FNU

FRONTIER NURSING UNIVERSITY Summer 2016

Volume 91

Number 2

FNU Announces New Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program Program aims to respond to nation’s mental health services shortage

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction to FNU................................................................................1 The Journey – Dr. Susan Stone.................................................................2 Alumni Spotlight......................................................................................4 Courier Corner.........................................................................................6 Courier Spotlight......................................................................................9 Field Notes ..............................................................................................11 Beyond the Mountains...........................................................................16 Notes........................................................................................................17 Wendover Report....................................................................................20 Footprints................................................................................................23 In Memoriam..........................................................................................22 Tributes....................................................................................................23 Trustees...................................................................................................24 Board of Directors..................................................................................25 Your Gifts at Work..................................................................................27 Ways to Give............................................................................................29

US ISSN 0016-2116 Frontier Nursing Service Quarterly Bulletin (USPS 835-740, ISSN 00162116) is published at the end of each quarter by Frontier Nursing Service, Inc., 132 FNS Dr., Wendover, KY 41775. Periodicals Postage Paid at Hyden, KY, and at additional mailing offices. Subscriptions: $5 per year. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Frontier Nursing Service Quarterly Bulletin, 132 FNS Dr., Wendover, KY 41775. Copyright FNS, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Frontier does not share its donor mailing list.

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Introduction to Frontier Nursing University

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

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

How to Reach Us The Office of Development and Alumni Relations: Please direct questions, comments or updates to Denise Barrett, Director of Development, at (859) 899-2828 or send an e-mail to development@frontier.edu. The Wendover Bed & Breakfast Inn: The Big House, Mary Breckinridge’s home, is a licensed Bed & Breakfast Inn located at Wendover. For reservations or to arrange a tour, call Michael Claussen, Development Officer, at (859) 899-2707 or e-mail michael.claussen@frontier.edu. Group tours can be arranged, and we are always happy to set up tours for organizations and educational programs with an interest in nursing history and Appalachian studies.

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the journey

Applications now being accepted for the post-master’s Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program

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e are pleased to announce the official launch of a new program for nurses who desire to become psychiatric mental health nurse-practitioners. The first class beginning in January 2017 will offer a post graduate certificate for those who are already nurse-midwives or nurse practitioners. Beginning in 2018, we will offer the straight through option to nurses to attain a master of science in nursing with a focus in psychiatric mental health. Applications are now being accepted and are due October 10. Psychiatric-mental health nurses work with individuals, families and groups to assess mental health, diagnose and treat disorders, and ensure mental health care needs are being met. They work in a variety of health care settings including hospitals, primary care offices, mental health centers, and government facilities.

More than 90 million people in the United States are without access to mental health care.

As with many areas of nursing, there is a shortage of nurses who specialize in mental health, particularly in rural areas. The Health Resources and Services Administration reports that there are 4,382 Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas in the U.S. (2016). This translates to more than 90 million people in these areas without adequate access to mental health care. Two characteristics of the U.S. counties most associated with unmet mental health needs are low per capita income and rural areas. The behavioral health work-

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QUARTERLY BULLETIN force is not equipped in skills or in numbers to respond adequately to the changing needs in this country. Mental health conditions are drivers of disability, early death, community and societal burdens, and substantial economic costs. Our goal is to improve access to care by educating and offering advanced degrees to more nurses. It’s important to focus on both body and mind as we work to achieve better health and wellness for underserved women and families. Frontier Nursing University’s inaugural psychiatric-mental health track, launching in January 2017, is being offered as a post-master’s certificate for nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners who have a master’s degree and are seeking an additional specialty certification. Starting in January 2018, FNU will admit qualified applicants seeking a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) into the psychiatric-mental health program. All students will also have the option to complete a companion Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. The psychiatric-mental health program will admit students four times a year. Application deadlines and admissions requirements are available at Frontier.edu. Respectfully,

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

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alumni spotlight

Mimi Niles, CNEP Class 52

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imi (Paulomi) Niles, CNM, MSN, MPH knew she wanted to become a nurse-midwife beginning in her early twenties after traveling to India, the land of her heritage. According to Mimi, seeing Indian women through the lens of her “American Privilege” was eye opening. “I saw, felt and embodied the experience of sex discrimination with such a rawness—a kind I never truly felt or articulated growing up in New York City,” said Mimi. “I felt an activist rage and passion start to rise up in me and I began to know that my work on “It was a strategic the planet was to use my privilege as an educated decision for me to woman from the West to make life more equitable choose Frontier and just.” despite the option of

having three major midwifery programs here in NYC.”

When Mimi returned to the U.S. she went to Planned Parenthood for some gynecological care and was helped by a caring woman who made her feel peace during a confusing time of life. After learning she was a nurse-midwife, Mimi felt a fuse being lit inside of her. Her next 10 years became dedicated to becoming a nurse-midwife and advocating for women’s empowerment. She decided her next step was to enroll in FNU’s nurse-midwifery program. 4

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“It was a strategic decision for me to choose Frontier despite the option of having three major midwifery programs here in NYC,” said Mimi. “I chose Frontier because of the meaning and worth that Mary Breckinridge infused into serving the vulnerable.” Mimi began working in 1998 as a public health nurse in New York City in the footsteps of both FNU founder Mary Breckinridge and historic humanitarian, nurse and author Lillian Wald. She has been working in her current position as a nurse-midwife in Brooklyn for the past seven years. She is currently enrolled in the PhD program at New York University and is doing research on the issues facing the public health midwifery workforce in urban poor settings. “I have traveled to many countries as a midwife and I have been slowly becoming involved in midwifery organizations and advocacy groups,” said Mimi. “Everyday that goes by, I am thankful in my heart, body and soul that midwifery chose me to do this work! Like Sweet Honey in the Rock says, ‘When we work for freedom, we cannot rest.’ I have radical political integrity and I am not ashamed of that—if anything, being a midwife, has made that part of me stronger and bolder.”

