UTHSC College of Nursing Magazine - Fall 2023

NURSING THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER FALL 2023

Innovating for the Future

The Dr. E. Dianne Greenhill Chair of Excellence in Community and Public Health in Nursing Since graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing (BSN) in 1962, Dr. Dianne Greenhill has been a mentor and friend of nursing education. Under the guidance of Dean Ruth Neill Murry, Dr. Greenhill continued her education after attaining her BSN, eventually becoming a nurse educator and returning to teach at the college.

For more than 30 years, she served as an educator, faculty leader, academic dean, interim dean, and a compassionate mentor for nursing students.

Through her long academic career and a prestigious military career, Dr. Greenhill’s constant passion has been public health education. In addition to her academic role and military service, Dr. Greenhill served as the nursing director for the Shelby County Health Department where she trained young nurses and nursing students in the work of community service through public health education and health care.

Today, Dr. Greenhill continues to mentor students and faculty at UTHSC’s College of Nursing. She is an active leader for the UTHSC College of Nursing Alumni Board and is considered the college’s historian. As her active career has come to a close, Dr. Greenhill has chosen to honor the college with a planned gift to establish the Dr. E. Dianne Greenhill Chair of Excellence for Community and Public Health in Nursing. This endowed position will ensure that public and community health continue to be a part of the curriculum at UTHSC’s College of Nursing and that students will continue to be exposed to the role of public health nursing and leadership.

If you would like to honor Dr. Greenhill and support her effort to establish the Greenhill Chair of Excellence for Community and Public Health in Nursing, please consider making a gift at giving.uthsc.edu/greenhill.

LEADERSHIP UTHSC Chancellor Peter Buckley, MD Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operations Officer Raaj Kurapati, AIFA Dean of the College of Nursing Wendy Likes, PhD, DNSc, APRN-BC, FAANP Executive Associate Dean of Academic and Student Affairs Charleen McNeill, PhD, MSN, RN

< Precision Medicine PhD student seeks major impact

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Associate Dean of Research Ansley Grimes Stanfill, PhD, RN, FAAN Assistant Dean Community and Global Partnerships Sara Day, PhD, RN, FAAN Assistant Dean of Finance and Operations Victoria Y. Bass, CPA Assistant Dean Student Affairs and Evaluation Roylynn Germain, MPS

Taking Nursing > on the Road

Mobile health reaches rural residents

Chair, Department of Acute and Tertiary Care Sherry Webb, DNSc, RN, CNL, NEA-BC

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Chair, Department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Mona Newsome Wicks, PhD, RN, FAAN Chair, Department of Community and Population Health Sarah J. Rhoads, PhD, DNP, WHNP-BC, RNC-OB, APRN, FAAN

< More Midwives Grant to educate midwives, nurse practitioners

Vice Chancellor for Advancement Brigitte Grant, MBA Assistant Vice Chancellor for Alumni and Constituent Engagement Chandra A. Tuggle Director of Development, College of Nursing Michelle Stubbs

Vice Chancellor for Communications and Marketing Sally Badoud Editors Leigh Ann Roman Janay Jeans Designer Adam Gaines Writers Chris Green Janay Jeans Leigh Ann Roman Peggy Reisser Photographers Caleb Jia Leigh Ann Roman On the Cover: Students in the College of Nursing were present in support of the unveiling of the Nursing Mobile Health unit, a unit that will be operated by faculty and students in the college to increase health care access in Lake and Lauderdale counties and combine rural health education in its undergraduate and graduate programs.

17 A Storied Career >

Dr. Greenhill is nurse, author, philanthropist

30 All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and admissions without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, or covered veteran status.

Eligibility and other terms and conditions of employment benefits at The University of Tennessee are governed by laws and regulations of the State of Tennessee, and this non-discrimination statement is intended to be consistent with those laws and regulations.

In accordance with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, The University of Tennessee affirmatively states that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or disability in its education programs and activities, and this policy extends to employment by the University.

Inquiries and charges of violation of Title VI (race, color, national origin), Title IX (sex), Section 504 (disability), ADA (disability), Age Discrimination in Employment Act (age), sexual orientation, or veteran status should be directed to the Office of Equity and Diversity (OED), 910 Madison Avenue, Suite 826, Memphis, Tennessee 38163, telephone 901-448-7382 (V/TTY available). Requests for accommodation of a disability should be directed to the ADA Coordinator at the Office of Equity and Diversity. E073801(020-240271)

From the Dean This has been a year of innovation at the UTHSC College of Nursing – a year in which long-held goals of college leaders and alumni have come to fruition. We are proud to highlight some of these innovations in our annual magazine.

It was incredibly gratifying to open the Dr. Margaret A. Newman Center for Nursing Theory in May and to welcome stakeholders and members of the Center Advisory Board to celebrate her impact and begin to build on her legacy in nursing theory.

As we expand our commitment to nursing theory, we also are increasing pathways into our Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. In the last year, the college has added five local and regional higher education institutions to our Partnership Enrollment Program, which guarantees admission to students from these schools who meet certain prerequisites. This doubles the number of partner schools from five to 10.

New partner schools include Lane College, UT-Southern, Dyersburg State Community College, Arkansas State University-Mid-South, and Dillard University. All partnerships except Dillard are for the BSN. The Dillard partnership is for our PhD and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. It is our hope that increasing access to our programs will help address the nursing shortage and expand access to health care for our community.

The college also is addressing health care access through the outreach of our UTHSC Nursing Mobile Health Unit, which is now on the road in Lake and Lauderdale counties. This program offers primary health care to residents of these underserved counties and provides a rural health focus to BSN students who will attain the designation of Rural and Underserved Nurse. A corresponding DNP Scholars Program will focus DNP students on rural issues.

A $2.6 million renewal of the Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) grant through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will also expand access to health care in innovative ways. The four-year grant aligns with the HRSA ANEW mission to educate and graduate more nurse practitioners and certified nurse midwives who will practice in rural and urban underserved areas.

Finally, we are extending our community collaboration by working with Baptist Memorial Health Care to address the shortage of perioperative nurses. Our new OR Nurse Scholars program will give select BSN students additional perioperative education, an internship, and tuition assistance if they commit to working two years as a perioperative nurse for Baptist.

We are so proud of these innovations at the college, and we are excited about how these initiatives will make a positive impact on the future of nursing and health care in our community. None of this would be possible without the support of wonderful alumni like you and our committed faculty and staff. I look forward to continuing to innovate our programs and graduate stellar nurses to better serve our community in the future.

Sincerely,

Wendy Likes, PhD, DNSc, APRN-BC, FAANP Dean of the College of Nursing The University of Tennessee Health Science Center

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UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2023

From the Chancellor When we cut the ribbon on the UTHSC Nursing Mobile Health Unit in May, I was so proud that our College of Nursing would be bringing health care to underserved areas in rural West Tennessee, where the need is great.

Our new 2023-2028 Strategic Plan set our vision for the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in four simple words: Healthy Tennesseans. Thriving Communities. The UTHSC College of Nursing is taking a big step toward fulfilling this vision with the mobile health unit.

Across the college, faculty, staff, students, and alumni are working diligently to make our vision a reality. The College of Nursing is training more nurse practitioners and certified nurse midwives for Tennessee in the hope that many will provide care in underserved areas of the state.

Additionally, the college is helping to increase Tennessee’s nursing workforce by innovative partnerships that will ensure nursing degrees are more accessible and affordable.

This is exactly what the University of Tennessee Health Science Center can and should do – care for the health of the people of Tennessee, from one end of this great state to the other.

Over my last year and a half as chancellor, I have been privileged to watch our College of Nursing take up this charge with gusto.

I look forward to the bright future the college is creating for Tennessee.

And I am so grateful for the support from our outstanding alumni in helping the College of Nursing and the university meet this challenge. Our alumni are always ready to give of their time, talent, and funds to support the vision of their alma mater. That speaks volumes for the education they received at UTHSC and the high regard they have for the college that trained them.

As the chancellor of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, I want to thank you for all you do for your College of Nursing, your university, the state of Tennessee, and the wider world.

Sincerely,

Peter Buckley, MD Chancellor The University of Tennessee Health Science Center

From the Alumni Board President As I reflect on my first term as your UTHSC College of Nursing Alumni Board president, I am so proud of our college faculty, staff, students, and the family of nurses we represent as alumni. The impact we are having locally, nationally, and around the world is increasing access to care and improving outcomes in our communities. As an alumni board, we have had some amazing events and opportunities to engage with students, network with one another, learn, and offer our support to the UTHSC College of Nursing.

This year, alumni have celebrated important milestones for our college. Two that stand out to me are the unveiling of the UTHSC Nursing Mobile Health Unit and the ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate the Dr. Margaret A. Newman Center for Nursing Theory. These events demonstrate the college’s leadership in the nursing profession through increasing access to health care in rural communities and promoting the understanding and use of nursing theory locally and worldwide. This April, with support from alumna Dr. Dianne Greenhill and the husband of alumna Carol Francisco, Dr. Jerry Francisco, we raised more than $30,000 in support of yet another successful Giving Day for the College of Nursing at UTHSC. We have so much to be proud of!

As alumni, we have many opportunities to be involved with our College of Nursing at UTHSC. This year, look for ways to connect with the college in any way you can. For example, you can encourage students to apply for our accelerated or traditional BSN programs or talk to current nurses about the diverse opportunities available in our Doctor of Nursing Practice program. You can make a gift or encourage your classmates to make a gift during the next Giving Day, set for April 23, 2024. Whatever you choose to do, please plan to be involved. If nursing is the backbone of health care, then our alumni are vital in carrying on the tradition of providing exceptional service in our communities. We make a difference!

If you would like more information about the College of Nursing, please visit www.uthsc.edu/nursing or the College’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/nursing.uthsc. If you are interested in getting involved with our alumni events, please visit www.alumni.uthsc.edu. If you are interested in making a gift in support of the College of Nursing, please send an email to our Development Director, Michelle Stubbs at mstubbs@utfi.org.

Remember to check your emails for updates on all of our upcoming events!

Best regards,

Kimberly Zilske, DNP, MSN, APRN, ACNP-BC President, Alumni Board of Directors

Traditional BSN Program Attracts Variety of Students

By Leigh Ann Roman The UTHSC College of Nursing is dedicated to removing obstacles to health care access, and sometimes that means removing obstacles to attaining a nursing degree.

