xt74b853gk57 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt74b853gk57/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. 4, Summer 2012 text Frontier Nursing University, Vol. 87, No. 4, Summer 2012 2012 2014 true xt74b853gk57 section xt74b853gk57 FNU FRONTIER NURSING UNIVERSITY Summer 2012 n Volume 87 n Number 4 Join us for the 50th Anniversary of the Mary Breckinridge Festival (Page 28) * Frontier nursing university US ISSN 0016-2116 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction to FNU 1 The Journey – Dr. Susan Stone 2 Endowment Campaign Update 8 Dean’s Report – Dr. Julie Marfell 14 Alumni Spotlight 17 Class Notes 21 Beyond the Mountains 22 Field Notes 26 Wendover Report – Michael Claussen 26 Footprints 29 In Memoriam 31 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: A photo of Mary Breckinridge from the first Mary Breckinridge Festival in 1962. Wendover Collection. Copyright FNS, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Frontier does not share its donor mailing list. * quArterly Bulletin Introduction to Frontier Nursing University 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. Mrs. Breckinridge founded the Frontier Nursing Service in 1925 after several years of studying and practicing nursing and midwifery in the United States, England, Scotland and France. It was the first organization in America to use nurses trained as midwives collaborating with a single medical doctor/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, Kentucky. 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 said: “Our aim has always been to see ourselves surpassed, and on a larger scale.” (Wide Neighborhoods, 1952) www.frontier.edu How to reach us The Office of Development and Alumni Relations: Please direct questions, comments or updates to Denise Barrett, Director of Development, at (662) 846-1967 or send an e-mail to denise.barrett@frontier.edu. The Wendover Bed & Breakfast Inn: The Big House, Mary Breckinridge’s home, is a licensed Bed & Breakfast Inn located at Wendover. For reservations or to arrange a tour, call Michael Claussen, Development Coordinator, at (606) 672-2317 or e-mail michael.claussen@frontier.edu. Group tours can be arranged, and we are always happy to set up tours for organizations and educational programs with an interest in nursing history and Appalachian studies. 1 * Frontier nursing university THE JOURNEY By Dr. Susan E. Stone, Frontier Nursing University President and Dean Four new board members bring valuable experience to FNU Board T he growth and long-term success of Frontier Nursing University relies on a strong and diverse Board of Directors to guide our work. Our Board of Directors is 100 percent volunteer and meets quarterly to lay out the strategic plan for our future, evaluate progress on our goals and review the financial strength of the institution. Board members also give countless hours between meetings by serving as representatives of FNU in their communities, sharing the story of Frontier with old and new friends, and helping to garner increased volunteer and financial support for our mission. The role of a board member is critical to the University, and we are honored to welcome four new members to this distinguished group of advisors: Wallace Campbell, PhD Retired Kentucky college administrator Wally Campbell grew up on a subsistence farm in rural Leslie County, Kentucky. He graduated from Berea College in 1966 with a major in elementary education. He earned a master’s degree from Eastern Kentucky University in 1969 and a Ph.D. in the Sociological Foundations of Education at the University of Toledo in 1972. Early in his career, he was a public school teacher/principal and director of TRIO programs. Wally held the position of Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean for 31 years. During his 20 years as the Dean at Alice Lloyd College, he played a major role in the institution’s successful transition from a two-year to a four-year college. He provided leadership for the development of baccalaureate programs; recruitment and retention of faculty; addition of a new library, classrooms and laboratory facilities; and expansion of scholarships for graduate/professional school. As Dean at Pikeville College for 11 years, Wally was instrumental in accreditation studies, including approval for the merger of the College and the School of Osteopathic Medicine. He also led the development of new majors, academic honor societies, study abroad programs, faculty development, institutional effectiveness planning and the Booth Scholars Program. Wally attended the Harvard Institute for Educational Management (IEM) and chaired the Deans Task Force 2 * quarterly bulletin of the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC); he was active in the Appalachian College Association, Association of Kentucky Independent Colleges and Universities, Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board and Leadership Kentucky. He is a trustee of the Frontier Nursing Service, a member of the Executive Council of the Berea College Alumni Association and an officer in the Berea Kiwanis Club. In 2006, Wally received the CIC Chief Academic Officer