“Like Sweet Honey in the Rock says, ‘When we work for freedom, we cannot rest.’ I have radical political integrity and I am not ashamed of that.”

Mimi was recently asked to speak as a representative from the American College of Nurse-Midwives to celebrate International Day of the Midwife (#IDM2016) at the Moms +SocialGood event which strives to connect the Global Moms community to leading experts, notable philanthropists, and a worldwide audience. The FNU community is proud to have alumni who are passionate for women’s health. Keep answering the call, Mimi!

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courier corner By Mandy Hancock, FNU Courier Program Coordinator

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n amazing summer has come to a close! I continue to marvel at the courageous, intelligent, and spirited young men and women who serve as Couriers. This summer, three young women and four young men made the treck to the hills of Eastern Kentucky to serve the clinics and people of Clay, Leslie, Jackson, and Perry counties. The work these young people completed in eight short weeks is nothing less than inspiring. This summer, Couriers worked with a total of 13 different organizations to round out their Courier experience. In addition to completing service work, Couriers completed comprehensive community health profiles of their respective areas to learn more about the complexities and health problems facing these counties. Through their service, Couriers learn more about rural health and communities, while assisting these organizations and clinics with special projects. Couriers reflect on their summer experience in their own words: “My knowledge of healthcare as a whole in rural and underserved populations has grown exponentially. I learned so much about the struggles that people face day to day in a rural environment with little resources.” “Through this internship I learned that quality health care does not start when a patient walks into the practitioner’s office. Instead, quality health care has everything to do with the daily living and the daily health challenges of local residents who see

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local practitioners. Public health concerns like the absence of clean water, the absence of grocery stores, or the absence of safe jobs are to be addressed by local practitioners and public health officials with urgency just as disease epidemics would be addressed with speed.” “I will absolutely recommend the courier program, along with Frontier Nursing University, to friends and family. It was very well organized and fills me with a proud spirit, that people are here in the world doing good things and inspiring others to give back. The world needs to know Appalachia better, and I hope the people I got to know this summer find jobs and earn good money and stay safe, or at least that things pick up in that region a bit. I gained so much and I think it will influence the rest of my career in healthcare, which is why I’ll give credit where credit is due, especially if I continue in nursing.” “I learned that privacy is a difficult thing in rural areas because everyone knows each other, and word gets around! I learned that not only are the people I worked and lived with very religious, but their spiritual beliefs inform their work, including how they treat patients. In such a homogeneous population such as Leslie County, this is a great thing—but cultural competency training is very important for dealing with people from different backgrounds and cultures. I learned that a passion for service and love for fellow people is the common thread among the healthcare providers and other employees I worked with; in these communities, no matter what significant challenges come up, they are always faced with fierce love and creative solutions. I learned so much! It is hard to encapsulate it all.”

Join us in welcoming our new VISTA member to the Courier Program! We are excited to host a VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) volunteer for the 2016-2017 year. Kiersten White will be assisting the Courier Program with programming, community relations, recruitment, health education and more! Kiersten received a BA in Theatre from Millikin University in 2016. From 20142016, she served as a Stage Manager at Kirkland Fine Arts Center in Decatur, IL. Over the past four years, she has had the opportunity to sing in eight European countries with the Sound of America Honor Chorus and the Berea College Concert Choir. Within the next five years, Kiersten hopes to move west to pursue her Masters in Arts Administration and open up her own theatre to work with children from lower income areas.

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Let’s Connect!

Once a Courier, Always a Courier! Like us on Facebook! Share your story! I want to capture your memories! Contact me at courier.program@frontier.edu for an interview. Host a “high tea” at your home, in the spirit of Mary Breckinridge. I will help you plan it! Come home to Wendover! Visit the place where your journey began! I will meet you for tea! The new wooden staircase at Wendover

Check out our website at www.frontier.edu/courier

Join the Wide Neighborhoods Program and be an ambassador in your state.

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courier spotlight

Sally Hamby, Courier, 1974 Sally Hamby is one of the many Couriers who has contributed to Frontier’s legacy. You can read about Sally’s experiences as a Courier in the Autumn 1974 Bulletin. We recently had the privilege of catching up with Sally. Below you will see how the Courier experience has affected Sally in her own words. What year(s) did you serve? I served in the fall of 1974. Where are you originally from? I am originally from Washington, D.C., where I grew up in a family with ties to Washington, D.C. and to South Carolina. The mothers of a number of my friends had been couriers, and when I was a teenager Mrs. Neel showed us the film on FNS. From that point on I was determined to be a courier. It didn’t happen until I was 23, already a year out of college and before graduate school. I was relatively old for a courier. Where do you currently reside? I currently divide my time among South Carolina, Washington, D.C. and Tuscany. What other involvement have you had with Frontier? My then-15 year old daughter and I visited FNS in January 2010 and stayed in my old courier quarters as the Big House was under-going renovation. We had meals with the workmen, we went by the Flat Creek outpost which is now a private house, we went around Hyden, to Berea etc. Seeing this part of the USA and the work of FNS made an important impression on her. I have remained involved with FNS because, as I observed 41 years ago, it is an organization that realizes its ideals and doesn’t waste its resources. FNS spends funds wisely and does not use donations to pad the pockets of employees but rather puts the money to good use. Tell us a little about you: I am a mother, a performing musician specializing in renaissance music, a teacher, and a writer.

