THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI
COLLEGE OF NURSING AND HEALTH PROFESSIONS
MEANS Golden LIVING
• living your life to its fullest potential,
• setting lofty goals and having the perseverance to achieve them, and
• having that grit commonplace at Southern Miss and finding a way to thrive despite difficulties.
LETTER FROM THE DEAN
In reflecting on the past year, I stand in awe of our faculty, staff and students’ accomplishments and how they achieved them. This year we have truly embraced Living Golden. What does it mean to Live Golden? It simply means living your life to its fullest potential. It means setting lofty goals and having the perseverance to achieve them. It means having that grit commonplace at Southern Miss and finding a way to thrive despite difficulties.
This year, we have stepped up to meet the healthcare workforce needs of our state and region through new program development and revitalization of current programs. These efforts included the return of our Bachelor of Science in Nursing program to the Gulf Park campus in the form of a second degree, accelerated option in a newly renovated space and Simulation Center. Additionally, we have been given permission and have secured $1 million in philanthropic commitments to plan a Physician Assistant Studies Program that will be delivered on the Gulf Park campus. These two initiatives are part of a larger ongoing plan to expand the College of Nursing and Health Professions' (CNHP) contribution to meet the needs of coastal Mississippi. Additionally, we launched a new partnership with Pearl River Community College, Jones College and Alcorn University to establish innovative educational pathways.
We have been creative in building innovative solutions to challenges by advocating at the University level, reinvesting current resources, securing extramural funding, procuring philanthropic support, and re-envisioning partnerships. These efforts have resulted in upgrades to current fiscal space, Congressional appropriations to construct a building on the Gulf Park campus that will house The Children’s Center and DuBard School, increases in the CNHP operational budget, funded grant proposals doubling, grant funding dollars increasing nearly 400%, and hospital partners funding four faculty positions.
We have continued our legacy of excellence in health profession education and supported the efforts to maintain the University’s Carnegie R1-Very high research activity status. Our academic programs continue to maintain the highest accreditation standards. Some academic programs continued to see strong enrollment, some received national rankings, and some achieved a 100% pass rate on certification/licensure examinations. Additionally, our faculty and staff were recognized for their excellence in teaching, research, scholarship and service.
The last few years have no doubt been challenging, but I am excited about the reinvigorated future for the University and the current momentum of the CNHP. As we continue to Live Golden, we stay focused on our "why." In short, we change lives. When students find a place where they feel they belong and can thrive, especially first-generation students, we not only change their lives, but we change the lives of their families and communities for generations to come. We also change the lives of the people our students care for. We change lives through the services we provide and the research we do. What we do matters. The people we work with and serve matter. People are our "why."
Lachel Story, PhD, RN Professor and Dean
College of Nursing and Health Professions
The University of Southern Mississippi
Students
ENROLLMENT BY SCHOOL
SPRING ENROLLMENT
THE CHILDREN’S CENTER FOR COMMUNICATION AND
DEVELOPMENT
Currently, we are serving 138 children. One hundred twenty-six are enrolled in direct services and 15 are receiving “transition to school” support from our team in their first year of preschool and kindergarten across South Mississippi. We enroll children all year long as babies are born every day needing some support services. Of the 126 children enrolled, the breakdown is as follows:
DEMOGRAPHICS
53%
The highest percentage of children enrolled with the Center currently are children with genetic conditions like Down syndrome, children with hearing impairments, and children with complex communication needs.
This year, The Children’s Center has offered both three-day and four-day-a-week preschool classes led by a speechlanguage pathologist. Typically, children enrolled receive speech-language therapy services two days a week with support services offered in their daycares, homes or community settings to ensure carryover of essential skills in the natural environment. However, these more frequent groups have children preparing to enter preschool or kindergarten between the ages of 3-5 who need intensive assistive technology (AT) and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) system support for their developmental growth across many areas. The Children’s Center plans to continue to offer these more frequent therapy groups with parent coaching and consultation provided in their homes and community settings.
Also, the Center has added “peer models” to several of our classrooms to support inclusive learning. The peer models are similarly aged, typically developing peers who participate in a language-rich learning environment while providing a model for age-expected social, motor and communicative interactions. Inclusion has been considered best-practice for many years in early childhood. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the Council for Exceptional Children Division of Early Childhood (DEC) created a joint statement regarding inclusion classrooms, which support “the right of every infant and young child and his or her family, regardless of ability, to participate in a broad range of activities and contexts as full members of families, communities and society” (DEC/NAEYC 2009, Joint Position Statement, p. 2). The Children’s Center seeks to support the whole family of a young child with a disability, and this model is one of the many ways they do that.
One parent whose child attends the four-day-a-week group with a peer model shared the following:
"When he started attending therapy more frequently, we had a major setback during the transition (from home services to classroom services) with severe separation anxiety. The therapists at The Children’s Center were amazing during this time working with Kellar and allowing me to stay for therapy so he received the services he needed. They came up with the best plan, and Kellar’s little sister (they’re only 11 months apart) began attending with him. Fast forward a year and ‘school’ is Kellar and Laney’s favorite place! I knew how important this place would be in Kellar’s life, but I didn’t know how significant of a role it would play in all of our family’s lives."
Lastly, programs that educate children enrolled in early intervention and preschool special education services must report on child outcomes on a regular basis to determine the effectiveness of their interventions. Of the children who have been enrolled with The Children’s Center and received child outcome summary scoring at both infancy or toddler age and again as preschoolers, 75% have made substantial improvements in their general development toward maintaining social relationships, acquiring skills, and using appropriate behaviors to meet their own needs.
Currently, we have 76 children on our waitlist seeking enrollment into our program. A team of therapists across multiple disciplines meets monthly to review the waitlist and either refer families to other services while they wait or request additional information from families and referral sources (e.g., medical providers, First Steps Early Intervention program, and school district personnel) that would help us determine if we can best meet each child’s needs. We select children to enroll based on our priorities and provider availability. Children who are the youngest and have the most severe and comprehensive needs are our highest priority. The following is our list of priorities for enrollment:
1. Infants and toddlers with comprehensive developmental delays
2. Children with extreme prematurity and neurological impairments
3. Children with genetic conditions
4. Children with hearing impairment
5. Children with suspected cortical vision impairment
6. Children with suspected childhood apraxia of speech
SOURCES OF FUNDS FOR THE CHILDREN'S CENTER
STATE AND FEDERAL INCOME
School Year
(Summer Services)
MS Council on Developmental .8% Disabilities Grant
CHILDREN’S CENTER GRANT AWARDS
Coast Electric Community Trust
$10,000
This grant project, provided through an annual Operation Roundup, aims to purchase and lend personal remote microphone systems to children with hearing loss and staff within daycares and Head Start programs to give equal access to the curriculum, promote listening and spoken language, as well as cognitive and social development. In addition, the funds will supply adaptive toys to families, daycares and Head Starts to facilitate overall development through play.
Mapp Family Foundation
$20,000
This grant enabled The Children’s Center to employ two part-time clinician assistants at our Gulf Park campus location, which then increased capacity to enroll more babies from that region. Jillian Colon, speech-language pathologist and expert in cortical vision impairment, speaks to her experiences with our clinician assistants this past year.
"Working as a team to treat the whole child and family takes a lot of preparation time and effort. From preparing activities that work on fine motor, pre-academic and language skills, to being a model in the classroom for language and motor tasks. Our clinical assistants create adapted materials that many of our children need to access language, books and general learning activities. They are an integral part of that team and wear many hats in and out of the classroom."
