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  • Featured Preceptors: CNMs Frances Sahrphillips and Tricia Heinrich work together to precept FNU students

    Featured Preceptors: CNMs Frances Sahrphillips and Tricia Heinrich work together to precept FNU students

    At the heart of Frontier Nursing University is a talented and diverse community of students, alumni, faculty, staff, couriers and preceptors. Spotlight blogs feature members of our FNU community that are focused on the mission of educating nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to deliver quality healthcare to underserved and rural populations.

    Frontier Nursing University preceptors Frances Sahrphillips and Tricia Heinrich not only work toward preparing the dedicated healthcare professionals of tomorrow, but they also join forces to make a positive impact on the lives of patients today. Both serving as Certified Nurse- Midwives (CNMs), Sahrphillips and Heinrich contribute their expertise with the Southeast Georgia Health System while collaborating on precepting students.

    In their role as CNMs, Sahrphillips and Heinrich work with women from adolescence to menopause. Their practice serves a high percentage of active duty military members and dependents due to its proximity to a nearby Naval base. They also serve residents of surrounding rural counties where obstetrical services are unavailable. Many of their patients are on Medicaid.

    In addition to her work with the Southeast Georgia Health System, Sahrphillips also serves as a CNM with the Georgia Health Department Coastal Health District Camden County. She is a published author in the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health and has provided webinars for the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia. She was inducted into the American College of Nurse-Midwives Fellows earlier this year and has been a board member of the Georgia Perinatal Association.

    “Her patients feel heard and can expect their concerns to be addressed,” said FNU student Elijah Paradee. “If a patient lacks resources or is in need, Frances is adept at guiding them to the proper resource or aid. The high comfort level I see between Frances and her patients is indicative of this.”

    Sahrphillips and Heinrich have jointly precepted numerous FNU students. For Heinrich, an FNU alum, working with FNU students is particularly rewarding.

    “I love watching everything come together and the confidence build,” she said. “It’s so rewarding giving back and shaping the future. I absolutely love being able to be a part of this process and giving back, especially to Frontier being a former student.”

    FNU student Karen Howell, who is earning her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), said she is the first DNP student Sahrphillips and Heinrich have precepted together. She said throughout the process, they have done everything necessary to make sure she can succeed and have been encouraging in her professional growth.

    “They are a dynamic duo who are always concerned with providing quality care with a patient-centered focus and in a timely manner in a collaborative practice,” she said.

    Thank you, Frances and Tricia, for your dedication to precepting FNU students and for your unwavering commitment to patients through your roles as CNMs.

    To read about previously recognized preceptors or to nominate a preceptor, click here.

    Are you interested in becoming a Frontier preceptor? Learn more here.

    Learn more about nurse-midwifery and advanced nursing degrees and specialties at Frontier Nursing University. Subscribe to our blog for the latest news and events at FNU and to get inspired with stories featuring our alumni, students, preceptors, faculty and staff!

  • FNU Awarded $4 Million Maternity Care Nursing Workforce Expansion Grant

    FNU Awarded $4 Million Maternity Care Nursing Workforce Expansion Grant

    The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded the Maternity Care (MatCare) Nursing Workforce Expansion Grant to Frontier Nursing University (FNU). The current grant period will end on September 29, 2027. FNU will receive $4 million – $1 million per year –  to fund the grant project.

    Via the grant, FNU intends to increase the nurse-midwifery workforce. FNU plans to graduate at least 300 nurse-midwives each year. The grant funds will help broaden the scope and reach of FNU’s marketing campaigns and increase the university’s student support programs. Student support will include a mentoring program and retention strategies.

    “We are honored and thrilled to receive the Maternity Care Nursing Workforce Expansion Grant,” said FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, DNSc, CNM, FACNM, FAAN. “This grant offers FNU the opportunity to focus on an area of particular need in our country. According to 2022 data from the CDC, more than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. from 2017-2019 were preventable by simply providing better care. It is vital that we increase the number of nurse-midwives to combat the tragically high rates of maternal mortality and morbidity in our country.”

    As part of the MatCare grant, FNU will provide 100 scholarships ($5,000 each) as well as 100 stipends ($2000 each) for nurse-midwifery students annually. Scholarships and stipends are managed through the university’s Scholarship Committee and the Financial Aid Department.

  • Celebrating National Native American Heritage Month

    Celebrating National Native American Heritage Month

    Throughout history, Native Americans have served as great leaders, healers, political activists, and advocates for their people. We invite the FNU Community to join us in celebration of National Native American Heritage Month.

