FNU Quarterly Bulletin Spring 2022, Volume 97, Number 1

FRONTIER NURSING UNIVERSITY | VOL. 97, NUMBER 1 | SPRING 2022

QUARTERLY BULLETIN

The Power of

Perseverance

Holly Howell MSN, CNM

Stephanie Mitchell DNP, CNM, CPM

Crystal White DNP, MSN, FNP-C

Support the Kitty Ernst Endowed Scholarship Fund Kitty Ernst, who sadly passed away in December 2021, was a pioneer who planted the seeds for community-based midwifery and led the development and implementation of Frontier Nursing University’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 us all to pay it forward through service to the profession and to our communities.

Just as she foresaw the need for community-based advanced practice nursing, Kitty also recognized the need to assist our students. She knew that minimizing student debt would enable graduates to focus fully on their call to serve. Frontier worked with Kitty to create this endowed scholarship fund to support Frontier CNEP students.

Please join us and make a gift in celebration of Kitty’s commitment to the midwifery profession in perpetuity. Any amount that you can give is a boost for our future midwives. Help us to reach our goal of raising $500,000 for the Kitty Ernst Scholarship Fund. Gifts can be made online at frontier.edu/KittyErnst. Please contact our Chief Advancement Officer Bobbi Silver at (859) 251-4739 if you have any questions or need assistance.

Thank you for your time and for your lasting impact on 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.

President’s Cabinet Susan Stone, DNSc, CNM, FAAN, FACNM President Shelley Aldridge, BA Chief Operations Officer Paula Alexander-Delpech, Ph.D., PMHNP-BC, APRN, Interim Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Bobbi Silver, Chief Advancement Officer Joan Slager, CNM, DNP, FACNM, FAAN Dean of Nursing Michael Steinmetz, CPA, CMA, CSCA Executive Vice President for Finance and Facilities Academic Administration Jess Calohan, DNP, PMHNP-BC FAAN Department Chair of PsychiatricMental Health Lisa Chappell, Ph.D., FNP-BC Department Chair of Family Nursing Khara’ Jefferson, DNP, APRN, FNP-C DNP Director Rachel Mack, Ph.D., DNP, APRN, C-FNP, CNE Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Eileen Thrower, Ph.D., APRN, CNM, CNE, FACNM Department Chair of Midwifery and Women’s Health

From the President

Contents From the President Holly Howell

2-4

Diversity Impact Conference 2022 Dr. Stephanie Mitchell Dr. Crystal White

5 6-9 10-13

Alumni Notes

14

Alumni Spotlight

15

Faculty Publications/ Faculty Presentations Bobbi Silver Alumni News & Notes

Dear Friends,

1

16-17 18 20-23

Memorial Donations

23

Trustees

24

Board of Directors

24

The last two years have presented many trials and tribulations as we have navigated the fear and uncertainty of the pandemic. We have adjusted to new ways of work and daily life.

Through it all, our alumni have continued to serve their communities, many in extraordinary ways that we have shared in past issues of the Quarterly Bulletin. Our students have stayed on course in their programs, thanks to no small effort from our faculty and staff. We have opened a new campus. The pandemic threw hurdles at us, but it didn’t stop us. Through it all, we have persevered.

That should come as no surprise, though. Perseverance is part of our history. Nearly 100 years ago, the members of the Frontier Nursing Service overcame the substantial physical obstacles of rural Appalachia to provide care for women and families. Perseverance is central to the history and spirit of Frontier. It is in our DNA, and it is present in many of the stories in this issue of the Quarterly Bulletin.

We hope you read the stories of Holly Howell, Dr. Stephanie Mitchell, and Dr. Crystal White. They have overcome so many obstacles such as tragedy, racism, and legislative restrictions to continue in their professions and their mission to serve their communities. Just as important as learning what they have overcome is understanding how they did it. They had perseverance, yes, but they also had support, from sources both expected and surprising.

I am so proud to be able to share these stories with you and even more proud when I think of how each of you has a similar story to tell. We encourage you to reach out to us by scanning the QR code on the inside front cover or emailing us at FNUNews@frontier.edu. We want to hear your stories. You amaze and inspire us. Your stories remind us why Frontier Nursing University works diligently to prepare advanced practice nurses and nurse-midwives matters in communities large and small, all across the country.

In this issue, we are also proud to introduce you to our new Chief Advancement Officer, share the many recent accomplishments and updates from our faculty and alumni, and keep you informed about major upcoming events, including Diversity Impact Conference and Commencement 2022.

Thank you for taking the time to read these stories and for your role in the Frontier community. Together, we not only persevere, but we also excel. Thank you.

Sincerely,

2050 Lexington Road Versailles, KY 40383 FNU@frontier.edu - Frontier.edu

Susan Stone, CNM, DNSc., FACNM, FAA

Susan Stone, CNM, DNSc, FAAN, FACNM

Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 1

The Power of Perseverance

Personal Tragedy Inspires Holly Howell’s Commitment to Serve During her time at FNU, she was awarded the Jesse Smith Noyes Scholarship.

Holly Howell, MSN, CNM Even as a child, Holly Howell, MSN, CNM, Class 158, knew she wanted to be a nurse. It was a not-so-subtle nudge that pushed her in the right direction.

“At a very young age, I have a very vivid memory of my aunt, heavily pregnant, asking me to feel her belly, and the baby made a really large movement,” Howell said. “In my head, it’s still the largest movement I’ve ever felt from a baby. I was fascinated and intrigued by it. From then on, I knew that I wanted to work in the maternal-child field. I wanted to deliver babies. It was my end goal.

I’m really proud of myself that I made it, and I’m doing it.”

Howell grew up in Nevada and earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Nevada State College, becoming the first woman in her family to graduate from college. With her focus on attending births and caring for pregnant women, she chose Frontier Nursing University to guide her to her goal of becoming a Certified Nurse-Midwife.

“Receiving the scholarship definitely helped me to complete the program at Frontier and also relieved some of the burdens of student loan debt,” she said.

“Frontier prepared me really well for midwifery care and caring for patients.

It has also given me a great network of midwifery friends and partners that I can lean on during stressful times and reach out to for questions or similar experiences. Those deep bonds were created during on-campus sessions and study groups as we went through the program together, leaning on each other during stressful times. Since then, we have been able to stay in contact via social media really well.”

Today, Howell works as a nurse-midwife at two different locations in Las Vegas, both of which are part of the Women’s Health Associates of Southern Nevada. Her usual routine includes morning rounds at the hospital before arriving at the clinic between 8:45 and 9:00 a.m. The clinic includes three collaborating physician partners and two collaborating midwifery partners in addition to Howell. She sees between 25 and 35 patients per day.

“They are primarily pregnant and OB patients, but I do

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also do birth control consults, menopausal care, annual exams, and IUD insertions,” she said. “We’re a very busy OB practice, and I see primarily pregnant people and postpartum visits. I also deliver quite a few babies every month, so I’m in and out of the hospital all the time. Yesterday (March 22, 2022), I actually set a record for myself and delivered five of my own babies in a 24hour period. I didn’t sleep much.”

Howell is a strong advocate for “empowering women, natural childbirth, breastfeeding, women’s reproductive rights, and health equality for the LGBTQIA+ community."

It was yet another taxing day in what has been a taxing two years during the COVID-19 pandemic. Howell has relied on her training and knowledge to try to be a steadying and calming influence for her patients.

“The pandemic has been really scary and taxing for a lot of people, especially for pregnant people,” Howell said. “They have been very anxious during the pandemic and have needed a lot of support, education, and reassurance.”

“We saw how it could affect pregnant people and how they have an increased risk of getting sicker than the normal population.

I’ve been doing a lot of counseling and education that I was doing before, but it’s a little bit more sensitive because they know that they are at a higher risk for getting more severe symptoms than a nonpregnant person.”

With several of her patients contracting COVID, Howell saw first-hand the additional risks that pregnant women faced.

“We saw how it could affect pregnant people and how they have an increased risk of getting sicker than the normal population,” Howell said. “I’ve been doing a lot of counseling and education that I was doing before, but it’s a little bit more sensitive because they know that they are at a higher risk for getting more severe symptoms than a non-pregnant person.”

