xt7xd21rh61x https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7xd21rh61x/data/mets.xml The Frontier Nursing Service, Inc. 2012 bulletins  English The Frontier Nursing Service, Inc. Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Frontier Nursing Service Quarterly Bulletins Frontier Nursing University, Vol. 87, No. 2, Winter 2012 text Frontier Nursing University, Vol. 87, No. 2, Winter 2012 2012 2014 true xt7xd21rh61x section xt7xd21rh61x FNU

FRONTIER NURSING UNIVERSITY
Winter 2012 n Volume 87 n Number 2

Shaping a New Generation
of Nursing Leaders

* FroNtier NurSiNG uNiverSity
US ISSN 0016-2116

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction to FNS

1

The Journey – Dr. Susan Stone

2

Beyond the Mountains

4

Field Notes

9

Class Notes

14

Alumni Spotlight

15

Frontier Memories – Noel Fernandez

16

Dean’s Report – Dr. Joyce Knestrick

19

Wendover Report – Michael Claussen

21

Footprints

22

In Memoriam

23

Frontier Nursing Service Quarterly Bulletin (USPS 835-740, ISSN
00162116) is published at the end of each quarter by Frontier Nursing
Service, Inc., 132 FNS Dr., Wendover, KY 41775. Periodicals Postage
Paid at Hyden, KY and at additional mailing offices. Subscriptions: $5
per year. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Frontier Nursing
Service Quarterly Bulletin, 132 FNS Dr., Wendover, KY 41775.
On the cover: Frontier faculty gathered in Hyden, Ky., in October to celebrate
commencement with the university’s most recent nurse-midwifery, nurse
practitioner and Doctor of Nursing Practice graduates. Our faculty has grown significantly in recent years to meet the demand for a Frontier education.
Copyright FNS, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Frontier does not share its donor mailing list.

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Introduction to Frontier Nursing Service

Mary Breckinridge spent her early years in many parts of the world –
Russia, France, Switzerland and the British Isles. After the deaths
of her two children, she abandoned the homebound life expected of
women of her class to devote herself to the service of others, particularly
mothers and children.

Mary Breckinridge founded the Frontier Nursing Service in 1925
after several years of studying and practicing nursing and midwifery
in the United States, England, Scotland and France. It was the first
organization in America to use nurses trained as midwives collaborating
with a single medical doctor/obstetrician, based at their small hospital
in Hyden. Originally the staff was composed of nurse-midwives trained
in England. They traveled on horseback and on foot to provide quality
prenatal and childbirth care in the client’s own home. In 1939, Mrs.
Breckinridge established a school of nurse-midwifery. The school
provided graduates, many of whom stayed to offer care to families in
Leslie County, Ky.
Today, Mrs. Breckinridge’s legacy extends far beyond Eastern Kentucky through Frontier Nursing University (FNU), which offers a
Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and a Master of Science in Nursing degree with tracks as a Nurse-Midwife, Family Nurse Practitioner
and Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner. FNU has students and
graduates serving all 50 states and many countries.

Mary Breckinridge’s home, The Big House, located at Wendover, is
a licensed Bed & Breakfast Inn. For more information or reservations,
call (606) 672-2317 or e-mail michael.claussen@frontier.edu.
Mary Breckinridge said: “Our aim has always been to see ourselves
surpassed, and on a larger scale.” (Wide Neighborhoods, 1952)

www.frontier.edu

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THE JOURNEY
By Dr. Susan E. Stone,
Frontier Nursing University President and Dean

I want to wish all of our friends, students, alumni and family a Happy
New Year! At Frontier Nursing University, we are excited and energized
to begin a new year that promises to be full of activity as we continue
our mission to educate nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners.

The beginning of a new year at Frontier signals the time to reflect on
our work and accomplishments of the prior year and take the time to
strategically plan for the year ahead. We will be gathering reports from
all of our departments to evaluate our success in achieving the stated
plan and make improvements where shortfalls are seen. This information
is compiled and presented in the annual President’s Report. I am happy
to provide a preliminary report that our enrollment and graduation
numbers have increased again and the University is on sound financial
footing with projected gains at the conclusion of our fiscal year.

