Impacting Diversity in Nursing

Dr. Geraldine Young Selected As One of UAB School of Nursing’s “70 Visionary Leaders”

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 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 Geraldine Young, DNP, APRN, FNPBC, CDCES, FAANP 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 Maria Small, MD, MPH populations in the Durham community and beyond. She serves as Medical Director for the Durham County Health Department’s 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.

FNU Endows Scholarship Aimed at Increasing Diversity in Health Care

Frontier Nursing University has endowed a new scholarship to support African American, Black, Native American, and Alaskan Native students. The scholarship, which will support 10 students per year, was established and approved by FNU’s Board of Directors during their quarterly meeting in April 2021. The scholarship is in keeping with the University’s mission, which is “to provide accessible nurse-midwifery and nurse practitioner education to prepare competent, entrepreneurial, ethical, and compassionate leaders in primary care to serve all individuals with an emphasis on women and families in diverse, rural, and underserved populations.” The University’s focus on diverse, rural, and underserved populations is in response to the persistent health care disparities in the United States.

“While our other endowed scholarships are needed by and available to students of all backgrounds, this particular scholarship is in direct response to the health disparities for the designated groups,” FNU President Dr. Susan Stone said. “Data demonstrates that culturally concordant care improves health care outcomes, which is why we have made increasing the diversity of the health care workforce a strategic priority at FNU.” A November 2020 study published by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that, among women with a college education or higher, Black women have a pregnancyrelated mortality rate that is over five times higher than that of White women. The pregnancy-related mortality rate for Black women with a completed college education or higher is 1.6 times higher than the rate for White women with less than a high school diploma. Disparities are also prevalent elsewhere. A 2019 report by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that non-Hispanic Black persons were more than twice as likely as non-Hispanic or Pacific Islander persons to die of heart disease in 2017. Similarly, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that, in 2018, American Indians and Alaska Natives were 50 percent more likely to be diagnosed with coronary heart disease than their white counterparts. The CDC also shared a report that found that 34% of COVID-19 deaths were among non-Hispanic Black people, though this group accounts for only 12% of the total U.S. population. “Diversity, equity, and inclusion have been a top priority at FNU for more than a decade,” FNU Board Chair Dr. Michael Carter said. “Not only do we know that these DEI initiatives are the right thing to do ethically, but the data clearly indicates that a well-prepared, diverse health care workforce is vital to improve medical outcomes for all people. The decision to endow this scholarship was data-driven and in direct alignment with the mission of the University.” To establish this scholarship, FNU will designate $2.5 million to provide $100,000 in scholarships per year. This will be used to deliver ten $10,000 scholarships annually. Additionally, the fund will grow over time from investment and ongoing fundraising targeted for scholarships. The new scholarship joins a comprehensive list of financial support for FNU’s students. Through the generosity of its supporters and donors, FNU will provide nearly $500,000 in endowed scholarships to students in 2021. “These scholarships are particularly important because, on average, despite our comparatively low tuition rates, many of our students graduate with nearly $60,000 in student loan debt,” Dr. Stone said. “Through awareness, fundraising efforts, and scholarships, we are committed to helping alleviate that burden. We want our graduates to be able to fully focus on being essential healthcare providers in their communities. However, due to the startling health outcomes for these specific groups, we knew we needed to address the needs of these particular students.”

FNU Board of Directors