    Our campus is located in Kentucky, an area that many different tribes once called home, including the Cherokee, the Chickasaw, and the Shawnee. The archeology in Kentucky, such as rock art, cave paintings, arrowheads, and ancient pottery shards, are evidence that Indigenous Americans lived throughout the state prior to European contact (Source: visitlex.com).

    As part of our Versailles, Ky., campus ribbon cutting ceremony in 2022, FNU held a land acknowledgment ceremony. Land acknowledgments recognize Indigenous Peoples who are the original stewards of the lands we now occupy. Versailles is the traditional territory of the Shawnee and Cherokee people.


    FNU Dean for Inclusive Excellence and Student Success Dr. Paula Alexander-Delpech, Ph.D., PMNHP-BC, APRN, with Native American elders Helen Danser and Venus Evans.

    In honor of Native American Heritage Month, we invite you to learn more about two Cherokee women and their impact on our country, as well as Brandon Locklear, RN, BSN, a Native American Lumbee and FNU student from Robeson County, North Carolina.

    Wilma Mankiller (1945-2010) was the first female Chief of the Cherokee Nation, an Activist, a Writer, and a Professor at Dartmouth College. She also served as an advisor to the U.S. Government on tribal affairs. In 1993, Wilma Mankiller was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1998 by President Bill Clinton. During her tenure as chief, she accomplished the following:

    • Dramatic decline in infant mortality
    • Tribal employment doubled
    • Increased the number of tribal health clinics
    • Development of several programs for Cherokee youth

    Mary Golda Ross (1908-2008) was a Cherokee woman who earned her master’s degree in astronomy and mathematics from the University of Northern Colorado. She later joined Lockheed Martin aircraft corporation in 1942. She helped to design the Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter jet that came very close to breaking the sound barrier. She later joined Lockheed Martin Missile Systems Division (Skunk Works), a top-secret division that paved the way for space travel. She also helped to write NASA’s Planetary Flight Handbook.


    FNU Student Brandon Locklear, FNP

    FNU Alumni Brandon Locklear, FNP, works in acute hospital environments, assisting underserved communities that are facing nursing shortages. He graduated with a Master of Science in Nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) in May 2023.

    He treats adult and elderly patients, and many suffer from chronic diseases such as heart disorders, diabetes, and lung diseases. Locklear strives to give back to his community by being a light in a dark place for his patients. He educates his patients about their chronic conditions and provides them with the skills they need for a better quality of life.

    Locklear, a Native American Lumbee from Robeson County, North Carolina, provides culturally competent care to help the underprivileged people in his hometown. He says the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina is culturally rich and undeniably unique. He notes this region of North Carolina has experienced a significant amount overdoses, suicides, mental illnesses, heart disease and diabetes. Locklear, as a native, hopes to help his people overcome these challenges.

    READ MORE

    We encourage you to learn more about Native American Heritage Month by visit these sites:

    Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is a priority at Frontier Nursing University. Patients are more receptive to care from a health provider who understands their culture and socioeconomic background. We want to build a culture that is inclusive and caring for all.

  • Giving back through precepting 

    Giving back through precepting 

    Frontier Nursing University’s Clinical Outreach and Placement team is available to help students throughout their clinical program. Clinical Outreach and Placement Director Stephanie Boyd leads a team that includes three clinical advisors and a clinical services coordinator. The unit aids students by providing assistance and resources for locating clinical sites. It also provides support and customer service to preceptors, answering their questions and troubleshooting challenging situations.

    The Clinical Outreach and Placement unit encourages students to be proactive and creative in their search for clinical sites. Sharing tips and success stories, they hope to inspire students to take the initiative and get an early start on identifying a clinical site.

    “Students have a dedicated team of staff and faculty who work with them every step of the way,” Boyd said. “The majority of our students will tell you that talking about the clinical site identification process earlier and more often is such a benefit to them.”

    The success of early planning with students might also be part of the solution to identify and create an even larger network of preceptors. Boyd’s team, which monitors a nationwide preceptor database, is particularly focused on increasing the number of FNU alumni who share their knowledge by precepting Frontier students. The process to do so began by developing the infrastructure, which includes Clinical Services Coordinator Brittany Bachman, who provides one-on-one support to preceptors, helping them navigate the process of precepting.

    FNU preceptors are surveyed annually to gain insight into their experience precepting a Frontier student. Cumulative data, along with individual narrative responses, help Boyd and her team identify areas of improvement. The survey results, which are overwhelmingly positive, also serve as an additional way to promote and encourage potential preceptors who might have reservations about the time, process, or overall experience of precepting.

    In addition to recruiting FNU alumni to become preceptors, the university is also giving added attention to a grassroots effort to encourage students to think about giving back after they graduate. Giving back can take many forms, including monetary gifts or, in the case of precepting, gifts of time and expertise. Graduates are eligible to precept one year after their graduation date.

