Impacting Diversity in Nursing
Dr. Geraldine Young Selected As One of UAB School of Nursing’s “70 Visionary Leaders”
Geraldine Young, DNP, APRN, FNPBC, CDCES, FAANP
FNU Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Dr. Geraldine Young, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CDCES, FAANP, has been selected as one of “70 Visionary Leaders” by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Nursing.
In the letter notifying Dr. Young of the recognition, UAB Dean and Fay B. Ireland Endowed Chair in Nursing Doreen C. Harper, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, stated that there were well over 100 nominations for the Visionary Leader honor. “As a Visionary Leader, you have been recognized by your peers for your exemplary leadership, innovation, and far-reaching impact on nursing and health care,” Dr. Harper wrote. “This elite recognition, given to outstanding graduates of the School of Nursing whose commitment and accomplishments have set them apart, has been bestowed on only 60 other alumni who were named Visionary Leaders in 2010.” Dr. Young, whose service in the nursing profession spans over 20 years, joined FNU in the fall of 2019. She holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (2010), an MSN from Alcorn State University (2005), and a BSN from the University of Mississippi Medical Center (2001). She is also a board-certified family nurse practitioner (FNP) (2005) and certified diabetes care and education specialist (2011). “As a graduate of the UAB School of Nursing, I am truly honored to be selected as a Visionary Leader,” Dr. Young said. “I am so grateful to UAB
8 Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin
School of Nursing Associate Dean Ashley Hodges (Ph.D., CRNP, WHNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN) for nominating me. I am humbled to be a part of this impressive group of leaders.” As a Visionary Leader Award recipient, Dr. Young will be honored at one of several virtual events to be held in April in celebration of the UAB School of Nursing’s 70th anniversary. “We are incredibly proud to have Dr. Young at Frontier Nursing University,” said FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, CNM, DNSc, FAAN, FACNM. “As an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, Dr. Young’s leadership and guidance are invaluable. As this award demonstrates, her impact reaches well beyond FNU. Her voice is highly respected, valued, and needed at FNU and throughout the nursing community.” Dr. Young is a National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) Leadership Fellow and Fellow of the American Association of Nurse
Practitioners (FAANP). She has been deemed a content expert for one of the leading credentialing bodies for NPs, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). She serves on an array of national committees to advance nurse practitioner education, including the NONPF Curricular Leadership Committee and Conference Committee. She is also a member of the NONPF Board of Directors and a member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Essentials Task Force. As a member of the Essentials Task Force and NONPF Board of Directors, Dr. Young is ensuring cultural diversity and inclusion are at the forefront of nursing education to address the health disparities and inequalities that exist in our nation. She has effectively delivered models of clinical practice to improve the outcomes of underserved and minority populations with diabetes in conjunction with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS).
FNU Board Member Dr. Maria Small Receives Prestigious Award FNU Board of Directors member Maria Small, MD, MPH, has been selected as a recipient of the 2021 Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award. Winners of this award demonstrate compassion in the delivery of care, respect for patients, their families, and healthcare colleagues, as well as clinical excellence. As a Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist, Dr. Small is extensively involved in championing education and delivery of care to at-risk populations in the Durham community and beyond. She serves as Maria Small, Medical Director for the Durham County Health Department’s MD, MPH Division of Women’s Health Services. She dedicates her time to collaborative efforts with the Durham Academy of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy (DAMDP), the Old North State Medical Society (ONSS), and local and state organizations associated with the National Medical Association (NMA) – the oldest and largest Black physician organization in the U.S.