Howell also counseled patients about the vaccines. She helped them through their understandable fear and anxiety by “staying up to date with all of the current recommendations so I could give my

Howell hopes that experiencing the tragic loss of her son will make her a better, more empathetic provider. patients good evidence-based answers to the questions.”

As if the pandemic was not difficult enough to cope with, Howell and her wife Dana faced their own personal tragedy late last year.

“I gave birth to my son Huck Wilder at 20 weeks gestation,” Howell said. “It’s a very scary and traumatic way to be on the other side and be the patient. I had really amazing nurses and a certified nursemidwife that took great care of me. But I

just love him and miss him every day. I’m grateful that I had him and that he was here, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be a patient and to be on the other side of women’s health. I think going through this experience will make me a better, more empathetic provider. I’m sad that I had to experience that, but really am grateful for the time that I did have with him.”

Though pained, Howell speaks openly about her experience and the immeasurable impact Huck has had on her.

Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 3

The Power of Perseverance “He has been an inspiration for me to take really good care of pregnant people and also try to decrease the traumatic birth experience that people and families have during labor and birth,” she said. “I also had a really severe postpartum hemorrhage and do have some PTSD and trauma from my birth with no fault to my providers at all, just to the situation. My experience losing Huck has definitely given me insight and motivated me to provide the best care I can for birthing people and families.”

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Learn More About How to Support FNU Students

Perhaps that is why Howell is much more than a provider. She states in her own profile on the Women’s Health Associates of Southern Nevada that she “is an advocate empowering women, natural childbirth, breastfeeding, women’s reproductive rights, and health equality for the Howell works at Women’s Health Associates of LGBTQIA+ community.” One Southern Nevada. example of how she advocates for her patients is she has stopped using stirrups during pelvic exams and sure that they are well educated about their births unless the patient requests them. bodies and their different options during She finds that this gives the patient more labor and childbirth.” autonomy over their own body and better freedom of movement.

In addition to educating and informing her patients, Howell wants to make sure her patients feel accepted and welcomed into a clinic that is safe and inclusive.

“I’m really happy being a

resource for the women who are not eligible for home birth or birth center care because I can still give them that low intervention, calm environment in the hospital setting.”

“I pride myself on practicing in a traumainformed way,” Howell said. “I always ask for consent and permission before I do any kind of pelvic or invasive exam. During labor and birth, I pride myself on making sure that I’m practicing in an evidence-based way and that I am giving family-centered and patient-centered care. I give patients options, and we have in-depth discussions before any interventions are completed, making

“I am a proud gay woman and advertise that on my website,” Howell said. “Hopefully, LGBTQIA+ people can come and see me and find a safe environment where they can be free to be themselves and be more comfortable with invasive exams and care.”

Howell dreams of one day opening her own birth center, but for now, she is happy right where she is at, living out her childhood dreams every day, to the significant benefit of her community.

“We provide really great service to a lot of women and give them a happy medium between home birth or birth center care,” she said. “I’m really happy being a resource for the women who are not eligible for home birth or birth center care because I can still give them that low intervention, calm environment in the hospital setting. I am very happy with where I am at.”

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Holly Howell credits funds from the Jessie Smith Noyes Scholarship with helping to reduce her student loan debt upon graduating from Frontier.

FNU endeavors to help limit loan debt for all FNU students so they can focus on their careers and serving their communities.

Frontier Nursing University is very grateful to the many donors who together have created the ability for FNU to offer students over $700,000 of scholarship money annually. Eligibility is based on the student’s academic record, length of time in the program, and the requirements of the specific scholarship. The Jesse Smith Noyes Scholarship, for example, is awarded by the Frontier Nursing Service Foundation to a Frontier student.

The student must be in good academic standing and have an interest in women’s health issues.

Thank you to all of our donors and supporters for your contributions that make it possible for our students to follow their dreams and for FNU to continue to educate more advanced practice nurses and nurse-midwives.

Gift avenues have specific tax implications. Please contact your attorney or financial advisor for further information. For additional information on making a gift to FNU, please contact Senior Development and Alumni Affairs Officer Linda Barnes at linda.barnes@frontier.edu or at 859-251-4592.

FNU’s Annual Diversity Impact Conference 2022

FNU’s Annual Diversity Impact Conference to Be Held June 28-29 The Frontier Nursing University (FNU) Diversity Impact Planning Ad-hoc (DIPA) Committee is proud to announce that the Diversity Impact Conference “Engaging Diverse Voices in Sustained Dialogue to Build Community Trust” will be held on June 28-29, 2022, on the Zoom platform! FNU is extremely excited about this year’s conference. The DIPA Committee has been diligently working on planning an innovative, interactive, online version of the conference.

“The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is excited to host FNU’s twelfth Diversity Impact conference,” said FNU Interim Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Paula Alexander-Delpech, Ph.D., PMHNP-BC, APRN. “Hailed as a Frontier signature event, this year’s conference promises to be quite impactful with national and international speakers.

The goal of the conference is to evaluate mechanisms on how to engage in sustained dialogue for community trust-building. A hallmark of FNU is to educate students within their own communities, as such, this year’s conference theme centers around developing action-oriented processes to build relationships around shared communities.”

Interim Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Dr. Paula Alexander-Delpech

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator Chris Turley

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The Power of Perseverance

Boston Midwife Prepares to Open Alabama’s First Birth Center

Dr. Stephanie Mitchell, DNP, CNM, CPM To the casual observer, opening Birth Sanctuary Gainesville might not make a lot of sense. First, Gainesville is a rural town in Alabama with a population of less than 200.

Second, because of state regulations that severely restrict the scope of care nursemidwives can provide, there are no birth centers in the entire state. That is about to change because Dr. Stephanie Mitchell, DNP (Class 130), CNM, CPM, plans to open Birth Sanctuary Gainesville later this year. While the uncertainties are many, Mitchell insists, “It will get done.”

Mitchell is the sort of person who finds ways to get things done. Barriers represent an opportunity rather than a permanent roadblock. Even her road to becoming a nurse-midwife was a circuitous one.

Where others might have given up and changed course, Mitchell never wavered from her plan.

Growing up in urban Boston, Massachusetts, in the 1980s, Mitchell’s first thoughts of pursuing a medical career began by watching The Cosby Show.

for six years before applying to Frontier. She continued working in labor and delivery while she earned her MSN and DNP from FNU, the latter in 2019.

“My very first exposure to childbirth was on television,” Mitchell said of The Cosby Show. “It was very shocking to me because the family would have mirrored my family, except that they were completely different echelons of human society. We were struggling along in the hood, the ghetto, dealing with all the things that 1980s Boston brought for a low-income black family. It was the opposite on TV. The father was an obstetrician, and the mother was a lawyer.

That was my first exposure to pregnancy, and the healthy dynamic of that family really appealed to me and stuck with me.”

“The way my body was honored during that process of pregnancy is really cemented into my mind. I figured out that the word wasn’t ‘obstetrician’ or ‘obstetrics’ – it was ‘midwife’. I thought, ‘How do I do that?”

Her second exposure to pregnancy and her first to obstetrics came a few years later when she was 16 and pregnant. She had collaborative care with an obstetrician and a midwife.

“The way my body was honored during that process of pregnancy is really cemented into my mind,” she said.

“I figured out that the word wasn’t ‘obstetrician’ or ‘obstetrics’ – it was ‘midwife’. I thought, ‘How do I do that?’”

She did that by having her baby, finishing high school, attending community college, and going on to earn her BSN from Curry College. She knew she wanted to be a midwife and wanted to attend Frontier Nursing University. She also knew that she needed to gain experience, preferably in labor and delivery. She worked in pediatrics for about six years before getting into a labor and delivery unit, where she worked

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“The hospital I worked at was a lovely place in the backdrop of my neighborhood in Boston. I learned so much and have deep respect for my colleagues there,” Mitchell said. “But it was shocking to me to get to the labor and delivery unit and realize that the medical staff was not reflective of the community. I had come from the Boston Children’s Hospital, and we had a very diverse staff. I got to the labor and delivery unit, and it was shocking to be one of three black nurses on a staff of 120 in that unit.

That was difficult because there are so many stark cultural differences between the care providers and those that they are caring for.”

Mitchell had learned the importance of diversity at an early age when she was part of a busing program aimed at addressing segregation in the city. She attended school in a predominantly white school system.