Lower Pearl River Valley Foundation
$40,000
The Children’s Center is currently serving 15 children ages 0-5 from the Lower Pearl River Valley region, with 12 children enrolled in services and three who are receiving transition to school support in their first year back at their public school district after graduating from our program. The LPRVF generously provided funds to offset the costs of physical, occupational and speech-language therapy services, and travel to and from the region so that families from that area could receive support and consultations in their local communities.
Jimmy A. Payne Foundation
$75,000
The Children’s Center is completing its final year of the 2020 Pediatric Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Training Program with a third cohort of master's-level pediatric therapy students thanks to a generous award through the Jimmy A. Payne Foundation. The program focused on training our graduate assistants in the assessment and effective usage of AAC for children ages 0-5 with complex communication needs. Children need AAC for a variety of reasons, such as when their speech does not meet their full communication needs. This barrier to functional speech can cause deficits in other areas, including delays in social-emotional skills and a higher incidence of negative behaviors in young children. Speech-language and audiology students were surveyed on their overall experiences working collectively with a transdisciplinary
Total budget: $3,017,283
team of professionals assessing and using AAC to help give young children access to communication. One student shared the following:
Experiences at The Children’s Center are like no other, and I’m so thankful to experience being a part of a team of life changers! The Children’s Center has provided me with ultimately the greatest learning opportunities I have ever experienced in both my undergraduate and graduate studies.
Dr. Courtney Turner, AuD, CCC-A, PASC, has been elected 2023 president of the Mississippi Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Additionally, Dr. Turner earned her Pediatric Audiology Specialty Certification (R) through the American Board of Audiology this year, making her one of only two in the state.
Monica Bridges, MS, CCC-SLP, assistant director of The Children’s Center, completed the 2022 Leadership Pinebelt class through the Area Development Partnership. Bridges’ class project supported a community partner (Hope Community Collaborative) that provides Spanish interpreter services for many of the Hispanic families enrolled at The Children’s Center.
Sarah Myers, MS, CCC-SLP, director of The Children’s Center was appointed as chair of the Public Awareness Committee for the state of Mississippi’s Interagency Coordinating Council for Early Intervention.
Hannah Sanders, MS, CCC-SLP, SLP, Dr. Courtney Turner and Sarah Myers all presented at the annual national American Speech-LanguageHearing Association Conference.
DUBARD SCHOOL FOR LANGUAGE DISORDERS
The DuBard School full-time enrollment program served 80 students during the 2021-22 school year. Students ranged in age from 3-11 years and were from 19 school districts across Mississippi.
ENROLLED FULL-TIME STUDENTS 1.4 Average years on waiting list
6.2 Average age of new students
10.5 Average age at exit 3.8 Average years enrolled
105 Current waiting list
80 TOTAL STUDENTS 2021-22
ELIGIBILITY RULINGS INCLUDE:
• language-speech
• hearing impaired
• other health impairments (e.g., attention deficit disorders)
• specific learning disabilities
• autism spectrum disorder
• developmentally delayed
• emotional disability
• multiple disabilities
Enrolled students had an average of 7 DIAGNOSES of students had dual or multiple rulings 49%
DuBard School serves as a practicum site for university students majoring in speech-language pathology, audiology and dyslexia therapy. DuBard School was established in 1962 and is part of the School of Speech and Hearing Sciences. DuBard School offers a full-time enrollment program for 80 students from across the state of Mississippi. The goal of the program is to help close the gaps that students have in their speech, language, hearing and academic skills so they may be successful when they return to their local school districts. Services are provided at no cost to families.
The DuBard School outclient therapy program provides fee-based individual and small group therapy and evaluations for individuals ages 2-adult who have diagnosed language, speech, hearing or academic disorders. The DuBard School outclient therapy program provided services to 74 individuals during the 2021-2022 school year.
The DuBard School’s professional development program provided eight courses to 47 individuals from around the country during the 20212022 school year. Additionally, DuBard School supervised 32 university students for a total of over 2,200 clock hours during the year.
DUBARD SCHOOL STAFF
In 2022, Dr. Missy Schraeder, DuBard School director, was appointed as vicepresident, standards, for the Academic Language Therapy Association, the national professional organization specializing in the certification of language therapists and practitioners working with students with dyslexia and other written language disorders.
SOURCES OF FUNDS FOR DUBARD SCHOOL
Total budget: $2,282,285
DUBARD SCHOOL FUNDING AWARDS
Sertoma Inc.
$4,588
The inability to hear makes learning to communicate quite stressful for any child, especially those who have disorders in addition to their hearing loss. When compounded, it is not only stressful and incredibly defeating, but it makes achieving adequate communication and academic skills even more challenging. This funding supported three Phonak Roger sound field speakers and associated wireless microphones that allowed 30 children in three classrooms to increase listening skills and auditory comprehension of language. The acquisition of three Phonak Roger sound field units allowed for increased auditory attention for all students, not just for those with hearing loss, thus facilitating optimal language and learning environments.
The Mapp Family Foundation
$7,500
The Mississippi State Board of Education indicates that every child has access to a high-quality early childhood program. To meet these goals, the Child Outcomes Summary (COS) process requires that schools serving preschool students will accurately report outcomes data for each child with disabilities ages 3-5. This funding provided an Apple iPad Pro, Apple MacBook Pro and Dell laptop, docking station and monitor that were distributed to complete required testing and data collection for preschool students. The addition of new technology allowed DuBard School staff to monitor preschool students enrolled in the full-time program to monitor their progress toward the COS goals.
Dollar General Literacy Foundation
$3,900
An ongoing goal of DuBard School is to increase the exposure to good literature and the proficiency in reading comprehension and instruction for 80 children with moderate to severe language-speech and/or hearing impairments. This funding supported age-appropriate reading materials and accompanying teacher's guides used to aid in students’ skills in word recognition, reading comprehension, grammar and spelling. Sets of classroom textbooks covering literature, science and reading fluency were distributed to four classrooms benefiting 40 students.
Chisolm Foundation
$10,000
The DuBard School outclient therapy program seeks to address a vastly underserved population of students. Specifically, it provides fee-based individual and small group therapy for clients aged birth through adulthood who have a diagnosed language, speech or hearing disorder or a combination of these disabilities. The DuBard School outclient therapy program, which is fee-based, and various other services currently provide approximately 30 children with therapy and evaluations. The goal of this project is to increase therapy and outclient evaluations by providing funding for financial assistance for families.
DUBARD SCHOOL STUDENT HIGHLIGHT
Gavin's Story
I stumbled upon the DuBard School website in the middle of the night by divine happenstance and felt an immediate spark of excitement and hope. We’d never even visited Mississippi, let alone imagined ever living there, so there was plenty of fear and uncertainty as we began to communicate with the school and plan a visit. Gavin needed us to bet on him, and we were all in. Gavin started at DuBard School in the fall of 2020 at the age of 8 with speech that was essentially only intelligible to his immediate family. He was unable to read or write in sentences, despite being in school since the age of 3. Within only a few short months, his speech was improving, and he was learning how to enunciate his words. It was like something clicked on in his brain that had been sitting dormant, and he steadily started to thrive. He began to read and make great gains with his handwriting and storytelling. He started speaking up more because he saw that he was able to be understood by others, and we watched his confidence bloom. Gavin has just begun his third year at DuBard School, and we couldn’t be prouder of his progress or more optimistic about his future. We finally found something that is working, and we are so grateful for the school that is no doubt changing our son’s life forever. DuBard School has truly been an answer to our prayers.
