Blog

Frontier Announces Spring 2021 Circle of Caring Winners

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) is excited to share this spring’s Circle of Caring winners. The University’s Circle of Caring Award recognizes FNU faculty and staff members who go above and beyond in upholding our mission and contributing to our Culture of Caring.

Nominations for this award are considered based on the following Culture of Caring characteristics: professionalism, mutual support, respect, positive communication and inclusivity.

This term’s faculty winner is FNU instructor of four years, Katie Moriarty, PhD, CNM, FACNM, CAFCI, RN. The spring staff winner is Aimee Niles, FNU library technician, serving on the library service team for six years.

The age of COVID-19 has been full of challenges for the nursing community, yet so many FNU staff and faculty members have used it as a chance to grow and support one another. Moriarty is an excellent example of that mindset. Here is what her nominator wrote when discussing her dedication to her students and team over the past year:

“Katie has displayed extraordinary kindness and thoughtfulness since the pandemic started. She has been amazingly supportive of students, developing an excellent handout of mental health resources that she has shared with the students and faculty each term. Katie encouraged faculty to watch ‘Trauma-Informed Teaching’ by Inman Mays to understand and better help our students.

She also suggested and started live ‘Drop-in’ sessions for the students and a ‘Self-care and Self-Calming Activities’ Discussion Board that has been immensely popular among the students and faculty. Finally, Katie has gone out of her way to be available to students and meet with them as many times as they need to help them get through this period. She has been the model of supportiveness, kindness, and making sure every person feels included and welcome in her course.”

Upon receiving the award, Moriarty responded:

“It was an honor to receive the Circle of Caring Award for the Spring 2021 term–it is an entire team effort and award! Our faculty is a coordinated unit that works to facilitate and optimize the didactic course material, elevating the learning experiences of our students. COVID-19 and many current disasters have added elements that complicate life and many individuals’ ability to function. These challenges have had an impact on everyone on a personal and a community level. No one has been exempt from the ups and downs.

Within our course, we are constantly rethinking how to help our students to learn and retain the course information. We have tried and encouraged varied techniques, platforms and strategies that we believe have created an environment that helps with adaptation. We have worked to embrace a trauma-informed pedagogy.”

Similarly, Niles has been incredibly accommodating, positive, and kind as she interacts with co-workers, faculty and students in her daily work. Here is what her nominator had to say about Niles:

“It is hard to pick just one instance or interaction that exemplifies my communication with Aimee. I often need several articles that have to be obtained via interlibrary loan service, and Aimee is always so helpful with these. She is always kind and patient, even when some articles prove challenging to obtain. Aimee goes above and beyond ensuring our course readings are all updated and correct every term, and I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to get this many faculty to meet a deadline, but Aimee does it with grace. She has a quiet serenity that she willingly shares in our communications, and you always get the impression that you are the only one she provides services for when in reality, there are at least a hundred others who need her to do things for them, too.”

In response to her award, Niles said, “I felt truly honored and humbled by receiving the Circle of Caring Award. I am so moved by the generosity of my coworkers and forever grateful as well.”

Thank you to Katie and Aimee for being excellent examples of FNU’s Culture of Caring!

August 4, 2021
FNU President Dr. Susan Stone’s Annual Address to the FNU Community

As everyone knows, 2020 was an incredibly eventful and often stressful year. With the pandemic, social justice and reform, and a volatile political climate, it was a year unlike any in recent memory.

It was an extremely eventful year at Frontier Nursing University (FNU) as well. FNU was impacted by each of these events as the university continued to strive to achieve its mission and accomplish the year’s strategic plan goals. Many Frontier students faced challenges that threatened to interrupt their academic progress. FNU alumni continued to serve their communities, many of them serving on the front lines during the pandemic. Frontier faculty found new and innovative ways to help students stay on track, and Frontier staff continued to provide support to both students and alumni while preparing for the move to the Versailles, Ky., campus.

In the video below, FNU President Dr. Susan Stone reviews the events of 2020 and provides an update on how the university performed during this challenging year. This 33-minute address also provides detailed data and updates on FNU’s strategic plan goals. We hope you will take the time to view this important message.

Thank you for joining us on this journey and for your impactful presence in the FNU community.

August 2, 2021
Student Scholarship Created in Memory of Dr. Jan Weingrad-Smith

Jan Weingrad Smith, Ph.D., CNM, MPH

In memory of our dear friend, Jan Weingrad Smith, Ph.D., CNM, MPH, Frontier Nursing University in collaboration with Jan’s daughter, sister and father are creating a scholarship to be awarded to a student who embodies Jan’s love of learning, concern for others, and commitment to midwifery and education.