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How did the Courier Program impact you, your life and your vocational direction? My experience as a courier was an important one in my life. I often marvel at the way Sue Brezec (now Krech), the young Flat Creek district nurse from Cleveland, and I, 22 and 23 years old respectively, had so much responsibility for the health of the people in our district. My first few weeks as a courier were spent at Wendover, and then Katie Ireland sent me to live at Flat Creek to help Sue who was only 22 and was alone. Most of the other outposts had more nurse-midwives and ones who were at least slightly older. Sue was a great nurse-midwife, fresh out of college. We are still in touch today. In addition, I did rounds on Fridays served tea at Wendover and showed guests around, took little Della Feltner for chemotherapy treatments, drove Anna May January and others to Lexington and Louisville, and once helped in the operating room at the hospital in Hyden. My biggest regret is that since the birth-rate had fallen I never saw or assisted with childbirth. Although there was guidance from Wendover/Hyden, Sue and I were on our own and handled many emergencies and day-to-day problems without direct supervision. Sue usually delegated the “psychiatric” cases to me, and it was I who had to take a Jeep up a creek bed to talk to someone who was depressed or who didn’t understand a diagnosis or how or why they needed to take prescribed medicines. Lola Sizemore worked as the secretary at Flat Creek, and I enjoyed becoming friends with her and keeping in touch for many years. One of the “side benefits” of my courier days is that through Katie Ireland’s training and my daily experience I became a first-rate driver of manual shift vehicles and even today there is no driving situation that I can’t handle. I can’t say the courier program directly affected my career, but the experience helped to shape me as a person in terms of feeling confident in difficult situations and in showing compassion. What do you feel is the legacy of the Courier Program? The FNS legacy is that of a small and extremely effective organization that can help people and effect change using very few material sources under difficult circumstances. It was the human talent that made FNS great, and I would hate to see that quality be lost.

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field notes

Frontier Connections

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here are many ways to stay up to date with the latest news and events from Frontier Nursing University. Please email development@frontier.edu to sign up to receive the monthly e-newsletter. The monthly e-news provides quick updates and announcements, event dates and locations, and more. We also encourage you to “like” Frontier Nursing University on Facebook to read about current students, alumni stories, and other exciting news on a daily basis. Alumni can join the FNU alumni group on Facebook. We also have special social media pages for Wendover, the Couriers of Frontier Nursing, and an FNS Pictorial History page — email us if you need help linking up on social media! Finally, read spotlights and important news at the FNU Blog: https://portal.frontier.edu/web/fnu/blog/. We encourage you to join us online to stay up to date with all the latest news from Frontier Nursing University!

Frontier Nursing University Receives $499,871 in Grant Funding from HRSA Frontier Nursing University has been awarded grant funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Advanced Education Nursing Traineeship (AENT) program in the amount of $350,000 and the Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) in the amount of $149,871. The AENT program will allow Frontier to award funding for traineeships to more than 100 students in the 2016-2017 year. This assistance is provided to nurse-midwifery and nurse practitioner students in financial need with priority for students living and planning to work in federally designated rural counties and medically underserved areas. The purpose of NFLP is to increase the number of qualified nursing faculty to facilitate education of the nurses needed to address the nursing workforce shortage. FNU will provide NFLP funds to students who plan to complete the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and wish to work as faculty at an accredited school of 11

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nursing after graduation. The program offers partial loan forgiveness for borrowers that graduate and serve as full-time nursing faculty for the prescribed period of time. The loan recipients may cancel 85 percent of the loan over four years in return for serving full-time as faculty in any accredited school of nursing. “We are thrilled to be able to continue to provide financial assistance to our students. We know what a challenge it is for our students to balance a family life with obtaining a degree, and we don’t want them to have any more financial hardship than is necessary,” said Dr. Susan Stone, FNU President.

Four New Jonas Scholars Selected The nationally recognized Jonas Center for Nursing and Veterans Healthcare, which aims to advance scholarship, leadership and innovation in the nursing field, provides financial support to nursing students and introduces them to leaders in their chosen fields and interests, connecting them to a powerful network of resources. Thus far, the Jonas Center has awarded scholarships for six Jonas Scholars in our post-master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program over the past four years and will support four new Jonas Scholars in 2016-2018. Those scholars include: Ana Verzone, FNP, CNM (Alaska) is committed to the Alaska Native population and other underserved populations and has a love of teaching. Ana says, “Alaska is a traditionally underserved state and I am passionate about bringing quality healthcare and nurse leadership to the area. I would be honored to step into a leadership role here.“ Lana Bernat, CNM (Hawaii) was selected as a Jonas Veteran Scholar. “As a former Army Nurse and as a civilian nurse serving in the Department of Defense, I understand the healthcare challenges faced by Veterans and their families. My passion for leadership, education, and quality in every position helped me develop and influence others to perform to their full potential. Together we were able to improve systems and make a difference for countless patients and families.” Erica Burkhart, FNP (Maine) currently teaches for the University of New England and St. Joseph’s College in Maine taking nursing students to the mental health unit for their clinical experience. She aspires to work both clinically and academically in her career, stating, “It is crucial, as a nurse, to understand how to advocate for the profession of nursing and work with other nurses to make 12