    “FNU students know the importance of having great preceptors to help train and mentor them,” said FNU alumna Kendra Faucett, DNP, CNM, CNE, FACNM. “As alumni, sharing their time and expertise through precepting is incredibly rewarding.”

    The primary reward comes in the form of helping students learn and develop their skills, of course, but a fun secondary reward is the Featured Preceptor of the Term recognition. Each term, Boyd’s team selects a preceptor to recognize based on nominations from students and faculty.

    Whether assisting students or preceptors, the key element in the work of the Clinical Outreach and Placement team is communication. Team members manage booths at national nurse practitioner and nurse-midwifery conferences where they engage and inform potential preceptors. The team also plans to start sending quarterly e-newsletters to active preceptors as a means to keep the lines of communication open and to share key information with those preceptors.

    “The majority of our preceptors tell us they precept because they want to give back to their profession,” Boyd said. “The survey responses indicate preceptors feel very supported by FNU. As we increasingly share this information, I am confident that our alumni will want to pay it forward to the next generation of students by answering the call to precept as soon as they are eligible.”

    Frontier Nursing University’s Department of Clinical Outreach and Placement strives to serve both students and their preceptors. All preceptors are surveyed by FNU to learn about their experience precepting a Frontier student and to learn how to create the best possible experience for all parties involved. A total of 746 preceptors responded to FNU’s 2022 survey.

    This is what they had to say about their experience as preceptors for FNU students:

    • When asked how satisfied they were with their experience serving as a Preceptor for an FNU student, nearly 60 percent of respondents said “very satisfied” and nearly 40 percent said “satisfied.”
    • When asked how well-prepared the FNU student was when they began their clinical experience, over 40 percent of respondents said they “exceeded expectations” and about half of the respondents said they “met expectations.”
    • When asked whether or not they felt supported by FNU if they have concerns or issues while precepting, about 95 percent of respondents said yes.
    • When asked if they found the process of setting up their Preceptor Profile information easy to understand, about 95 percent of respondents said yes.
    • When asked how likely they were to serve as a preceptor for an FNU student again, nearly 80 percent of respondents said “likely.”

    Visit this link on our website to learn more about becoming a preceptor.

    Learn more about advanced nursing degrees and specialties at Frontier Nursing University. Subscribe to our blog for the latest news and events at FNU and to get inspired with stories featuring our alumni, students, faculty and staff!

  • Frontier Nursing University Names Dr. Tanya Belcheff as Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 

    Frontier Nursing University Names Dr. Tanya Belcheff as Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 

    Frontier Nursing University announced that Dr. Tanya Belcheff, DNP, CNM, has been selected as the university’s Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Dr. Belcheff has been an assistant professor in FNU’s nurse-midwifery program since 2016.

    “We are thrilled that Dr. Belcheff has accepted the role as our Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,” said FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, DNSc, CNM, FACNM, FAAN. “She is an outstanding faculty member and has been very active and passionate in her support of our numerous diversity, equity, and inclusion goals and initiatives. I have complete confidence that, together with Dean of Inclusive Excellence and Student Success Dr. Paula Alexander-Delpech, they will further enhance the service we provide to each and every student.”

    Dr. Belcheff became a Certified Nurse-Midwife at the University of New Mexico in 2002 and earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice at Frontier in 2019. She has taken an active role in FNU’s diversity initiatives, including as a member of the team that organized and implemented a $1,376,800 Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in 2018. The ANEW grant supported innovative academic-practice partnerships to prepare primary care advanced practice registered nursing students to practice in rural and underserved settings through academic and clinical training. In her role with the grant, Dr. Belcheff worked to help identify obstacles to retaining and training local providers in the Navajo Nation.

    “I am honored and excited for the opportunity to serve as the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,” Dr. Belcheff said. “We know from a wealth of data that diversity among our healthcare providers results in better health outcomes, and the road to preparing a diverse and culturally competent healthcare workforce starts at institutions like Frontier Nursing University. With 2,500 students representing every state in the country, we have the opportunity, ability, and duty to bring positive change to our nation’s healthcare system.

    Dr. Belcheff has served as the inaugural chair of the Intersectionality, Determinants of Health, Equity, and Advocacy subcommittee and co-facilitator of FNU’s DEI Fellows/Staff Ambassador programs. She also serves on the planning committee for the university’s Diversity Impact Conference. Held annually for the last 13 years, the Diversity Impact Conference is a two-day virtual event featuring presentations from DEI experts across the country.