With that in mind, the college created a traditional Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing (BSN) to attract students from a variety of educational backgrounds, including community college. The traditional BSN is a four-semester program and does not require a previous bachelor’s degree for admission. The college’s accelerated BSN requires a bachelor’s degree in another field, and students on that track complete their nursing degree in 12 months.

The traditional BSN was a perfect fit for Haley Lundberg, 42, who had a career in health care as a business manager for a surgical group in her home state of Washington.

But when her son, Marcus Bernard, was accepted to the UTHSC College of Medicine, she decided it was the right time to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse.

Lundberg just completed her first year in the traditional BSN program, and she is very happy with her decision.

“I’m returning to school after a 20-year hiatus. After being

in the traditional program for the first term, I know it would have been the best choice for me regardless,” she said. “Having some flexibility in my school schedule gave me an opportunity to spend time with family, still make time for all the necessary schoolwork, and a little time for myself.”

The college’s traditional BSN program had 49 students enrolled in July with 33 more slated to begin in August.

For Lundberg, who did not have a previous bachelor’s degree, the traditional BSN was the only option that would work for her at UTHSC, and UTHSC was the only nursing program in Memphis in which she was interested.

“The reputation for clinical readiness and first-time pass rate for the NCLEX was unmatchable,” she said. “The professors take the time to get to know you and they are genuinely invested in your education. This really separates UTHSC from other schools. I’m not just a number here.”

For Valarie Lewis, 37, of Memphis, the traditional BSN worked best for many reasons. “The TBSN program allows me to work full time, take care of my home

UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2023

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responsibilities, and meet the requirements for school.

The program takes about one less class each semester which allows me to do everything I need,” said Lewis, who previously earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from LeMoyne-Owen College.

program in the area, it was within walking distance of my home, and it was the most cost-effective for what it offered. It also offered the DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice) program that I would like to later pursue, and it would offer me smaller, more intimate classes.”

Lewis works as a certified nursing assistant in the cardiac care unit and the CV-ICU at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.

She chose UTHSC because “I thought it was the best

More information about the BSN at UTHSC can be found at uthsc.edu/bsn.

Partnerships Expand Access to UTHSC Nursing Programs The UTHSC College of Nursing has doubled its Partnership Enrollment Program (PEP) this year from five partner schools to 10. These partnerships increase opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds to enter the nursing program.

Students who participate in the PEPs are guaranteed admission to the college if they earn a 3.0 grade-point average (GPA) and meet certain prerequisites.

The college offers a PEP for the traditional BSN to students who complete science prerequisites and attain a designated associate degree with a 3.0 GPA at one of the following colleges: Lane College in Jackson, Tenn.; Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia, Miss.; Southwest Tennessee Community College in Memphis, Tenn.; LeMoyne-Owen College in Memphis, Tenn.; Dyersburg State Community College in Dyersburg, Tenn.; and Arkansas State University Mid-South in West Memphis, Ark.

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UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2023

A few of the PEP schools partner only with UTHSC’s accelerated BSN program. These include Rhodes College in Memphis, UT Southern in Pulaski, Tenn., and The University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn.

LeMoyne-Owen College and Lane College have PEP agreements with both the traditional and accelerated BSN programs at UTHSC. The PEP agreement with Dillard University, a historically black university in New Orleans, guarantees admission to the UTHSC Doctor of Nursing Practice program or PhD in Nursing Science for graduates from Dillard’s BSN or MSN programs who meet certain requirements.

Detailed information about the PEP agreements with each college can be found at uthsc.edu/nursing/partnershipenrollment-programs.php.

BY THE NUMBERS $3,603,843

Total Grant Funding for FY23

$152,875 in Total NIH Funding

170

Nursing Students Received Scholarships

31

$426,000

Faculty Grant Submissions

420

Faculty Presentations

Awarded in Scholarships

Total CoN Enrollment

193 72

Faculty Journal Publications

Changing the World with Precision Medicine PhD Student Inspired by Sister

By Leigh Ann Roman Emily Mewborn, DNP, FNP-BC, is on a mission to make an impact on the illness that causes the most deaths worldwide – cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Mewborn’s original inspiration to enter the nursing profession and make a significant impact can be summed up in one word – Mary.

If that sounds daunting, you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Mewborn.

Dr. Mewborn’s sister, Mary, was born with a syndrome that affects many areas of the body, including eyes, ears, heart, and overall growth. “She was medically complex and fragile. She was trached. We had home nurses who stayed with us every night and became like family,” Dr. Mewborn said. “I saw that compassionate care for someone beyond their need in the moment, to include their emotional and spiritual needs – not just the person, but the whole family.”

The Collierville native completed a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree in two-and-a-half years.

She married at age 19 and attained her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree to become a Family Nurse Practitioner at age 23. She is now pursuing a PhD in Nursing Science that will help develop better predictors of heart disease.

“I want to marry the worlds I love, research and the discovery of new knowledge with taking care of patients and impacting them in the moment,” said Dr. Mewborn, 33.

Her work is getting noticed. Dr. Mewborn received the top student poster award at the 2022 International Society of Nurses in Genetics World Congress in Durham, North Carolina, last November. She also received the ISONG 2022 Research Grant.

At UTHSC this year, Dr. Mewborn was one of three winners of the College of Graduate Health Sciences Frank Dugan Scholarship. Graduate Health Sciences students whose research is focused on cardiovascular disease are eligible for this award.

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UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2023

Now 29, Mary is doing well, although she is partially blind and deaf. She completed college courses and lives with her mother. “She’s just our little miracle,” Dr. Mewborn said. “They said she’d never survive.”

As Dr. Mewborn got involved in the profession of nursing, she saw the obstacles many nurses face. When she worked in the hospital, she saw many seriously ill people with chronic diseases. “Their social determinants were in the way of their health potential,” she said.

Social determinants of health are the conditions and environments where people are born, live, learn, and work that affect health and quality-of-life outcomes.

Dr. Mewborn decided to focus more on disease prevention and went back to school to become a Family Nurse

CoN Enrollment Practitioner. Again, she faced a hurdle – the corporatization of health care. “The health care system is not set up to give people what they need day to day to prevent disease,” she said. “It’s transactional care, not relational care.” She wrote a paper that was accepted for publication by Nursing Ethics, “Examining Moral Injury in Clinical Practice: A Narrative Literature Review.”

In 2022, Dr. Mewborn set her sights on the path where she felt she could make the greatest difference – a PhD in Nursing Science researching ways to improve risk predictors for heart disease.

She is studying a specific genotype that may be a potential risk factor. A health intervention that targets that genotype could reduce the risk of heart disease significantly. “That is precision health care,” she said.

Dr. Mewborn is scheduled to graduate with her PhD in Nursing Science in December and will begin a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh in 2024. She plans to continue expanding her haptoglobin genotype and cardiovascular disease research.

She manages to balance her scholarly endeavors with a strong family life. She is married to Mikey Mewborn, PhD, the dean of Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, and they have a preschoolaged son named Wesley. She and her husband play in their church’s band, and they enjoy water skiing and snow skiing.

Dr. Mewborn’s PhD adviser is Ansley Stanfill, PhD, RN, FAAN, associate dean of research. Dr. Stanfill’s research focuses on genetics, and she also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh.

“Dr. Stanfill is the definition of a mentor,” Dr. Mewborn said. “If you look in the dictionary, her name should be beside that word,” she said.

“She is so encouraging and challenges you to be the best you can be. She leads by pure example in excellence.”

Dr. Stanfill said, “Emily is an exemplary student and a force to be reckoned with. I have no doubt that she will use her formidable skills to change the world for the better.”

When Dr. Mewborn attains her PhD, it will be her third degree from UTHSC. She also earned her BSN and DNP from the university. She is proud to become a UTHSC graduate again. “UTHSC is still in the business of growing students and fostering their learning for the ultimate goal of improving patient care. I am honored to be a part of it,” she said.

420

CoN Total for FY2023

(July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023)

266

139

DNP

BSN

Total Certificates

RNFA Cert.

15 1

Post-DNP PMH Cert.

9

5

Forensic Cert.

CoN New Student Enrollment 2023 (as of August 2023)

198 Total 64 ABSN 28 TBSN 7 DNP-NMW 28 DNP-CRNA 9 FNP 13 AG-ACNP 5 PNP-AC 1 PNP-PC 0 *NNP 12 PMH 4 PhD**

3 RNFA 5 FNC 1 FNP CERT. 5 PMH CERT. Dual Programs:

9 AG-ACNP/FNP 6 PMH/FNP 2 Dual Pedes

Primary and Acute

*The NNP concentration enrolls only every other year. **PhD students are enrolled through the College of Graduate Health Sciences.

Mobile Health Unit Makes Impact on Rural Communities, Nursing Students

By Leigh Ann Roman When Monnie Puckett, 89, heard that the new UTHSC Nursing Mobile Health Unit was going to be in Halls, Tennessee, she knew she had to go see it.

Puckett, who has lived in Halls since 1946, drove over to the Lauderdale County Commission on Aging in Halls for a tour of the unit. “I know this is what we need in the rural areas,” she said. “I love it.”

Funded through a four-year, $3.9 million grant to the UTHSC College of Nursing from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the unit will be staffed and operated by faculty and students from the college. The goal of the program is to increase health care access in Lake and Lauderdale counties and to integrate rural health education into its undergraduate and graduate nursing programs.

Students in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs will be part of the college’s rural outreach. HRSA designates both counties as underserved.

Lake and Lauderdale counties have the second and 13th highest poverty rates among the 95 Tennessee counties, respectively, according to the University of Wisconsin 10

UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2023

Population Health Institute Report on Tennessee for 2021.

Lake County has the highest incidence of low birthweight and smoking. Lauderdale County has the second highest rates of diabetes and adult obesity and the fourth highest adult smoking rate. Life expectancy in both counties is below state and national averages.

Although the mobile health unit practitioners accept insurance, it is not required. That is important to many residents of rural communities, said Angela Duncan, activity coordinator for the Lauderdale County Commission on Aging.

Duncan said she spent many years without insurance while employed as a private caregiver. “I went six years without a pap smear,” she said. “If I hadn’t gotten insurance, I would be out there in line.”

County Officials Praise Health Care Outreach The mobile health unit will go to locations in Lake and Lauderdale counties two days per week, respectively. The unit is 24 feet long and 8 feet wide with a clinical space of 117 square feet, comprising a check-in area and one exam

room. Both areas will have telemedicine equipment and computer stations. The exam room will also have an exam table and clinical assessment equipment. The unit staff includes one advanced practice nurse, supported by a medical assistant or a licensed practical nurse. Clinical services provided on the unit will include primary care, mental health care, chronic disease management, prenatal care, and HIV care.