Jan was a Frontier faculty member from 2015 until her untimely passing in May 2021. Jan served the FNU community as Regional Clinical Faculty for Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island where she enjoyed mentoring clinical CNM and WHNP students and networking with preceptors. Jan always focused on holistically and innovatively meeting her students’ needs, to that end, she invested in the development, implementation, and evaluation of innovative virtual clinical simulations during the pandemic when clinical learning for students was abruptly stopped. Jan also served as Course Faculty and contributed her educational expertise, growth mindset, scholarship, and passion for learning. Her educational expertise was teaching, application of knowledge, and critical thinking.

Jan demonstrated her passionate advocacy for women not only in her academic work in midwifery and women’s health but also as a practicing certified nurse-midwife. She was a staunch supporter of breastfeeding and created innovative programs to enhance women’s health, birth, and postpartum experience in her community. She was deeply invested in serving and giving voice to the marginalized, including incarcerated mothers.

Jan was an engaged member of the FNU faculty. Jan attended and actively participated in meetings, generously providing her keen input. She built community with her students and preceptors by regularly holding in-person Case Days. Jan’s devotion to her clinical students was boundless, even talking to some while leaving the hospital in her final days. They needed her, and she wanted to be there for them.

Jan’s “midwife hands” were used in so many ways and touched the lives of so many future midwives and the individuals they serve. She truly understood and shared the influence, power, and privilege inherent in midwifery.

We hope you will join us in celebrating the life and legacy of Jan by making a donation to the scholarship established in her honor. All donations are tax-deductible and can be made by clicking the link below.

Jan Weingrad Smith Scholarship Donations

July 29, 2021
Alumni Spotlight: Monica Heltz Helps Build a Health System Amidst a National Crisis

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, Heltz’s home city announced that it would be building a health department. In the face of COVID-19, Fishers, Ind., was choosing to branch off from the county-regulated system in order to expand services to their community.

When Heltz heard the news, she reached out, hoping for a shot at a leadership role within the department. That call paid off. In May of 2020, Heltz became Fishers’ Public Health Director.

“When I came out of the Peace Corps, I worked at a job that dealt with environmental and public health issues. As I began to learn more about public health, my eyes were opened to a whole world of new jobs that fascinated me,” Heltz said. “Since that time, local public health has been my passion, and I am so fortunate that this opportunity found me.”

Starting a health department takes an enormous amount of resources and moving parts. Starting one during a pandemic only increased those needs. Since COVID-19 spurred the decision to create the health department, when Heltz onboarded, the city was already doing a great job of hosting and regulating testing sites. Heltz’s first job in her new role was to look at non-pandemic health concerns, establish priorities and start knocking out necessary projects.

Now, a year into the program, Heltz has completed most “have-to-do” items and can focus on other things, like rolling out a childhood vaccine clinic. She is incredibly excited for next year when the department is developed enough to focus on even more significant initiatives.

“We want to further integrate the health department into all of our city programs as a way to give our citizens the best opportunities to take proactive health measures,” Heltz said.

According to Heltz, Fishers’ department is already better integrated with the community than many health departments.

“For example, one of our major vaccination sites is an old warehouse. To get it running, we needed to team with public works, the fire department and local health care workers. In many cities, the health department feels like it’s on an island – in Fishers though, we are already able to work well with the greater community,” Heltz said.

“The great thing about starting a health department during a pandemic is that it’s easy for the public to understand who we are and why we’re here,” Heltz said. “However, it’s also been extremely disheartening that public health has become a political issue. My team and I have been pouring our hearts into making our community as safe and healthy as possible. Yet, we have often been criticized for making educated, scientific choices.”

However, Heltz said on the more difficult days, she and her team remind themselves that most of their community does agree with their choices, that it is only a small number of passionate people choosing to be vocal.

The numbers show that Heltz’s community, and the rest of the state, do stand with her. Fishers’ early action on COVID-19 ended up leading the state in policy and statistics, including holding the state’s highest vaccination rate as of late May.

Heltz’s health department was one of the first to have an online dashboard accessible to the public, providing up-to-date data on case rates, vaccinations and local policies. They could do this because Heltz pushed for one of the department’s first hires to be an epidemiologist.

“I knew if we wanted to show our credibility and make the best decisions for our community, we needed someone like this on our team,” Heltz said.

Due to the knowledge and experience within the Fishers health department, they were also the first in Indiana to offer school guidelines, which ended up paving the way for state guidelines.

“It was so cool to find solutions that fit our community and see those choices validated on a larger scale,” Heltz said. “It helped us to stay on track and build confidence in our mission.”