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changes on both an individual level and a systems level. I find teaching equally as rewarding as working with patients, and to me, education is a vital contribution to the future of the profession.” Cassie Belzer, CNM (Montana) has a full scope midwifery practice in Montana with two nurse-midwives and approximately 100-120 deliveries per month in a hospital-based setting. They are the only nurse-midwives with hospital privileges within 300 miles. She says, “Getting my DNP will help me to become a leader in my community, allowing me to propose change that will aide in the accessibility to care. I work in a large organization that has the funding to do outreach and make a difference in the care of women and children in rural Montana.” Our Jonas Scholars have already made significant changes in their communities, from introducing nitrous oxide for pain relief in childbirth in Maine, to recruiting more Native Americans into nursing, and establishing a program to support the postpartum health of women with deployed military spouses. We are confident that we will continue to see these Jonas Scholars grow into leaders in their fields and change agents for their communities.

Dr. Anne Cockerham presents at the Kentucky Heritage Society On Wednesday, July 20, FNU Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Dr. Anne Cockerham, presented to a group of over 100 people at the monthly Food for Thought Forum at the Kentucky Heritage Society in Frankfort. The topic of discussion was the FNU Courier Program. In 2014, Dr. Cockerham published Unbridled Service, Growing up and Giving Back as a Frontier Nursing Service Courier, 1928-2010.

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Dr. Anne Cockerham

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Nicholson and Barroso inducted as ACNM Fellows Dr. Tonya Nicholson, DNP, CNM, WHNPBC, FACNM, CNE and Dr. Rebeca Barroso, DNP, CNM, APRN, FACNM were inducted as American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) fellows. Dr. Nicholson is the Associate Dean of Midwifery and Women’s Health and Dr. Barroso is an Assistant Professor. Fellowship in the American College of NurseMidwives (FACNM) is an honor bestowed upon midwives whose demonstrated leadership, clinical excellence, outstanding scholarship, and professional achievement have merited special recognition both within and outside of the midwifery profession. FACNM represents the commitment of the ACNM to honor their own. In light of the vast wealth of expertise and collective wisdom represented within the body of Fellows, its mission is to serve the ACNM in a consultative and advisory capacity. Dr. Tonya Nicholason (left) and Dr. Rebeca Barroso

Peter Schwartz, FNU Board member, elected to prestigious American Medical Association’s Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs Dr. Peter Schwartz was elected to be one of eight physicians on the American Medical Association’s Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs. The Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs maintains and updates the 171 year old medical ethics code and promotes professional ethical standards set out in the code through its judicial function. The AMA has 217,000 doctors.

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Susan Stone elected to FSIL Board of Directors Susan Stone, President of FNU, has joined the Board of Directors for the Faculty of Nursing Science of the Episcopal University of Haiti or FSIL (Faculté des Sciences Infirmières de l’Université Episcopale d’Haïti). FSIL is the first four-year baccalaureate school of nursing in Haiti. FNU formed a partnership with FSIL last fall. FNU is assisting FSIL in development of a program to train Haitian nurses as nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners.

Lexington Legends host Frontier Nursing University Faculty and staff headed out to the Lexington Legends ball park on June 30th. As Community Organization of the Night, Frontier Nursing University was able to help educate others in the community about our mission and the roles of advanced practice nurses. It was a great night for a baseball game!

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Julie Marfell, Dean of Nursing, threw the first pitch of the game

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beyond the mountains

Annual receptions held at ACNM and AANP

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Frontier staff celebrate with Kitty Ernst

he American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM) 61st annual conference was held in Albuquerque, New Mexico on May 21-26th. Frontier Nursing University was well represented throughout the conference as many faculty, staff, alumni, students, and preceptors stopped by our booth and attended the evening reception to celebrate Kitty Ernst’s 90th birthday.

We once again gathered alumni and friends in fellowship and to celebrate Kitty Ernst, during the American Association of Nurse Practitioners national meeting in San Antonio, Texas. More than 50 guests gathered for an early morning breakfast birthday party!

PRIDE Students represent Frontier at the National Black Nurses Association Meeting Our PRIDE student ambassadors, Homecia St. Clair-Hill, CNEP Class 130, and Essence Williams, CNEP Class 140, represented FNU at the National Black Nurses Association Conference in Memphis, TN in July. In addition to attending the conference, Essence Williams was also invited to speak. l to r: St. Clair Hill, Wilvena Bernard, Diversity PRIDE Program Coordinator, Essence is a public health nurse for Philadel- and Williams phia Nurse Family Partnership and will graduate from FNU’s Certified Nurse-Midwifery program in 2018. She was recently selected to be the student speaker at the National Black Nurses Association’s 44th Annual Institute and Conference. Her abstract proposal was selected among hundreds of student submissions from across the U.S. to be presented at the conference. She had the opportunity to share her presentation at Diversity Impact 2016, titled “Reducing Stress and Infant Mortality in African American Women.”

