-Informed Pedagogy: Instructional Strategies to Support Student Success. J Midwifery Womens Health. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.13539. Linda Cole Cole, L. J., Andrighetti, T. P., Thrower, E. J. B., & Engstrom, J. L. (2023) Teaching professional peer review with the use of simulation. Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing 37(2), 108-114. doi: 10.1097/JPN.0000000000000720. Diana Jolles Hoehn Velasco, L, Jolles, D., Plemmons, A., Silverio-Murillo, A., (2023) Health outcomes and provider choice under full practice authority for certified nurse-midwives. Journal of Health Economics, 0 (0). https://doi.org/10. 1016/j.jhealeco.2023.102817. Prepub link: https://www.sciencedirect. com/science/article/abs/pii/ S0167629623000942?via%3Dihub. Audrey Perry Perry, Audrey DNP, MEd(c), CNM, APRN, A-GNP-C, CNE, FACNM; Andrighetti, Tia DNP, APRN, CNM, CNE, CHSE-A. Evaluation of Online Distant Synchronous Interprofessional Simulations. The Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing 37(2):p 123- 130, April/June 2023. | DOI: 10.1097/ JPN.0000000000000728.
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 35
Trustees Mrs. Tia Andrew, Hamilton Parish, Bermuda Ms. Sarah Bacon, Brooklyn, NY Mrs. Andrea Begley, Hyden, KY Dr. Heather Bernard, Hamilton, NY
Board of Directors CHAIR Michael Carter, DNSc, DNP New Orleans, LA
Gov. Steven Beshear, Lexington, KY
VICE CHAIR
Mrs. Betty Brown, Louisville, KY
Michael T. Rust Louisville, KY
Mrs. Amy Pennington Brudnicki, Richmond, KY Dr. Timothy Bukowski, Chapel Hill, NC Dr. Wallace Campbell, Berea, KY Miss Anna Carey, Hyden, KY Mrs. Jean Chapin, Oldwick, NJ Mrs. Lois Cheston, Topsfield, MA Bill Corley, Indianapolis, IN Mrs. Julia Breckinridge Davis, Winston-Salem, NC Mrs. Selby Ehrlich, Bedford, NY
SECRETARY Nancy Hines Shepherdsville, KY TREASURER Emma Metcalf, RN, MSN, CPHQ Louisville, KY
Mrs. Robert Estill, Raleigh, NC Mrs. Noel Smith Fernandez, Pomona, NY Ms. Mary Ann Gill, Versailles, KY Mr. John Grandin, Chestnut Hill, MA
Board Members
Dr. Joyce Fortney Hamberg, Southgate, KY
Carlyle Carter, Evanston, IL
Dr. Horace Henriques, Lyme, NH
William (Bill) Corley, MHA, Carmel, IN
Mr. & Mrs. John Hodge, Berwyn, PA
Vernell DeWitty, Ph.D., MBA, RN, Silver Spring, Maryland
Mrs. Robin Frentz Isaacs, Lincoln, MA Mrs. Rosemary Johnson, Versailles, KY
Jean Johnson, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, Cabin John, MD
Ms. Deborah M. King, Westport, MA
Tara Martino, BSN, RN, NCSN, SANE (Student Board Member, Non-Voting), Fairhaven, Massachusetts
Mrs. Patricia Lawrence, Westwood, MA
Marcus Osborne, MBA, Bentonville, AR
Mrs. Marian Leibold, Cincinnati, OH
Tim Raderstorf, Ph.D., Columbus, Ohio
Dr. Ruth Lubic, Washington, DC
Joanna Santiesteban, Ph.D., Paintsville, Kentucky
Mrs. Mary Carol Joseph, Hyden, KY
Mr. Robert Montague, JD, Urbanna, VA Dr. Judy Myers, Ph.D., RN, New Albany, IN
Kerri Schuiling, Ph.D., CNM, FAAN, FACNM, Marquette, MI
Ms. Barbara Napier, Irvine, KY
Peter Schwartz, MD, Port St. Lucie, FL
Ms. Sandra Napier, Stinnett, KY
Dr. Maria Small, MD, MPH, Durham, NC
Mr. Dean Osborne, Hyden, KY
May Wykle, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, FGSA, Cleveland, OH
Mrs. Helen Rentch, Midway, KY Mrs. John Richardson, Washington, DC
Foundation Board Members
Mrs. Linda Roach, Lexington, KY
Derek Bonifer, Louisville, KY
Mrs. Georgia Rodes, Lexington, KY
Constance Brotherton, MA, Lexington, KY
Mrs. Sandra Schreiber, Louisville, KY
Peter Coffin, Chair, Frontier Nursing Service, Inc Foundation, Chestnut Hill, MA
Maria Small, MD, MPH, Durham, NC Mrs. Sherrie Rice Smith, Franklin, WI Mrs. Austin Smithers, Lyme, NH
Peter Schwartz, MD, Port St. Lucie, FL
Mrs. Robert Steck, Arlington, MA
Board Members Emeritus
Mrs. Mary Clay Stites, Louisville, KY
Wallace Campbell, Ph.D. Berea, KY
Mr. Richard Sturgill, Paris, KY
John Foley, Lexington, KY
Ms. Mary Frazier Vaughan, Lexington, KY Mrs. LouAnne Roberts Verrier, Austin, TX
Marion McCartney, CNM, FACNM, Washington, DC
Dr. Patience White, Bethesda, MD
Kenneth J. Tuggle, JD, Louisville, KY
Ms. Vaughda Wooten, Hyden, KY
Nancy Fugate Woods, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, Seattle, WA
36 Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin
Frontier Nursing University
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The following people gave contributions to Frontier in memory of their friends or loved ones. The names in bold are the deceased. Kitty Ernst Ms. Ann Arlene Abbott Mark Gokee Erin Tenney Ruth Morgan Mrs. Cathy Schieffelin Mary Helm Myers Christy Gudaitis Marguerite Pike Ms. Susan Marie Peeples Hazel Fugate Ricke Mike Hoffman Larry Stone Dr. Susan Stone Sally Willis Charron and Michael Holtzman
Alumni Collection Added to the Online Gift Shop! Great news, FNU alumni and students: our online gift shop is now officially open! We’re excited to finally have a virtual storefront offering a variety of apparel and accessories from t-shirts to cotton masks for you to show your FNU pride. Frontier.edu/FNUalumnigear
Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 37
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38 Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin
frontier.edu The mission of Frontier Nursing University is to provide accessible nurse-midwifery and nurse practitioner education that integrates the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We transform healthcare by preparing innovative, ethical, compassionate, and entrepreneurial leaders to work with all people with an emphasis on rural and underserved communities.