Halls Mayor Eugene Pugh was impressed with the unit. “There’s not a whole lot you can’t get done in the van that you can do in a practitioner’s office,” he said.

The mobile health unit will also be a great benefit to Lake County, which is extremely rural, said Lake County Mayor Danny Cook. The county has no four-lane road and only one traffic light. “We are very excited about the opportunity to have the mobile health unit here,” Cook said. “The main thing we want is for our people in Lake County to have the best opportunity to lead happy and healthy lives.”

The UTHSC nursing students who are involved in the rural health education program are enthusiastic about what they are learning. Each BSN student will earn eight micro-credentials in areas such as health literacy, health policy, and cultural sensitivity and humility.

Program Benefits Students, Community Alicia Cox already had some insight on the health care access challenges for rural residents when she started the program.

“My grandparents lived in Somerville, Tennessee, which is a rural community in Fayette County.

They had to travel for an hour to Memphis to receive health care multiple times each month,” she said. “Years ago, the only hospital in Somerville closed, which decreased their access to immediate emergency care. Witnessing this motivated me to pursue the rural health track.”

Cox, who is in the accelerated BSN program, said she enjoys working in rural areas “because there is a dire need for easier access to health care, and I am able to help bridge that gap between the residents of rural communities and access to health care.”

Memphis native, Regan Lee, is also an accelerated BSN student who is in the rural health education program. She became interested in working in

underserved communities during her senior year at the University of Mississippi by volunteering at the Oxford Community Market. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in dietetics and nutrition.

“I want to submerge myself in this experience because it inspires me to think critically about health equity, health care access, and many different obstacles that are unique to rural communities. Nurses are catalysts for medical innovation and pivotal advocates for health equity among communities,” Lee said.

“I love working in the rural areas because the participants are eager to learn from us and express genuine gratitude for our efforts,” she said. “I love hearing their stories and how

they can apply the information to their own lives.”

Nineteen BSN students and three DNP students are participating in the rural health program. Over the life of the grant, the college will enroll 110 BSN students and 30 DNP students in the program.

UTHSC College of Nursing Dean Wendy Likes said, “We look forward to becoming part of the Lake and Lauderdale County communities and to providing a more robust education in rural health care to our BSN and DNP students.

We are excited to model for our students what nurses can do to improve the lives of others through innovation and outreach. This is a very proud moment for us.”

Students Earn Tuition Funds Through Rural Health Education BSN students will earn eight micro-credentials through the program to earn their designation as a Rural and Underserved Nurse. Students may complete two micro-credentials per semester, earning $500 per credential to use toward their tuition. Once all eight credentials are earned, the student receives an additional $1,000 for a maximum of $5,000 upon completion of the program.

The eight credentials cover the following topics: cultural sensitivity and humility; diversity, equity, and inclusion; health disparities – health equity; critical thinking and clinical judgement; social determinants of health; health policy; health literacy; and communication.

DNP students who participate will receive a stipend of 50% of their tuition, which is between $15,000 and $16,000 in total. Each DNP student will complete a Quality Improvement project with a rural clinical partner and receive an additional $2,500 to pay for conference travel and to distribute the project results.

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Nursing Student’s Experience as Patient Inspires her to Become a CRNA

By Leigh Ann Roman One of the major roles a nurse plays is that of a patient advocate. So, it makes sense that Bria Sharp decided to become a nurse after spending her childhood learning to manage her own chronic health condition – sickle cell disease (SCD).

“I always knew I wanted to go into health care after my early experiences with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

They were my primary providers for my first 18 years and provided a great model for me to follow,” she said. “Not only did they provide excellent care, but they also taught me about my disease and how to manage it.” These experiences are what led to Bria developing her desire to pursue nursing.

SCD is a group of blood disorders that prevent the normal flow of blood in the body because of the effect on the hemoglobin in red blood cells. St. Jude has been researching and treating SCD since the hospital opened in 1962. SCD is the most common inherited blood disorder in the U.S., affecting about 100,000 Americans. Symptoms include pain crises, difficulty breathing, and high fevers.

When both parents carry the sickle cell trait but do not express the disease themselves, their child has a 25% chance of having SCD. That is the situation for Bria, the only one of her three siblings in her family who has SCD. In middle school, Bria experienced many pain crises, but she learned to see the patterns that led up to them and developed treatment plans to avert them.

Despite her chronic condition, Bria has chosen a very challenging path in nursing. She is in the middle of a rigorous, full-time Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program in nurse anesthesiology at the UTHSC College of Nursing. Bria earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing (BSN) from the college in 2019. It was in this program that Bria was first introduced to nurse anesthesiology. “I had a certified registered nurse anesthesiologist (CRNA) who took us under her wing for our clinical day in the OR. We could tell her role was complex and interesting, and this is where my interest began.”

Bria’s mother is also a nurse. Assistant Professor Jackie Sharp, DNP, APRN, PMHNP, is the concentration coordinator for the Psychiatric Mental Health DNP program at UTHSC. Dr. Sharp said she was excited when Bria decided to become a nurse.

“She has the personality for it. She is a very compassionate person and really cares for her patients,” Dr. Sharp said. “She is a great patient advocate.”

Before returning to school for her DNP, Bria worked in a local intensive care unit and really enjoyed it. But she said the role of the CRNA will be even more challenging.

“When you are a nurse in the ICU, you have the ICU physician or nurse practitioner, the respiratory therapist, and the pharmacist there,” she said. “But when you are in the operating room as a CRNA, you are the respiratory therapist, the pharmacist, and the ICU physician or nurse practitioner. You take on all those roles when you get into the OR.” Part of Bria’s coursework currently is learning more than 100 different medications and their side effects and interactions

by December in order to master that knowledge before clinical education begins in January.

“Getting a nursing degree is hard, but this is different,” she said. “You must learn this material with the mindset that ‘if I don’t remember this, I could be the reason that harm comes to a patient’.”

Although the role of a CRNA can be daunting, it is also exciting. “I admire the level of responsibility they carry in the OR,” Bria said. “I am excited to think that one day I will be competent enough to carry that responsibility.”

Associate Professor Dwayne Accardo, DNP, APRN, CRNA, FAANA, the concentration coordinator for the Nurse Anesthesiology DNP, said Bria is a model student. “She goes above and beyond with everything she sets her mind to.”

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Program to Address Perioperative Nursing Shortage The University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s College of Nursing has developed an Operating Room Scholars program to educate nursing students as perioperative nurses through the college’s Bachelor of Science degree in nursing (BSN) program. Baptist Memorial Health Care is working with the UTHSC College of Nursing to develop the curriculum and pilot the program.

The program is designed to help address the shortage of perioperative nurses. A perioperative nurse fulfills nursing roles before, during, and after a patient’s surgical procedures. Like many nursing specialties, perioperative nursing has been affected by the overall nursing shortage.

Open perioperative nursing positions have increased from 3% in 2012 to 11% in 2021, according to the industry publication OR Today. The OR Scholars program is launching this summer with two students in the inaugural cohort.

“This is an innovative pilot program designed to better prepare new graduates to work in the perioperative areas,” said UTHSC College of Nursing Dean Wendy Likes. “The program will fill a critical need and has the potential to create a new way of preparing nurses for areas with the most critical shortages. We hope it will also decrease the time new nursing graduates must spend in orientation or residency at hospitals and assist in the retention of perioperative nurses.”

Mary Ellen Sumrall, MSN, RN Mary Ellen Sumrall, MSN, RN, is the chief nurse executive of Baptist Memorial Health Care and chief nursing officer for Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis. “With 22 hospitals in three states, we are always looking for innovative ways to transform and advance nursing practice and education models,” she said. “Nursing has evolved into many specialties that require more specific training and focus. This pilot program in perioperative nursing could transform how we prepare undergraduate nurses for specialty areas.”

The OR Scholars program is open to students in the college’s traditional, four-semester BSN program.

Students entering their third semester who meet academic requirements including a minimum 3.0 GPA can be considered for the program. The student receives some tuition support from Baptist and agrees to work for Baptist as a perioperative nurse for two years after graduation. During the program, the students will complete PeriOp 101 modules to learn more about perioperative nursing and will complete a minimum of three interprofessional simulations in the perioperative environments. To be considered, a student must be in good standing in the BSN program and complete an interview with the college and the hospital.

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Scholarship 2023

25

Total Faculty Grant Funding $3,603,843

47

($152,875 of this total is NIH funding.)

FACULTY PRESENTATIONS 2023

Grant Funding $4,000,000

14

$3,500,000

TOTAL: 193

$3,603,843

$2,500,000

$2,494,648

$2,000,000 $1,713,064

$1,500,000 $1,000,000

FY2021

FY2022

State

National

Local

34

% Rate

FACULTY PUBLICATIONS 2023

100 97.4%

96%

International

Regional

FY2023

NCLEX Pass Rates for BSN

95

92

15

$3,000,000

TOTAL: 106

90

90%

72

90%

85

Journal Articles

80 2019

2020

2021

2022

Initial Board Certification Rates All DNP Concentrations Combined

Faculty Grant Submissions by Year

% Rate

35

TOTAL: 40

TOTAL: 18

TOTAL: 31

30 24

96

15 10

15

13

16

10

5 0

100 98

25 20

Other Articles

FY2021

Federal

2 FY2022

Foundation

94

94.2%

92 90

6 3

96.3%

90%

88 FY2023

2021

2022

2023

Internal (UTHSC CoN) UTHSC COLLEGE OF NURSING | FALL 2023

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College Dedicates Nursing Theory Center Alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the College of Nursing at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center gathered May 31 for a ribbon-cutting and dedication for the Dr. Margaret A. Newman Center for Nursing Theory, which honors the late UTHSC alumna, Memphis native, and internationally known nurse theorist after whom it is named.

The event included a proclamation by the Tennessee General Assembly honoring Dr. Newman and an unveiling of her portrait. It also included a tribute to the original director of the center, Assistant Professor Melody Waller, PhD, RN, who died in 2022.

“Margaret Newman is looking down and smiling today that we’ve gotten to this point,” said College of Nursing Dean Wendy Likes in opening the program. “Dr. Newman would be proud of our mission, our vision, and our purpose today.

Our dream for the center is similar to the vision that Dr. Newman had to improve nursing practice and positively influence the quality of life and health of others.”

Dr. Newman earned her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing at UTHSC and later taught on the college’s faculty.