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NOTES Jill Alliman, CNM, DNP, course faculty at Frontier Nursing University, will be the CNM Representative on the Tennessee Scope of Practice Task Force commissioned by the State Legislature to work toward a plan for full scope practice for APRNs in the state. FNU Associate Professor, Tia Andrighetti, DNP, CNM, CHSE recently passed the certification for Healthcare Simulation Educator. Susan Stone and Denise Barrett enjoyed visiting with 1968 Courier, Ellen Bayard, while in Albuquerque for the ACNM conference. Ellen has remained a great supporter of Frontier and most recently served on the Courier Advisory Committee. FNU Student, Heidi Carter RN, ADN was recently selected as a new Student Legislative Contact for the American College of Nurse-Midwives. Heidi is nurse-midwifery student from CNEP/ Bridge Class 129. Amy DeSorgher, CNM has joined The Women’s Health Center in Pennsylvania, part of a federally qualified health center (FQHC). Denise Barrett had a lovely visit with 1977 Courier, Laura Ellis, who now resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico. After a 15 year career as a family nurse practitioner, Laura now pursues her painting as a full-time artist. Valerie Floro, CNEP Bridge Class 92 began a new position as a CNM with NOMS Healthcare in Sandusky, Ohio. Anna Nieboer, CNEP Class 143 sent the following announcement on the birth of their son: “We welcomed our third child, Hendrik Lee Nieboer, after a quick two and half hour labor, at home. Joan Slager, CNEP Class 1 graduate and FNU distinguished service award recipient, arrived at our house just in time to safely guide him out and hand him to me. It was a beautiful birth and we are so thankful Joani was there to help.” She adds a message to current CNEP students to “keep pursuing excellence in Midwifery because it is a blessing to women and their families!” 17

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Former Courier Program Coordinator Nancy Reinhart graduated from Jefferson Community and Technical College nursing school on May 9, 2016. She was pinned at her pinning ceremony with the FNU pin from the endowment campaign. She has started working at Clark Memorial Hospital as a nurse in the Women’s Health Center and hopes to attend the FNU CNM program within the next year. Thanks to FNU Alumnus, Gemma Smith (CFNP Class 62) for representing our university at the Alaska Nurses Association Education and Career Fair on May 12th in Anchorage, AK. Gemma currently works for the State of Alaska, Department of Correction as an Inmate Health Care Officer. Laura Ann Wheeler, daughter of Jamie Wheeler (Clinical Site Facilitator) and Joel Wheeler, made her entrance into the world Friday, May 13, at 7 lbs, 14 oz, and 20 inches. Big sister Ellen seems ready for her new job. Denise Wilks, CNEP Class 106, was featured in a Main Line Health article for working with a team to offer “gentle c-section” service to patients at Bryn Mawr Hospital in Bryn Mawr, PA. Read the full article at http://blog.mainlinehealth.org/community/new-technique-offers-moms-a-more-meaningful-birth-experience/. Congratulations to Andrew Youmans, Bridge Class 129, on his election as the Student Representative to the American College of Nurse-Midwives Board of Directors. FNU Associate Professor, Susan Yount, PhD, CNM, WHNP-BC, FACNM, was recently appointed as ACNM’s representative as committee member on the Data and Safety Monitoring Board of the Pelvic Floor Disorders Network (PFDN), funded by the National Institutes of Health.

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Reflections from the post-master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice Program

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tudents in Frontier’s post-master’s DNP program submit reflections on their journey as part of the curriculum. We are amazed by the changes being implemented in communities across the country as part of the DNP education and project implementations. Here are just a couple of examples of these students becoming change agents in their communities. Traci Robinson CNM “I cannot believe I am sitting here writing this reflection. My growth as a person, nurse, midwife, and leader has been substantial these last few months. I used the quality improvement theory at my clinical site and evaluated the gaps in the evidence and literature for teamwork and team communication. I realized how ineffective communication was between the birth center and hospital. I came up with a model for improvement including a report tool package, a new process, and implemented a protocol for the birth center and hospital. In gathering evaluation from three midwives, hospitalist, the hospital director, manager, and over 100 nurses, I have realized that I did make an impact at the local level. I have been invited to speak on a talk show about the process change and have been encouraged to multiply this process at other locations.” Jessica Blount, WHNP “This term I truly felt like a DNP student as I took the IHI plan and made it a reality on my unit. The implementation of my project and working with real data was an awesome learning experience. It was also a gratifying process to see the improvements in teach back application while knowing that the results were directly related to my PDSA cycles. I found the project to be enlightening, easy to follow,and effective. I liked how the frequent monitoring and small adjustments were able to successfully reinforce and hardwire an evidence based skill on a unit where it had failed just one year ago. I now appreciate the project and the implementation phase: I feel like this is a sustainable skill for DNP students to apply in real practices to make necessary changes stick and improve patient care. By experiencing the trials and challenges of implementation in the protected school environment, with an instructor and mentor, I feel seasoned and am more willing to do it again on my own.”