Award; he was recently named Dean Emeritus and awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree by Pikeville College (today known as the University of Pikeville). He received the Berea College Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2011. Wally is retired and lives in Berea with his wife, Jane Shivel Campbell. They have one son, Brian. Eunice K. M. Ernst, CNM, MPH Mary Breckinridge Chair of Midwifery, Frontier Nursing University Kitty Ernst is a certified nurse-midwife and a graduate of the Frontier Graduate School of Midwifery (now Frontier Nursing University) with a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in Public Health. For a half century, she has been a pioneer in both the field of midwifery and in developing the best care possible for families in pregnancy and birth. An early president and active member of the American College of NurseMidwives (ACNM), she conducted the first wave of accreditation for nurse-midwifery education programs and developed the first “What is a Nurse-Midwife?” brochure. As a practitioner, Kitty served families in capacities ranging from public health nurse-midwife in the mountains of Kentucky to the home birth service of Maternity Center Association in New York City. She also directed the nurse-midwifery education program at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. While starting her own family, she began working as a parent educator, teaching some of the first childbirth education groups of the International Childbirth Education Association. As a field consultant for Maternity Center Association committed to innovation for the sake of healthy families, she developed family-centered maternity care provided by an obstetrician/nurse-midwife team at the Salvation Army Booth Maternity Center in Philadelphia. She designed a project to develop and evaluate a program of Self-Care/Self-Help Education Initiated in Childbirth and assisted in planning and implementation of the demonstration Childbearing Center at Childbirth Connection. She was co-founder of the National Association of Childbearing Centers and led the way by inspiring and coaching the many birth centers that followed. She conducted a national on-site survey of freestanding birth centers and provided consultation for the First National Collaborative Study of Freestanding Birth Centers. As Director of the National Association of Childbearing Centers (NACC), Kitty continued to be a leader in the effort to bring birth centers into the mainstream of healthcare delivery and helped to institute the Commission for Accreditation of Freestanding Birth Centers. During this time, she also served a term as Vice President of ACNM. During the 1980s, Kitty became concerned about two issues: the small number of nurse-midwives being educated each year and the fact that the majority of nurse-midwives were being educated in large tertiary care centers and were lacking outof-hospital experience. To address these issues, she led the design and implementation of the first distanceeducation program for nurse-midwives. This program was later adopted by the Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing. Kitty occupies the first endowed chair in the profession, the Mary Breckinridge Chair of Midwifery. She is recipient of awards such as the Martha Mae Elliot Award for Exceptional Health Service to Mothers and Children from the American Public Health Association, The Hattie Hemschemeyer Award from the American College of Nurse Midwives, and the Childbirth Connection Medal for Distinguished Service. 3 * Frontier nursing university Jean Johnson, PhD, RN, FAAN Chair of the Board, Nurse Practitioner Healthcare Foundation Jean Johnson, PhD, RN, FAAN, is the Senior Associate Dean for Health Sciences at George Washington University and is responsible for developing numerous health professions programs, including programs for the nurse practitioner, emergency health services and physical therapy. She has provided leadership on national nurse practitioner issues as President of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioners as well as President of the American College of Nurse Practitioners. In addition, Dr. Johnson has served on national committees such as the Institute of Medicine’s Future of Primary Care Committee, the Pew-Fetzer Patient Centered Advisory Group, the Health Sector Assembly, The National Capital Area Health Care Coalition, and the Pew Health Professions Commission. Dr. Johnson also serves as the National Program Director for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Partnerships in Training Program. Consistent with her commitment to interdisciplinary education, this program prepares people living in underserved areas to be nurse practitioners, physician assistants and certified nursemidwives. Through this experience and work done at George Washington, Dr. Johnson is an expert on the institutional development of online learning. She has just completed a year as a “Scholar in Residence” at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, working to define a program to address the nursing shortage. Dr. Johnson has worked clinically as a nurse practitioner caring for nursing home residents and underserved communities. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing. Nancy Fugate Woods, PhD, RN, FAAN Professor and Dean Emerita, University of Washington School of Nursing Nancy Fugate Woods, PhD, RN, FAAN, is a professor in the Department of Family and Child Nursing and Dean Emerita of the University of Washington School of Nursing. Since the late 1970s, she has led a sustained program of research in the field of women’s health. Her collaborative, interdisciplinary research has resulted in an improved understanding of women’s experiences of menstrual cycle symptoms as well as the menopausal transition, including endocrine, social and personal factors influencing symptoms and women’s approaches to symptom management. She has served as an investigator for the Women’s Health Initiative Study and is named as an investigator for the MsFLASH study of symptom management approaches for hot flashes and related symptoms. Her work has advanced nursing care for reproductive aged and mid-life women and has provided women with a better understanding of their health. In 1989, Dr. Woods and her colleagues established the first NIH-funded Center for Women’s Health Research at the University of Washington School of Nursing. Please join with me in welcoming these new Board members to the Frontier family. We look forward to our next full Board meeting, which will take place at Wendover and coincide with our annual commencement ceremony. It will be a special time to strategize and plan for our future. We are extremely honored for these individuals to offer their service to Frontier Nursing University! 4 * quarterly bulletin Jonas scholars program addresses nurse faculty shortage across the U.S. Two DNP students to attend FNU through partnership The Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence will reach an important milestone this fall, as the third cohort of nursing doctoral candidates in its Jonas Nurse Leaders Scholar Program brings the program to a national scale. Launched in 2008 with six scholars in three states, the program now includes more than 200 students in nearly 85 schools nationwide. It is the largest program addressing the nation’s dire shortage of nursing faculty by preparing nurses with doctoral degrees to step into this critical role. In 2010 alone, nursing schools turned away more than 67,000 qualified applicants because of a shortage of more than 1,000 faculty. The new cohort includes 142 Ph.D. and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) scholars representing all 50 states, including two students who will attend Frontier Nursing University. The scholars will be funded through 2014 with $2 million from the Jonas Center, which the schools leveraged to raise an additional $1.5 million. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing will administer the program. “Our mission is to improve healthcare through nursing, and by reaching all 50 states, we can improve healthcare for all Americans,” said Darlene Curley, Executive Director of the Jonas Center. According to Curley, in addition to growing the ranks of nursing faculty (as graduates are expected to teach), Jonas scholars also will expand the number of advanced practice nurses who can serve as primary care providers and healthcare leaders – a vital role as the nation’s healthcare system is undergoing sweeping transformations. FNU is honored to partner with Jonas to support our two new scholars, and our school will provide a matching contribution for the Jonas scholarship money. FNU was asked to recruit DNP students from Alaska and Idaho, two states which do not have a DNP program. Our distance-learning format and high-quality program made FNU a perfect fit to fulfill the goal of having a scholar in every state. We are proud to announce that Tracey Wiese of Alaska and Annette Asper of Idaho will attend FNU on full scholarship because of this partnership. Profiles of these outstanding women follow on the next page. 5 * Frontier nursing university Fnu Jonas scholars Annette Asper, BSN, MSN, FNP-BC Tracey Wiese, MSN, FNP, SANE-A, PMHNP [c] In 2005, Annette Asper received her BSN from Lewis Clark State College (LCSC), Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where she served as the nursing representative to the LCSC Associated Students. In 2006, she completed certification in medical surgical nursing and, in 2010, she earned her MSN (Family Nurse Practitioner) from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash. Annette’s DNP capstone project will develop curricula and a residency practice for family nurse practitioners, focusing on community-based, primary care management of musculoskeletal diseases. The projected impacts of this capstone are to increase availability of high quality community-based care, increase quality of life and decrease the burden of healthcare costs for people with musculoskeletal diseases. Tracey Wiese received her BSN from the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) and her MSN (Family Nurse Practitioner) from Frontier Nursing University. She completed UAA’s Post-Master’s program in Psychiatric Mental Health Advance Practice Nursing (PMHNP). She is