She died in 2018.

Dr. Newman’s theory of Health as Expanding Consciousness was ground-breaking. The theory proposes that all individuals can achieve a state of health that involves the experience of interacting and connecting with the environment. According to the theory, relationships are the focus of nursing, which assists individuals in expanding consciousness.

Associate Professor Marie Gill, PhD, RN, is the director of the center. She said the center will fulfill several important roles. “While the center’s primary focus is on Dr. Newman’s Health as Expanding Consciousness theory, it also exists to promote education about nursing theories, provide theory resources, and bolster the use and development of theories and models to guide nursing research, practice, and education,” she said.

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Kayla Wynja, BSN, RN, a student in the dual DNP/PhD program at UTHSC, is using Dr. Newman’s theory to guide her dissertation research, which will focus on understanding the process of reintegration for post-stroke survivors.

“Dr. Newman’s theory has shaped my outlook on caring and health—to encompass meaning beyond disease,” she said.

“Having the Margaret Newman Center at UTHSC will allow me to continue to grow my theoretical knowledge to ensure its implication within my dissertation and future practice.”

Wynja was the lead presenter of a poster during the event on May 31. The title of the poster is “Step Up to Reintegration Model for Survivors of Stroke.”

“My ultimate goal in pursuing a dual DNP/PhD is to harmonize clinical practice and research to ensure that I can provide and also improve evidenced-based care for my future patients,” Wynja said.

After earning her BSN at UTHSC, Dr. Newman went on to earn her master’s degree in medical-surgical nursing at the University of California at San Francisco, and her PhD in Nursing Science at New York University. Her published books related to her theory include, “Health as Expanding Consciousness,” “A Developing Discipline,” and “Transforming Presence: The Difference That Nursing Makes.” Her career included serving as a professor at the University of Minnesota, on the faculty at UTHSC, as PhD program director at New York University, and as a civilian consultant to the U.S. Surgeon General for Nursing Research. She also led the graduate and research in nursing program at Pennsylvania State University. She was named a Living Legend by the American Academy of Nursing.

“The opening of the center gives us the opportunity to elevate the practice and profile of nursing in the health care world,” Dean Likes said. “Dr. Newman was truly a pioneer, and we are so fortunate that her archives reside here at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.”

Grant to Improve Maternal/Infant Care to Underserved Renewed for $2.6 Million The University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s College of Nursing will provide significant support annually to 19 advanced practice nursing students committed to serving rural and underserved communities thanks to the renewal of a federal grant for $2.6 million.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has renewed the Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) grant submitted by Professor Sarah Rhoads, PhD, DNP, WHNP-BC, RNC-OB, APRN, FAAN. The goal of the four-year grant is to increase the number of nurse practitioners and certified nurse midwives to serve underserved populations, increase diversity in the workforce, and train providers to address health equity and social determinants of health. UTHSC has the only public nurse midwifery program for the three-state region.

The grant team plans to award stipends of $23,947 per year to 19 students in the following Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs: Nurse Midwifery, Family Nurse Practitioner, and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. The grant renewal will also aid in building and expanding academic and clinical partnerships and create learning opportunities to train nurses to address health equity and social determinants of health for rural, urban, and tribal underserved communities.

The original HRSA grant of nearly $3 million, awarded in 2019, supported five DNP students each year. The renewal nearly quadruples the commitment to supporting nursing education.

“We will see the impact of this grant for generations,” said Dr. Rhoads. “We will more than triple the number of students who receive a stipend each year with this new grant. This additional funding will allow us to assist more students and provide them with money for tuition, books, fees, and travel to our partnering clinical sites. In addition, our first cohort of nurse midwifery students will graduate in May 2024, and several of them have received a stipend for all three years of their nurse midwifery program.

Dr. Rhoads leads a team in the College of Nursing focused on improving services for mothers and babies in the Delta region, including Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas. The team is also working to expand access to mental health resources and primary care in the region.

Co-investigators are Professor Bobby Bellflower, DNSc, NNP-BC, FAANP; Associate Professor Laura Reed, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC; Assistant Professor Jacqueline Sharp,

DNP, APRN-BC, PMHNP; Professor Kate Fouquier, CNM, PhD, FACNM; Assistant Professor Lisa D. Beasley, DNP, APRN, NP-C, RN; Assistant Professor Janeane N. Anderson, PhD, MPH; and Associate Professor Ricketta Clark, DNP, APRN-BC. To accomplish the goals of the grant, academic and clinical partnerships with urban and rural institutions are being strengthened. These include Regional One Health in Memphis, Java Medical Group, and Professional Care Services in rural West TN. Funding will also be used to ensure diverse students receive training in rural clinics.

“Rural health care is really near and dear to my heart,” Dr. Rhoads said, when the initial grant was received. “The excellent thing about this program is we are going to develop close partnerships with institutions and ideally it will be a win-win for both. We will make an impact on rural communities as well as underserved communities here in Memphis. Ideally, students rotating in the rural health care clinics and the medically underserved areas in Memphis will fall in love with those communities and work there when they graduate.”

In addition to supporting nursing education, the original HRSA ANEW grant also enhanced relationships with academic practice partners and rural clinics providing student experiences in rural and medically underserved areas; and provided telehealth training and supplies to rural areas. The team also hosted an annual inter-professional Opioid Conference for three years and partnered with South Central Telehealth Resource Center to launch a satellite telehealth training center on the UTHSC campus.

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Crystal Martin Walker, PhD, DNP, FNP-C, assistant professor in the department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and director of the Continuing Professional Development Unit, was recognized among more than 20 health care professionals and organizations as a finalist of the 2023 Health Care Heroes.

Dr. Crystal Martin Walker Named Among 2023 Health Care Heroes Finalists

By Janay Jeans For her tremendous service and commitment at UTHSC and in the community, Crystal Martin Walker, PhD, DNP, FNP-C, was recognized among more than 20 organizations and health care professionals as a finalist in the Memphis Business Journal’s 2023 Health Care Heroes Awards.

The annual Memphis Business Journal’s Health Care Heroes Awards honor individuals, companies, and organizations for their service and contributions to enhancing health care across Memphis and the Mid-South. Dr. Walker, assistant professor in the Department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, program director of the Nursing Continuing Professional Development Unit, and Family Nurse Practitioner at Regional One Health in the Adult Special Care Clinic, was a finalist in the category of Health Care Provider, Non-Physician.

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“It was an honor because I remember Wendy Likes, dean of the College of Nursing, received this award around two years ago and I really look up to her,” Dr. Walker said. “She was my dissertation committee chair, I thought very highly of her, and we worked closely together on some of her research projects. She is doing a phenomenal job as a dean, and she roots for our college. To be a finalist for an award that she received was really an honor for me.”

After earning her bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Mississippi in 2009, Dr. Walker came to the UTHSC College of Nursing and earned her Master of Science degree in Nursing from in 2011, her PhD in Nursing Science in 2015, and her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree in 2016.

“It was an honor because I remember Wendy Likes, PhD, dean of the College of Nursing, received this award around two years ago and I really look up to her,” Dr. Walker said.

“She was my dissertation committee chair, I thought very highly of her, and we worked closely together on some of her research projects. She is doing a phenomenal job as a dean, and she roots for our college. To be a finalist for an award that she received was really an honor for me.”

She was inspired to study at UTHSC after becoming aware of the innovation at the university and the College of Nursing. “An adviser encouraged me and saw something in me to pursue the DNP and PhD Dual Degree program,” she said. “The innovation was an opportunity for me to get two doctoral degrees in the areas I was interested in: research and practice.”

With a passion for teaching and nursing, she decided to pursue joining the faculty in the college. From serving as an instructor, to her current role as an assistant professor in the department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and director of the Continuing Professional Development Unit, she strives to educate and create opportunities for others.

The Nursing Continuing Professional Development Unit’s goal is to offer professional development opportunities to individuals for continued personal and professional growth.

“I love to teach, and in this role as the director of professional development, it gives me an opportunity to teach and bring in experts from across the country.”

She also provides care as a Family Nurse Practitioner at Regional One Health’s Adult Special Care clinic, a comprehensive primary care clinic for adults living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Her academic research also focuses on HIV, Human Papillomavirus (HPV), medication adherence, and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention.

“We need more people, such as physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, and more people to know who is at risk for HIV,” she said. “We also need more people to be comfortable prescribing PrEP, because some people think it can only be prescribed by a special PrEP provider. Anyone who can prescribe any medicine can prescribe PrEP.”

This year, a team led by Dr. Walker received funding from the Tennessee Department of Health and created a PrEP bootcamp, a day of training to increase knowledge and awareness about PrEP for medical, pharmacy, physician assistant, and nursing students at UTHSC before beginning their careers in health care.

“In April, we held the PrEP bootcamp and it was fantastic.

We had a great turnout, and we have analyzed our focus group data to receive feedback from students, and many say that they are comfortable, and they feel more knowledgeable, and that’s exactly what we want. We are offering two additional bootcamps this fall,” she said.

In addition to contributing to the College of Nursing and the community, Dr. Walker serves as the president of the Mid-South Association of Nurses in AIDS Care Chapter, and she is a member of the HIV Care and Prevention group in Shelby County.

As the need for more understanding and training about PrEP persists, she looks forward to the upcoming bootcamps and future collaborations that may arise.

“That was always my goal, that here (UTHSC) is where we want to pilot the PrEP bootcamp, but my hope is that we can implement this throughout Tennessee and the south, because that’s where most of the HIV cases are, and I’m excited about future work and collaborations.”

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NightinGala Honors Six for Nursing Excellence Six local nurses received awards for excellence at the seventh annual NightinGala May 5, 2023, hosted by the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s College of Nursing. More than 230 nurses and supporters attended the event, which launched the celebration of National Nurses Week, May 6-12.

“I am proud that nursing has been voted the most trusted profession in the U.S. by the Gallup Poll for 22 consecutive years,” said College of Nursing Dean Wendy Likes. “It is important for our college to take the leadership role in honoring nurses who exemplify the best of this important profession. It is our privilege to recognize their contributions.”

Marvia Balfour-Coleman, MSN, BSN, chief nurse of care in the community at the Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center, received the Dr. John W. Runyan, Jr. Community Nursing Award. Established in 1979, the award recognizes a registered nurse who has made significant contributions to the development and promotion of community health nursing.