Strategic Plan

We have just concluded the annual strategic planning sessions in which
the administration, faculty and board representatives gather to establish
our goals for the year. The annual plan is part of our larger strategic plan
set by the board every five years. This process provides each department
its “roadmap for success” and guides our daily work. With over 100
employees, planning for our work is critical to accomplishing our goals.

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FNU Endowment Campaign

This year we will continue with our endowment campaign, which aims
to raise $10 million for the FNU Endowment. This campaign began in
summer 2011 with the formation of a Leadership Council. At present,
22 individuals have volunteered to serve on the Leadership Council and
guide the campaign to success over the next five years. These individuals,
and our faculty, have already pledged nearly $300,000 to the effort. We
will share more information on the campaign as it progresses.

Students and Graduates

We will admit another 600 students this year – 600 nurses from
across the country who are eager to advance their careers and provide
quality healthcare in their communities. We will see another 300-plus
graduate and begin their roles as advanced practice nurses and midwives.
And nearly 1,000 of our students will visit Hyden and Wendover for
Frontier Bound and Clinical Bound sessions. It is these students and
graduates who adopt the mission and philosophy of care of a Frontier
nurse and share it with the world. We look forward to helping them
begin this new chapter in their lives.

Committee Events

We look forward to visiting with all of you throughout the year as well.
Plans are already under way for Spring Committee events in Cincinnati,
Washington, D.C. and New York. These events give us the chance to
thank you in person for your commitment and support of Frontier and
tell you how your giving makes a huge difference to our work! I hope
to see old friends and meet new friends throughout 2012.

Honoring our Past, Focusing on our Future

Last year was a year of change for us, as you all know. Frontier Nursing
Service sold its healthcare entities, passing on the healthcare delivery
provided through the hospital, clinics and home health agency to
Appalachian Regional Healthcare. During 2011 we officially became
Frontier Nursing University, reflecting our graduate-level programs and
our national reach.

For these reasons, 2012 marks an especially important and promising
year, full of hope and positive energy for our future. We move forward
with our focus on the education of the advanced practice nurses and
midwives who are desperately needed across the country and world.

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We are a unique institution, the only University in the country with
“nursing” in its title! Frontier educates more advanced practice nurses
and midwives to serve the rural and underserved than any other graduate
program in the country. We are honored to be able to carry on the
mission of Mary Breckinridge and see her dream of replicating the
Frontier model realized.

As always, thank you for your loyal support of Frontier and our mission.
We wish you and your family health and happiness throughout the year.

BEYOND THE MOUNTAINS

Bluegrass Committee members Lindy Karns, Ann Evans, Linda Roach,
Fra Vaughan and Helen Rentch helped organize a wonderful luncheon
in Lexington, Ky.

Frontier hosts fall committee luncheons

In October, we had the pleasure of meeting with friends, donors, Couriers and alumni at our annual Bluegrass, Louisville and Philadelphia
committee events. The Bluegrass Committee luncheon was held Oct. 5
at the CastlePost estate in Versailles, Ky. The luncheon was our largest
in recent history, with nearly 100 guests. We owe a special thanks to the
2011 Bluegrass Committee hostesses, Linda Roach, Mary Frazier “Fra”
Vaughan, Lindy Karns, Ann Evans and Helen Rentch. This committed
group of women helped to organize the invitations, agenda and details
for a spectacular event. During the luncheon, President Stone made
a presentation to guests about Frontier Nursing University today, the
reach of our graduates and the impact of our programs.

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The next day, a luncheon was held at the Louisville Country Club,
graciously hosted by Louisville Committee Chair Sandra Schreiber. In
her role as Chair, Sandy, a former Courier, follows in the footsteps of
Mrs. Betty Brown, also a former Courier. We were honored to see more
than 40 friends and provide an update on Frontier’s work.

