Faculty & Staff Retirement Party
Tuesday, May 21, 2024
3:30 – 5:30 pm
1CW Conference Center
Faculty & Staff Retirement Party
Tuesday, May 21, 2024
3:30 – 5:30 pm
Pre-Reception
3:30 – 4:00 pm
Welcome Remarks
4:00 pm
Sarah H. Welch, MBA Director, Human Resources
Retiree Recognition STAFF
John Shaw, BS Director, Communications, Office of Strategic Communications
Remarks by Sean Hennessey Chief Communications Officer, Office of Strategic Communications
FACULTY
Marjorie Nicholas, PhD, CCC-SLP, FASHA Chair, Professor, Communication Sciences and Disorders
Remarks by Laura Plummer, PT, DPT, EdD, NCS Dean, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Associate Professor, Physical Therapy
Patrice Nicholas, DNSc, DHL (Hon.), MPH, RN, NP-C, FAAN Distinguished Teaching Professor and Director, Center for Climate Change, Climate Justice, and Health, School of Nursing
Remarks by Margie Sipe, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FNAP, FAONL, FAAN Assistant Dean, Leadership Programs, Director of DNP Program, Associate Professor, School of Nursing
Rita Olans, DNP, CPNP-PC, SNP, FAAN, FNAP Associate Professor Emerita, School of Nursing
Remarks by Kenneth White, PhD, AGACNP, ACHPN, FACHE, FAAN Dean, School of Nursing and Professor, Nursing and Health Administration
Kenneth White, PhD, AGACNP, ACHPN, FACHE, FAAN Dean, School of Nursing and Professor, Nursing and Health Administration
Remarks by Paula Milone-Nuzzo, PhD, RN, FHHC, FAAN President and John Hilton Knowles Professor
Closing Remarks
Paula Milone-Nuzzo, PhD, RN, FHHC, FAAN
Reception
4:30 – 5:30 pm
Please join us for appetizers and dessert to celebrate our retirees!
John Shaw: 5 Fun Facts
1. What was your first job? A sportswriter at the Lowell Sun while I was in college.
2. What was your favorite job and why? I’ve always enjoyed working in an organization whose goal is to help improve the world, so being able to chronicle the growth and success of the IHP over the past 16 years has been very fulfilling.
3. What is your favorite IHP memory? I don’t have anything specific, but the camaraderie of people at the IHP is something I’ll always remember.
4. What was one of the most helpful pieces of professional advice you received worth sharing? Show up on time and do the best you can each day.
5. What are you looking forward to doing in your retirement? Having the time to enjoy a more leisurely pace of life.
A Giving Gift of Gratitude
As an IHP tradition, we’ve asked each retiree to share with us a non-profit organization near and dear to their heart that they would like IHP to donate to in their name, in recognition of their service and many contributions.
A Gift of $100.00 will be made to the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell. in honor of John Shaw’s service, as well as in recognition of his grandfather, George Laverty.
The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization. Our mission is to inspire and enable young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. https://lbgc.org/about-us/
1. What was your first job? My first job after college in New England was working as a sandwich maker at Eagerman’s Bagels in Quincy Market.
2. What was your favorite job and why? My favorite job has been the one I’ve held the longest - as a faculty member here in the CSD Department at MGH IHP (23 years).
3. What is your favorite IHP memory? One of my favorite memories was when I turned 50 (17 years ago), and all the Aphasia Center clients and their family members threw me a surprise 50th birthday party which we had in the SLLC in Building 36 (where the Sim lab is now)
4. What was one of the most helpful pieces of professional advice you received worth sharing? To take responsibility for making your job into one that you can love going to each day.
5. What are you looking forward to doing in your retirement? European travels and having time to spend on all my hobbies; I also look forward to finding something meaningful that I can volunteer my time for.
A Giving Gift of Gratitude
As an IHP tradition, we’ve asked each retiree to share with us a non-profit organization near and dear to their heart that they would like IHP to donate to in their name, in recognition of their service and many contributions.
A gift of $100.00 will be made to Greater Boston Food Bank, in honor of Marjorie Nicholas’ service.
Through the compassion and commitment of our supporters, staff, partners, and volunteers, The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) take a bold, innovative and multi-pronged approach to achieve our mission: End Hunger Here. GBFB is the largest hunger-relief organization in New England and among the largest food banks in the country.
https://www.gbfb.org/who-we-are/
Marjorie Nicholas: 5 Fun Facts
1. What was your first job? My first professional position after graduating as a nurse was as a clinical nurse at MGH in the White Building on an orthopedic and rehabilitation unit where I lived and learned the impressive MGH mission, vision and values. It was an exemplary experience. I will never forget offering comprehensive orthopedic and rehabilitation care especially for those patients impacted by spinal cord injuries. The experience was exceptional for me as a clinical nurse and the wonderful patients and families whom I served influenced my professional career across 47 years.
2. What was your favorite job and why? I worked on the thoracic surgical intermediate unit at MGH and loved the experience. Grateful for the incredible clinically excellent nursing opportunity. And excellent care, kindness, and most importantly extraordinary clinical excellence for our MGH patients. My other superlative role was my most favorite job (how fortunate am I?) at the IHP, where I have been teaching since 1989. My professional life is a gift after a 47-year career at MGB!
3. What is your favorite IHP memory? I have been honored to serve as a member of the IHP community! How fortunate am I? One of my favorite memories is bringing my sons to our IHP offices (at the time on River Street) and both of my sons were under my desk and rolling around the office and Val Grande from IT was my partner in corralling them as I was preparing for class! How fun!