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wendover report

Hosting a family reunion at Wendover Contributed by: Angela Bailey, Associate Director of Development and Alumni Relations

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he Big House at Wendover is a special place to many individuals for many different reasons. For me, it is a symbol of my family and the community they hold dear. I grew up hearing stories about Mary Breckinridge and the FNS The Bailey and Pennington Family at the Big House nurses. In fact, many of my family members were delivered by those wonderful nurses in their small cabin homes or at the “old hospital on the hill.� It was not until after I began working with FNU that I discovered my father and many of our family members had never been to the Big House. This year I decided to remedy that situation. As a birthday gift to my father, we organized a Pennington Family Luncheon on May 28th, 2016 at the Big House. Over 25 individuals attended, most of which had never been inside the Big House. My heart swelled with pride as I walked through the rooms of the Big House with my family. They recognized the nurses in pictures on the walls, told stories about Mary Breckinridge, the midwives and couriers of FNS and connected for me our family roots to the roots of the organization I am so thankful to be a part of today. The day was made perfect as we settled around the table and sang Amazing Grace before enjoying a wonderful lunch. This will not be the last time we gather at Wendover. We plan to make the Pennington Family Reunion an annual event at the Big House. You too can make family memories at the Big House! Contact Michael Claussen at michael.claussen@frontier.edu for more information.

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The Wendover Bed and Breakfast Inn Update Our wonderful bed and breakfast has a few new updates. Thanks to a gift from Dr. Michael Carter, Chairman of the FNU Board of Directors, a beautifully sounding piano now resides in the Big House living room. A business center (desktop computer and printer) has been added to the Betty Lester Room. Guests continue to discover our treasure in the mountain. We were honored this summer to have Shirley Ferguson, the author of Birth Cry, The story of the first student of the Frontier Graduate School of Midwifery, Hannah Mitchell, visit FNU and Wendover with her husband Mack. Acclaimed Kentucky author and poet, Constance Alexanleft: Constance Alexander; der joined us at the Big House in July. We right: Shirley and Mack Ferguson also hosted 45 faculty and staff from Berea College as part of their annual Appalachian Tour. Nursing students and faculty from Eastern Kentucky University and Indiana Wesleyan University also took part in the Frontier tour this summer.

Handmade Baby Caps, Scarves and Blankets Update FNU is always in need of handmade baby caps, scarves and lap quilts that we give to our Frontier students at the Wendover celebration dinner during Clinical Bound. Below is a list of recent contributors to this important project: Church of the Redeemer, Baltimore City, MD Catherine Dodds, grandmother of Courier Lee Ann Adesheim Susan Dow Johnson Class 3 CNEP Christine Palmer Harriet Palmer Second Presbyterian Church, Lexington, KY

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footprints With the start of the new Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program coming to FNU in 2017, it is interesting to reflect back to the very first FNP program that the Frontier School started in the Summer of 1970. Frontier aims to continue to be innovators in advanced nursing education and on the forefront of providing the access to care needed in the communities we serve.

FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONER PROJECT Progress Report by Helen E. Browne In the Frontier Nursing Service program for Family Nursing, we will prepare a nurse who can function as a clinical specialist within the field of nursing. At the same time we realize that we cannot educate such a nurse without our good friends in the medical profession who are needed to help teach this nurse that part of her future role which will enable her to extend primary health care to families in need. Our aim is to develop the team approach with the physician and the nurse working closely together so that the families may have wellcoordinated continuity of care. By expanding the role of nursing we hope we will bridge the gap that exists between the traditional role of medicine and nursing.

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in memoriam Florence Booker Rawleigh died on May 22, 2016, at The Episcopal Church Home in

Louisville, Kentucky, five days before her ninety-sixth birthday. She was a graduate of Louisville Collegiate School and attended Bennington College in Vermont. A former trustee of the Frontier Nursing Service in Wendover, KY, she was a member of the Filson Club, the Nature Conservancy and the Junior League of Louisville. She is survived by her daughter, Elizabeth Forbush (Byron) of Baltimore, MD, and her son, Michael Kean Rawleigh (Camilla) of Gettysburg, PA; eight grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband of 62 years, James Nester Rawleigh, Jr., and by her son, James Thomas Rawleigh. The family requests that memorial donations be made to Frontier Nursing University or to The Episcopal Church Home, Louisville, KY.

tributes The following people gave contributions to Frontier in memory of their friends or loved ones. The names in bold are the deceased. Mary Breckinridge Mary Pauline Fox Jane H Hope Jane Tyrrell Kate Ireland William Leach

Frances MacAusland Nursing Staff from Dana Farber South Shore Radiation Oncology Elsie R McMillian Anne Morrison

Florence Rawleigh Catherine Price Bass Rosemary Drybrough Elizabeth Gray Martha Kannapell Susan Schumacher Mary Webb

The following people gave contributions to Frontier in honor of their friends or loved ones. The names in bold are the honorees. Kitty Ernst Denise Barrett Nadene Brunk Manya Schmidt