On Oct. 11, President Stone and FNU Director of Development
Denise Barrett traveled to Pennsylvania for the annual Philadelphia
Committee luncheon. This event was hosted by John and Mary Hodge,
who are relatives of Mrs. Breckinridge. During this intimate luncheon,
we renewed a friendship with former Courier Anne Upton Miller, a 1939
Courier who had lost touch with Frontier until recently. Her daughter,
Lorna Miller Ahrens, a 1964 Courier, visited Wendover in the fall and
helped us reconnect. We were delighted to bring her back “into the fold”
and tell all our guests about our current work and future plans.
As always, we enjoy the annual committee events as our opportunity
to thank our donors in person and to provide updates on our work and
achievements. We could not accomplish so much without the annual
support provided by thousands of friends across the country, and it is our
pleasure to visit our committees and supporters to give annual reports.

Former FNS Couriers Betty Brown, Florence Rawleigh,
Pam Smithy, Nancy Reinhart and Sandy Schreiber gathered
for a group photograph at the Louisville luncheon.

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2 FNU students chosen for NHSC Scholars program

Frontier students Cheryl Scaff, CNEP Class 74, and Leah Atkinson, CFNP Class 87, were recently chosen to participate in the

prestigious National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Scholars program.
Scaff, of Jasper, Fla., and Atkinson, of Stanchfield, Minn., were among
247 chosen for this program out of more than 3,000 applicants nationally. Students selected for this elite program receive reimbursement for
educational expenses in return for their commitment to
work in an approved NHSC facility in an underserved
area upon graduation.
This recent group of Scholars consisted of 110 medical students, 54 dental students, 62 physician’s assistant
students, 14 nurse practitioner students and seven nursemidwifery students. We are proud to have Frontier NursAtkinson
ing University so well represented among this elite group.
The National Health Service Corps is part of the
Health Resources and Services Administration, the primary federal agency for improving access to healthcare for
those who are uninsured, isolated or medically vulnerable.
When selected as an NHSC Scholar, students committed
to primary care and enrolled in an approved area of study
Scaff
can receive tuition, fees, a living stipend and additional
educational costs for as many as four years (with a minimum of two) in
exchange for an equal number of years of service at an approved facility
in a high-need underserved area.
“I am excited and privileged to be part of such a great and powerful group,” said Scaff, who will be a Scholar through 2013, when she is
scheduled to complete her studies. “The NHSC is a group that is interested in changing the face of our nation’s healthcare to meet the needs
of the people.”
Scaff and Atkinson were flown, all expenses paid, to New Orleans in
October to participate in a New Scholar Orientation. There they met
former Scholars who have become some of the most influential healthcare professionals in our nation, including Dr. Cory Hebert, Medical
Director for Louisiana Recovery School District and a highly regarded
medical broadcast journalist.
The NHSC program also includes all-expenses paid participation in a
job placement conference to meet and network with representatives from
sites across the nation looking for providers to serve their areas.

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President Stone receives national award
for her commitment to reproductive care

President Stone was recognized with the 2011 Felicia Stewart Advocacy Award, a prestigious national honor recognizing individuals
who have demonstrated a strong commitment to advocacy on behalf of
reproductive health and rights. The award, sponsored by the American
Public Health Association, was presented Oct. 31, 2011, during the
APHA annual meeting in Washington, D.C., where more than 13,000
health professionals from around the world met to address leading
public health challenges.
Dr. Stone was selected to receive the award because of her far-reaching
impact on accessibility to reproductive healthcare and her advocacy
for women.
With a diverse career spanning more than 30 years, Dr. Stone has
made reproductive care more widely available. In her early career as an
obstetrical nurse in a rural community, she facilitated the opening of
birthing rooms and introduced sibling visits and “rooming in” – where
the newborn stays in the room with the mother during her hospital stay.
She later led the development of five outreach clinics where women
could receive prenatal and postpartum care in their own communities.
Dr. Stone then pursued education as a certified nurse-midwife and
practiced full scope midwifery care for seven years.
In 1998, Dr. Stone shifted her focus to educating nurse-midwives
when she joined the Frontier faculty. She was appointed as President
and Dean of the school, today known as Frontier Nursing University
(FNU), in 2001. During her tenure as President and Dean, Dr. Stone
has ensured that Mary Breckinridge’s model for decreasing rural health
disparities, providing reproductive care and promoting public health
among women and families in Appalachia has been emulated across
the world.
Dr. Stone has brought FNU to prominence by promoting innovative
distance-learning methods. Under her direction, enrollment at Frontier
has grown substantially, from just 200 students in 2006 to a current
enrollment of more than 1,000 students representing all 50 states and
several countries. FNU graduates are contributing to the provision of
reproductive and primary health care throughout the country and world,
with many addressing the needs of rural and underserved communities.