“You learn to interact with people who are definitely not from your community,” she said. “To have experience with individuals that don’t look like you, don’t talk like you, don’t have the same cultural norms as you, provides exposure that’s valuable in life. Midwives and advanced nurse practitioners are not always going to be black or people of color or LGBTQ, but you have to have people in place who are truly antiracist and empathetic.”

Mitchell was also concerned about what she termed “the conveyor belt of care” that sometimes persists in hospitals with high volumes of patients. She wanted to practice in a different setting, where more time could be spent with the patients in a less frantic environment. She wanted to open a birth center and started looking into the prospects in Boston. She soon realized that funding would be a problem, as would the significant amount of competition. She shelved the idea temporarily until she and her husband Jamie moved to Gainesville, Alabama, where Jamie had family.

Jamie is a successful pitmaster who got into the catering business. When the catering business became overwhelming, the Mitchells realized that a restaurant would be the better option. Starting a restaurant in Boston would not only be expensive but also involve a great deal of competition.

“He wanted to get rid of the landlord and the competition, so we came down here to Gainesville and built a restaurant,” Mitchell said. The Alabama Rib Shack is open Friday through Sunday, with the capacity to cater as needed.

As they prepared to move, Mitchell began researching places where she might be able to work. She soon found that there are no birth centers in the state. Further, in Gainesville and the surrounding area, there is no access to family planning services, midwifery care, or obstetric care.

“If you’re pregnant, it’s a desert,” Mitchell said. The nearest options are approximately 45 miles away in Tuscaloosa or across the state line into Mississippi.

It didn’t take long for Mitchell to think about opening her own birth center in Alabama. Not only did she need it as a

Dr. Mitchell inspects the progress of the renovation of the building that will become Birth Sanctuary Gainesville. source of income, but the community needed it as well.

“I’ve always valued the low volume, slowerpaced care that can be offered through midwifery,” Mitchell said. “I had a good amount of surface information to build on what it would mean to build a birth center

“He wanted to get rid of the landlord and the competition, so we came down here to Gainesville and built a restaurant.”

in Alabama. It was important to me to work in the black and not be in a situation where I am over my head and sink myself before I get started. Kitty Ernst wisely once reminded me to follow the money.

I followed the business model that my husband has followed for years – eliminate the competition and eliminate the landlord.

There is no competition in Alabama, and people deserve to have options. To not have it as an option is unconscionable.”

While many would agree with that, few have been as determined as Mitchell to bring about the necessary changes. One of the primary barriers created by the state’s legislation and regulation of midwives is the prevention of independent practice.

Mitchell sought out physicians with whom she could partner to provide collaborative care but found none.

Midwives who attended out-of-hospital births in Alabama were jailed until 2019, when the state began issuing midwifery licenses for Certified Professional Midwives (CPM) for the first time since 1976. Contrary to Certified NurseMidwives (CNM), who have nursing degrees, CPMs are not required to have a nursing degree. Despite being a CNM, Mitchell had to get a CPM license so she could practice in Alabama.

“I was annoyed that I had to be a CPM because it prevents me from offering those full range of comprehensive health services,” Mitchell said. “ I see the value in being a

Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 7

“My first goal is to get this birth center opened this year and have our first birth here this year.”

Dr. Mitchell purchased this historic home and is renovating it to become Birth Sanctuary Gainesville.

Certified Nurse-Midwife. I see the value of being able to provide that umbrella of comprehensive care. Why would anyone ever specifically go the path of CNM only to be boxed in a corner to be a CPM? Prescriptive authority, billing insurance, access medications, full-scope care – it’s all gone. Especially in a healthcare desert like Alabama, it doesn’t make any sense. I’m still fighting that battle. It will take a while. But it’s not, ‘we can’t do it,’ it’s ‘we haven’t done it yet.’”

Mitchell says that the Alabama Birth Center Coalition, Alabama Midwife’s Association, the Alabama Board of Midwifery, and the Alabama chapter of the American College of Nurse-Midwives are all lobbying for change. In the meantime, she is pressing forward with Birth Sanctuary Gainesville. For years on their

visits to Alabama, Mitchell had admired an old two-story home in Gainesville. Built in 1835, it is a registered historic landmark.

It sat empty for years until, shortly after they moved, Mitchell saw that it was for sale. The Mitchells bought it and began renovation and construction to convert it into a birth center.

The roof, soffits, plumbing, electrical, and HVAC all had to be replaced or updated, but the structure was good, and the price and location were right. An exam room and a bathroom have been added, and the work continues with hopes of opening later this year.

“My first goal is to get this birth center opened this year and have our first birth here this year,” Mitchell said.

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Grassroots efforts have provided the majority of the funding for the construction of the birth center. One fundraiser is a legacy walkway campaign in which people can purchase bricks and inscribe their own messages. Another fundraiser included the creation of three $5,000 scholarships that will go to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) midwifery students.

“This grassroots effort is a constant return back into the systems we’re working in,” Mitchell said. “It’s been overwhelming. I’ve been filled with gratitude, and I remain so humble about this project, reminding myself that this isn’t a ‘me project.’ This is a project that will impact so many families just to be able to have that access to care.”

Mitchell hopes to continue to give back to the nurse-midwifery profession by

precepting students. She knows drawing them to rural Alabama might be difficult so that the birth center will include a special space for students. Mitchell describes it as a calm room where students will be able to rest or sleep in their own private space.

Until the birth center is ready to open, Mitchell is operating as an LLC and providing home birth services as a CPM. She plans to continue to offer home births even after Birth Sanctuary Gainesville is fully operational. She is also working with the University of AlabamaBirmingham’s midwifery program, assisting with course development and serving as an adjunct professor.

“This grassroots effort is a constant return back into the systems we’re working in. It’s been overwhelming.

I’ve been filled with gratitude, and I remain so humble about this project, reminding myself that this isn’t a ‘me project.’ This is a project that will impact so many families just to be able to have that access to care.”

more loom ahead, not the least of which is the potential patient population.

“It doesn’t make any sense to build a birth center here,” she said. “The same thing about my husband having a restaurant here. It seems highly unlikely and improbable. But what he has learned is that people will travel for quality. They will do it in Alabama for barbecue in a minute. There is the same sort of model in terms of accessibility. We’re talking zero freestanding birth centers in the state. It becomes a question of, ‘Do you want to travel to get care?’”

Mitchell said that, in order to help with that, they are even considering providing space for families who make the journey with their loved ones. It’s true that travel is a potential hurdle, but true to her nature, Mitchell sees not only the barrier but also the potential solution. In the end, it all makes perfect sense.

Editor’s Note: Dr. Mitchell wishes to acknowledge her husband, Jamie. “Making the journey into midwifery with a family could have been my insurmountable obstacle. He’s been my stronghold for the last 20-plus years.” She also expressed her gratitude for the support of her children, Jasmyn, Jaymie, Jayar, and Jesse, and wished to acknowledge former FNU Academic Advisor and current Clinical Advisor Carisa Lipp. “I loved so many of the faculty, but none so much as Carisa. She was the constant person of contact at FNU as I made my way through each term. I can’t say how much her guidance meant. Funny that it wasn’t a midwife who I’d describe as most impactful, but that just goes to show that one’s biggest support can come from unexpected places if you keep your eyes peeled and your heart open!”

“I have been delighted to take part in that program,” she said. “I believe that’s the solution. UAB is a stronghold for the state.

They are highly influential, and what better investment into the future of maternal healthcare and pregnancy healthcare than having a school that is going to be educating the midwives? That will lay the groundwork for accessibility in ways that we haven’t even thought about in this state.”

Mitchell has successfully managed to fund the birth center to this point and continues to advocate for more access to nurse-midwifery care in the state. She has overcome many obstacles and knows many

Dr. Mitchell’s family at their restaurant, the Alabama Rib Shack. Pictured left to right: her son Jayar Mitchell, husband Jamie Lee, son Jesse Mitchell, and daughter Jaymie Mitchell.

Not pictured: Daughter Jasmyn Mitchell.

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The Power of Perseverance

The Servant Leader

University (FNU), where she completed her DNP (Class 32) in March 2020.