currently a primary care provider for the nationally accredited Children’s Advocacy Center in Alaska (CARES) through the Children’s Hospital in Anchorage. Tracey’s DNP capstone project will examine the long-term effects on the health of Alaskan adult survivors of childhood physical, mental, and sexual violence and will provide specific recommendations for Alaskan primary care providers in the recognition and management of this major public health problem. go Frontier! FNU faculty, staff and alumni showed their Frontier spirit at a Lexington Legends game, where Frontier Nursing University was honored as Community Organization of the Night. The Legends are a minor league team based in Lexington, Ky. Dr. Susan Stone, FNU President and Dean, gave a radio interview, and Dr. Julie Marfell threw out the first pitch. 6 * quarterly bulletin Event brings students and alumni together to discuss diversity and leadership Frontier Nursing University hosted its second annual Diversity Impact Weekend on its historical Hyden, Ky., campus May 18-20. The event united nurse-midwifery and nurse practitioner students and alumni for fellowship, networking and discussion focused on diversity and leadership. FNU faculty, staff and 20 students and alumni from across the country gathered to explore topics relevant to the importance of leadership and increasing diversity in the nursing and midwifery workforce. All attendees received travel stipends through a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration. Rumay Alexander, EdD, RN, Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, presented the event’s keynote presentation, Different Worlds …Same Space. A session titled Race Matters was presented by Carol Taylor, MSW, Program Director for Comprehensive Family Services at the University of Kentucky, in addition to several other sessions. Participants also could present their own topics related to cultural beliefs and health issues in specific demographics. “It is truly eye-opening and rewarding to see students from so many different backgrounds and cultures unite and share their perspectives and beliefs in an encouraging, open-minded environment,” said Kimberly Trammell, who coordinates the PRIDE Program, FNU’s diversity initiative. To learn more, visit www.frontier.edu/PRIDE or contact Ms. Trammell at (859) 963-2902. *This project is supported by funds from the Division of Nursing (DN), Bureau of Health Professions (BHPr), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) under grant D09HP07973, Advanced Education Nursing Grants for $1,034,265. The information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any official endorsement be inferred by, the DN, BHPr, HRSA, DHHS, or the US Government. 7 * Frontier nursing university FNU endowment campaign update Honoring our past, focusing on our future Your investment in Frontier Nursing University is an investment in quality healthcare for all F NU has embarked on a campaign to raise $10 million to fund a supporting endowment for the University. This endowment will to MAKe A giFt provide annual income to support our Gifts to the endowment can be made faculty, students and campus, allowing in cash, gifts of stock, or as planned FNU to maintain an affordable tuition gifts/bequests to be realized in the for our students and continue to innofuture. Pledges of support can be vate and grow as needed. As we work made for a period of up to five years. toward this goal, we would like to celPlease call Denise Barrett, Director ebrate those donors who are making it of Development, with any questions possible with their leadership and gifts about giving to the campaign at (662) 846.1967. of support. The Leadership Council for the campaign consists of volunteers who work tirelessly with FNU administration and staff to help us meet our goal. We cannot thank these Leadership Council members enough for giving their time, talents, and personal contributions to the endowment fund. 8 * quarterly bulletin FNU Leadership Council Betty Brown Louisville, KY June and Ken Harmon Danville, KY Jane Leigh Powell Ridgeland, SC Margaret Campbell Danville, KY Nancy Hines Shepherdsville, KY Helen Rentch Midway, KY Michael Carter Tumbling Shoals, AR Frank Hower Louisville, KY Linda Roach Lexington, KY Peter Breckinridge Coffin Chestnut Hill, MA Lindy Karns Lexington, KY Georgia Rodes Lexington, KY Fred Keller Lexington, KY Sandra Schreiber Louisville, KY Elizabeth Kramer Lexington, KY Terri Stallard Lexington, KY Charles Mahan Tampa, FL Mary Frazier Vaughan Lexington, KY Greg Couch Lexington, KY John Foley Lexington, KY Susan Graham Amherst, NY Marion McCartney Washington, DC Donor reCognition levels Gifts to the FNU Endowment Campaign are recognized in the Mary Breckinridge Society at the following levels: Founding Trustee: $1 million and above Life Trustee: $500,000 - $999,999 Trustee: $250,000 - $499,999 Ambassador: $100,000 – $249,999 Sponsor: $50,000 - $99,999 Steward: $25,000 - $49,999 Patron: $10,000 - $24,999 Friend: $5,000 - $9,999 Supporter: $1,000 - $4,999 9 * Frontier nursing university We are grateful to the foundations and friends who embrace and support the Frontier mission. We are pleased to share