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Rob Lewis, President of Global Advancement; Dr. Susan E. Stone,
FNU President and Dean; and Shelley Aldridge, FNU Chief Operations
Officer, posed at the National Philanthropy Day luncheon.

Frontier honored for its history of service
at National Philanthropy Day event

Frontier Nursing University was recognized for its long tradition of
service during the 2011 National Philanthropy Day Awards Ceremony
presented by the Bluegrass Chapter of the Association of Fundraising
Professionals. The event, which celebrates the spirit of giving and
recognizes individuals, non-profits and companies that have made
a significant contribution to enhancing the quality of life in their
communities, was held Nov. 8 at the Hilton in downtown Lexington, Ky.

Global Advancement, a Lexington-based company that provides
fundraising, communications and campaign counseling to non-profits,
selected FNU to be its honoree at this year’s Philanthropy Day luncheon.

FNU faculty member named NLN Ambassador

Frontier Nursing University is pleased to announce that
Laura Hollywood, DNSc, CNM, FNP-BC, WHNP, CNE,
Course Coordinator, has been appointed by the National
League for Nursing (NLN) to serve as an NLN ambassador.
As a participant in this elite corps, Dr. Hollywood will help
keep faculty and administration informed about the NLN’s
initiatives, grant opportunities, conferences, publications,
workshops and other benefits available to NLN members.

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FIELD NOTES

FNU inducts first members of new honor society

Frontier Nursing University proudly announces the establishment of
its first honor society. Thanks to the efforts of Tia Andrighetti, Kelli
Adanick, Martha Goedert, Suzan Ulrich, Jackie Brooks, Elizabeth
Boot and Marshelle Bergstrom, the organization – called the Frontier
Nursing Honor Society (FNHS) – came to fruition a few months ago.
The officers leading this new group are:

President: Jan Stalder
Vice-President: Tiffany Washington
Secretary: Mary Jo Ytzen
Treasurer: Susan Yount
Counselor: Judi Daniels
Governance Committee Chair: May Ruth Lambert
Governance Committee Members: April Greene and Crystal Sherman
Leadership Succession Committee Chair: Anne Cockerham
Leadership Succession Committee Members: Dustin Spencer and Debra Arndt
Finance Committee Chair: Sharon Steinmetz
Finance Committee Chair Members: April Dobroth
Publicity Committee Chair: Diane Moon
Publicity Committee Members: Sarah Smith and Susan Clapp
Faculty Liaison: Janet Engstrom
FNHS inducted its first members in October through video
conferencing. Dr. Susan Stone was not only the keynote speaker, but
she was honored by being the first inductee into the honor society.
Response to the initial membership drive was overwhelming. To make the
induction ceremony more personal and streamlined, faculty applicants
were inducted at the October ceremony. This provided a “dress rehearsal”
for improving subsequent inductions. A second ceremony to induct
students was held Dec. 11, 2011.
FNHS was formed as a precursor to seeking recognition as a chapter
of Sigma Theta Tau International, the honor society of nursing that
is the second-largest nursing organization in the world. FNHS
emulates STTI in its mission to support the learning, knowledge and
professional development of nurses committed to making a difference
in health worldwide. FNHS also echoes STTI’s vision to create a global
community of nurses who lead in using knowledge, scholarship, service
and learning to improve the health of the world’s people.

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Front row, L-R: Lorna Ahrens, Elizabeth High, Noel Fernandez and Jean Fee;
second row: Linda Karle, Aggie Hoeger, Sally Tom, Barbara French, Anne Cockerham
and Pat Caudle; back row: Julie Paul, Linda Ahrens, Susan Stone and Arlene Alsgaard

Save the Date

The 2012 Alumni
Homecoming & Courier
Conclave will be held in
conjunction with the 50th
anniversary of the Mary
Breckinridge Festival, hosted
by the city of Hyden. Frontier
has special plans for this year’s
event, and we encourage
alumni and Couriers to return
to Hyden and join us for this
wonderful celebration. This
special homecoming event is
set for Oct. 5-7. Rooms
are still available at the
Wendover Bed & Breakfast, so
make your reservations now.
Call 606.672.2317 for
reservations or more details.
We are happy to assist you
in planning your trip.