Balfour-Coleman has served the Veterans Administration for 28 of her 30 years as a nurse. She is also a member of the hospital Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel System (DEMPS). DEMPS members are VA staff who travel the nation to support health care systems during times of disaster. Balfour-Coleman has served in emergencies including Hurricane Marie in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and assisting in state veteran’s homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Because of the overwhelming number of nominations, three nurses were recognized with the Bedside Nurse

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Hero Award, which honors nurses who spend most of their time providing direct patient care. The award recipients included: • Leann Stafford, BSN, RN, who works at Baptist Memorial Hospital – Collierville in general surgery.

• Lindsey Kaiser, BSN, RN, who works for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital on the bone marrow transplant unit.

• Carole Schuh, RN, CCRN, who was recognized posthumously for her contributions in four decades of nursing at Baptist Memorial Hospital – Memphis.

Stafford was recognized for her commitment to creating a caring environment and her willingness to help everyone from student nurses to surgeons.

Kaiser was recognized for her dedication to quality improvement; she is part of a team developing a device to prevent infection of patients’ central lines. She is also very involved in staff events that foster collegiality.

Schuh served as a critical care nurse for 42 years and was the head nurse for the intensive care unit at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis for many years. She was noted for innovations such as walking ventilated patients and for her commitment to educating others about critical care.

The Advanced Practice Nurse Hero Award honored UTHSC alumna Sara Wilkinson, DNP, CRNA, CCRN, a nurse anesthesiologist at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. She was recognized as the epitome of what a nurse anesthesiologist should be and as an excellent preceptor – a teacher of student nurse anesthesiologists in the clinical setting.

The Executive Nurse Leader Hero Award recognized Kim Muse, MSN, BSN, director of Clinical Quality and Safety for the West Cancer Center & Research Institute. An excellent problem-solver and nurse leader, Muse joined the West Cancer Center 10 years ago as an infusion nurse and continued to grow in leadership, attaining her current role in 2020.

NightinGala sponsors included St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Baptist Memorial Health Care

Corporation, Regional One Health, Travel Nurses, Inc., Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, and the West Cancer Center and Research Institute.

Funds raised from the event benefit the UTHSC College of Nursing’s Center for Community and Global Partnerships, which provides grant funding for clinical and community nurses in Memphis and the Mid-South working to improve clinical outcomes in their practice areas.

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McNeill Named Executive Associate Dean of Academic and Student Affairs Charleen McNeill, PhD, MSN, RN, has joined the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s College of Nursing as a professor and the executive associate dean of Academic and Student Affairs. Dr. McNeill comes to UTHSC from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, where she filled a similar role as associate dean for Academic Affairs.

Dr. McNeill brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the administrative role, which sets the academic tone for the college.

She is the president-elect of the Southern Nursing Research Society, which was established in 1986 to lead the transformation of health outcomes through nursing research. Her research involves emergency shelter placement, community health issues to include emergency preparedness and response, resilience, opioid utilization and most recently, COVID-19.

“Dr. McNeill brings great experience from multiple academic institutions, as well as 13 years of service in the U.S. Army, rising to the rank of staff sergeant. She brings relevant skills in problemsolving, multitasking and remaining calm under pressure. We are excited she brings these skills now to the UTHSC College of Nursing,” said Dean Wendy Likes.

Dr. McNeill obtained her PhD from the University of Texas at Tyler, her MSN from the University of Texas at El Paso, and her BSN from the University of Arkansas. She is a U.S. Army veteran, who was recognized as the 2017 Inaugural Outstanding Alumni for the University of Texas at Tyler, and the 2017 Outstanding Alumni for the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas. Dr. McNeill replaces Professor Susan Jacob, PhD, RN, who has held many leadership roles in the college of nursing in her nearly two decades of service to the university.

Dr. McNeill said, “I came to UTHSC to work with colleagues who have vast knowledge and experience and a history of excellence, to work with a dean who has a history of being innovative and strategically leading, and because academic health science centers are able to fully embrace the mission of the Academy, leveraging the strengths of the team who hold joint responsibility for health care, education and research.”

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156 Students Earn Nursing Degrees During three commencement exercises over the last year, 156 students earned nursing degrees. Seventy-four students achieved their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees, 78 students earned their Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degrees, and four students attained the PhD in Nursing Science from the College of Graduate Health Sciences.

• Aug. 15, 2022 – 45 ABSN graduates, 1 DNP graduate, and 2 PhD graduates • Dec. 12, 2022 – 29 ABSN graduates, 6 DNP graduates, and 2 PhD graduates • May 9, 2023 – 71 DNP graduates In August 2022, four students were recognized with awards at commencement. BSN graduate Benedict Brown won the Alumni Award, which is given to a student who shows enthusiasm for learning and nursing, and skills in providing patient care and interacting with peers, patients, and staff.

BSN graduate Savannah Nickel won both the BSN Class Award, which is given to a member of the graduating class who has been chosen by classmates as an outstanding role model, and the Faculty Award. BSN graduate Kelly Weise

also received the Faculty Award. BSN graduate Charlotte Dunbar was honored with the Sigma Theta Tau Leadership Award, which is given to a student who displays a high degree of professionalism.

In December 2022, five students received awards at commencement. BSN graduate Derrick Yates, Jr., won the college’s Alumni Award, and BSN graduate Namphuong Doanvo-Greenprice won the BSN Class Award. BSN graduate Miranda Nabors received the Sigma Theta Tau Leadership Award, and the recipients of the Faculty Award were BSN graduates Jodi Barron and Megan Bowden. Five students also were inducted into Sigma Theta Tau. In May 2023, three students received awards at commencement. Kiara Felix received the Alumni Award.

Anna McCleskey received the DNP Leadership Award, which recognizes a graduate who exemplifies the leadership role of the DNP graduate in the development of clinical practice models, health policy, and standards of care.

Myah Mukes received the DNP Clinical Award, which is presented to a graduate who demonstrates advanced levels of clinical judgment or scholarship in nursing practice, excellent professional values, and ethical decision-making.

Congratulations to all our graduates!

College of Nursing Welcomes New Faculty Members The UTHSC College of Nursing has added several new faculty members over the last year.

Rebecca Burrow, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, CNE, RNC-OB Burrow joined the College of Nursing faculty as an instructor in August 2022. She received her diploma of nursing from Baptist Memorial Hospital School of Nursing and her BSN from Union University. She also completed her MSN in Nursing Education with a focus in Maternal-Child Health at Union University. Burrow is currently enrolled in the Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing program at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. She is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and enjoys a focus in women’s health. She teaches in the BSN program at UTHSC.

Marie Gill, PhD, MSN, MS, BSN, RN Dr. Gill joined the faculty in October 2022 as an associate professor and director of the Dr. Margaret A. Newman Center for Nursing Theory. Prior to coming to UTHSC, Dr. Gill was a tenured associate professor and PhD program director for the Loewenberg College of Nursing at the University of Memphis. Dr. Gill received her BSN from UTHSC, her Master of Science degree in Education for Curriculum and Instruction and Leadership from the University of Memphis, and her MSN from the University of Memphis.

She received her PhD in Nursing with a minor in public health nursing from UTHSC.

Tosha Harris, DNP, APRN, NNP-BC Dr. Harris joined the faculty in January 2023 as an assistant professor and concentration coordinator for the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner concentration of the DNP program. Dr. Harris attained her BSN at the University of Louisiana at Monroe and her MSN at Northwestern State University in Shreveport, Louisiana. She earned her DNP as a neonatal nurse practitioner from UTHSC. Prior to joining the UTHSC faculty, Dr. Harris practiced in Level III and IV NICUs throughout the country.

She is a member of the college’s Alumni Advisory Board.

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Lee Hover, DNP, CRNA Dr. Hover joined the faculty as an assistant professor in August 2022.

She earned both her BSN and DNP in nurse anesthesiology at UTHSC. She teaches in the DNP concentration in nurse anesthesiology at UTHSC. Dr. Hover practices as a CRNA at Methodist Health Care and is a member of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology and the Tennessee Association of Nurse Anesthetists.

Kimberly Kennel, PhD, RN-BC, CCRN-K, CNE Dr. Kennel joined the faculty as an assistant professor in August 2022.

Prior to joining UTHSC, she was an associate professor at Baptist Health Sciences University for 13 years in the role of medical surgical coordinator.

She received her diploma in nursing from Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in Des Moines, Iowa, and her BSN and MSN from Union University. She completed her PhD in Nursing from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She teaches in the BSN program at UTHSC.

Nakiesha L. Shepherd, DNP, APRN, AGACNP-BC Dr. Shepherd joined the faculty as an assistant professor in January 2023. Prior to joining UTHSC, she taught at the University of Memphis Loewenberg College of Nursing for 10 years. Dr. Shepherd received her BSN and MSN from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. In addition, she earned a DNP with a concentration in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care from UTHSC. She teaches in the BSN program at UTHSC. As an Adult Gerontology Acute Nurse Practitioner, Dr. Shepherd serves veterans in the intensive care unit at the Lt. Col. Luke Weather, Jr. VA Medical Center in Memphis.

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SGAEC Teaching Award Winners Assistant Professor Crystal Walker, PhD, DNP, FNP-BC, and former nursing instructor Christie Cavallo, MSN, RN, EdD, CNE, CNEcl, CHSE, received the Student Government Association Executive Committee (SGAEC) Excellence in Teaching Awards, which recognize outstanding teaching and genuine concern for students.

Dr. Walker is three-time alumna of the college. Cavallo was a longtime instructor at the college.

Walker

Cavallo

UTHSC BSN Best in Tennessee For the third year in a row, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s College of Nursing has the highest-ranked Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program in Tennessee on U.S. News & World Report’s list of undergraduate nursing programs in its Best Colleges listing.

Nationally, the college ranked No. 31 among BSN programs on the Best Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Programs list.

Dean Inducted into Nursing Academy Dean Wendy Likes will be inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing Oct. 7 during the Academy’s Health Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. Recognition as a Fellow is a significant acknowledgment of a nurse’s substantial, sustained, and outstanding impact on health and health care. More than 250 nurses were invited to be inducted into the academy this year.

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DNP Ranked No. 23 in the Nation The UTHSC College of Nursing has been ranked No. 23 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for its Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program on the magazine’s Best Graduate Schools list for 2023–2024. The ranking places the college in the top 6% of all DNP programs nationwide, ranked and unranked, and in the top 14% of DNP programs that made the list. The Best Graduate Schools rankings evaluate programs in a variety of disciplines, including business, education, medicine, law, and nursing. The college moved up the ranking list this year from No. 27 last year. UTHSC has the most highly ranked DNP program of any public university in Tennessee.