the stories of two of our supporters, who have a strong connection to our heritage. Neel Family Foundation commits $5,000 to name the Mary Wilson Neel Endowed Scholarship Mary Wilson Neel’s love of horses and sense of adventure brought her to southeastern Kentucky in the 1930s to volunteer as a Courier for the Frontier Nursing Service. Mrs. Neel, who was born in 1918 in San Mateo, Calif., and grew up in Washington, D.C., learned of the Courier program through her connections with the Graham family, who are relatives of Mary Breckinridge. Of course, during her stint at Frontier, all of the Couriers’ work was carried out on horseback, which delighted Mrs. Neel. After her service as a Courier, Mrs. Neel married, raised five children and continued her lifelong value of volunteering with worthy non-profit organizations. She worked as a candy striper for her local hospital for many years and served on the National Board for the Metropolitan Opera. Mrs. Neel also passed on her philanMrs. Neel, shown as a Courier, loved the horses. thropic tendencies to her children. Her daughter, Wendy Ellsworth, followed in her footsteps and served as a Courier for FNS as well. Mrs. Neel and her children continue to support Frontier and other non-profit organizations through the Neel Foundation, which was established by their father in 1961 and has contributed to Frontier every year since. Most recently, the Neel Foundation has pledged $5,000 toward the Mary Wilson Neel Endowed Scholarship. The corpus of this scholarship, which will ultimately total $10,000, will remain permanently invested in the FNU Endowment Fund. Annual growth of the fund will provide scholarships to FNU students each year. We are honored 10 * quarterly bulletin to have the opportunity to award the Mary Wilson Neel Scholarship to our deserving students and to simultaneously recognize Mrs. Neel and her children for their commitment and support to Frontier through the years. Mrs. Neel, in a recent photograph With deep roots in Hyden, Elizabeth Kramer is inspired to support FNU as a Steward of the Mary Breckinridge Society For Elizabeth Kramer, a volunteer on FNU’s Leadership Council, choosing to support Frontier’s endowment campaign is truly personal. Mrs. Kramer, who grew up in Hyden, feels a strong connection to her hometown in Southeastern Kentucky and to the history of the Frontier Nursing Service. Even though Mrs. Kramer has lived in Central Kentucky for more than six decades, she says, “Hyden has always been home. That’s my roots.” And her roots run deep. The city of Hyden is named for Mrs. Kramer’s great-grandfather, John Hyden, The city of Hyden, Ky., is named for John Hyden, above, a two-term Kentucky senator from a Kentucky state senator and the great-grandfather of Clay County who served in the Elizabeth Kramer. state senate from 1875 to 1879. In “Hyden has always 1878, Sen. Hyden served as a commissioner representing Clay County been home. That’s and helped to form Leslie County, my roots.” which was created from parts of – Elizabeth Kramer Clay, Harlan and Perry counties. The 11 * Frontier nursing university new county was named for Preston Leslie, a former Kentucky governor, while its county seat was named for Senator Hyden. Family legend has it that Senator Hyden, who was born in Lee County, Va., in 1814, moved to Southeastern Kentucky in 1843, distraught over accidentally shooting his sweetheart. In the early years, he settled on Wooton’s Creek in what is today Leslie County. Mr. Hyden became a successful merchant and farmer and later a successful politician. Fond memories of the FNS While Mrs. Kramer never knew her great-grandfather, she is proud to have grown up in the city that bears his name. When Mrs. Kramer was very young, her grandfather, H.M. Hensley, bought the bank in Hyden and put her parents, Harvey and Maude Hensley, in charge. Mrs. Kramer was 3 when she moved to Leslie County at the height of the Great Depression. She recalls how the Frontier nurses – who had arrived in Hyden just a decade earlier – made quite an impression on her as a small child. “I would see them go through Hyden on their horses and then later in their jeeps. The horses were something else. We’d all stand and stop and watch them and see which way they were going.” Her prized miniature tea set She also remembers fondly the Christmas parties hosted by the Frontier Nursing Service at the old Hyden Hospital. “They invited every child in the county. … They gave us a piece of fruit, juice and a present.” She still treasures those toys. “One of my prized possessions is a little brass tea set. Mother didn’t manage to give that away,” she says with a smile. Continuing her family’s legacy Mrs. Kramer comes from a community-minded family. At one point, when Elizabeth was a teenager, her mother served as secretary/treasurer of the bus company, the phone company and the church in Hyden and also was Cashier of the bank and held a position with the Frontier Nursing Service. After her father’s passing, her mother left Hyden and moved to Lexington when Elizabeth was 16. But even though she has lived away all these years, Mrs. Kramer still reserves a special place in her heart for Hyden. As