Rachel, Gavin’s Mom
SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY CLINIC
The Speech-Language Pathology Clinic within the School of Speech and Hearing Sciences provides cost-effective intervention and assessment services to individuals of all ages and populations in the following areas: traumatic brain injury, language, articulation, phonology, literacy, aphasia, swallowing, voice, accent modification, autism, social communication and fluency. Nationally certified speech-language pathology faculty supervise the services provided by graduate student clinicians. The Clinic also provides clinical experiences for our undergraduate speech and hearing students to observe and assist in the delivery of services. Therapy sessions, which typically range from $100+ in a hospital, private practice, outpatient facility or skilled nursing facility, are provided at the low cost of $5-$30 per session to the patients. Faculty, staff and students receive a discounted rate. Comprehensive assessments are offered twice weekly for a decreased cost of $75. These fees are the only source of revenue for the clinic. Patients receive intervention services two to four times weekly during each academic semester. Additionally, the Speech-Language Pathology Clinic partners with local school districts to assist with kindergarten speech and hearing screenings when needed. We provide services to over 12 counties in our state.
SPRING SEMESTER 2022
treatment sessions provided weekly for 12 weeks 70
SUMMER SEMESTER 2022
55 treatment sessions provided weekly for seven weeks
FALL SEMESTER 2022
72 treatment sessions provided weekly for 12 weeks
Our fourth semester speech-language pathology graduate student clinicians attended a fullday training course in fall 2022 on Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing. This course was a hands-on learning experience for our students. We are dedicated to offering supplemental area focused experiences as part of our Master of Science program.
COUNTIES SERVED in our state OVER
PILOT FOUR-WEEK SUMMER LITERACY PROGRAM FOR PRESCHOOLERS WAS a success.
AUDIOLOGY CLINIC
The Audiology Clinic provides services that include hearing evaluations, fittings and troubleshooting of hearing aids and other assistive devices; ear molds; and programming for traditional and bone-anchored hearing aids and cochlear implants. Services are provided by our certified audiology faculty and staff at a reduced rate, and these fees are the only source of revenue for the Clinic. Additionally, the Clinic partners with Forrest General Hospital to provide hearing screenings at no cost for infants within their Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, as well as subsequent no charge hearing screenings for their developmental clinic at the local YMCA. Infants who fail the universal newborn hearing screening test performed at their respective birthing hospital are scheduled for a complete diagnostic evaluation in the electrophysiology laboratory. Those infants found to have permanent hearing loss can then be fitted with some form of appropriate amplification and be followed by the certified audiology faculty at the Clinic. These services are provided for children born at hospitals throughout south Mississippi, and the audiology faculty and staff provide diagnostic and habilitative consultations to neonatologists, pediatricians, and family practice physicians and nurse practitioners. Recently, the Audiology Clinic has expanded to the Gulf Park campus, providing complete diagnostic evaluations for the coastal population. The USM Audiology Clinic is a Community Care Provider for the Veterans Health Administration. This designation allows the Audiology Clinic to further serve the south Mississippi community and its veterans. The Clinic further supports the community by providing school hearing screenings for several local school districts at no charge. In addition, the Clinic provides clinical experiences for our audiology students to observe and participate in the assessment and management of patients with a variety of hearing and communicative challenges.
NUMBER OF PATIENTS SERVED
2020 AVERAGE (due to COVID-19)
400
WE CURRENTLY SERVE THE ENTIRE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI.
900 2021 AVERAGE
2022 AVERAGE
1,200
Research Highlight CNHP FACULTY HAVE SOARED ACROSS THE U.S. SHARING THEIR SCHOLARSHIP WITH REGIONAL AND NATIONAL AUDIENCES.
Psychological Distress During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Nursing Students: A Mixed Methods Study
Researchers: Mayantoinette Watson (School of Professional Nursing Practice)
Where Presented: International Conference on Social and Education Sciences, Austin, Texas
Date Presented: October 13, 2022
Presentation Description: The presentation included a research study that utilized a mixed-methods, convergent study design to explore psychological distress among nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study population included a convenience sample of undergraduate nursing students from the Southeastern U.S. with 202 students completing the quantitative survey and 11 students participating in the qualitative follow-up interview surveys. The findings are significant, specifically regarding contributing factors of nursing students’ psychological distress, which will help to improve learning in the academic environment.
Estimating Hearing Thresholds Using Cortical Auditory Evoked Potentials (CAEP)
Researchers: S. Ankmnal Veeranna, C. G. Marx, Jennifer D. Goshorn, Sally Autry and Patricia L. Youngblood (School of Speech and Hearing Sciences)
Where Presented: American Speech-Language and Hearing Association Annual Conference (ASHA), New Orleans, Louisiana
Date Presented: November 17, 2022
Presentation Description: Cortical Auditory Evoked Potentials (CAEP) can be utilized as an objective measure of behavioral threshold estimation in special clinical populations. However, the CAEP test is not used extensively for threshold estimation. The findings of this study showed that CAEPs can be used to reliably estimate behavioral thresholds in a reasonable amount of time in a normal hearing and hearing-impaired population.
Measurement-Dependent Association
Between Folate and Diabetes Mortality: An 18Year Follow-Up of a National Cohort
Researchers: Felix Twum (School of Health Professions), Logan Cowan, Lili Yu, Evans Afriyie-Gyawu and Jian Zhang (School of Public Health, Georgia Southern University)
Where Presented: Society for Epidemiologic Research 2022 Annual Meeting, Chicago, Illinois
Date Presented: June 15-17, 2022
Presentation Description: The relationship between folate and diabetes among hypertensive patients remains inconclusive, possibly due to large variations between and within the measurement of folate. With folate measured in diet and blood (serum and red blood cell folate), we assessed the relationship between folate and diabetes mortality. A measurement-dependent association was found; elevated serum and red blood cell folate but not dietary folate intake were associated with high diabetes mortality among hypertensive participants.
Measuring Cultural Awareness in Faculty
Researchers: LaWanda Baskin, Michong Rayborn (School of Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice) and Hwanseok Choi (School of Health Professions)
Where Presented: 48th Annual Transcultural Nursing Society Conference, Louisville, Kentucky
Date Presented: November 4, 2022
Presentation Description: This presentation highlighted a study conducted within the College of Nursing and Health Professions and focused on obtaining the cultural awareness level of nursing and health professions faculty members. Before health service providers, or faculty in the health professions, can achieve cultural competence, they must first be aware. Identifying where faculty are on the cultural awareness scale assists with changing the climate to better prepare our students to practice with cultural competence.
A Deeper Drive:
Bridging the Gap
to Engaging Low Socioeconomic Status Populations with Concussion Management and Beyond
Researchers: Melissa Kossman (School of Health Professions) and Tamerah Hunt (Waters College of Health Professions, Georgia Southern University)
Where Presented: National Athletic Trainers’ Association Annual Symposium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Date Presented: June 29, 2022
Presentation Description: Socioeconomic status (SES) is a proven contributor of health disparities related to clinical care, management and stakeholder engagement. Athletic trainers have the potential to greatly influence population-specific strategies to improve concussion recovery for low SES patients. Clinicians can shift clinical paradigms through subtle changes by 1. acknowledging the existence of differences across SES; 2. being aware that differences by SES may result in poor communication, a lack of trust, and poor management strategies; and 3. providing strong
social support for low SES communities through access to care and community-based initiatives to improve communication and concussion-related outcomes.