Dr. Carter a Fellow of Australian Academy University Distinguished Professor Emeritus Michael Carter, DNSc, DNP, FAAN, FNP/GNPBC, has achieved the status of Fellow in the Australian College of Nurse Practitioners. Dr. Carter was a Visiting Professorial Fellow at Curtin University in Perth, Australia, in 2013. Since then, he has worked at the state and federal levels in Australia to help develop robust nurse practitioner practices. He also has several ongoing research projects in Australia. Dr. Carter also served as dean and professor in the UTHSC College of Nursing from 1982-2000.

Opioid Conference Grows in Third Year

$100,000 Grant Expands Sickle Cell Boot Camp Researchers in the UTHSC College of Nursing and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital received a $100,000 grant to expand an innovative education program for nurses who care for people with sickle cell disease (SCD). The grant from Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc. (GBT) allows the researchers to increase the impact of the original Sickle Cell Boot Camp to Promote Nursing Excellence by incorporating a train-thetrainer model. The first train-the-trainer boot camp took place in April and educated 20 students. The second is scheduled for November. The nursing education program is a collaboration between the College of Nursing, St. Jude, and the International Association of Sickle Cell Nurses and Professional Associates (IASCNAPA).

The third-annual Opioid Conference, presented in March by the College of Nursing, doubled attendance over the previous year. More than 280 people attended the conference to gain resources to recognize and address opioid use disorder among their patients. Keynote speaker Stephen Loyd, MD, cited addiction as the No. 1 health problem in the U.S. outside COVID-19. Dr. Loyd is the chief medical officer of Cedar Recovery and vice president of the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners.

The event was funded with a HRSA Advanced Nursing Education Workforce grant led

by Professor Sarah Rhoads, PhD, DNP, WHNP-BC, RNCOB, APRN, FAAN, who chairs the college’s Department of Community and Population Health.

Students Receive Nursing Scholarships The UTHSC College of Nursing Scholarship Ceremony and Reception honored donors and recognized scholarship winners during a Feb. 28 event at the Mooney Library at UTHSC. Approximately $426,000 was awarded to 170 individual students through 25 scholarships.

Chancellor Peter Buckley, MD, is pictured here with winners of the Chancellor’s Diversity Scholarship.

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Dr. Anderson Receives Impact Award Assistant Professor Janeane Anderson, PhD, MPH, received the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Faculty Award during the UTHSC Impact Awards Ceremony. This program recognizes students, faculty, and staff with the following awards: the Thomas C. Lichterman Outstanding Employee Award, the Chancellor’s Exempt Staff Award, the Student Social Justice and Diversity Healthcare Leadership Award, and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Faculty Award.

Faculty, Staff Receive Awards Assistant Professor Crystal Walker, PhD, DNP, FNP-C received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Faculty as part of the college’s celebration of National Nurses Week. The college also recognized staff members with awards. Research Manager Drew Prescott, MHIM, received the Most Outstanding Staff Member Award, which is nominated by faculty members. DNP Clinical Coordinator Rachel George, BSN, FCN, IBCLC, received the Encouraging, Aiding, Assisting, Supportive (EAAS) Staff Member Award.

Prescott

George

Dr. Dedmon Lauded as Health Care Hero Assistant Professor and Director of Clinical Affairs Diana Dedmon, DNP, FNP-BC, was recognized as a 2022 Health Care Hero by the Memphis Business Journal for community outreach. The award honors her work on a $377,000 grant that enabled COVID-19 vaccine education and outreach to six West Tennessee counties. The outreach to rural counties and underserved portions of Shelby County is focused on senior citizens.

Anesthesiology Students Receive Scrub Caps Twenty-six Nurse Anesthesiology students received their scrub caps Jan. 9 during a ceremony at the Mooney Library at UTHSC. This milestone marks their transition from classroom education to learning in the clinical setting.

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BSN Students Receive White Coats Sixty-one Accelerated BSN students received their White Coats Feb. 13 in a ceremony at the Memphis Botanic Garden, marking their transition from didactic to clinical education. This is an important milestone, as the students begin their clinical education during rotations at local hospitals under the supervision of faculty members. The students recite the White Coat Pledge in which they promise to provide excellent care with compassion. Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare sponsored the white coats for the students.

Dr. Murray Recognized for Excellence Assistant Professor Emma Murray, DNP, ACNP-BC, APRN, FCCS, received the 2023 American Association of Nurse Practitioners Advocate State Award for Excellence in June at the 2023 AANP National Conference in New Orleans.

This prestigious award is given annually to a dedicated advocate in each state who has made a significant contribution toward increasing the awareness and recognition of nurse practitioners.

Why Make an Annual Gift to UTHSC? Donating to UTHSC every year helps us provide scholarships, laboratory equipment, travel grants, community outreach initiatives, and many other benefits that would not be available using state or tuition-provided dollars alone!

Thank you for being a partner with our campus, our colleges, and our programs.

Your gift in any amount will make a difference.

Donate $100 or more and become a member of our 1911 Society!

For details, go to giving.uthsc.edu/1911.

Make your gift today! giving.uthsc.edu/give | 901.448.5516

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Dr. Dianne Greenhill: Alumna, Professor, Historian, Philanthropist

By Chris Green Dianne Greenhill, RN, BSN, EdD, is a staple in the UTHSC College of Nursing. Not only did she graduate from the college and serve on its faculty for four decades, but she also wrote the college’s history, and she continues to support it in retirement.

Dr. Greenhill has a passion for public Dr. Dianne Greenhill’s 1962 health nursing, graduation photo. stemming from her lifelong interest in helping people. Around the time she was finishing high school in the 1950s in Tupelo, Mississippi, she was considering a church-related profession, but after speaking with a friend who wanted to be a nurse, she decided nursing would be the best way for her to serve others.

“I had never been a patient in the hospital, I didn’t know any hospital nurses, but the one nurse I knew was a public health nurse, the school nurse, who also went to my church.

So, I talked to her about that, and what she did interested me,” Dr. Greenhill said.

Dr. Greenhill came to Memphis in 1958 to attend the College of Nursing. She describes her class, which also included her high school friend, as unique and special. “Everyone in the class had a minimum of one year of college before they came, and some of them had degrees,” she said. “Many of those people went on to get a master’s degree. Some got doctorates and made a name for themselves.” One of those classmates was internationally known nurse theorist Margaret Newman, PhD, namesake of the college’s new Dr. Margaret A. Newman Center for Nursing Theory.

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In addition to her classmates, Dr. Greenhill thinks fondly of the faculty who taught her, especially Dean Ruth Neil Murry.

After graduating in 1962, Dr. Greenhill attended graduate school in North Carolina to study public health nursing, while planning to return to Memphis to teach the subject.

In her last semester before finishing her master’s program, Dean Murry sent money from her discretionary fund to help Dr. Greenhill with tuition.

When she returned to the College of Nursing, she became colleagues with the faculty who taught her a few years earlier. As one of several new, young faculty members at the time, Dr. Greenhill felt they were mentored well.

Dr. Greenhill was a dedicated educator who taught hundreds of students throughout her career. While on the faculty, she held other positions outside the College. She served as the director of nursing at the Memphis and Shelby County Health Department for several years and was a 24-year member of the United States Army Reserve Corps, retiring as a Colonel in 2000.

Out of her passion for promoting and teaching public health, Dr. Greenhill fondly remembers a highlight of her career when she wrote and received a federal grant to conduct the first public health nursing graduate program for nursing in the state of Tennessee. The program was conducted on an outreach basis through telephone conferences utilizing four satellite locations across the state of Tennessee, well before the internet or any form of video conferencing was available. A serious car accident almost ended her career, but she slowly regained her strength and continued with the program while recuperating, even conducting classes from her bed.

Dr. Greenhill’s dedication to the College of Nursing continued as she became its historian, writing the book “From Diploma to Doctorate 100 Years of Nursing” to mark the college’s 100 anniversary in 1998. While researching the book, Dr. Greenhill met with Dean Murry and other alumni to gain their perspective and knowledge. Dean Murry’s personal reflections and guidance in re-creating the College’s history is one of the reasons for the book’s dedication to her.

While researching for the book, Dr. Greenhill traveled to places where records were stored, including the National Archives in Washington, D.C. In the book’s introduction, she wrote, “I am grateful for the opportunities I had to talk

Dr. Dianne Greenhill is shown in front of the uniform she wore as a nursing student in 1959. The uniform is one of several historical items Dr. Greenhill helped to compile for a display in the College of Nursing building.

with many former students and faculty…Many alumni have shared pictures, artifacts, and memories of their student and nursing experiences. All were valuable in shaping the book…”

Since retiring, Dr. Greenhill has continued to generously support the College of Nursing. She donates to the annual giving program, supports nursing scholarship endowments, and is a member of the Hershel P. Wall Legacy Society. The college has created a scholarship in her name to honor her generosity.

Dr. Greenhill has also made an estate gift to the college to establish the Dr. E. Dianne Greenhill Chair of Excellence for Community and Public Health in Nursing. Having the chair in her name would ensure the college would always have a faculty leader to head the community and public health

education efforts. Currently, more funds are needed to make the chair a reality.

“I didn’t ever consider this a possibility and I’m honored to have it occur, but we’ve got to raise some more money,” Dr. Greenhill said. “I want to ensure that public health nursing continues to be a focus of the college because it’s such an important part of nursing.”

Although she has spent decades serving the College of Nursing in various ways, Dr. Greenhill hopes to continue giving back to the university that she said provided her with an education, a career, and a community: “UT supported me in so many ways.”

If you would like to make a gift to support the Greenhill Chair of Excellence for Community and Public Health in Nursing fund, please visit giving.uthsc.edu/greenhill.

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2023 Most Outstanding Methodist School of Nursing Alumna Paula Dycus, DNP, RN, CPHQ, NEA-BC Dr. Paula Dycus earned her nursing diploma from the Methodist Hospital School of Nursing in 1977 and worked as a nurse for 20 years in roles of progressive responsibility before earning her BSN from the University of Memphis in 1997. She earned her MSN from Union University in 2001, and her DNP from the UTHSC College of Nursing in 2007, both with concentrations in Nursing Administration.

Dr. Dycus is currently the system director of Professional Nursing and Magnet Program for the Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare Corporation. She is also a Magnet Program Appraiser.