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trustees Mrs. Tia Andrew, Hamilton Parish Ms. Sarah Bacon, Brooklyn, NY Mrs. Heather Bernard, Hamilton, NY Gov. Steven Beshear, Lexington, KY Mrs. Betty Brown, Louisville, KY Dr. Wallace Campbell, Berea, KY Miss Anna Carey, Hyden, KY Ms. Carlyle Carter, Evanston, IL Mrs. Jean Chapin, Oldwick, NJ Dr. Holly Cheever, Voorheesville, NY Mrs. Lois Cheston, Topsfield, MA Mrs. John Dete, West Liberty, OH Mrs. Selby Ehrlich, Bedford, NY Mrs. Robert Estill, Raleigh, NC Mrs. Noel Smith Fernandez, NY Mr. John Grandin, MA Dr. Joyce Fortney Hamberg, Southgate, KY Dr. Horace Henriques, Lyme, NH Mr. & Mrs. John Hodge, Berwyn, PA Mrs. Robin Frentz Isaacs, Lincoln, MA Ms. Deborah M. King, Dedham, MA Mrs. Patricia Lawrence, Westwood, MA

Mrs. Henry Ledford, Big Creek, KY Mrs. Marian Leibold, Cincinnati, OH Mrs. Joan Lambert McPhee, Potomac, MD Mr. Wade Mountz, Louisville, KY Dr. Spencer Noe, Lexington, KY Mrs. Frank O'Brien, Boston, MA Mr. Dean Osborne, Hyden, KY Mrs. Helen Rentch, Midway, KY Mrs. John Richardson, DC Mrs. Linda Roach, Lexington, KY Mrs. Georgia Rodes, Lexington, KY Mrs. Sandra Schreiber, Louisville, KY Mrs. Austin Smithers, Lyme, NH Mrs. Robert Steck, Arlington, MA Mrs. Mary Clay Stites, Louisville, KY Dr. W. Grady Stumbo, Hindman, KY Mr. Richard Sturgill, Paris, KY Ms. Mary Frazier Vaughan, Lexington, KY Mrs. LouAnne Roberts Verrier, New York, NY Dr. Patience White, Bethesda, MD Mr. Harvie Wilkinson, KY

Save the Date

Annual Frontier Trustees meeting to be held Thursday, October 27th at 10:00 am at Wendover. Please reply attendance to Denise Barrett (859) 899 2828 or by email denise.barrett@frontier.edu

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

Pictured l to r: Ken Tuggle, Wallace Campbell, Marion McCartney, Della Deerfield, Phyllis Leppert, Jean Johnson, Nancy Fugate-Woods, Michael Carter, and Peter Schwartz Not pictured: Michael Rust, John Foley, Kitty Ernst, Nancy Hines, Kerri Schuiling, May Wykle, and Robert Montague

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Please join us in welcoming two new members to the FNU Board of Directors Dr. May L. Wykle, Ph.D. is Dean Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. She is a past president of Sigma Theta Tau International, the national nursing honor society. Dr. Wykle’s distinguished career includes positions as visiting professor, University of Zimbabwe, University of Michigan and University of Texas; assistant professor, psychiatric nursing, Case Western Reserve University; project director, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Teaching Nursing Home; and chairperson/director, psychiatric-mental health nursing, University Hospitals of Cleveland. She has authored or coauthored eight books, 30 book chapters and more than 500 papers on nursing, mental health/psychiatric care, geriatrics and gerontology. Internationally, she has participated as visiting professor or presenter in Australia, Botswana, Chile, Italy, Mexico, Slovenia, Taiwan, Uganda, Denmark, England, Ireland, Hungary and Zimbabwe. Dr. Wykle holds a PhD, a MSN and a BSN from Case Western Reserve University, and a diploma from the Ruth Brant School of Nursing, Martins Ferry, Ohio. Dr. Kerri Schuiling holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, master's degree from Wayne State University, baccalaureate degree from NMU, and her midwifery certificate through Frontier’s program. She is certified as both a women's health nurse practitioner and nursemidwife. Kerri currently serves as Provost and Vice President, Academic Affairs at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan. She has also served as dean of NMU's College of Health Sciences and Professional Studies. Schuiling has also held positions as the Dean of Oakland University’s School of Nursing and Associate Dean and director of NMU's School of Nursing. She served FNU for seven years as Education Director and Curriculum Coordinator providing the basis for the excellent curriculum delivered by FNU today. Dr. Schuiling has received several awards for her work in women's health including induction as a fellow in the American College of Nurse-Midwives and recipient of the ACNM'S Kitty Ernst award. She is co-editor of the book Women’s Gynecologic Health, is on the editorial board of the journal Applied Nursing Research and is the founding co-editor of the International Journal of Childbirth. She has published more than 42 peer reviewed papers and book chapters.She is currently on the statewide Task Force for Nursing Practice and chair of the Research Standing Committee of the International Confederation of Midwives. Most recently she was selected for induction as a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, one of the profession’s most prestigious honors.