Does Political Ideology Predict Vaccine Hesitancy in Mississippi?
Researchers: Will Evans, Jennifer L. Lemacks, Sermin Aras (School of Health Professions); Abishek Wajpe (Alabama Department of Public Health, Montgomery); Robert Leach
Where Presented: American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Expo, Boston, MA
Date Presented: November 6, 2022
Presentation Description: This presentation was an analysis of survey data indicating that those self-identifying as Republican versus Democratic/ Independent were more likely to be resistant to the COVID-19 vaccine, to feel the disease was not as serious, and to believe there were better ways to protect the public than vaccinations. These data can inform public health education campaigns on the topic of the necessity of vaccinations against highly infectious diseases.
Research Highlight COLLEGE OF NURSING AND HEALTH PROFESSIONS IN SERVICE TO TRIBAL NATIONS IN THE DEEP SOUTH
The Okla Achukma Project, National Institutes of Health R56 Award
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute awarded $695,436 to Dr. Jennifer L. Lemacks and Dr. Tammy Greer to support the Okla Achukma (“Healthy People”) Project. The long-term goal of the project is to produce a culturally and socially enhanced intervention that can be sustained within Native American communities in the Deep South and implemented and disseminated among other Tribal Nations to reduce chronic disease disparities. The project award dates are September 19, 2022, to August 31, 2023.
Southern Miss Powwow 2022
The Southern Miss Powwow returned to campus on October 8, 2022, at Spirit Park. Nursing and Telenutrition Center faculty, staff and students were present to provide health promotion and outreach. Head gourd dancer Ron Scheuermann honored our Southern Miss nurses, who watched over Tribal members on the powwow grounds in case of emergency, for their companionship as caregivers throughout the lifestyle.
Medicine Wheel Taste of the Garden
The Telenutrition Center teamed up to participate in the Taste of the Garden event held at the Medicine Wheel Garden, located on USM’s Hattiesburg campus just east of Asbury Hall. The event showcased native plant ingredients and traditional culture through a sampling of grape dumplings, turkey muscadine cocktail meatball, iced yaupon tea, hominy and more.
Indian Santa
During December 2022, faculty and staff across the College participated in a toy drive to support Indian Santa in the delivery of joy and toys to children. Through donations and volunteerism, this community-based event serves over 1,000 children throughout Tribal Nations in South Louisiana and South Mississippi.
Yakni Achukma, Okla Achukma – “Healthy Land, Healthy People”
The Mississippi Humanities Council awarded $7,500 to psychology, arts and health professions faculty to support events that showcase traditional culture and its role in the multi-dimensional aspects of human health. All demonstrations are delivered by Tribal members and held in 2023 at the Medicine Wheel Garden at 1 p.m. Events include Plant-Based Cordage with Jeannete Stone on February 18, Shell Carving with Alex Alvarez on April 1, Plant-Based Pigments with Robin Whitfield on September 23, and Plant Medicines with Jenna Mae on November 4.
All these events and activities are made possible because of our longstanding partnership with psychology faculty member Dr. Tammy Greer, USM’s Center for American Indian Research and Studies, and the Golden Eagles Intertribal Society.
COLLEGE OF NURSING AND HEALTH PROFESSIONS IS ADVANCING EDUCATION AND PRACTICE FOR MORE INCLUSIVE CARE
Prestigious Award for Competency-Based Education for Practice-Ready Nurse Graduates
The School of Professional Nursing Practice (SPNP), led by Dr. Elizabeth Tinnon, RN, was selected by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) to help transform nursing education and practice nationwide. SPNP learned on December 5, 2022, that out of 76 schools, they were one of 10 selected to receive $100,000 over three years to serve as a pilot school for the new initiative. The goal of the program is to accelerate the transition to competency-based education by identifying and supporting innovative approaches to competency development and skills assessment for prelicensure nurses prepared in baccalaureate and master’s programs.
Each project had to highlight a primary focus to implement the Domains of the 2021 Essentials. At USM, SPNP will focus on the implementation of patient-centered care, to leverage the variety of experiences available to our students to care for diverse populations in various settings. Population health, including social determinants of health, is also a key focus. The SPNP aims to prepare students with exposure to various opportunities that will demonstrate skills across the spheres of care, including wellness disease prevention, regenerative/restorative care, and chronic disease management.
Bolstering the community care of our future nursing workforce would not be possible without the vast and rich partnerships with community and healthcare organizations. Students participate in health screenings and provide education to the community at the Edwards
Street Fellowship thrift store and food pantry. A partnership with Hattiesburg Clinic allows for increased student exposure to and preparedness for primary care nursing. The SPNP also partners with Open Arms Healthcare Center, whose focus is to provide care to racial/ ethnic and sexual/gender minority communities. These efforts and partnerships will result in the delivery of more compassionate patient care for Mississippians, as well as address diversity, inclusion and equity issues in the nursing workforce.
Moving to Integrated and Holistic Disease Prevention Among Underserved Mississippians
The Mississippi INBRE Community Engagement and Training Core, a collaboration between community-based organization My Brother’s Keeper Inc. (MBK) and CNHP’s Telenutrition Center and School of Health Professions, received $200,000 over two years from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute via the Jackson Heart Study (JHS) Community Engagement Center (CEC). The funded project will address an urgent need to identify integrated and cost-effective strategies to improve dietary behaviors of young to middle-aged adults who are not yet at-risk for cardiometabolic diseases and identify as racial and ethnic and sexual and gender minority, and disadvantaged background populations in Mississippi. The overall objective for the proposed study is to implement a pilot study to establish essential components to address diet quality in healthcare settings and examine what value an integrated service model delivery has for
the primary prevention of cardiometabolic diseases with an initial focus on dietary behaviors. At the completion of the proposed research, the expected outcomes are to have established foundational knowledge for which components and delivery models are the most essential and cost-effective to improve dietary behaviors among racial/ethnic minority and disadvantaged background populations in Mississippi.
MBK is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan, 501(c)3 public health organization with the mission to enhance the health and well-being of racial and ethnic and sexual and gender minorities through leadership in public and community health practices, collaborations and partnerships. MBK was established in 2011 and has office and clinic locations in Jackson, Hattiesburg and Gulfport, Miss. JHS is the largest ever single-site investigation of causes of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among African Americans, enrolling more than 5,300 men and women in
the Jackson, Mississippi, metropolitan area. The JHS CEC enhances JHS efforts to promote cardiovascular health within targeted communities and creates the potential for JHS to affect communities statewide and nationally, working with communities to reduce the burden of CVD through the delivery of innovative, timely, evidence-based education, screening, and health policy initiatives.
Research Highlight CNHP RECEIVES FUNDING TO SUPPORT
INNOVATIVE HEALTH EDUCATION,
CARE AND
PRACTICE
Enhanced Oral Suction Device
Principal Investigator: Nina McLain, PhD, CRNA, FAANA (School of Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice)
Award Agency, Amount: Board of Trustees of Institutes of Higher Learning
Award Amount: $75,000
Award Period: July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2022
Project Goals and Status: The project aims to provide an innovative, simple, cost-effective solution to an extremely high-cost, high-morbidity patient medical problem. We are currently refining the medical device prototype and conducting end-user research to advance the device closer to the market. The concept for the device was developed from bedside care and improving patient care and outcomes is at the heart of its development and execution.