“I had been a nurse practitioner for just a couple of years, and I always tried to precept a student or two each year,” said Dr. White.

“My first experience with Frontier was with an FNP student (Danielle Ireland, APRN, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC, Class 176).

I precepted her for several months and was really impressed. She was a top-notch student. She seemed very prepared to be in the clinical setting. She was so prepared each day and seemed to have a great grasp and background knowledge of acute and chronic conditions that we saw in the clinic.”

Curious as to the source of Ireland’s impressive training, Dr. White asked about

Family is dear to Dr. White, who is pictured here with her youngest grandson, Legend.

Aristotle once said, “He who cannot be a good follower cannot be a good leader.”

There is no question that Dr. Crystal White, DNP, MSN, FNP-C, is a leader. She guides graduate nursing students as an Assistant Professor of Nursing at Saint Mary-of-theWoods College in rural western Indiana.

She cares for patients as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) at Horizon Health’s Urgent Care Clinic in Paris, Illinois, a small town with a population of about 8,200. She also organizes and participates in mission trips along with her husband, Rev. Chris White. Leadership is part of Dr. White’s daily routine. Yet she credits being led – by a student no less – to attend Frontier Nursing

“Having Dr. White as a preceptor at the end of my FNP clinical rotation was a blessing. It was during this time that I knew I made the right decision to be a nurse practitioner.”

–Danielle Ireland, APRN, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC

Frontier, her program there, and the overall experience as a Frontier student. Even though she wasn’t ready to go back to school at that time, Dr. White always remembered Ireland and her experiences at FNU.

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“She was just a fantastic student,” Dr. White said. “She ended up graduating and came to work for the same organization where I was working, and she continues to practice with that organization (Horizon Health Care’s Chrisman Clinic in Chrisman, Illinois) to this day. She is a huge asset to the organization and her patients.”

“Having Dr. White as a preceptor at the end of my FNP clinical rotation was a blessing,” Ireland said. “It was during this time that I knew I made the right decision to be a nurse practitioner. She showed compassion and competence to her patients. She is a strong advocate for the nurse practitioner profession. I admire Dr. White for her hard work and dedication over the last few years as she has earned her DNP degree and has gone above and beyond to advance her career in the education field and inspire others in so many ways.”

While it was Ireland who helped point Dr. White to FNU, it was her worldly experience that drove her to continue her education after 20 years as an RN working in labor and delivery. She received her MSN/FNP and BSN from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2012 and 2009, respectively, nearly a decade before pursuing her DNP at Frontier.

“I had taken a mission trip to Ghana in West Africa,” said Dr. White, who became an RN in 1992. “The demand on nurses there is much different than here. They want you to basically function as a provider, even though you’re an RN. In some of those remote areas, they just don’t have access to a physician.

That was kind of a catalyst that touched my heart. I didn’t want to go and do that kind of work unprepared in my education – not

Her experience as a nurse enabled her to find work easily, even as her husband’s career resulted in a move from Virginia to Illinois, where they have now lived for more than 20 years. They have two grown children and four grandchildren.

Between family, work, and missions, Dr. White’s plate was full, but still, she knew she could do more. She could be a better practitioner and help educate others as well. It was time to pursue her DNP. Remembering how impressed she had been

by Danielle Ireland, she enrolled at Frontier.

Crystal White, DNP, MSN, FNP-C, and her husband, Rev. Chris White really giving them the same quality that I would want for my family here. So I decided I would go back and get my master’s and become a nurse practitioner. That’s how I went from being a hospital staff nurse to becoming a provider.”

How she became a nurse in the first place was a bit more predictable. Growing up in Salem, Virginia, she always wanted to be a nurse. Her mother encouraged that dream and would dress Dr. White up as a nurse for career day at school.

“I decided I would go back and get my master’s and become a nurse practitioner.

That’s how I went from being a hospital staff nurse to becoming a provider.”

“My mother planted that seed early on,” Dr. White said. “When I finished high school, I did study education for a little bit, but it didn’t take me long to come home to nursing.”

As she neared the end of her program, she prepared for her DNP project, which is a quality improvement project that DNP students complete. Generally, these projects are conducted within the student’s current place of employment and are customized to meet the needs of that clinical location.

It requires a great deal of planning, implementation, recruitment of participants, and evaluation of data. The scope of the project can be a bit stressful for students, and, in Dr. White’s case, a major life event made it even more so.

A day before, she was to meet with her mentor for the project, FNU Associate Professor Charlotte Swint, DNP, MPH, FNP-BC, CNE, Dr. White’s father passed away suddenly. Dr. White was understandably devastated. Her world was turned upside down. Completing her DNP project seemed impossible at that time.

“I was so close to just giving up on school for a while. Who knows whether I would have come back if I had withdrawn,” Dr. White said.

It was time for Dr. White to be led. She had never met Dr. Swint before that day, but it didn’t take long to realize she had found a leader she could trust.

“I don’t have enough good words to say about Dr. Swint,” Dr. White said. “She impacted my life in the most tremendous way and continues to, to this day. I had not met her before. I did not know her. She agreed to mentor me, and I agreed to have a mentor, and I’m so glad I did. Within a week or two (of my father’s passing), I had my first meeting with Dr. Swint. She went so

far beyond helping me come up with ideas for planning my project. She helped support me. In an extremely emotional and stressful time, she was the kindest, beyond belief, just way beyond what would be expected of her. She helped me with her brilliance as I planned and implemented my project, and then when it came time for dissemination, she was still right there with me. She would practice with me and let me present my project to her.”

Dr. White was working in an occupational health department at Horizon Health at that time. While the department had been very attentive to the physical well-being of the employees, she felt that there was

“I was so close to just giving up on school for a while.

Who knows whether I would have come back if I had withdrawn.”

an opportunity to do more to support employees’ mental well-being. That became the focus of her DNP project.

“There was really nothing for emotional or stress management other than an Employee Assistance program where people could go for counseling,” Dr. White said. “It was before COVID, so at the time, I felt like it was kind of innovative, but now it just seems like ‘well, of course, you should have a stress management program.’ I knew that there had been a survey taken by the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Enterprise in our organization a few years prior to my project.

That survey showed that the employees’ number one health concern was stress. More than 90 percent of them said they had had some kind of health issue the previous year because of stress. That was very eye-opening for me and let me know that I was on the right path.”

Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 11

Dr. White initiated weekly sessions devoted to employee stress management. She created a relaxation room where staff, physicians, providers, and nurses could take a break.

The room included a massage chair, a smart TV with links to meditation videos, and aromatherapy. Free weekly yoga classes were offered to the staff.

Participation in the program was optional, and those who participated were screened at the beginning of the program via the Perceived Stress Survey. The initial screenings revealed that approximately 30 percent of the staff had high levels of stress. Dr. White invited those particular participants to meet with her individually, and she shared evidence-based ways to manage stress and helped formulate a stress management plan. She was able to make referrals for those who needed additional help beyond the scope of the project.

“At the height of the project, we were seeing a 72 percent improvement in those that used the interventions of the program,” Dr. White said. “The program was open for anyone and everyone, not just those who were highly stressed. We wanted everyone to have the opportunity to manage their stress and keep it from getting to a high level and to learn coping mechanisms and resilience so that they would have those skills when they needed them.”

Even though Dr. White no longer works in that unit full-time, she is pleased that the program not only persists but has expanded.

“I can’t take any credit at this point, but I was able to share my project there on-site as part of the dissemination,” White said.

“The CEO of the hospital attended that presentation as well as other leadership members, and I think it opened their eyes a little bit more to think about the mental health needs of the employees in addition to the physical needs. Since that time, they have hired a wellness coordinator. She’s an RN and met with me several times while I was still employed full-time there. She learned the program I put in place, and she has kept that going and added to it greatly. I’m really proud of that.”

The impact of Dr. White’s program is not limited to Horizon Health. Dr. Swint helped see to that, continuing to mentor Dr. White through the dissemination portion of the DNP project.

“She pushed me to publish my DNP project,” Dr. White said. “She was always willing to review my work. She continued to encourage me to write abstracts and submit to conferences – things I would have probably gotten around to, but it’s so important to have somebody there giving you that push, that nudge, and also showing

Dr. Crystal White (left) and Dr. Charlotte Swint presented at the DNP Conference in Chicago.