    “It is essential that we have the right person in place to oversee and advance our diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging efforts,” said Dr. Alexander-Delpech. “I could not be happier that Dr. Belcheff, a longtime leader and contributor to these efforts, is now taking on this very important role.”

    In addition to her work at Frontier, Dr. Belcheff is part of a network of trauma-informed educators and healthcare providers in her local community.

  • FNU Celebrates the Power of Rural on National Rural Health Day

    FNU Celebrates the Power of Rural on National Rural Health Day

    On Thursday, November 16, Frontier Nursing University (FNU) will join healthcare providers and organizations across the country to celebrate National Rural Health Day (NRHD). Organized by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health, NRHD is an opportunity to bring awareness to the unique challenges that rural communities face and the efforts of rural healthcare providers to create positive change in these regions.

    Founded in the Appalachian area of Kentucky, Frontier provides accessible nurse-midwifery and nurse practitioner education to transform healthcare by preparing innovative, ethical, compassionate, and entrepreneurial leaders to work with all people with an emphasis on rural and underserved communities. Today, 75 percent of FNU students live and complete their clinics in rural areas throughout the United States.

    Throughout the year, FNU shares inspiring stories on its blog about the impact alumni, students and preceptors have on the populations they serve. As we celebrate NRHD, read about these rural healthcare providers and their dedication to serving rural populations:

    Student Spotlight: Tiffany Perryman determined to build a brighter future for women in rural Oklahoma as FNP

    Oklahoma’s social statistics are somewhat bleak, given the state’s high rates of intimate partner violence, child neglect and abuse, teen pregnancy, high school dropout, and low rates of post-secondary education.

    However, in the rural town of Warner, positive change is sweepin’ down the plains thanks to the efforts of Tiffany Perryman BSN, RN!

    Perryman has served as a public health registered nurse for nine years. She provides family planning services to women in her largely indigenous and Hispanic community, which also includes a large number of Medicaid recipients.

    READ MORE

    Student Spotlight: In honor of her children, Cortni McCall pursues MSN to help others

    For Cortni McCall of Atwood, Tennessee, her decision to pursue a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner was inspired by the situations that she had endured personally. McCall lost her ex-husband, a military veteran who dealt with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

    “My children and I lost so much, and due to the lack of professionals in my area of residence, I feel like this is needed and needs to be openly welcomed for those who desire to express concerns at their homes and in their lives, as well as treatment for those that are mentally ill and seeking help,” McCall said.

    In her pursuit to earn her MSN, McCall is drawing upon her experience as a registered nurse. She currently serves as a public health nurse in a local Community Health Center, where she has worked for over three years. She has prior experience working at various rehabilitation facilities.

    READ MORE

    Student Spotlight: Andres Soto pursues FNP to improve access to care in rural Texas

    As an emergency department nurse, Andres Soto of Temple, Texas, has made a few keen observations about the patients he serves. He said throughout his time in this role, he has been made aware of how many patients in his area use the emergency department as their primary care provider due to factors such as lack of insurance and the inability to see medical providers in a timely manner.

    As a way to help address this issue, Soto is currently pursuing his Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in the Family Nurse Practitioner program at Frontier Nursing University (FNU).

    “I want to be part of the solution by adding to the number of medical providers so these patients don’t find themselves stuck having to wait weeks or sometimes months to be seen,” Soto said.

    READ MORE

    Alumni Spotlight: Stacey Eason’s midwifery practice focuses on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders

    Frontier Nursing University (FNU) alumni Stacey Eason, ARPN, CNM, PMHNP-BC, earned her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in Nurse-Midwifery in 2019. During her clinicals as a CNM student, she recognized the lack of care options for perinatal mental health. That’s when she decided to return to FNU to earn her Post-Graduate Certificate in the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) program.

    Now, Eason uses both of these certifications from FNU in her career. A resident of Wichita, Kansas, Eason currently serves as both a CNM and a PMHNP at South Central Kansas Medical Center in Arkansas City, Kansas. She has been in this role since January 2022.

    READ MORE

    Join us in celebrating the value of rural communities and help shine a light on the health disparities facing these regions by sharing information about NRHD with your friends, colleagues, and social media followers. Visit the NRHD site to find ideas and resources.

    NOSORH founded NRHD in 2011 to showcase the efforts of individuals and organizations going the extra mile to address the unique healthcare needs of rural communities. National Rural Health Day is an annual day of recognition which occurs on the third Thursday of November.