Young Adults Against COVID-19 (YAACOV) Study
Principal Investigator: Traci Hayes, PhD (School of Health Professions)
Award Agency: University of Mississippi Medical Center via National Institutes of Health (OT2HL158287)
Amount: $108,000
Award Period: March 1, 2022 – March 31, 2023
Project Goals and Status: The University of Southern Mississippi is a partner of the Mississippi CommunityEngaged Research Alliance against COVID-19 disparities. The study expands the original work to address vaccination inequities and reach Mississippians by preparing young adults to identify, curate and
disseminate accurate and valid COVID-19 health information using digital and social media.
Community Health Worker Common Inventory Project
Principal Investigator: Susan Mayfield-Johnson, PhD (School of Health Professions)
Award Agency: Northwest Regional Primary Care Association via National Association of Chronic Disease Directors through Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Amount: $35,435
Award Period: August 1, 2021 – July 31, 2023
Project Goals and Status: The Common Indicators project is a national collaboration of community health workers, program staff and researchers, and evaluators. The primary aim is to advance the evidence-based practice of community health workers by developing standard measures of their success. The team is working with community-based organizations and state health departments to pilot the measures and assess the impact of community health workers on health across the nation.
Nurse Anesthesia Traineeship Program
Principal Investigator: Mary Jane Collins, DHA, CRNA (School of Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice)
Award Agency: Health Resources and Services Administration
Award Amount: $24,979
Award Period: July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023
Project Goals and Status: The USM Nurse Anesthesia Program continues to successfully achieve the aim of
providing students with significant clinical training in rural Mississippi clinical sites to reflect the state's current anesthesia practices. Similarly, the program provides students with regional anesthesia and opioidsparing or opioid-free anesthesia and utilizes techniques of Enhanced Recovery after Surgery and Anesthesia (ERAS), opioid-sparing and opioid-free techniques. Grant money is utilized to ease the burden of tuition to allow for travel expenses to robust clinical sites that offer these experiences.
Mississippi Board of Nursing Scholarship Program
Principal Investigator: Lachel Story, PhD, RN (School of Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice)
Award Agency: Office of Nursing Workforce
Award Amount: $55,000
Award Period: August 1, 2022 – July 31, 2023
Project Goals and Status: This funding, which has successfully and consecutively been secured for at least the past four years, provides scholarship support for nursing students in the College. This much-needed funding alleviates the financial burden and stress from nursing students to enhance focus and commitment toward completion of our quality, highimpact practice programs.
Advocacy Training for Parents of Children with Hearing Loss
Principal Investigator: Kimberly Ward, AuD, CCC-A, CH-AP (School of Speech and Hearing Sciences)
Award Agency: Mississippi Council on Developmental Disabilities through U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Award Amount: $21,627
Award Period: January 1, 2023 – June 30, 2023
Project Goals and Status: The purpose of this project is to provide advocacy training for parents of children with hearing loss throughout Mississippi. Children with hearing loss have specialized learning and adaptation needs within their educational settings to be successful. These needs are best served by educational audiologists. Mississippi has an inadequate number of
educational audiologists, and our children with hearing loss are being unserved. This project will address these challenges by delivering three advocacy trainings for parents in Long Beach, Jackson and Cleveland, Miss.
The “Play the Same” Project
Principal Investigator: Sarah Myers, Director of The Children’s Center for Communication and Development (School of Speech and Hearing Sciences)
Award Agency: Mississippi Council on Developmental Disabilities through U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Award Amount: $25,000
Award Period: January 1, 2023 – June 30, 2023
Project Goals and Status: The goal of this project is for childcare teachers, parents/caregivers and community members to all feel empowered to encourage interaction and participation between peers with and without disabilities, supporting children with complex communication needs across all of their environments. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) equipment was purchased to train childcare teachers, parents/caregivers and community members during March 2023 on best practices to promote language growth, model how to use AAC, and facilitate communication between children with and without disabilities through play.
BuildingUpgrades
The University of Southern Mississippi recently received a $7 .9 million federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to build a collaborative center on USM’s Gulf Park campus to expand services of DuBard School for Language Disorders and The Children’s Center for Communication and Development .
The architectural firm has been approved, and schematic plans are underway . DuBard School hopes to expand its reach to at least 40 families in the Mississippi Gulf Coast area, as well as serve as a practicum site for university students .
Project
Inception
5/1/22 – 7/2/22
TIMELINE
(May 2022 – March 2025)
DESIGN PHASES
Design Development 8/29/22 – 11/22/22
Schematic Design
7/3/22 – 9/28/22
Construction Phase 3/17/23 – 3/16/25
IHL Approval to Award Bid 2/15/23 – 3/17/23
Construction Documents 10/23/22 –1/16/23
Public Bid Process 1/16/23 – 2/15/23
The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) intends to locate the project on its Gulf Park campus in Long Beach, Miss. Once built, the project would become part of an academic quad, producing a synergistic relationship with adjacent buildings. To its north is Gulf Park’s Technology Learning Center (home to the Institute for Disability Studies). The campus’ largest academic classroom building is to its east, complete with an auditorium (500 seats).
The proposed project is 21,536 gross square feet (10,755 square feet for the 1st floor and 10,781 square feet for the 2nd floor), and project costs are estimated at approximately $7.9 million. Two University-led centers, The Children’s Center and DuBard School, will expand their locations from the Hattiesburg campus to the Gulf Park campus in Long Beach to expand intensive, specialized therapy for children with significant developmental disabilities, complex communication needs, substantial language or learning disabilities, or a combination of these for children from birth to 13 years across the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Currently, The Children’s Center operates services in a facility adjacent to the new site. The new facility will expand these services and add additional services offered by DuBard School.
The Children’s Center provides transdisciplinary therapy and educational services to infants, toddlers and preschoolers with significant developmental disabilities at no cost to families. These services include speech-language therapy, physical and occupational therapy, special education, behavioral consultations and assessments, social work, educational audiology services, and listening and spoken language therapy for children with hearing impairments.
Therapy services are provided in the home, community and center location determined by each child’s individual needs and the family’s priorities.
DuBard School provides full-time enrollment services for children ages 3-13 on the public-school calendar. Students are placed either through the special education process in collaboration with their local public schools or are parentally placed.
Enrollment services are provided at no charge to families. Services are provided by nationally certified speech-language pathologists and classroom therapy assistants who address each child’s individual speech, language and academic goals in the context of small classrooms. Classrooms house a maximum of 10 students to provide a small teacher-student ratio of no more than 5:1.
Both The Children’s Center and the DuBard School train University students and offer regular continuing education opportunities for professionals across a multitude of fields.
GULF PARK HEALTH CENTER
The Gulf Park Health Center (GPHC) had a busy year. The Clinic spent the year refining its processes and procedures to best serve the University’s six coastal locations. In the spring, the GPHC hired Jennifer Larson as office manager to run daily operations. The collective effort has led to the GPHC having 215 patient contacts during the spring semester, 60 patient contacts during the summer semester, and 307 patient contacts during the fall semester for a total of 582 patient contacts in 2022. These contacts included supporting the research crews in meeting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration requirement for COVID-19 testing prior to setting sail for research trips into the Gulf of Mexico. The GPHC also continues to support the COVID-19 vaccination efforts by maintaining the new bivalent vaccine in the on-campus negative 80-degree freezer and assists local pharmacies with vaccine acquisition. The School of Speech and Hearing Sciences utilizes space within the GPHC to perform hearing screenings. GPHC supported five blood drives by the American Red Cross, spearheaded the USM Gulf Park campus team for the American Heart Association’s annual Heart Walk, and participated in the U.S. Marine Corp’s annual Toys for Tots toy drive by hosting a Stuff the Cruiser event jointly with University Police Department.