12 Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin

Dr. White (right), who presented at the Dermatology Nurses’ Association (DNA) Convention in Las Vegas, is pictured with DNA President Dr. Angela Hamilton, FNP-BC, DCNP you the way. You don’t just know these things intuitively. I give her a whole lot of credit for where I am today.”

“Serving as a mentor for Dr. White has been one of the highlights of my professional career,” Dr. Swint said. “From Dr. White’s first contact with me, I could sense that she was professional and highly motivated. As she progressed through the DNP program, she overcame obstacles and kept her eyes on her future success. Her DNP project made a great impact at her clinical site. It has been wonderful to be by her side as she presented at her first national conferences and achieved her first publication in a peerreviewed journal. I am very proud of all that she has accomplished, and I am so happy that she is now in her dream role of a tenuretrack faculty member at a school of nursing.”

Dr. White and Dr. Swint presented at the DNP Conference in Chicago in August 2021 and at the Sigma Nursing Creating Healthy Work Environments Conference in Washington, D.C., in March 2022. Dr. White also presented on her own at the Biennial National Summit on Promoting Well-Being and Resilience in Healthcare Professionals in Columbus, Ohio, in October 2020, and at the Dermatology

Nurses’ Association Conference in Las Vegas in February 2022. Their abstract was accepted at other conferences that were ultimately canceled due to the pandemic.

The article, The Implementation of a Stress Management Program for Health Care Workers Through a Rural Occupational Health Clinic*, co-authored by Drs. White and Swint and FNU Instructor Niessa Meier, DNP, CNM, CNE, was published in Workplace Health and Safety, which is operated by Sage Journals.

“I feel like the education I got from Frontier was one of excellence, and I’m very thankful for that,” Dr. White said. “In the DNP, my intellect was opened to really seeing the need for quality improvement and understanding how to set up a quality improvement project. You never look at things the same.

You go back into your clinical practice, always looking for how we are meeting the standard, how we are not meeting the standard, and how we can improve and be better. That’s what the doctorate did

“I have seen a lot of impoverished people, but people with great hearts.

We think that we have to have a certain standard of living and certain income to be happy and comfortable, but I’m always surprised and shocked at how happy and content people are in various places in the world that have very little resources.”

most for me. It just opens your mind to so many possibilities. I use those quality improvement skills in my teaching, in my practice, and in my life.”

To that end, Dr. White is implementing some components of the stress management

their contentment and joy in other things, whether that be family or their faith. It’s really encouraging and enlightening.”

Dr. White’s passion to serve others allowed her to follow the inspiration of an exemplary student and the guidance of a trusted mentor. Now she passes on her knowledge and expertise to her students every day, mentoring and guiding them in the same manner in which she was.

Danielle Ireland, APRN, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC, inspired Dr. White to attend Frontier Nursing University.

programs from her DNP project at her college. She has seen the impact of the pandemic on so many around her, including her students.

“For my students to be able to continue on through the pandemic and all the hurdles with trying to get clinical sites and all they have been through the last couple of years, I’m amazed by what they have been able to overcome,” she said. “For that reason, I am now working with the college to implement something similar to what I had put in place at the healthcare organization where I did my DNP project. Hopefully, we’ll spread that to the faculty and staff at the college as well.”

As she moves forward and the pandemic hopefully comes to an end, Dr. White hopes to resume mission trips. Past trips have included Ghana, Mongolia, Trinidad, China, and Cuba. Each trip leaves her feeling grateful and called to do even more.

“I have seen a lot of impoverished people, but people with great hearts,” she said. “We think that we have to have a certain standard of living and certain income to be happy and comfortable, but I’m always surprised and shocked at how happy and content people are in various places in the world that have very little resources. They find

“I understand the importance of students having strong clinical skills and having the extremely important knowledge base to provide primary care services for their patients,” Dr. White said. “But at the same time, I want to touch their hearts. You can teach anyone certain skills, but it’s harder to teach some of those things of the heart.

I want to live the example, and I want them to model that example. I want them to see me as caring, compassionate, and inspiring, someone who exhibits love for humanity and wants to understand people that are different from me and make sure that we’re doing the best we can to take care of everyone’s needs. I hope as an educator, I’m that way to them because I feel like I’m called there to serve them – a servant leader.

I hope that some of them will be nurse educators too.”

Editor’s Note: While this story focuses on the profound impact of mentors and mentees, Dr. White also wishes to acknowledge and thank those whom she calls “the most important people in my life – my husband (Rev. Chris White), kids (son John Christian White, daughter Courtney and her husband Jose Fiscal-Belli), and my grandkids (Silas, Rafael, Tennessee, and Legend)." In addition, her extended family has provided her tremendous support and encouragement, including her mother and stepfather, Virgil and Theresa Childress, stepmother Sherry Hagee, in-laws Wayne and Rose Barrington, brother Jonathan Hagee, and her father, John Hagee, Jr., who passed away during her DNP program. *White CH, Meier N, Swint C. The Implementation of a Stress Management Program for Health Care Workers Through a Rural Occupational Health Clinic.

Workplace Health & Safety. 2021;69(4):161-167. doi:10.1177/2165079920982406

Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 13

News and Notes

Commencement 2022 to be Held in Person

Commencement will be held Saturday, September 24, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. EST at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. Students with an official program completion date (conferred by the Registrar) since the last commencement ceremony in September 2021 are invited to participate as recognized graduates. Alumni Graduates whose degrees were conferred between 9.28.19 and 9.23.21 may also participate in commencement on 9.24.22 since our 2020 and 2021 ceremonies were held virtually due to the pandemic.

Dear Frontier Nursing University graduates whose commencements were celebrated virtually in 2020 or 2021, We know that not being able to attend your commencement ceremony in person was a disappointment to many of you. I, too, was heartbroken, as commencement is my single favorite event every year. It is so special to be able to celebrate your accomplishments and share the joyous moment with your family and friends who play such an important role in your journey.

While we hope you found some joy and happiness through our virtual commencement ceremonies the past two years, we know and agree that it is simply not the same as being there in person. That is why I am so excited to invite you to Commencement 2022 this fall.

We believe it will be safe for us to have an in-person commencement ceremony at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky, not far from our campus in Versailles.

Commencement 2022 will, of course, celebrate our most recent graduates, but we also want to honor those of you who graduated in the past few years. You will receive an RSVP request from the Commencement office in July, which will come to your FNU email inbox. With the form linked above, we are simply attempting to gauge interest. This will assist us in planning and preparing an event that will have special meaning for you and your classmates.

Also, if you have not already done so, we encourage you to stay connected with Frontier, your classmates, and fellow graduates via the FNU Alumni Facebook group, our monthly alumni e-newsletters, and the FNU Alumni Association. We are so proud of you, and you will always be part of the Frontier Nursing University community.

Thank you for your understanding and patience throughout the ups and downs of the past two years. Thank you also for your time and response to our survey. We truly hope that you will be able to join us this fall. We can’t wait to see you.

Sincerely,

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

14 Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin

Alumni Spotlight

National Academies of Practice Inducts Dr. Vicky Stone-Gale as a Distinguished 2022 Fellow program. “This organization works toward the common goal of working with all professions to advocate for quality healthcare for all individuals. This will only improve the outcomes of our patients, which is what is needed for everyone.”

Dr. Vicky Stone-Gale The National Academies of Practice (NAP) recently announced the election of Dr. Vicky Stone-Gale, DNP, APRN, FNPBC, FAANP, FNAP, as a Distinguished 2022 Fellow. Class of 2022 Fellows were welcomed into the National Academies of Practice during the awards and induction ceremony in San Diego, California, on March 5, 2022.

In the fall of 2020, Dr. Stone-Gale and her daughter Jennifer Stone, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, became the first APRNs licensed as autonomous advanced practice registered nurses in the state of Florida.

They received the good news after a house bill permitting select APRNs to practice in primary care was signed into law by the Florida governor earlier that year. The Autonomous Nurse Practitioner practices in primary care settings permitting the APRN to be independent of physician general supervision to provide care throughout Florida.

“To be elected by my peers as a Fellow of the National Academies of Practice is truly an honor,” said Dr. Stone-Gale, who is a Clinical Coordinator and Associate Professor in FNU’s Family Nursing

Founded in 1981, NAP is an interprofessional, nonprofit organization with membership representing a range of healthcare professions willing to serve as distinguished advisors to healthcare policymakers in Congress and elsewhere.

