Frontier Nursing University (FNU) alumni and former Peace Corps member Monica Heltz has long fostered a passion for public health, working in the field for over two decades. Last year, Heltz decided to further her passion by earning her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from FNU. “At the time, I wasn’t sure where it would take me. I just wanted to do more,” Heltz said. “It’s been a wild ride, but somehow, my dream job popped up right in my backyard.” Shortly after finishing her degree, … [Read more...]
FNU Alumni Spotlight: Mychal Pilia
Frontier Nursing University (FNU) Alumni, Mychal Pilia, CNM, first became familiar with midwifery when her sister decided to have a home birth. “Of course, when I heard, I responded with all of the typical things midwives hear like that’s not going to be as safe, and what if something goes wrong?” Pilia laughs. “Then, through her pregnancy and delivery, I learned about midwives and the kind of care that they offer, and I quickly changed my perspective.” Although Pilia’s sister’s first … [Read more...]
Patty Coldiron Fills Urgent Need with Urgent Care
The inspirational success stories of FNU graduates are many. Very few, however, start with dropping out of high school. Nonetheless, that is the way the story of how Patty Coldiron, MSN, FNP, Bridge 102, opened Hometown Urgent Care in January begins. Born and raised in rural Harlan County, Kentucky, Coldiron dropped out of high school and, at the age of 16, gave birth to her son Joshua, who was born with spina bifida. “He is the reason I went into nursing,” Coldiron said. “I wanted to … [Read more...]
The Road to Dreams Fulfilled
Nancy Reinhart, MPH, CNM, Class 155 knew what she was looking for, and was willing to travel as far as necessary to find it. Her journey has taken her from her hometown of Louisville to Hyden, Kentucky; Fort Hood, Texas; Shiprock, New Mexico; and, currently, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The common theme behind every choice and step she has made has been her drive to serve rural and underserved communities. Even with that as her guide, however, Reinhart did not set out to be a nurse-midwife. That … [Read more...]
Alumni Spotlight: Christina Felten, A Life of Service Driven by a Passion for Labor and Delivery
Frontier Nursing University (FNU) Alumni Christina Felten, DNP, CNM, RNC-OB, has spent her career serving others. At the time of her high school graduation, she was a nurse’s aide who quickly became an EMT. However, her life changed when she was floated to labor and delivery and fell in love with supporting women during birth. “I had already been accepted into a different program at Bloomsburg University, but after spending some time in the labor unit, I knew I had found my calling. I got in … [Read more...]
FNU Graduates Realize Dream of Opening Their Own Nurse-Midwifery Practice
Not even a pandemic could end this lifelong dream. Going to school while working full time and raising a family didn’t stand in the way either. Some things are just meant to be. That’s how Naomi Elizabeth Drucker, MSN, CNM, Bridge 138, and Lilit Baldjyan Sarkissian, RN, MSN, CNM, Class 143, felt when they held a grand opening for Los Angeles Midwives on December 16, 2020. The grand opening was virtual, but the building, the practice, the midwives, and their guests were all quite real. It was … [Read more...]
Delivering the Vaccine to the Last Frontier
Julie Drude, FNP Class 136, CNEP Class 81, DNP Class 26, doesn’t “do boats. I don’t like them. I hate boats.” Even though she was born and raised in Hollywood, Florida, and resides in Chattahoochee, Florida, she said “my extent of the beach and the waves is laying on the beach and sunbathing. I don’t do boats.” Why, then, was she pictured in front of a boat in Alaska as part of a widely circulated news story in January? The answer as to why she’s in Alaska is that Drude is a travel nurse, … [Read more...]
Alumni Spotlight: Megan Simenc Carries on FNU Legacy at Boise VA Medical Center
As we all learned in high school, whether it’s good or bad, reputation matters. Within the Boise VA Medical Center, it’s safe to say Frontier Nursing University has a good reputation. In recent years, four FNU graduates have been nurse practitioner residents at the medical center. “The director of the Boise VA Medical Center nurse practitioner residency said she is consistently impressed with the FNU graduates who have come to our residency program,” said Megan Simenc, MSN, FNP-C, Class 155. … [Read more...]
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