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your gifts at work

Diversity Impact Weekend

F

NU has held five annual Diversity Impact Weekend events since the PRIDE Initiative began in 2011. PRIDE is a program of FNU designed to recruit and retain students of color in order to diversify the advanced nursing and midwifery workforce in America. The ultimate goal is to improve the healthcare provided to our Four of the summer Couriers arrived early increasingly diverse populations. Diversity to participate in Diversity Impact weekend Impact weekend serves as the flagship event to PRIDE, striving to foster a sustained commitment to diversity among nurse practitioners and nurse-midwives. The purpose of Diversity Impact is to ensure that nurse practitioners and nursemidwives understand the challenges and opportunities offered by diversity in rural and underserved healthcare systems. Diversity Impact weekend leaves PRIDE students and attendees with a deep appreciation for the need for diversity and cultural-competence in healthcare settings, which more often than not is within their own communities. One student emphasizes her goal for joining PRIDE to enhance her patient-provider relationships: “…my ignorance, and experience with minimally diverse cultures puts me at a great disadvantage. How can I effectively teach, support, or care for women and their families if I do not know how they prefer to be taught, supported or cared for? I believe that being a PRIDE member, and attending the Diversity Impact event, I am able to learn valuable tools and information that will help guide me to achieve these goals… I will learn how to better serve various cultures and thus learn how to best treat my patients when I am an advanced practice nurse.” - Justina Polvere, CNEP, PRIDE Program, FNU The 6th Annual Diversity Impact Weekend (DIW) event was held on June 3-5, 2016 in Hyden, Kentucky, where Frontier Nursing University (FNU) students, alumni, faculty and staff united for fellowship, networking, cultural awareness activities, and discussions related to increasing diversity in nursing and midwifery. Educational sessions were led by FNU faculty members, addressing a range of diversity topics from environment and health, gender diversity, religious diversity, vulnerable populations, race and patient care, LGBT health, politics and health, and health disparities. The keynote address was provided by Dr. Lily Hsia, CNM, CPNP, FACNM, who has over 30 years of experience with the SUNY Downstate Midwifery 27

FRONTIER NURSING UNIVERSITY

Education Program. Her efforts have allowed hundreds of students to attain low-cost midwifery education and helped educate a significant population of midwives of color practicing in the U.S. today. As current policy calls for extended diversity training to deliver effective care, this event provided training and professional experience to meet the needs of the populations they serve. Creative discussions were held regarding how diversity and the disparities in access to health care among minority and ethnic populations directly affect policy implementation within students’ local communities. Participants, and their patients alike, gained from the information discussed concerning diversity and disparities among racial and ethnic minorities. The PRIDE Initiative and Diversity Impact event are partially sponsored through donations from individuals, sponsorships and grants. We thank our 2016 sponsors, Anthem, Southeast Printing, and Minority Nurse. The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky also provided grant support for the 2016 conference. FNU provides stipends to students to help pay for their travel to this important event. Students attend Diversity Impact as an added educational experience above and beyond their curriculum and studies. Please consider giving a donation to the PRIDE Initiative and support Diversity Impact weekend and other important PRIDE programs.

Make a gift today at www.frontier.edu or contact development@frontier.edu or 859-899-2828 for more information on donating to FNU’s PRIDE Initiative.

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Ways to Give: A Lasting Investment Your investment in Frontier Nursing University is an investment in quality healthcare for all. There are many ways you can support FNU. Gifts ranging from donations for operations to trust instruments to testamentary gifts each provide much needed support for our work. Some of the more common methods are: • A  nnual Fund Donations: Gifts may be made by check or credit card and can support the general operations of FNU, or be restricted to particular programs. You can use the enclosed remittance envelope or make a gift online at www.frontier.edu/ online-giving. • S  tock Gifts: You can donate your appreciated stock directly to FNU. Please call the Office of Development for instructions. • C  haritable Remainder Trusts: These gift instruments allow you and/or your loved ones to benefit from monies placed in the trust during your/their lifetime. Upon the death of the named beneficiary, the remaining balance in the trust is transferred to FNU. • P  erpetual Income Trusts: These gift instruments allow the income from monies you place in trust to benefit FNU in perpetuity. The principal of your gift remains intact for the life of the trust, and the income it generates is transferred periodically to FNU. • Life Insurance: You can name FNU as the beneficiary of your life insurance policy, or transfer ownership of the policy directly to FNU. • Charitable Gift Annuity: You can give a one-time gift to FNU in exchange for fixed, recurring payments over the balance of your life. Upon your death, the balance of your original gift is maintained by FNU for its general use. • Testamentary Gifts: You may make provision in your will to provide a specific bequest to FNU, or provide for some or all of your remaining estate to be given to FNU upon your death. Each of these gift avenues has specific tax implications. Please contact your attorney or financial advisor for further information. For additional information on making a gift to FNU, please call 859-899-2828 or email Denise Barrett, Director of Development at denise.barrett@frontier.edu.

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FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE, Inc. Its motto: “He shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.� Isaiah 40:11 Its object: To safeguard the lives and health of mothers and children by providing and preparing trained nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners for rural areas where there is inadequate medical service; to give skilled care to women in childbirth; to give nursing care to the sick of both sexes and all ages; to establish, own, maintain and operate hospitals, clinics, nursing centers, and educational programs for nurse-midwives and nursepractitioners; to carry out preventive public health measures; to educate the rural population in the laws of health, and parents in baby hygiene and child care; to provide expert social service; to obtain medical, dental and surgical services for those who need them, at a price they can afford to pay; to promote the general welfare of the elderly and handicapped; to ameliorate economic conditions inimical to health and growth, and to conduct research toward that end; to do any and all other things in any way incident to, or connected with, these objects, and, in pursuit of them to cooperate with individuals and with organizations, private, state or federal; and through the fulfillment of these aims to advance the cause of health, social welfare and economic independence in rural districts with the help of their own leading citizens.

From the Articles of Incorporation

of the Frontier Nursing Service. Article III as amended April 1999

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