The mission of the National Academies of Practice is to serve as distinguished professionals advancing interprofessional healthcare by fostering collaboration and advocating policies in the best interest of individuals and communities.

and Osteopathic Medicine, Athletic Training, Audiology, Dentistry, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Optometry, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Podiatric Medicine, Psychology, Social Work, Speech-Language Pathology, and Veterinary Medicine.

Fellowship in the National Academies of Practice is an honor extended to those who have excelled in their profession and are dedicated to furthering interprofessional practice, scholarship, and policy in support of interprofessional care. The central purpose of NAP is to advise public policymakers on health care issues using NAP’s unique perspective -- that of expert practitioners and scholars joined in interprofessional dialogue and advocacy.

The academies within the National Academies of Practice include Allopathic

FNP Students Post Outstanding AANC Certification Pass Rates The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) recently announced the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) pass rates for 2021. Here is a look at how FNU students fared versus the national average: First-time pass rate for FNU FNP students: 100% First-time pass rates national average: 87.60%

Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 15

Faculty Publications/ Faculty Presentations

Faculty Publications Following is a list of articles and chapters recently published by FNU faculty members: Instructor Judith Butler, DNP, CNM, WHNP, CNE, and Instructor Kristin Gianelis, MSN, DNP

Judith Butler

Kristin Gianelis

Gianelis, KA, Butler, JM. Improving equitable access to inclusive sexual healthcare in a small urban college health setting. Nurs Forum. 2022; 1- 8. doi:10.1111/nuf.12708 Professor Anne Cockerham, Ph.D., CNM, WHNP-BC, CNE, FACNM, and Instructor Janet Engstrom, Ph.D., APRN, CNM, WHNP-BC, CNE

Instructor Diana Jolles, Ph.D., CNM Ross, L., Jolles, D., Hoehn-Velasco, L., Wright, J., Bauer, K. and Stapleton, S. (2022), Salary and Workload of Midwives Across Birth Center Practice Types and State Regulatory Structures. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 67: 244-250. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.13331 Associate Professor Janelle Komorowski, DNP, CNM, CNE Komorowski, J., Baker, V. (2022). The certified nurse-midwife in advanced nursing practice, (3rd ed.).

In Goudreau, K.A., and Smolenski, M.C. (eds.), Health Policy and Advanced Practice Nursing: Impact and Implications. Springer Publishing Company: New York, NY.

Anne Cockerham Janet Engstrom Anne Cockerham, A.Z., & Engstrom, J. (2020, Autumn). “See one, do one, teach one, and record your results accurately”: How and why the Frontier Nursing Service told its story with data. Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, 118, 545-589. ***Please note that the pandemic caused a change in the journal’s publishing schedule.

They elected to keep the original year (2020) although the issue was just published in January or February 2022.

16 Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin

Faculty Presentations: Following is a list of presentations by FNU faculty members: Associate Professor Megan Arbour, Ph.D., CNM, CNE, FACNM Walker, K., Arbour, M., Houston, J. (2022). In-Person Oral Presentation Title: Trauma-Informed Pedagogy: Instructional Strategies to Express Empathy and Facilitate Student Success. Podium Presentation.

Sigma Theta Tau 33rd international Congress, Scotland. July 2022.

Instructor Cathy Cook, DNP, CNM Implementing a PatientCentered Virtual Wellness Program in a Select Population During a Global Pandemic. [Virtual Poster Presentation].

Instructor Kathleen Halcomb, MSN, EdD, FNP-BC Halcomb, K. & Swint, C. (2022, July).

Backward Design: Developing a Virtual Simulation Course Improving APRN Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment.

[Podium Presentation] Sigma 33rd International Nursing Research Congress, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Halcomb, K (2022, April) Backward Design: The Creation of a Virtual Simulation Course to Improve Advanced Practice Nursing Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment. 48th Annual National Organization for Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF), Minneapolis, MN.

Instructor Diane John, Ph.D., APRN, FNP-BC, CNE John, D. & Stone-Gale, V. (2022, April). The Impact of Intimate Partner Violence in Women [Podium presentation]. 34th Annual Coalition Conference. Kentucky Association of Nurse Practitioners & Nurse-Midwives.

Dr. Diane John and PMHNP student Dorcas Adeniyi (right) with their poster presentation “Traumatic Stress: Clinicians Responding to Yesterday’s Events” at the Kentucky Association of Nurse Practitioners & Nurse-Midwives annual conference.

Instructor Diana Jolles, Ph.D., CNM Jolles (2021) Structural Racism: Accountability in Action Preterm Birth Prevention. Beyond Flexner Conference.

March 28-30th.

Phoenix, AZ. Poster Associate Professor Dr. Jeneen Lomax, DNP, APRN, CNM Lomax, J. (2022, April 27-30). Contraceptive Updates. Kentucky Association of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse-Midwives 34th Coalition Conference, Covington, KY.

Associate Professor Laura MannsJames, Ph.D., CNM, WHNP-BC, CNE, FACNM Manns-James, L.E. (2022, April 27-30).

Abnormal Uterine Bleeding: Solving the puzzle (conference presentation). Kentucky Association of Nurse Practitioners and NurseMidwives 34th Coalition Conference, Covington, KY. Fried, E., Howard, B., Manns-James, L., MacMorris, N., & Stallings, E. “Reducing Racism in Midwifery Education: Using the Program Content Toolkit - Workshop” Together Again: Creating Unity, Growth & Diversity in Midwifery, 67th Annual ACNM Meeting & Exhibition, May 20, 2022, Chicago, IL. Curriculum and Course Design Coach Audrey Perry, DNP Alexander-Delpech, P., Lewis., W. & Perry, A. (2022).

Leveraging the Voices of Nurse Practitioners to Facilitate Brave Conversations. Podium.

AANP National Annual Conference.

Associate Professor Vicky StoneGale, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, FAANP, FNAP Stone-Gale, V. & John, D. (2022). The Impact of Intimate Partner Violence in Women. Invited podium presentation, Kentucky Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Midwives, Covington, KY. April 29, 2022.

Stone-Gale, V. & Stone, J. (2022) Hormonal Imbalance and the Impact of Depressive Symptoms Among Women in Perimenopause and Beyond. Invited poster. Kentucky Association of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse-Midwives.

Covington, KY, April 28, 2022.

Stone-Gale, V. & Weiss, S. (2022, June) Mast Cell Disorders: More Common Than We Think. Poster presentation, American Association of Nurse Practitioners national conference, Orlando, FL. Associate Professor Eileen Thrower, Ph.D. and Associate Professor Charlotte Swint, DNP, MPH, FNP-BC, CNE

Eileen Thrower

Charlotte Swint

Thrower, E. J. B., & Swint, C. (2022, March). Building a Plane While Flying It: Responding to Rapidly Changing Needs in Healthcare. Accepted for presentation at Creating Healthy Work Environments 2022, Washington, DC. Instructor Kevin Scalf, DNP, PMHNP-BC Scalf, K. & Scalf, Y. (2022) Time to Focus on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Kentucky Association of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse-Midwives.

Covington, KY, April 28, 2022.

Scalf, K. & Scalf, Y. (2022) Bipolar Disorder in the Pediatric Population Speakers.

Kentucky Association of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse-Midwives. Covington, KY, April 28, 2022.

Charlotte Morris Presents at Virtual International Day of the Midwife Assistant Professor Dr. Charlotte E. Morris, DNP, CNM, FACNM. Presented “Second Victim Phenomenon: How Midwives Are Affected” at the Virtual International Day of the Midwife on May 5.

Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 17

Bobbi Silver

Introducing New Chief Advancement Officer Bobbi Silver to facilitate support for the institution in ways that they are passionate about. We want to treat people with respect and kindness and connect them to the university.”

Silver, who began her role as Frontier’s Chief Advancement Officer on March 28, 2022, brings nearly 20 years of experience in fundraising and marketing. Most recently, she served as the Director of Development at the Diocese of Lexington.

Prior to that, she was the Vice President of Philanthropy at the YMCA of Central Kentucky and worked in fundraising roles at the University of Kentucky.