The GPHC continues to pursue the goal of opening to the general public of coastal Mississippi and is actively working toward serving as a clinical preceptor site for the students of undergraduate nursing, family nurse practitioner, speech-language pathology, audiology and public health programs.
BUILDINGS
Four projects occurred/are underway for 2022-23:
• Completed: Office space in Asbury Hall Simulation Lab divided/set up for two staff office spaces—lab coordinator and simulation technician
• Completed: Five adjoining interior spaces on 2nd floor in Harkins Hall consolidated and renovated to warehouse the new Sports Medicine and Community Health (SMaCH) Lab
• Underway: Numerous rooms on both 1st/2nd floors of J.B. George Building are being updated with new paint, flooring, furniture, etc. Several of these areas are still in process and furniture is yet to be installed.
• Completed/Underway: The Gulf Park West Academic Building was renovated in preparation for the Accelerated BSN program, which included new flooring and paint throughout, new furniture installed in offices and conference rooms, lab spaces redesigned, and all new simulation equipment.
• Design/Planning: Gulf Park Dubard School/Children’s Center project
NATIONAL RANKINGS Outcomes
95%
Nurse anesthesia certification pass rate for 2021 cohort
66.7%
Therapeutic recreation certification 2022 first-time pass rate
8⁄10 (80%)
Audiology Praxis II pass rate
84.2%
Kinesiotherapy certification pass rate 2022 65%
Athletic training certification overall pass rate 2022
24⁄25 (96%)
Speech-Language pathology Praxis II rate
Undergraduate nursing NCLEX pass rate 2022 100%
Program Highlights
NURSE PRACTITIONER PROGRAM EARNS NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR BEING WALLET-FRIENDLY
USM’s Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) post-graduate certificates rank as the 13th most affordable post-master’s NP Certificate programs in the nation.
The list of accredited online programs is published by NPSchools.org. It factors in admissions flexibility, program variety and cost.
CNHP’s spot at #13 for the 2022-23 academic year highlights USM’s affordable tuition costs, with $13,497.12 being the price for the FNP certificate, and $14,535.36 for PMHNP. Both certificates provide affordable, quality education to nurse practitioner students.
Along with the FNP and PMHNP doctorate degrees, CNHP’s School of Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice also offers doctoral degrees in clinical nursing, nursing leadership and nurse anesthesia.
USM MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAM RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY
Coming in at No. 9, USM’s Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program earns a top-10 spot on EduMed’s Best Online Public Health Degrees for 2023. The ranking is based on a mix of affordability, support services, and online program availability metrics.
The MPH program includes online and traditional face-to-face formats. It is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health and is designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to coordinate a wide variety of activities crucial to the effective and efficient delivery of health services and programs.
MPH graduate coordinator and instructor, Vickie Reed, credits “the diverse representation among the students in the program and the faculty teaching MPH courses,” as key factors in ensuring the program stands out.
SOARING TO NEW FINANCIAL HEIGHTS
Not only did USM earn national recognition for how affordable its online DNP programs are, it also clenched the No. 3 spot on OnlineU’s 2022 Best Online DNP Degrees in regard to the financial success of its graduates.
According to the publication, Southern Miss alumni are earning well above the median and more than most online DNP graduates across the country.
OnlineU evaluated online programs based on its Salary Score metric. Salary Score compares earnings of a university’s graduates to the earnings of online DNP graduates at other colleges across the country. The higher the Salary Score, the more a program's alumni have earned compared to others.
TO THE TOP, TWO YEARS IN A ROW
Southern Miss nursing programs continue to earn special recognition across the entire state by being named the best nursing program for the second year in a row by nursingprocess.org. The Online Guide to Nursing and Healthcare Education ranks the best accredited nursing programs in each state. CNHP continuously earns recognition for several of its specific pathways and programs, such as the Nurse Practitioner program and the Online Doctor of Nursing Practice program. But what makes this accolade even more special is that it recognizes USM nursing as a whole.
Not only is the CNHP praised for advances made in regard to nursing research, the publication also highlights the importance of the DuBard School for Language Disorders and The Children’s Center for Communication and Development. Both children’s initiatives provide prominent resources for children, while also allowing CNHP students an opportunity to gain hands-on experience. The state-of-the-art Learning Resources and Simulation Center, located in Asbury Hall, is also called to attention for its impact on students being able to learn essential nursing skills such as IV insertion, oxygen administration and ECG interpretation.
USM NURSE ANESTHESIA TEAM PARTICIPATES IN
MISSION
TRIP TO HONDURAS
“More than Medicine” - a motto embraced by Baptist Medical Dental Mission International (BMDMI) - was thrust into action recently during a 40-person surgical team’s assignment in Guaimaca, Honduras.
The team was comprised of healthcare personnel from the Hattiesburg area, as well as one faculty member and four students from the Southern Miss Nurse Anesthesia Program. Part of an annual mission through BMDMI, the medical team performed an astounding 82 procedures in just three-and-a-half days.
Dr. Stephanie Parks, assistant professor in USM’s Nurse Anesthesia Program, led the University’s contingent that also included students Laura Beth Hailey, Alexa Hogan, Luke Leblanc and Reed Thames. This trip marked the first time that any of them had participated in a BMDMI mission.
Surgical procedures performed during the mission ranged from cosmetic malformation repairs, dental extractions, gynecological procedures, hernia repairs and orthopedic procedures.
The students recounted their fondest memories:
Laura Beth Hailey
Louisville, Miss.
My most memorable moment from the trip was seeing the patients in pre-op being individually prayed over before surgery, as well as the joy and thankfulness the patients had when they woke up once their surgery was complete. It’s powerful to see how much we take for granted.
Luke Leblanc
Gluckstadt, Miss.
My most memorable moment was providing the anesthesia for one of the mission workers for BMDMI that is from Honduras and then her eating lunch and praying over our meal before we ate. Seeing the resiliency of the patient and how quickly she went back to work was amazing.
82 PROCEDURES
3.5 DAYS
Alexa Hogan Meridian, Miss.
I think my most memorable moment was each day walking into pre-op to get my patients and seeing how happy these people were to see us and get their surgery. We take so much for granted here in the U.S. with everything at our fingertips, which goes along with how appreciative the Honduran people were when we took them fresh water one afternoon. It was amazing to see their response not only to getting the surgery they’ve waited a long time for, but also taking them fresh water – something we never have to worry about back home. Very eye-opening.
Reed Thames Gluckstadt, Miss.
My favorite moment was seeing the Gospel preached in pre-op in English and Spanish, and one lady accepting Christ.
STUDENT-ATHLETE HIGHLIGHTS
CARA ATKINSON
Major: Health Sciences
Sport: Volleyball
I love CNHP because of my wonderful advisor! Abbie Johnson has helped me every step of the way through my ever-changing career goals and plans. She has helped me stay on top of all my classes, prepared me for my P.A. school application, and kept me cool when I start stressing!