The theme of her career has been quality improvement and maintaining standards of nursing excellence. She has served as the standards and practice coordinator for Patient Care Services at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and as the administrative director of Professional Practice and Research at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. While at Le Bonheur, Dr. Dycus served as Magnet Program Director, completing and submitting all documents for the initial Magnet designation in 2015. She has been instrumental in leading teams to implement professional governance within the Methodist Le Bonheur System and in achieving initial Magnet designation at both Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital and Methodist North Hospital.

She has served in her current role with Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare since 2017.

Her professional development activities include poster and podium presentations at the annual Magnet Conference, Sigma Theta Tau International, National Association of Healthcare Quality, and QSEN. She has published several manuscripts for her work with quality improvement and research. Her passion is in creating a healthy work environment for nurses to practice using the Magnet framework and in mentoring nurses in professional development activities.

In addition to nursing leadership, Dr. Dycus has served as an adjunct faculty for the UTHSC College of Nursing and for the Union University Germantown campus. She received the Daisy Champion Award in 2013, the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Memphis Loewenberg College of Nursing in 2010, and the UTHSC Alumna Award in 2007.

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2023 Most Supportive Alumna Armantine “Tine” Williams, PPCNP-BC-R Armantine “Tine” Williams, PPCNP-BC-R, earned her BSN from the UTHSC College of Nursing and her MSN as a clinical nurse specialist and pediatric nurse practitioner from Columbia University in New York City. She also earned a certificate in clinical pharmacology for advanced nursing practice from Seton Hall University.

The hallmark of Williams’ life is service. She served in the U.S. Army Reserve for 31 years, retiring with the rank of colonel. She held the position of chief nurse for the 75th Combat Support Hospital in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and for the 330th Combat Support Hospital in Millington, Tennessee. Her service with the 75th included Joint Forces Humanitarian Missions in Ecuador, and her service with the 330th involved an International Training Exercise for Medical Readiness with several Baltic countries and a Joint Forces Humanitarian Mission in El Salvador. She also spent 12 summers as chief medical officer for the City of Memphis JROTC Leadership Camp in Camp Robinson, Arkansas. Upon her retirement from the U.S. Army Reserve, Williams received a meritorious service medal.

Williams said she loved her career in pediatric nursing, working with children and their parents and seeing “the miracles that happened every day.” Her first nursing job was working in the UT College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics for the legendary Marvin Gottlieb, PhD, MD, in the Exceptional Children’s Clinic. During her career, she was very involved in the American Nurses Association, the Tennessee Association of School Nurses, and the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners.

A Memphis native, Williams was the school nurse practitioner for St. Agnes Academy-St. Dominic School for 15 years. She also spent 15 years in New Jersey, where she was program director of the Pediatric Follow-up Center at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, N.J., and was the nurse coordinator for the Intensive Care Nursery Developmental Follow-up Program at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Paterson, N.J. In addition, she worked as a consultant for the design, development, and implementation of a pediatric developmental and early intervention program at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in the late 1990s. She was a member of Sigma Theta Tau in Tennessee and in New York.

Williams is a past president of the college’s Alumni Board and has maintained a strong connection with the College of Nursing throughout her life. She is also very involved in the Memphis community and is 2024-2025 president-elect of the Madonna Circle, a Catholic women’s service organization.

She is a founding sponsor for the National Museum of the U.S. Army.

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2023 Most Outstanding Alumna Susan Jacob, PhD, RN Dr. Susan Jacob has shown leadership in the academic sphere and in the larger community during her long career as a nurse.

Dr. Jacob earned a BSN from West Virginia University, a Master of Science degree in Community Health Nursing from San Jose State University, and a PhD in Nursing Science from then-UT in Memphis in 1993.

Her research focus is grief and bereavement, and her clinical focus is home health and hospice. She was instrumental in the development of the first hospice program in Memphis in 1979, and in 1983 received the John W. Runyan Community Nursing Award and the Key to the City of Memphis for her work in developing hospice in Memphis.

UTHSC originally recruited Dr. Jacob in 2003 because the college was developing a baccalaureate program and had not offered a professional entry program in many years. She was the dean of the Union University School of Nursing at the time.

She served the UTHSC College of Nursing in multiple leadership roles, first in 2003–2012 and then again from 2015 to early 2023.

She initially retired as professor emeritus in 2012 after serving as interim dean but came out of retirement in 2015 to assume the role of interim associate dean of academic affairs. Since then, Dr. Jacob has filled several interim roles including BSN program director and department chair. In 2018 she was assistant dean of quality and strategic affairs and then served in the role of executive associate dean of academic affairs from 2019 to September 2022.

She continued in her role as professor through early spring 2023.

During her time at UTHSC, Dr. Jacob led the development of the BSN and clinical nurse leader programs.

She later worked with college leadership and faculty to convert the BSN program from a content-based to a concept-based program. She is co-author and co-editor of a leading nursing textbook with Dr. Barbara Cherry, Contemporary Nursing: Issues, Trends, and Management, now in its 9th edition. She has extensive experience in curriculum and serves as a team lead evaluator for the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and a curriculum/accreditation consultant for colleges of nursing.

Dr. Jacob also served as a consultant for Faith Community Nursing educators from 2012–2021 and led efforts for curriculum revision of the Foundations of Faith Community Nursing Curriculum in 2014 and 2019. In retirement, Dr. Jacob said she will continue to consult with colleges of nursing regarding accreditation and continue her work on the nursing textbook. She will also continue to facilitate grief support groups and serve on the boards of the Comfort Care Coalition, The Forsaken Children, and One by One Ministries.

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2023 Most Outstanding Recent Alumna Vickie L. Stuart, DNP, CRNA During 23 years as a health care professional, Dr. Vickie Stuart has been recognized as an innovative clinician, a leading academician, and a professional thought leader in the field of nurse anesthesiology and health care policy. In addition to clinical practice and academic responsibilities, Dr. Stuart has been sought as a governance member or to present as an expert speaker and instructor at local, state, regional, and national conferences. While president of the Mississippi Association of Nurse Anesthetists, she advanced statewide collaboration among health care associations with a strategic initiative for the association.

Dr. Stuart earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing (BSN) at McNeese State University, her Master of Science in Anesthesiology at Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana, and her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Nurse Anesthesiology at the UTHSC College of Nursing.

Dr. Stuart’s advocacy efforts are evidenced by her accomplishments and contributions to the profession, education, and to health care. In 2001 Dr. Stuart pioneered a CRNA-only practice model in an office-based surgery setting by becoming the first CRNA employed at the site as a solo practitioner. More than a decade later, the practice is maintained by a CRNA-only group. Dr. Stuart has demonstrated success in navigating the political environment by acquiring approval at the local and state level to develop the first graduate-level nurse anesthesiology program at the University of Southern Mississippi.

The program, which began in 2012, was the first nurse anesthesiology program in the U.S. to begin at the doctoral level.

As co-chair of the College of Nursing Shared Governance Task Force at the University of Southern Mississippi, Dr. Stuart applied her leadership competencies with colleagues and stakeholders to introduce and gain faculty confidence in a new model of governance. Her efforts resulted in faculty adoption of a new Shared Governance Model for the College.

During state political advocacy Dr. Stuart worked collaboratively with stakeholders and elected officials to prevent the implementation of regulation of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses/Nurse Practitioners that would have negatively impacted access to care for the residents in rural Mississippi. Recognizing the importance of building and strengthening relationships with health care and policy leaders, Dr. Stuart, during her term as president of the Mississippi Association of Nurse Anesthetists, worked to develop a statewide summit on governance for leaders of hospitals and health care related organizations.

Dr. Stuart maintains a full-time clinical practice as an independent contractor in a variety of practice models.

In addition to clinical practice, she is an inventor and entrepreneur of a medical device. Her invention received patent approval in 2022.

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1911 Society Donor Recognition The College of Nursing would like to recognize its 1911 Society donors for the impact they have made on our students, faculty, and staff in the past fiscal year. The 1911 Society recognizes the dedicated supporters of the university who are vital partners in our mission of educating students, conducting innovative research, and improving health outcomes. Membership in the 1911 Society is granted across multiple levels, recognizing annual and cumulative contributions to UTHSC. To learn more online visit giving. uthsc.edu/1911.

ways to support the College of Nursing. Cash gifts can be made online, by mail or by phone. Other giving options include employer matching contributions, gifts of stock or bonds, real estate, gifts in kind, and various planned giving vehicles. For more information on how you can support the College of Nursing, please contact Michelle Stubbs, Director of Development, at mstubbs@utfi.org or 901.448.2076.

Make your gift today! Visit giving.uthsc.edu/give.

We are grateful to the following donors for their gifts of $100 or more through June 30, 2023.

Your donations are critical to strengthening our impact across the state and around the world. There are multiple

Thank you for your generous support!

ANNUAL PARTNERS Leslie A. and Mark A. Akins Anne W. and Andrei V. Alexandrov Sandra Gray Alford and Gene Alford Vashti J. Alley Catherine Allison-Stubee Betty Alsup Nancy and Murphy Appling Diana C. and Hal L. Baker Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation Tonnichaka Lashaun Barrett Victoria Young Bass Richard E. and Sandra Davis Bateman Lisa Darlene Beasley Bobby Lynn and Larry Dale Bellflower Hallie P. and Patrick E. Bensinger Coleen Bertsch Virginia Trotter Betts Virginia Tanner Bradley Teresa L. Britt Linda and Philip Bronfin Jacqueline and Tony Burchum Nancy S. Burke Nancy Smith Burton Xueyuan Cao and Ming Juan Wang Patricia P. and Michael G. Carlson David M. Carter J. Woodson and Joan B. Carter Ann and Ted Cashion Christie and Leo Cavallo

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Central Florida Hospitalist Partners Vicki and Steve Chandler Barbara and Michael Cherry Mary Teresa Clepper Lanny L. Coker Marilyn and Barton Comstock Dwight and Patricia A. Cowan Dee and John W. Cox, Jr. Kimberly E. Cox Lois Crenshaw Fawn Cress-Eng Clinton Andrew Crosier and Megan Crosier CVS Health Foundation Diana and Darren Dedmon Janet E. DePriest Sattaria and Lawrence Dilks III Susan Carol Donlevy Marion L. Donohoe Ginger and Gary Dorris Jasmine D. Dorsey Carolyn Drumwright Bettye and Saxon Durham Ann and Dan S. Eason Lucy C. and Josh F. Edwards Elevance Elizabeth Fuselier Ellis and Jerry Ellis Margaret G. and Jerry L. Emmons Sharon Evans Thorpe and Edwin M. Thorpe, Jr. Nancy and Mike Farrell Hope S. Ferguson