On the surface, it is natural to assume that the role of an advancement officer is to raise money. It is true that fundraising is central to the position, but at its core, it is really about connecting and building relationships.

“People give to people,” said Frontier Nursing University Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) Bobbi Silver. “Yes, we need to provide important funding to our institutions, but it’s also important that we have meaningful connections with people

In each of those roles, she saw the value of connecting people to causes that were important to them. At Frontier, she found a cause that is important to her.

“I love Frontier’s mission and how it started in Eastern Kentucky, focusing on this unmet need to help people and families in rural areas,” Silver said. “Our purpose is to change the landscape and healthcare of rural and marginalized communities. I was also drawn to our commitment to diversity and

18 Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin

inclusion. Not all places follow through with their spoken intentions. At Frontier, we hold our feet to the fire. We are what we say we are, and that’s important to me.”

Commitment to service and purpose comes naturally to Silver, whose father served in the U.S. Army. He was on active duty during her childhood, which meant the family was frequently on the move. They lived in Belgium, Alaska, Colorado, and Virginia before moving back to Maryland, where her

“We want to connect with our alumni in a more intentional way. We want to get them on campus so they can see it and celebrate it. There’s a lot for our alumni and friends to be proud of. It’s a great time to get engaged. It’s an open invitation to call me and come visit.”

parents were originally from. After finishing high school, Silver graduated from McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. She found a job in Savannah, Georgia, where she met her husband, Matthew, who was stationed there as an Army Ranger. The couple made their way back to Kentucky, where Matthew’s parents lived.

Silver began working in a nonprofit setting early on in her career. Her first jobs out of college had been sales-related, but a position with a non-profit organization helped her find her true calling.

“I always had this yearning to do good for others,” said Silver. “When we moved to Kentucky, I looked for fundraising-related positions. My first job when we moved to Kentucky was fundraising and corporate support for WEKU (a non-profit radio station at Eastern Kentucky University).

From there, I moved into other roles where I worked with some great people and got to learn about the fundraising world.”

“Not all places follow through with their spoken intentions. At Frontier, we hold our feet to the fire. We are what we say we are, and that’s important to me.”

“Fundraising is caring about people, which fits perfectly with our Culture of Caring,” she said. “It’s meeting people and hearing about their journeys. Where were the stumbling blocks? What connections to the university helped them through those?

That’s my favorite part about fundraising.”

“Family connection is a number one priority for me,” Silver said. “I recognize how precious time is right now because my kids are growing up. Once they reach this teenage

Silver said that she wants to focus on building lifelong connections with students to keep them better engaged with the university throughout their careers and beyond.

“If I could say anything to the students, I would say philanthropy involves giving, but it’s not just that.

Philanthropy is about giving of ourselves and includes volunteering and giving back, lifting someone else up."

“If I could say anything to the students, I would say philanthropy involves giving, but it’s not just that. Philanthropy is about giving of ourselves and includes volunteering and giving back, lifting someone else up,” Silver said. “I recently watched a video in which Kitty Ernst said, ‘Don’t ever leave.’ I think that’s the perfect phrase. Stay connected.

Stay connected to your faculty. Become a preceptor. Give back with a scholarship. Lift someone else up. Look for alumni in your region you could connect with. Giving is important, but it’s not just about money.”

Silver intends to build deeper connections with alumni and hopes that many will come to visit the new Versailles campus.

Silver’s impressive record of success in development, alumni relations, external affairs, grants management, and marketing made her a strong candidate for Frontier’s CAO position. But it was her immediate connection to Frontier’s mission and culture that made her a natural fit.

“We want to connect with our alumni in a more intentional way,” she said. “We want to get them on campus so they can see it and celebrate it. There’s a lot for our alumni and friends to be proud of. It’s a great time to get engaged. It’s an open invitation to call me and come visit.”

“We are so excited to welcome her and her family to the Frontier community,” said FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, CNM, DNSc, FAAN, FACNM. “We know she will help us continue to grow and successfully fulfill our mission.”

Silver is quite active away from her work at the university. The Silvers have two children, Calvin, who is in college, and Eden, who is in high school and active in sports. Silver also enjoys hiking with Matthew and their dog and dreams of one day taking a trip to Scotland.

and low 20 age, time just tumbles over itself so much faster. I try to be more focused on living in the moment.”

Silver has already found a home at Frontier.

In just her first few months at the university, she feels connected to the university, its mission, and its people.

“I have found that this place has been incredibly welcoming, warm, and very encouraging to put yourself out there, learn, and take risks. That’s who we are,” she said. “I’m excited to be with this incredible faculty and wonderful staff. Everyone is happy to be here and to help in any way.

That sense of service speaks to my heart.

I want our department to be of service to others. Our goal is to support the university in all the ways we can, and I think we have a really great team that can do that.”

To do that, Silver wants to know why the members of the FNU community are passionate about Frontier. She wants to know their stories and how they got where they are.

Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 19

Alumni News & Notes University of North Dakota Names Maridee D. Shogren Interim Dean

Rebecca Feldman Gives ACNM Webinar Presentation

The University of North Dakota selected FNU alumnus Maridee D. Shogren, CNM, Class 17, as the interim dean for the College of Nursing & Professional Disciplines.

Shogren has worked within the College for 13 years and currently holds the rank of clinical professor.

“I am incredibly pleased to serve as the Interim Dean for the College of Nursing & Professional Disciplines,” Shogren said.

“We are a college rich with experienced administrators, faculty, and staff, and I am looking forward to collaborating with all three departments as we look to the future.”

In addition to teaching across the nursing curriculum and providing content expertise for other departments on campus, Shogren has held several administrative leadership roles at North Dakota, most notably as the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program director and chair of graduate nursing. She served as the graduate nursing department chair from 2014 to 2017 and as assistant to the interim graduate nursing chair from 2017 to 2018.

In addition to her academic role, Shogren has been a certified nurse-midwife for 21 years and a registered nurse since 1991. She has maintained an active clinical practice in a variety of roles and currently serves as a women’s health care consultant for the local Federally Qualified Health Center. Shogren also serves as the principal investigator for the Don’t Quit the Quit program, which addresses the opioid epidemic in rural North Dakota, supported by funding from the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts.

In February, Rebecca Feldman, CNM, Class 53, PMHNP, offered a webinar on Perinatal Psychopharmacology. The webinar, which was offered through the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), provided an update on psychiatric medication management during the perinatal period and included information regarding mental health needs during preconception, pregnancy, postpartum, and lactation.

Capital Region Midwifery Welcomes Carrie GordonStacey

Carrie Gordon-Stacey, MSN, CNM, Class 71, has joined Capital Region Midwifery in Troy, New York. She provides midwiferymodeled obstetrics and gynecology care.

Prior to joining Capital Region Midwifery, Gordon-Stacey was a nurse-midwife with Whitney Young Health Center in Albany, New York, and at the Department of Health in Guam.

Amanda Moorhouse Named Director of Johnson City Downtown Day Center

Feldman is the founder and director of Brooklyn Parent Support, a group mental health practice providing group and individual therapy and medication management. She is also an adjunct professor at New York University, providing lectures to the midwifery and psychiatric nurse practitioner programs.

20 Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin

Amanda S. Moorhouse, MSN, FNP, Class 61, has been named director of Johnson City Downtown Day Center ( JCDDC) after

serving as interim director since April 2021.

JCDDC, which is part of East Tennessee State University Health, is a Federally Qualified Health Center that provides Primary Care and Behavioral Health services to the community.

Katie Steele Joins Spectrum Health Medical Group

The Crossroads Center Welcomes Cathy Taylor

Katie Steele, MSN, CNM, Class 179, recently joined the Spectrum Health Medical Group OB-GYN team in Zeeland, Michigan. Steele, who now works as a certified nurse-midwife, previously worked as a registered nurse at Zeeland Community Hospital for 20 years, including 15 years in the Family Birth Center. Steele provides women’s wellness care, including annual well-woman exams, pregnancy care, menopause, preventative screenings, sexual health, and fertility.

Cathy Taylor, DNP, Class 18, recently joined The Crossroads Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, as a nurse practitioner. Dr. Taylor provides psychotherapy and medical somatic services, as well as medication management care for outpatient and residential patients.