4. What was one of the most helpful pieces of professional advice you received worth sharing? It is glorious to offer all that one possesses for a clinical/teaching/scholarship/service career and then to acknowledge that it is time to retire. And applaud the wonderful professionals who are assuming fantastic leadership positions and carrying on our incredible, invaluable, and critical vision of our beloved MGH and MGB. How lucky are we to have this legacy!?
5. What are you looking forward to doing in your retirement? Taking care of wonderful grandchildren; reading novels; watching movies; traveling; lots of walking and viewing the world without an iPhone.
Lots of love to my entire IHP community and the broader MGB community!! A Quote below as an addition: “Aim for the sky, but move slowly, enjoying every step along the way. It is all those little steps that make the journey complete.” -Chanda Kochar
With special thanks to Dr. Debbie Burke who moved my career to extraordinary heights in my early career and Dr. Ken White who brought my career to a culminating success!
A Giving Gift of Gratitude
As an IHP tradition, we’ve asked each retiree to share with us a non-profit organization near and dear to their heart that they would like IHP to donate to in their name, in recognition of their service and many contributions.
A Gift of $100.00 will be made to the MGH Institute of Health Professions’ Scholarship/Financial Aid, in honor of Patrice Nicholas’ service.
87% of IHP students receive some form of aid. Financial aid at the Institute supports a diverse student body by helping us attract and retain the most talented students from all backgrounds. https://www.mghihp.edu/giving/impact
Patrice Nicholas: 5
Fun Facts
1. What was your first job? Although I wasn’t paid, my first real work experience was as a candy-striper at the other MGH – Massapequa General Hospital in my hometown of Massapequa, Long Island, New York. As it turns out, my former professor and a rock-star of the IHP was Dr. Lena Sorensen who was there at the same time! It was as if I went full circle with Lena.
2. What was your favorite job and why? I loved being a newly minted NP in Lowell, Massachusetts where I was privileged to be mentored by one of my heroes, Dr. Norman Spack. As it turns out, he was my husband’s camp counselor as a child. But most people remember Norm for his pioneering work in transgender care of adolescents at Children’s Hospital. He supported my work as I led the Diabetes clinic at Saints Memorial. He is quite a humanitarian and was a wonderful role model at such a pivotal moment in my trajectory into advanced practice.
3. What is your favorite IHP memory? I cherish the memory of the end of the year Pedi class party in 2016. This cohort was simply amazing. The Pedi faculty threw the party at my condo for the students and Nancy Terres, still part of our team, brought a lot of drinks (mostly soft����). The class came with their partners, dogs, and babies. We had a newborn that year and we all vied to hold her. Thank goodness we started early in the day because no one wanted to leave the party.
4. What was one of the most helpful pieces of professional advice you received worth sharing? Always say yes; yes to the next adventure as you never know where it is going to take you.
5. What are you looking forward to doing in your retirement? I found a passion for advocacy years ago, prior to my professional life. But the IHP supported my interest in antimicrobial stewardship. I am working with the American Academy of Nursing, the Society for Hospital Epidemiology of America, and the Infectious Diseases Society of America to further promote the inclusion of nurses in this looming existential crisis of worldwide antimicrobial resistance. I need to do this for my grandchildren and for all of yours. We need to preserve these lifesaving drugs.
A Giving Gift of Gratitude
As an IHP tradition, we’ve asked each retiree to share with us a non-profit organization near and dear to their heart that they would like IHP to donate to in their name, in recognition of their service and many contributions.
A Gift of $100.00 will be made to the MGH Institute of Health Professions’ Nursing Student Scholarship, in honor of Rita Olans’ service.
87% of IHP students receive some form of aid. Financial aid at the Institute supports a diverse student body by helping us attract and retain the most talented students from all backgrounds. https://www.mghihp.edu/giving/impact
Rita Olans: 5 Fun Facts
1. What was your first job? 1973 – Orderly at Okmulgee Memorial Hospital, in my hometown of Okmulgee, Oklahoma.
2. What was your favorite job and why? I have liked all of my jobs although the one that I found most impactful was when I practiced as a palliative care nurse practitioner at the University of Virginia Medical Center. I was able to use my head, my heart, and my hands to help patients and families navigate the end of life and provide comfort and compassionate care to alleviate suffering.
3. What is your favorite IHP memory? My favorite IHP memory is the day we (faculty and staff) received the final report from the CCNE accreditation team – it was all good news with a few exemplars. We worked so hard to get ready for it. A close second was being awarded the NLN Center of Excellence.
4. What was one of the most helpful pieces of professional advice you received worth sharing? It’s not about me, it’s about the team. I don’t have to always be right. My job is to be curious and to learn about others, what motivates and interests them, and how they might bring their gifts and talents to the organization.
5. What are you looking forward to doing in your retirement? Not having deadlines! Working in the garden, walking every day, and planning for houseguests and travel.
A Giving Gift of Gratitude
As an IHP tradition, we’ve asked each retiree to share with us a non-profit organization near and dear to their heart that they would like IHP to donate to in their name, in recognition of their service and many contributions.
A Gift of $100.00 will be made to the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, in honor of Ken White’s service.
The mission of Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP) is to ensure unconditionally equitable and dignified access to the highest quality health care for all individuals and families experiencing homelessness in our community. https://www.bhchp.org/
5
Ken White:
Fun Facts