Kate and Mark Fouquier Jerry Thomas Francisco Rachel and Christopher George Marie E. and Robert E. Gill II Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc. Natasha Goins Bethany Goolsby Carolyn and Paul Graff Phyllis H. and Warren C. Grant, Jr. Patricia Anne Grayson E. Dianne Greenhill Barbara M. Grossman Stacie Beverly Groves Heather Roberts Hall Nicole and Rip Haney Nancy D. Haramaki Tosha Harris Zenobia E. Harris Michelle Renee Harrison Charles and Mary S. Hartwig Helen Bernice Hayes Linda F. Herron David Brent Hightower Adam Hill and James G. Roberts, Jr. Lee Kauerz Hover Sally Stevens Humphrey Ashley H. and James A. Hutcheson IV Sean Anthony Hutchison International Society of Nurses in Genetics Susan and Dick Jacob Sandy Jacobs and Terrilyn Boyd Qinyue Kerrie Jiang Randall Lee Johnson Dorothy Jones Myra S. and Gordon F. Jones Sissye V. Jones Connie Jongewaard Stan and Linda Douglas Joyner Kimberly D. Kennel Patricia A. and Ronald A. Kent Sonya Renita Kinnard Elizabeth A. Kirk Mary Anne and Scott R. Koeppel Kelsey Jean Krause Emily R. and Brent C. Laird Jackie and Ronald Herman Lands Margaret Heins Laning Nancy T. and Paul D. Learned Janice Shelley Ledbetter Brian Todd Lewis Douglas Lewis, Jr. and Evelyn Wright-Lewis Shaunda Lou Lewis

Wendy M. Likes Hillary H. Ling Sharon and V. O. Little Melissa J. and William J. Littman Amy and Walter MacMillan Christie Carnell Manasco Timothy D. and Belinda S. Mandrell Dana Michaela Manley-Todd Dean J. Martin Judy C. and Willie E. Martin, Jr. Clara A. Mason Jon A. and M’Liss Darr Mather Jeddie L. Maxwell Tracy and Eric McClinton Tina and David McElravey Dorothy C. McElyea Wynema McGrew Margaret Grim and Thomas K. McMahan Sandra E. and John M. McMillin Charleen Catherine McNeill Donna Mehr Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare Shelley A. and David M. Miller David C. Mills and Alisa R. Haushalter Myra and Mitchell Moore Pamela Sue Moore Stacey Morgan Patricia A Mosley Emma C. Murray Rachel L. Murray Robert and Sarah Mynatt Ashley B. Neal Karen Phillips Nellis Cassandra Faye Newsome St. Elmo Newton III OR Nurses Nationwide Kelly and Carter Osterbind Diane and Jim Pace Patricia A. and Richard D. Peppler Pink Ribbon Open Julia Ponder Stephanie A. Powelson and Thomas H. Tucker II Elinor F. Reed Laura K. and John B. Reed Regional One Health Foundation Registered Nurses Club Sarah Jane Rhoads Muriel and Charles Rice Michelle N. Rickard Janet Lynn Ridley Rachel and Benjamin Roberts III Leigh Ann and Erwin Roman

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Nancy Kim Rudge Jerry and Cynthia Russell Jennifer and Steven Russell Susan T. and Randy Sanders Lisa R. Kanter and Eugene S. Schweig III Anita G. Settles-Seymour Jacqueline M. and C. Anthony Sharp Fannie T. and Franklin Shelton Cheryl B. and James J. Shields Jasmine C. Shotwell Willie Nathaniel Simon Marguerite Royal Simpkins Erika and Awadhesh Sinha Patti Smith Susan and Prentiss Smith Karen I. Sova Paula Spears Patricia M. and Ronald L. Speck William A. and Pamela B. Speitel St Jude Children’s Research Hospital Dianne M. Stanford Mary and Sam Stewart, Jr. Alicia D. and Samuel J. Stigler, Jr. Kathleen T. Strausser Nancy Strohschein Michelle and Doug Stubbs Marilynn Susan Bell Swain Virginia E. Tacker

Amber Lynnette Tarvin Nancy Utter Terry Charmin M. Thomas Paula and Jeffrey Lee Todd Alicia A. and Benjamin H. Tollison Judy and Jose Valdez Tony and Karen Bryant Valk Anne and Joseph Wagoner Carolyn F. and Richard H. Walker Sallie J. Walton Alice U. Warren Jacqueline and Randall Watkins Sherry S. Webb Jean Wellshear Jo Ann West Sherrod W. and John H. West, Jr. Sharon F. and Steven K. West Bruce D. and Sarah J. White Linda O. Wible Mona N. and Sammie J. Wicks Cory Wilbanks Sara Ann Wilkinson Armantine K. Williams Loretta and Tavari Williams Y’Esha Vonyae Williams-Click Jan Young Rashedah Darmika Young Kimberly S. and Eugene J. Zilske

2023–24 College of Nursing Alumni Board Officers PRESIDENT Kim Zilske ‘07 PRESIDENT-ELECT Sandy Bateman ‘79, 81 SECRETARY Tosha Harris ‘18

BOARD OF DIRECTORS TENNESSEE REPRESENTATIVES WEST Jan Young ‘02 MIDDLE Hallie Bensinger ‘01 EAST Sandy Bateman ‘79, ‘81 Karen Valk ‘82 38

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OUT-OF-STATE REPRESENTATIVES Michelle Boone ‘16 Kathleen Reed ’18, ‘22 REPRESENTATIVES-AT-LARGE Dee Blakney ‘07 Diana Dedmon ‘99 Susan Donlevy ‘77 Tosha Harris ‘18 Belinda Mandrell ‘08 Judy Martin, ’88, ‘94 Emily Mewborn, ’09, ‘13 Diane Pace ‘71, ‘96, ‘98 Julie Ponder ‘17 James Roberts ‘19 Patricia Scott ‘80, ‘09 Sara Wilkinson ‘18

METHODIST SCHOOL OF NURSING Paula Spears, ‘84, ‘02 PAST PRESIDENTS Armantine “Tine” Williams, ‘75, ‘81 James “Hutch” Hutcheson, ‘07 Dianne Greenhill, ‘62 Susan Sanders ‘09

Leave Your Legacy Have you thought about the legacy you will leave behind?

With a Planned Gift, you can: • Simplify your estate for your family • Reduce the tax burden applied to your assets • Benefit causes you hold dear

Legacy donors become members of the Hershel “Pat” Wall Legacy Society Dr. Wall’s more than 50 years of dedication to UTHSC as a student, faculty member, and administrator are unsurpassed. His legacy will live forever, as will the impact made by our donors.

For more information about planned gifts to UTHSC and Legacy Society membership, contact Bethany Goolsby at 901.448.5516 or estateplans@uthsc.edu.

Thank you to our Legacy Society Members!

Estate of Reba Absher

Estate of Dr. Alys H. Lipscomb

Estate of Beverly Bowns

Estate of Lily L. Lusk

Estate of Mary Jane Brewer

Mr. Dean Martin

Estate of Kathrin Cashdollar

Estate of Camille D. McCray

Estate of Kathryn Crane

Estate of Dr. Margaret A. Newman

Ms. Janet E. Depriest

Dr. Stephanie A. Powelson and Mr. Thomas H. Tucker II

Estate of Helen C. Dunkin

Ms. Elinor F. Reed

Dr. Elizabeth Fuselier Ellis

Estate of Elizabeth Reese

Estate of Geneva Belk Greene

Dr. William A. and Mrs. Catherine Clark Shell

Dr. E. Dianne Greenhill

Dorothy Stockdale and James E. Stockdale*

Estate of Emma L. Heim

Estate of Esther Jean Trentham

Dr. Susan Robertson Jacob and Mr. Richard Jacob

Estate of Dr. Janet A. Williamson

Dr. June H. Larrabee

* Denotes someone who is deceased, but spouse is still living

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In Memoriam Class of 1948 Mrs. Lois B. Crutchfield July 1, 2022

Class of 1954 Mrs. Jane Wright Hill July 14, 2022

Class of 1990 Mrs. Margaret Hogwood Baggett August 22, 2022

Mrs. Mary E. Wildman September 5, 2022

Class of 1956 Mrs. Rena G. Mills August 11, 2022

Class of 1995 Dr. Ruth A. Strickler July 23, 2022

The UTHSC College of Nursing Professional Development Unit Presents The 2023 William Cashdollar Distinguished Visiting Professorship Friday, November 3 | 8:00 am – 12:00 pm Fed Ex Events Center | Shelby Farms Park 415 Great View Drive East | Memphis, TN 38134 Theme Building a Palliative Care Program in Latin America and Beyond Keynote Speaker Maria Jose Errazuriz Koppman Ms. Errazuriz is a pediatric palliative care pioneer in Chile and Latin America. She is an assistant professor at the University of Chile for pre- and post-graduate health professionals and the National Coordinator of Pediatric Palliative Care for Oncovida and the Social Movement “Palliatives Now” Spokesperson.

Register Online for this Free Event https://bit.ly/2023CashdollarDVP

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Nursing Credit The University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s College of Nursing is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation (ANCC).

3 ANCC credit hours will be awarded for this event.

There is no charge for the credit.

For more information, contact Cashdollar Committee Chair Dr. Michelle Rickard at mrickar2@uthsc.edu

Be an ambassador everywhere you go.

UTHSC specialty license plates are available at Tennessee County Clerk’s office.

uthsc.edu/license-plate

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Memphis, TN Permit No. 4026

Office of Advancement 62 S. Dunlap, Suite 500 Memphis, TN 38163 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

SAVE THE DATES 2023 Golden Graduate Homecoming | October 25–28, 2023 | Memphis Join us and the Office of Advancement as we honor the 1973 College of Nursing graduates with a multi-day gathering, which concludes with the Golden Graduate Homecoming Ceremony and Dinner.

You don’t want to miss this special reunion! Other planned events include a welcome reception on campus, breakfast and lunch, college open houses, and a tour of the Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Simulation (CHIPS).

Registration is available at alumni.uthsc.edu/golden For more information, please contact Blair Duke, assistant director of Alumni Programs, at bduke@utfi.org or 901.448.2555.

2024 NightinGala | May 3, 2024 | Memphis Join us to celebrate nursing in the Mid-South at the 2024 NightinGala! The gala, in its eighth year, will offer fine food, great music, and the annual Nurse Hero Awards as we recognize local nurses who represent the best of the profession in our community.

Registration information will be available at uthsc.edu/nightingala in January 2024.