Dr. Taylor, who has over eight years of experience as a nurse practitioner, has previously worked in family nursing, clinical care, treatment planning, and emergency medicine.

Moorhouse joined East Tennessee State University’s University Health Center in 2017, where she served for two years before transitioning to the JCDDC in 2019.

Before going to ETSU, she was an FNP with Medical Care in Johnson City and worked as a registered nurse with East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, Knoxville, and Laughlin Memorial Hospital, Greeneville.

Bridget Saulsbury Joins Hanford Women’s Health

Hanford Women’s Health, located in Hanford, California, recently welcomed Bridget Saulsbury, MSN, CNM, Class 139. Saulsbury has 24 years of nursing experience and has served as a labor and delivery nurse for the past eight years.

She provides gynecological care, family planning, prenatal care, labor and delivery, and postpartum care.

Saulsbury is a certified Neonatal Resuscitation Program Provider and is also affiliated with the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses; the Black Nurses Association; Sigma Theta Tau; and the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 21

Alumni News & Notes Ingrid Andersson Publishes Book of Midwifery Poems

Ingrid Andersson, CNM, Class 23, has published Jordemoder: Poems of a Midwife.

This collection of her poetry addresses the mysteries and the realities of birth, as well as themes of body autonomy, social justice, and climate change. Andersson has worked as a CNM in a private homebirth practice for 21 years.

Sarah Branson Releases Debut Novel

Sarah Branson, CNM, Class 5, has released her debut novel, A Merry Life, Book One of the Pirates of New Earth series. Set in the 24th century, the novel follows the adventures of Kat Wallace, a young woman who escapes enslavement to find a home on an island nation of pirates. It is available on Amazon and in bookstores everywhere.

22 Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin

Coming Soon: Alumni Survey 2022!

Frontier surveys their alumni one year and five years postgraduation. The Alumni Survey is designed to give graduates an opportunity to reflect upon their education at Frontier Nursing University after graduation. The information collected is used to identify strengths in our programs as well as areas that need further development.

This year we will be surveying alumni who graduated in winter 2021 and winter 2017. All participants will be entered into a drawing to win prizes from the FNU gift shop.

Please participate by checking your email and completing the survey.

If you do not receive an email with a link to the survey or prefer a paper copy, please contact the Director of Institutional Assessment at Marilyn.Lyons@Frontier.edu.

Thank you for taking the time to complete the survey and for your thoughtful responses.

Memorial Donations

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

Mary Elizabeth “Pat” Loane Mr. and Mrs. J. David Grissom Jan Weingrad Smith Lori Baden Lois Beserra Meredith Kane Joseph Martocci Denise Mulry Michelle Perry Jonathan Rodin

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.

Kristie Skovgaard Sandra Tomko Bill Wagner

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. To take advantage of all member services, please make sure we have your most recent contact information. Email us at alumniservices@frontier.edu.

Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 23

Mrs. Tia Andrew, Hamilton Parish, Bermuda Ms. Sarah Bacon, Brooklyn, NY Mrs. Andrea Begley, Hyden, KY Dr. Heather Bernard, Hamilton, NY Gov. Steven Beshear, Lexington, KY Mrs. Betty Brown, 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. John Dete, West Liberty, OH Mrs. Selby Ehrlich, Bedford, NY Mrs. Robert Estill, Raleigh, NC

CHAIR Michael Carter, DNSc, DNP New Orleans, LA VICE CHAIR Michael T. Rust Louisville, KY SECRETARY Wallace Campbell, Ph.D. Berea, KY TREASURER Emma Metcalf, RN, MSN, CPHQ Louisville, KY

Mrs. Noel Smith Fernandez, Pomona, NY Ms. Mary Ann Gill, Versailles, KY Mr. John Grandin, Chestnut Hill, MA Dr. Joyce Fortney Hamberg, Southgate, KY

Board Members

Dr. Horace Henriques, Lyme, NH

Carlyle Carter, Evanston, IL

Mr. & Mrs. John Hodge, Berwyn, PA

William (Bill) Corley, MHA, Carmel, IN

Mrs. Robin Frentz Isaacs, Lincoln, MA Mrs. Rosemary Johnson, Versailles, KY

Nancy Hines, Shepherdsville, KY

Mrs. Mary Carol Joseph, Hyden, KY

Jean Johnson, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, Cabin John, MD

Ms. Deborah M. King, Westport, MA

Marcus Osborne, MBA, Bentonville, AR

Mrs. Patricia Lawrence, Westwood, MA

Kerri Schuiling, Ph.D., CNM, FAAN, FACNM, Marquette, MI

Mrs. Marian Leibold, Cincinnati, OH Dr. Ruth Lubic, Washington, DC

Peter Schwartz, MD, Port St. Lucie, FL

Mr. William Lubic, Washington DC

Maria Small, MD, MPH, Durham, NC

Mr. Robert Montague, JD, Urbanna, VA

Nancy Fugate Woods, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, Seattle, WA

Mr. Wade Mountz, Louisville, KY

May Wykle, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, FGSA, Cleveland, OH

Dr. Judy Myers, Ph.D., RN, New Albany, IN Ms. Barbara Napier, Irvine, KY

Foundation Board Members

Ms. Sandra Napier, Stinnett, KY

Peter Coffin, Chair, Frontier Nursing Service, Inc Foundation, Chestnut Hill, MA

Dr. Spencer Noe, Lexington, KY Mr. Dean Osborne, Hyden, KY Mrs. Helen Rentch, Midway, KY

Derek Bonifer, Louisville, KY

Mrs. John Richardson, Washington, DC

Peter Schwartz, MD, Port St. Lucie, FL

Mrs. Linda Roach, Lexington, KY

Board Members Emeritus

Mrs. Georgia Rodes, Lexington, KY Mrs. Sandra Schreiber, Louisville, KY

John Foley, Lexington, KY

Maria Small, MD, MPH, Durham, NC

Marion McCartney, CNM, FACNM, Washington, DC

Mrs. Sherrie Rice Smith, Franklin, WI

Kenneth J. Tuggle, JD, Louisville, KY

Mrs. Austin Smithers, Lyme, NH Mrs. Robert Steck, Arlington, MA Mrs. Mary Clay Stites, Louisville, KY Mr. Richard Sturgill, Paris, KY Ms. Mary Frazier Vaughan, Lexington, KY Mrs. LouAnne Roberts Verrier, Austin, TX Dr. Patience White, Bethesda, MD Mr. Harvie Wilkinson, Lexington, KY Ms. Vaughda Wooten, Hyden, KY

24 Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin

Frontier Nursing University Special Knit Items Needed!

Homemade blankets and scarves continue to be very needed for our FNU Students. Frontier nursemidwifery students present a baby cap to the family of a baby whose birth they attend, and our nurse practitioner students present lap quilts or scarves to their patients. We have plenty of baby caps at this time but desperately need more blankets and scarves. The size needed for lap quilts is approximately 40 by 42 inches.

We greatly appreciate the many knitting groups and friends who send items to us. These items circle the globe as our students pass them on to women and families and share the story of the Frontier Nursing Service. It’s such a special way to pass on the vision and mission of Frontier.

Please send your donated items to:

Frontier Nursing University Attn: Dr. Joan Slager, Dean of Nursing 2050 Lexington Road Versailles, KY 40383

Listen to the FNU All-Access Podcast Seven episodes of the FNU All-Access Podcast are now available at frontier.edu/podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. Each episode is about 30 minutes long and features conversations on various topics with leaders from the Frontier community.

Episode 1: Get to know FNU President Dr. Susan Stone Episode 2: What the Heck is an RCF? Episode 3: What is the PMHNP, and Why is it Important?

Episode 4: The Courier Program Episode 5: Why the DNP Degree?

Episode 6: What’s So Special About Birth Centers?

Episode 7

Why Advocacy Matters and How to Be an Advocate Download it today at frontier.edu/podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.

Subscribe and review today!

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.edu/FNUgear Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin 25

Do you have a new mailing or email address?

Please let us know. Simply email us at FNUnews@frontier.edu.

26 Frontier Nursing University • Quarterly Bulletin

2050 Lexington Road Versailles, KY 40383 FNU@frontier.edu • 859.251.4700

Frontier.edu Our mission 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.