ESMERALDA FIGUEROA
Major: Public Health (HP/HB) MPH
Sport: Soccer
I love the College of Nursing and Health Professions at The University of Southern Mississippi because of the continuous assistance and support services the faculty and staff provide me to enhance my development as a graduate student-athlete by providing a supportive environment with the skills and knowledge to achieve academic, social and professional success.
DUQUESNE MORATZKA
Major: Speech Pathology and Audiology
Sport: Volleyball
I chose the College of Nursing and Health Professions because I only ever heard great things about the programs. As a speech pathology major, all my professors have been nothing short of amazing in working with me and my hectic schedule. Knowing they are so easy to communicate with and willing to help in any way possible is so comforting when traveling every week.
PARIS FERGUSON
Major: Health Science
Sport: Softball
I love CNHP because of the way it has impacted my life so positively. What impacted my decision was the COVID-19 era. I got to see how important nurses are and how they change the world, and I wanted to be involved in that and help change people's lives as well.
FACULTY/STAFF HIGHLIGHTS
DR. LACHEL STORY
Dean of CNHP
Dean of the CNHP, Dr. Lachel Story, was selected in February of 2023 as a member of the 2023 SNRS Leadership Academy cohort. SNRS, or Southern Nursing Research Society, includes 650+ members across 14 states. Only three members were selected for this program. Dr. Story says she feels extremely honored to be selected.
The SNRS Leadership Academy chose three participants with the goal of helping them learn more about SNRS, further develop leadership skills, create a personal leadership plan, and to be mentored by the board. This experimental leadership program aims to increase the amount of SNRS members ready to successfully lead the society, to increase the diversity of leaders, and to engage members in board leadership.
DR. ELIZABETH HOLMAN
CNHP’s School of Professional Nursing Practice assistant teaching professor, Dr. Elizabeth Holman, helped accelerate the University’s RN-BSN program by sharing exciting changes during a webinar hosted by an international honor society.
During the early months of 2022, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing held a webinar presentation that was attended by 58 individuals representing 10 countries. Dr. Holman, the RN-BSN program coordinator, “provided an overview of the Nurse Leader Program courses and offered examples of learning activities for the students.”
Her presentation followed substantial changes in the RN-BSN program announced in the previous year in an effort to “boost students’ marketability and expand their opportunities for leadership in nursing, all while decreasing the hours needed to graduate."
Dr. Holman’s ability to speak to such a diverse group of healthcare professionals provided a global platform to showcase USM’s groundbreaking efforts in enhancing the education of nursing students.
DR. NINA MCLAIN
Dr. Nina McLain, Nurse Anesthesia Program coordinator at USM, has joined an esteemed group with her recognition as an American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) Fellow.
As a Fellow of the AANA, McLain is recognized as one of the most accomplished leaders in the profession of nurse anesthesiology. Earning the FAANA designation is a major career achievement that recognizes certified registered nurse anesthetist as outstanding practitioners, educators, researchers and advocates for the profession. The designation communicates a commitment to excellence in the profession of nurse anesthesiology.
“I am most honored to be selected as a fellow for the AANA. When I look at the others among the group, I am so humbled to be amongst them,” said McLain.
Acceptance criteria for AANA fellowship include professional achievements demonstrating impactful contributions that continue to promote and advance the profession in the areas of clinical practice, education, research and professional advocacy and are consistent with the high standards of AANA.
ANITA THAMES
Mrs. Anita Thames served as the coordinator for the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSSLHA) USM chapter, which received a 2022 National NSSLHA Bronze Chapter Award for student projects and community service while serving as student representatives of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Dr. Stephanie Parks
One minute she’s teaching students how to become competent nurse anesthetists; the next she might be piloting a law enforcement helicopter over the vast forests of South Mississippi. Such is the extraordinary and rewarding life of Dr. Stephanie Parks. Parks serves as a full-time assistant professor in USM’s Nurse Anesthesia Program, yet also manages to squeeze in part-time duty as a helicopter pilot for the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office.
After earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at USM’s Gulf Park campus in 1996, Parks enlisted in the U.S. Army three years later. She underwent basic training at Fort Sill Oklahoma, graduating first in her class and earning a second lieutenant commission at Fort Benning, Ga., which has since been renamed Fort Moore.
For the first 10 years of her 23-year military career, Parks piloted the famed Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters.
During Operation Enduring Freedom, Parks served as MEDEVAC commander for the U.S. Army in Kosovo and coordinated all MEDEVAC assets for the entire country. Following a 12-month deployment to the region, Parks voluntarily grounded herself by returning to school and furthering her civilian education. She earned her master’s degree in nurse anesthesia from Franciscan University in Baton Rouge in 2012 and served as chief anesthetist at Garden Park Medical Center in her hometown of Gulfport, Miss., from 2013-19.
While employed at Garden Park Medical Center, Parks completed the Doctor of Nursing Practice program at USM in 2015. It was during a deployment to Afghanistan in 2019 that Parks received and accepted an offer to join the USM nursing faculty.
As the simulation coordinator in the Nurse Anesthesia Program at USM, Parks and her colleagues structure simulation scenarios that include cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains of learning. When she’s not in the classroom or a clinical setting, you may find Parks participating in Army simulation training seminars. Parks’ association with the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office began prior to her Army enlistment and well before she learned to fly helicopters. Grit and persistence paid off as Parks climbed all the way up from helicopter washer to senior pilot in the department’s aviation unit.
MENTORING OTHERS
Female helicopter pilots occupy a sparse faction within the U.S. Army’s aviation ranks, representing less than 5% of all helicopter pilots. Parks is working to reverse that trend as a member of the world’s largest female profession pilot organization, The Ninety-Nines. Founded in 1929, legendary pilot Amelia Earhart became the group’s first president in 1931.
The Ninety-Nines provides networking, mentoring and flight scholarship opportunities to recreational and professional female pilots. Parks serves as a leader in the organization’s Professional Pilot Leadership Initiative, mentoring and supporting other female pilots during their professional aviation careers.
Though her active military career ended more than a dozen years ago, Parks remains a member of the U.S. Army Reserves, where she holds the rank of major. She has logged more than 2,000 flight hours in five different airframes and is currently training to become a certified flight instructor.
DR. LAWANDA BASKIN
Dr. LaWanda Baskin, assistant professor and director of the School of Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice, was recognized in 2022 as the University’s nominee for the State Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) Diversity Educator of the Year award. The annual recognition is based on teaching, research, publication and community service demonstrating commitment to the ideals of the award.
DR. AMY LEBERT
Along with her teaching, research and administrative duties at the University, Dr. Baskin is actively engaged in developing the Rural Scholars Program, a collaboration between Alcorn State University and USM to expand diversity and inclusion by increasing recruitment of underserved rural PhD nursing students. She was also selected to serve as part of the USM’s founding Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Mission and Vision Working Group.
Dr. Baskin serves on the Diversity Committee for the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties; internationally, she has presented her research on the importance of measuring cultural awareness of nursing students at the Transcultural Nursing Society’s annual conference.
Dr. Baskin is working on several collaborative projects with colleagues across campus to improve diversity and equity efforts on campus and in the local community. She also continues seeking out opportunities to grow in knowledge regarding diversity, equity and inclusion, including through her participation in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Diversity Leadership Institute.