  • Frontier Nursing University Names Paula Alexander-Delpech as the University’s First Dean for Inclusive Excellence and Student Success

    Frontier Nursing University Names Paula Alexander-Delpech as the University’s First Dean for Inclusive Excellence and Student Success


    Dean for Inclusive Excellence and Student Success
    Paula Alexander-Delpech, Ph.D., PMHNP-BC, APRN
    Bio

    Frontier Nursing University’s current Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer (CDIO) Dr. Paula Alexander-Delpech, Ph.D., PMHNP-BC, APRN, has been selected as the university’s first Dean for Inclusive Excellence and Student Success. Dr. Alexander-Delpech was named the university’s CDIO in 2022.

    The role of the Dean for Inclusive Excellence and Student Success is to fully incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to promote student success and retention throughout the FNU community. The creation of this high-level leadership position is an innovative step to centralize all of the university’s student services, such as orientation, academic advising, registration, retention, student activities and organizations, counseling, and more.

    “Dr. Alexander-Delpech’s leadership of Frontier’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives have been exemplary,” said FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, DNSc, CNM, FACNM, FAAN. “Utilizing her expertise as our first Dean for Inclusive Excellence and Student Success is an essential step in infusing DEI efforts throughout the university’s operations. We are confident that this will enhance our already impactful student services to provide even higher levels of support than ever before.”

    Dr. Alexander-Delpech is co-chair of the President’s Task Force on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She is also co-chair of the Faculty, Staff, and Preceptor Development and Retention sub-committee of the DEI Task Force. Dr. Alexander-Delpech created and implemented the DEI Faculty Fellow and the DEI Staff Ambassador programs. Each program rejects the traditional DEI approach and instead uses an individualized peer education model to facilitate the development of skills and knowledge to address systemic racism and pervasive healthcare inequities.

    “I am honored to be appointed to this new role as the Dean for Inclusive Excellence and Student Success,” Dr. Alexander-Delpech said. “We have a great responsibility and opportunity to further Frontier Nursing University’s longstanding history and commitment to ensure the success of our students and prepare them to be skilled, ethical, and compassionate leaders in their communities. Many of our students represent rural and underserved communities, making their presence all the more impactful in providing culturally competent healthcare.”

    Dr. Alexander-Delpech is a Board-certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She is an appointed member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) diversity committee; an inaugural member of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty (NONPF) diversity committee; a member of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA); the President-elect of the Florida chapter of the APNA; a member of the South Florida Council of Advanced Practice Nurses; and a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).

    FNU’s enrollment of students of color has risen from 9 percent in 2010 to over 30 percent today. During that span, the university created the CDIO position, the three-person Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and has held its annual Diversity Impact Conference every year beginning in 2010. FNU has been awarded the Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine each of the past six years (2018-2023) and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Advancing Diversity, Inclusion, and Sustainability in Academic Nursing Award in 2021 and 2023.

  • Frontier Nursing University Names Dr. Kevin Scalf as Department Chair of the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Department

    Frontier Nursing University Names Dr. Kevin Scalf as Department Chair of the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Department


    Kevin Scalf, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, CNEcl

    Frontier Nursing University (FNU) has announced that Kevin Scalf, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, CNEcl, has accepted the position of Department Chair of the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Department effective immediately. Dr. Scalf has been serving as the interim Department Chair since October 8.

    “Dr. Scalf is a highly respected member of our faculty who is a tremendous asset to his colleagues and students,” said FNU Dean of Nursing Dr. Joan Slager, CNM, DNP, FACNM, FAAN. “I am grateful for his service in an interim capacity and am excited to see the benefits of his leadership within the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Department .”

    Born and raised in rural southeastern Kentucky, Dr. Scalf graduated from Eastern Kentucky University as a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) in 2011. In 2020, he graduated from FNU’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program. Dr. Scalf joined FNU in 2018 and has held several faculty positions, including Regional Clinical Faculty, Clinical Bound Team Leader, Clinical Bound Course Coordinator, Simulation Coordinator for the PMHNP program, and Clinical Transitions Coordinator.

    “I am very pleased that Dr. Scalf agreed to fill this extremely important position,” said FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, CNM, DNSc, FAAN, FACNM. “Our Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program was launched in January 2017 and continues to grow, mirroring the increasing demand for mental health care throughout our country.”

    Dr. Scalf’s passion for healthcare began at an early age.  Working as a PMHNP in various healthcare venues, Dr. Scalf has had the opportunity to appreciate the complexity and importance of high-quality healthcare.  As the demand for mental health care increases across the nation, Dr. Scalf is eager to help prepare future psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners for entry into the workforce.

    “It is an honor to accept this new opportunity, and I look forward to building upon the strong foundation of the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Department,” Dr. Scalf said. “It is an unbelievable privilege and responsibility to help people across our nation. Our students understand that and are up for the challenge as they answer the call to serve.”

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