unofficial family historian, Mrs. Kramer says, “everything I get pertaining to Hyden or Leslie County, into the file cabinet it goes.” Mrs. Kramer continues her family’s rich legacy in Leslie County through her support of Frontier Nursing University. Her service on the Leadership 12 * quarterly bulletin Council for the endowment campaign and her personal gift to the effort are testament to her commitment to the mission. Mrs. Kramer, a Steward of the Mary Breckinridge Society, is leading the campaign to success. nnn The FNU Endowment Campaign offers many ways to recognize individuals and/ or families for their connection, service and support of Frontier. Contact the Office of Development at (662) 846-1967 to discuss potential naming opportunities. Ulrich chosen for prestigious fellowship Suzan Ulrich, DrPH, CNM, FACNM, associate dean for Midwifery and Women’s Health at Frontier Nursing University, has been named one of only 20 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Executive Nurse Fellows from across the country for 2012. Ulrich joins a select group of nurse leaders chosen to participate in this three-year, worldclass leadership development program that is enhancing nurse leaders’ effectiveness in improving the nation’s healthcare system. Ulrich has served in many capacities at FNU in the past 12 years and was active on the leadership team that achieved regional accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools: Commission on Colleges as a stand-alone graduate nursing university in 2005. As chair of the Admissions Committee, Ulrich tripled admissions from fewer than 200 students in 2005 to more than 600 students in 2011. She is a fellow of the American College of Nurse-Midwives, and a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, and Delta Omega Honor Society of Public Health. Begun by RWJF in 1998, the RWJF Executive Nurse Fellows program strengthens the leadership capacity of nurses who aspire to shape healthcare locally and nationally. “I am really grateful for this opportunity,” Ulrich said. “I think it’s going to be a very exciting – and challenging – three years. I hope it will help me make a bigger contribution both in and outside of my organization, and allow me to advocate for nurse midwives in a changing healthcare system.” Executive Nurse Fellows hold senior leadership positions in a variety of settings. They continue in their current positions during their fellowships, and each develops, plans and implements a new initiative to improve healthcare delivery in her or his community. 13 * Frontier nursing university DEAN’S REPORT By Dr. Julie Marfell, FNU Associate Dean for Family Nursing Seeds of our successful FNP program were sown more than 40 years ago F rontier Nursing University’s Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program continues to produce well-prepared graduates. Our FNP graduates work in all areas of healthcare and provide quality primary care to many families and individuals. The number of FNP students has steadily grown over the past 14 years, from five students in Class 1 to nearly 700 FNP students – both full-time and part-time – for the Summer 2012 term. Admission to the FNP track of the Master of Science in Nursing program remains competitive, with more qualified applicants than can be admitted to the program. The familiar expression about “standing on the shoulders of giants” aptly describes the evolution of our programs at FNU. Recently, we were fortunate to reconnect with one of these giants – Dr. Loretta C. Ford – who spent time as a consultant on our Hyden, Ky., campus more than 40 years ago. Dr. Ford was part of a team of visiting consultants who entrenched themselves in the culture of the Frontier Nursing Service, our school and the Leslie County community during that summer in the late 1960s. They offered their suggestions and guidance to help shape our Family Nurse Practitioner program, which became the first FNP program in the country upon its launch in 1970. Dr. Ford is a legend in nursing circles. An internationally known nursing leader, she is revered as the founder of the nurse practitioner movement. Her collaboration with Dr. Henry Silver led to the creation of the first Pe- 14 * quarterly bulletin Frontier Nursing University faculty members Dr. Rhonda Arthur, left, and Dr. Cathy Fliris, right, were honored to visit with Dr. Loretta C. Ford, EdD, RN, PNP, FAAN, FAANP, when she stopped by the FNU booth at the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners conference in Orlando, Fla. They presented her with a copy of a newly published book about Frontier’s history in which she is mentioned. diatric Nurse Practitioner program in the country in 1965. Her pioneering efforts gave birth to a profession that is today more than 140,000 strong – a profession whose ranks are strengthened by the more than 150 new nurse practitioners who graduate from Frontier Nursing University each year. Dr. Ford and her colleagues came to Frontier to set forth goals and objectives and to design conceptual frameworks for developing curricula for a groundbreaking new program. While spending time at the Frontier Nursing Service, they also taught and v