Dr. Amy LeBert served as immediate past president of the Council of State Speech-LanguageHearing Association Presidents in 2022. This association provides leadership training for all state Speech-LanguageHearing Association presidents and offers a forum for collaboration and networking among these leaders. In addition, she was appointed to serve on the Council of Academic Accreditation Nominating Committee. The committee is tasked with identifying and submitting a slate of nominees to CAA, which is our national body responsible for oversight of the accreditation of graduate education programs. Dr. LeBert was chosen to be renewed as a site visitor for the American SpeechLanguage-Hearing Association in 2022. She will serve another four-year term. In this role, she is part of a team of reviewers trained to evaluate academic programs based on the standards for accreditation and to conduct an on-campus review of the program.
DR. KIMBERLY WARD
Dr. Amy LeBert and Dr. Kimberly Ward received a $3,560 Lucas Grant to host a Hearing Loss Symposium for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) on the USM campus. This symposium provided free continuing education to approximately 250 SLPs from across the state.
MR. JERRY PURVIS
Mr. Jerry Purvis, lecturer and Kinesiotherapy Program coordinator, received the Julian Vogel Memorial Life Membership Award from the American Kinesiotherapy Association. This award is presented to any active member who has demonstrated unusual interest and meritorious service in the Association and who is retired or will retire imminently. Mr. Purvis has been a faculty member at USM for 20+ years and will be retiring in May.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS
LIVING GOLDEN: USM ALUMNUS NAMED TO MISSISSIPPI BUSINESS JOURNAL ’S TOP 40 UNDER 40
Southern Miss nursing graduate, Chris Boothe, has been recognized by the Mississippi Business Journal in its annual Top 40 Under 40 list of rising professionals.
Boothe, 39, works as a clinical specialist at Boston Scientific Neuromodulation. A native of Madison, Miss., he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from USM in 2007 before earning a master’s degree at Mississippi State University.
As a clinical specialist with Boston Scientific Neuromodulation, Boothe provides direct patient care and education while working alongside physicians during the trial and implantation of spinal cord stimulators.
Boothe called his selection to the prestigious Top 40 Under 40 roster quite humbling.
“It is a great honor and privilege to have been chosen as one of the Mississippi Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40. I am blessed to stand amongst these talented and distinguished Mississippi business and civic leaders who have proven themselves as high achievers and trend-setters in our state,” he said.
Boothe has worked in emergency medicine, interventional pain management, surgical robotics, and served as the chief nursing administrator of a psychiatric care facility. As a national clinical nurse educator, he has observed cases and presented education in more than 100 operating rooms across the United States.
Boothe notes that his time as a USM student helped shape the foundation for his career in healthcare.
“My time at USM paved the way for future successes in my career by offering challenging opportunities in a curriculum based in coursework and excellent clinical opportunities,” said Boothe. “The skills I developed in professionalism, ethics and leadership helped me to establish a firm foundation in my education that I am able to directly apply to a rewarding career on a daily basis.”
Boothe lives in Madison with his wife, Mallori, who is also a graduate of USM’s nursing program (2008). They have two children - daughter Selby (11) and son Shelton (6).
EMMANUEL UDOCHUKWU (current MPH student) AND SAMARIA LOWE (MPH alumna)
Presented at the American Public Health Association National Conference in Boston, Mass., in November 2022
KOKI IKEDA (AT alumnus)
Accepted a job as a Minor League athletic trainer with the Los Angeles Angels organization
NURSING PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN USM, OTHER SCHOOLS MEETING EXPECTATIONS
The nation needs more nurses, and the sooner the better. USM has taken a proactive role in fighting the national shortage by helping students overcome obstacles to a nursing degree through an innovative collaboration with other Mississippi colleges.
Last June, USM signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Pearl River Community College, Jones College and Alcorn State University, establishing partnerships between the schools designed to create easier pathways for students seeking a degree in nursing.
Seven months into the collaboration, Dr. Lachel Story, dean of USM’s College of Nursing and Health Professions, is delighted with the results.
“We rolled out these options in the fall, and I am thrilled to say that we were able to find placements for all the students who would have previously been denied admission with one of our partners,” she said.
The unprecedented academic partnerships provide qualified applicants to USM’s pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program (i.e., those without a nursing licensure) who would otherwise be delayed an alternative admission pathway to a nursing degree.
Under the new agreements, qualified pre-licensure BSN applicants not accepted into the USM program will be offered an opportunity to apply to Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Practical Nursing (PN) programs at Alcorn, Pearl River or Jones. Previously, students not accepted into USM’s program could have applied to the other schools but customarily found themselves forced to wait until the following semester.
A January 2023 Associated Press article suggested that nursing programs at Mississippi's public universities are turning away hundreds of potential students every year because of insufficient faculty sizes. The article further stated that students are being turned away amid a nursing shortage that is exacerbating poor health outcomes in the state.
Story points out that USM’s program is required to maintain a 1:15 faculty/student ratio by accreditation standards.
“We make every effort to maximize that ratio so we can ensure that we admit every qualified student possible,” she said. “Our embedded clinical faculty is one such way we have maintained our enrollment capacity. Our hospital partners have dedicated a Registered Nurse, who meets accreditation requirements to faculty, to serve as the clinical instructor for our students in their faculty. This allows for us to include them in our faculty count.”
Story goes on to note that the University’s enrollment numbers for the pre-license BSN program in the fall 2022 semester returned to pre-COVID numbers, indicating that these types of efforts are working.
Nursing is the nation's largest healthcare profession. Records show there are nearly 4.5 million registered nurses with active licenses. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says of those, only 72% percent are employed as RNs. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the country will need more than 203,000 new registered nurses every year through 2026 to fill the gap in care left by a retiring workforce. The average age of a nurse right now is 51.
The U.S. nursing crisis has been building for some time. Steps, like the partnership initiative USM launched with sister schools, are being taken at the state and federal levels to combat the shortage. A little more than 500 students are currently enrolled in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs at USM.
We did not get here overnight, and we will not turn this around overnight,” said Story. “The issue is complicated, and addressing one area can cause issues in other areas. Additionally, we must focus on all of the contributing factors in order to make a measurable impact. We all must do our part to contribute to the solution through innovative strategies like the partnerships we have built with our sister institutions and our clinical partners.
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ACCELERATED NURSING PATHWAY
JUNE 2022
CNHP’s School of Professional Nursing Practice announces Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing option to be available at Gulf Park campus.
SEPTEMBER 2022
Applications for ABSN open.
NOVEMBER 2022
CNHP dean, Dr. Lachel Story, and SPNP director, Dr. Beth Tinnon, discuss how new ABSN pathway will help combat the nursing shortage.
JANUARY 2023
Inaugural ABSN pathway class begins.
KEY COMPONENTS OF ABSN PATHWAY
• Nursing coursework can be finished in 12 months.
• Scholarships are available.
• Same degree as traditional BSN
• Has same clinical experiences
INITIAL COHORT KEY COMPONENTS
• Degrees come from various institutions including USM, University of South Alabama, Louisiana State University, University of Albany, Life University, University of New Mexico and Mississippi State University
• Inaugural class degrees come from a variety of fields including forensics, biological sciences, psychology, emergency preparedness, homeland security, cybersecurity, biology and kinesiology
• For people who have already obtained a bachelor’s degree in any field
• Able to bypass some typical requirements having already earned degree
• CCNE-accredited
Students in Inaugural Class 9
Students' Age Range 22-42
Fall 2022 SOCIAL MEDIA INSTAGRAM
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(UNPAID)