Alumni Homecoming &
Courier Conclave

On the first weekend of October, Frontier
welcomed back friends to Hyden for the annual
Alumni Homecoming and Courier Conclave,
held in conjunction with the city’s annual Mary
Breckinridge Festival. We were overjoyed to host
several Couriers and alumni, many of whom had
not been to Hyden since their student or Courier
days. Attending were Noel Smith Fernandez, an
FNS social worker during the 1950s; Couriers
Elizabeth Codman High (1951) and Lorna Ahrens
(1964); and alumnae Linda Karle (1973), Jean
Fee (1959), Barbara French and Arlene Alsgaard.
Guests enjoyed a variety of activities during the
course of the weekend, including the festival parade,
music and a Saturday dinner at Wendover.
Michael Claussen, Development Coordinator,
provided tours of the historic Beech Fork Clinic, the
FNU campus and the Wendover campus. President
Susan Stone and several FNU faculty members
hosted our guests during Saturday’s dinner.

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Graduates return to Hyden to celebrate
culmination of their Frontier journey

Frontier hosted its 2011 graduation ceremony in Hyden, Ky., on
Saturday, Oct. 22. Over the past year, nearly 300 advanced practice nurses
and nurse-midwives from across the nation have completed a Frontier
distance-education program, and 86 of those graduates – representing
26 states – returned to Hyden for the ceremony and festivities. They
were joined by nearly 100 staff, faculty and Board members who also
traveled to Hyden.
President and Dean Susan Stone presided over the ceremony, warmly
welcoming graduates and their friends and family. Dr. Claire M. Fagin,
a prominent nursing educator, academic and consultant based in New
York City, delivered an eloquent commencement address. Dr. Fagin
is director of the John A. Hartford Foundation National Program,
“Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity.”
Degrees were conferred on graduates of Frontier’s Doctor of Nursing
Practice program as well as Master of Science in Nursing candidates
who completed nurse-midwifery, family nurse practitioner or women’s
health care nurse practitioner specialty programs.
As a special component of this year’s commencement ceremony,
honorary doctorate degrees were presented to five pioneers who shaped
Frontier Nursing University. These women played critical roles in
designing, establishing and growing Frontier. First among the honorees

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was Frontier founder Mary Breckinridge, who was recognized with
a posthumous Doctor of Humane Letters for her tireless efforts and
documented success in transforming healthcare for the rural and
underserved. Mrs Breckinridge’s award was accepted by Jane Leigh
Powell, Chairman of the FNS Board of Governors, on behalf of the
Breckinridge family. Also honored were four national leaders in nursing
who played a key role in pioneering the revolutionary CommunityBased Nurse-Midwifery Education Program (CNEP) that marked the
beginnings of Frontier’s distance-education format in 1989. This program
opened doors to nurses nationwide seeking to further their education
and careers. Ruth Beeman, Eunice “Kitty” Ernst, and Dr. Ruth Lubic
traveled to Hyden to accept their awards; Dr. Joyce Fitzpatrick, who
holds an endowed professorship at Case Western Reserve University, was
unable to attend the ceremony. In her remarks to the crowd, President
Stone noted, “It is because of each of their unique contributions to the
innovative and cutting-edge CNEP program that it was – and still is – a
successful academic program for aspiring nurse-midwives.”
For the first time, the FNU commencement ceremony was broadcast
live over the Internet. Visit http://www.midwives.org/graduation to
access the recording.

Kitty Ernst, center, shown with FNU Board Chairman Dr. Michael Carter and
FNU President and Dean Dr. Susan Stone, proudly displays her honorary doctorate.

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Faculty member embarking
on history project centered on FNS Couriers

Dr. Anne Cockerham, an FNU faculty member and a graduate of
Frontier’s nurse-midwifery and women’s healthcare nurse practitioner
programs, recently received the Barbara Brodie Nursing History Research Fellowship Award, an award
given by the University of Virginia to support historical inquiry in nursing. The University of Virginia is
one of only two nursing history centers in the country.
Dr. Cockerham will study the history of the Frontier Nursing Service Couriers, who were key to the
success of the FNS. The Couriers assisted the nurses
in many and varied ways, allowing the FNS nurses
to focus on their professional, skilled care of thousands of patients
in Eastern Kentucky. To date, an in-depth historical analysis of the
Couriers’ work and the interactions between FNS nurses and Couriers has not been performed.
Dr. Cockerham is working with the FNU Alumni Office to publish
her Courier manuscript as a book once her research is complete. Dr.
Cockerham also recently completed the manuscript for Rooted in the
Mountains, Reaching to the World, a book documenting the stories of
nursing students who attended Frontier from 1939-1989. The book is
scheduled for release this spring, and information about how to order
that book will be available in a future Quarterly Bulletin.

Seeking Former CourierS
to Serve on AdviSory CounCil

As we first announced in our recent Christmas Appeal, Frontier
is in the process of assembling a Courier Advisory Council to
help in redesigning our Courier program so that it continues
to be a “service learning” experience that is mutually beneficial
to our Couriers and to Frontier. Some exciting ideas are being
proposed as we work to launch a revitalized Courier program
by summer 2012. We are seeking former Couriers to serve
as volunteers on our advisory council and to offer advice on
structuring a new program. If you are interested in
volunteering, contact Denise Barrett at 662-846-1967
or email her at denise.barrett@frontier.edu.

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CLASS NOTES
Arlene Schuiteman, a 1959 Frontier graduate, recently traveled to Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia, with the Northwestern College touring theater company for performances of its most recent worship drama, Iowa Ethiopia.
Iowa Ethiopia is drawn from the Ms. Schuiteman’s biographical archives.
Ms. Schuiteman was a nurse missionary to the Sudan and Ethiopia in
the 1960s and 1970s. After civil war forced her expulsion from the Sudan, Schuiteman traveled to Ethiopia, where she helped open a “dresser
school” in the city of Mettu, teaching wound care and other medical skills
to healthcare workers. She lived there from 1966 to 1977. The play was
written by Northwestern College theater professor Jeff Barker, who wrote
an earlier drama – Sioux City Sudan – about Ms. Schuiteman’s experiences
as a missionary.
Dorothy “Dottie” Stoner, a family nurse practitioner graduate (Bridge
Class 53), recently opened her own clinic, Hometown Healthcare, in Fruita.,
Colo., to provide care to those with the greatest need, including Medicare
and Medicaid patients and the uninsured.
William T. Miller, an FNP graduate (Bridge Class 62),
recently opened the Lighthouse Family Clinic in Ocean
Shores, Wash., to provide care to a community that is rural
and underserved. Lighthouse is a same-day appointment
clinic and chronic care location for people of the Ocean
Shores and the north beach.
Debbie Hayden-Miller, a nurse-midwifery graduate (Class 55), owns
Laughing Waters Homebirth Midwifery in Sioux Falls, S.D., where she
serves families who desire a homebirth. She serves an area that borders
three states – Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska. “This service is really needed
in this area as women who desire a homebirth are either delivering unassisted or going across the border to another state and delivering in a hotel
room with a midwife. I want families in South Dakota to have a safe, supported and convenient homebirth.”

Teri Gjerseth, a graduate of Frontier’s nurse-midwifery and FNP programs,
recently expanded her business, Footprints in Time Midwifery Services, to
include a freestanding birth center to serve the women of West Central
Wisconsin. Along with welcoming births at their new center in Black River
Falls, Wisc., Gjerseth and Amberg will continue providing midwifery and
doula services for women who want to pursue home birth.

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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Cathi Duggan providing care
to mothers and families in Costa Rica

It was Cathi Duggan’s incredible birth experience with a Frontier
nurse-midwife that gave birth to her own career dream.
During the prenatal care and birth
of her last child, Cathi became completely enamored with the type of
care provided by midwives. Later,
during a well-woman visit with her
midwife, Karen Helms Curles, a
Frontier CNEP Class 2 graduate,
she asked where she had studied, and
Cathi spotted the Frontier diploma
on Karen’s wall. After struggling with “many excuses why it wouldn’t
work in our family’s life,” Cathi finally answered the call to become a
nurse-midwife.
“I often told her how her job sounded like one I’d enjoy,” Cathi
said, “until one day I had run out of excuses not to become a nursemidwife.”
In 2005, Cathi, a Class 39 CNEP alumna, graduated from Frontier
with her MSN in nurse-midwifery. She was drawn to Frontier by the
tradition, the holistic model of care, and the distance-education model that worked with her busy family schedule. Since graduating, she
has stayed involved with Frontier, serving as secretary of the Alumni
Council.
Today, Cathi and her family serve as missionaries to Latin America
and the Caribbean, working with Reachglobal, the mission arm of the
Evangelical Free Church of America. Cathi provides care to Nicaraguan refugees in an impoverished barrio near San Jose, Costa Rica.
She works with refugees living at La Carpio, a squatters’ community
built on a garbage dump. Cathi also serves the underserved women
of Costa Rica and families working as missionaries there. Seeing the
widespread need and lack of resources to the underprivileged worldwide, Cathi’s next steps may lead to a Ph.D. in Public Health with a
concentration on maternal-child populations.
Check out Cathi’s blog to learn more about her experiences in Costa
Rica, cathiincostarica.blogspot.com.

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FRONTIER MEMORIES
This edition’s spotlight is on a former staff person for the Frontier
Nursing Service. Noel Smith Fernandez worked as a social worker for
FNS in the 1950s. She has remained a generous supporter of Frontier
ever since and has returned “home” for frequent visits. Most recently,
Noel returned to Wendover for a week’s stay during the annual
Alumni Homecoming and Courier Conclave. We asked Noel to reflect
on her memories of Frontier and write for the Quarterly Bulletin.
Thank you, Noel, for this wonderful essay.

A Social Worker at the Frontier Nursing Service
By Noel Smith Fernandez

For me, the Frontier Nursing Service was what I dreamed of. It offered the prospect of riding horseback through the woods in what was,
for a New York City kid, truly exotic territory, while helping others.
But the schedules for their summer Courier Program never jibed with
mine. Suddenly, two weeks before I graduated from college, they offered me the job of “social worker.” I replied that I had no training as a
social worker and couldn’t consider the offer, but they said that was all
the better. They would train me.
On the afternoon of June 15, 1956, I arrived at the Lexington, Ky.,
airport and was driven by Jean Hollins, Head Courier, to Wendover.
A stunning series of revelations awaited me, not the least of which
was the training itself. That consisted of which families needed what
non-medical services, which creek they lived on, and since there were
few roads, how to drive the jeep up a vertical boulder in the middle of
a creek. To get to most of the families, one had to drive the jeep across
the Middle Fork of the Kentucky River. When the river was “up,” you
held your breath to see if you could do it without getting your spark
plugs wet and “drowning out.” I also was shown how to ride a Tennessee Walking horse, a breed used by the service, which can put one foot
down at a time in a fast “running walk.” We had two walks, a slow running walk and a fast one, both of which were extremely smooth, almost
like being pulled through air. This kept the glass hypodermic needles
carried by the nurse-midwives from breaking. Once these basics were
mastered, I met my clients. The first was a single mom who had been
left with no means of support and was essentially homeless. I supplied
food and clothing but worried about the cold weather. Some local men

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On a recent visit to Hyden
during homecoming weekend,
Noel Fernandez toured the
old Beech Fork Clinic. FNU
Development Coordinator
Michael Claussen showed off
some equipment used by the
Frontier nurses.

fixed up her house when I told them about her situation. Mrs. Breckinridge had a good way to supply food, in league with the local storekeeper. He could give the clients certain items of basic necessity, which
would be charged to my office. Among these were seed potatoes, lard,
salt, flour, matches and coffee. They were expected to provide their own
vegetables from their garden, but when they could not, we supplied
those. The sorority Alpha Omicron Pi supported most of my work.
Clothes were