According to Heltz, the year has been one of the most exciting and challenging years of her life, but she couldn’t be happier with her role.

“This isn’t a job that comes around every day, and it’s one that many people probably wouldn’t want, but it is the perfect role for me,” Heltz said. “I chose to earn my DNP at FNU because I loved FNU’s dedication to making a difference and caring for underserved populations. I find a very similar mission within public health. We look for the best outcomes and try our hardest to bring positive change to our communities. I am proud of my roles as both Fisher County Public Health Director and FNU alumni.”

July 26, 2021
Frontier Nursing University Celebrates Faculty Accomplishments (April – June 2021)

Each year Frontier Nursing University (FNU) faculty leaves a lasting impact in the health care community. This blog highlights the research, presentations, and acknowledgments created and earned by faculty members between April and June of this year.

Paula Alexander-Delpech, Ph.D., PMHNP-BC, APRN, Associate Professor

Dr. Alexander Delpech is completing a two-year appointment on the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) inaugural Diversity Committee.

She is a member of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Group, and served as a faculty reviewer on the AACN Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Faculty Toolkit. In addition, she was selected to participate in the 2021-2022 cohort of the AACN’s Elevating Leaders in Academic Nursing Program (ELAN).

In collaboration with Billinda Tebbenhoff and Audrey Perry, DNP, CNM, CNE, Dr. Alexander-Delpech’s abstract was accepted for a poster presentation at the APNA 35th Annual Conference: “Revolutionizing Person-Centered Care Through the Integration of Teams STEEPS in a PMHNP Curriculum.”

Tia Andrighetti, DNP, CNM, CHSE-A, CNE, Innovation Coach and Simulation Coordinator

Dr. Andrighetti was appointed to the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME) Site Visitor Panel.

Megan Arbour, Ph.D., CNM, CNE

Dr. Arbour published “Clinical Implications for Women of a Low-Carbohydrate or Ketogenic Diet With Intermittent Fasting” in Nursing for Women’s Health in collaboration with Melissa Stec, Kelly C. Walker and Judith C. Wika.

Jan Engstrom, PhD, APRN, CNM, WHNP-BC, CNE

Dr. Engstrom volunteered with the Flagler County Health Department COVID-19 Vaccination Program, doing advanced clinical screenings for people desiring the vaccine. Dr. Engstrom volunteered at 36 sessions, screening about 3,500 people.

Jana Esden, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CNE

In April, Dr. Esden presented at the National Conference for Nurse Practitioners Spring 2021 Conference. She discussed the diagnosis and treatment of community-acquired pneumonia, using scenario-based synchronous group learning to improve student confidence in prescribing. The session was also recorded for the National Organization for Nurse Practitioner Faculties 47th Annual Conference.

Kendra Faucett, DNP, CNM, Assistant Professor

In May, Dr. Faucett presented, “Stand up and be Counted: Why Ensuring Birth Certificate Accuracy Should be the Priority of Every Midwife,” at the American College of Nurse-Midwives virtual annual conference. The presentation was in collaboration with Emily McGahey.

Meghan Garland, MSN, CNM

Garland published “Self-Efficacy, Outcome Expectations, Group Social Support, and Adherence to Physical Activity in African American Women,” in collaboration with JoEllen Wilbur, Louis Fogg, Shannon Halloway, Lynne Braun, and Arlene Miller.

She was awarded a competitive grant from the Midwest Nursing Research Society to support her research and internal funding from the Rush University College of Nursing. Her dissertation research is on the determinants of physical activity among pregnant Black women. Garland, who is pursuing her doctorate at Rush University’s College of Nursing, intends to develop culturally tailored physical activity interventions for women with limited access to high-quality care.

“I saw an opportunity to promote health in a population that frequently is overlooked or doesn’t receive the quality of health care that they deserve,” Garland said.

Jane Houston, DNP, CNM, FACNM

Dr. Houston received the Lang International Scholarship Award from the ACNM to virtually attend the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM).

Khara’ Jefferson, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, Assistant Professor

Dr. Jefferson published “Implementing a Standardized Cardiac Protocol for the Adolescent Preparticipation Sports Examination” in the Journal of Pediatric Health Care.

Laura Manns-James, Ph.D., CNM, WHNP-BC, CNE, Associate Professor

Dr. Manns-James, in collaboration with Nell Tharpe, Cindy Farley, Robin Jordan, Heather Bradford, Nena Harris and Heidi Fillmore, published “Clinical Practice Guidelines for Midwifery and Women’s Health (6th ed.) in Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Audrey Perry, DNP, CNM, CNE

Dr. Perry successfully won the primary election for School Board Director and will be moving on to November and the general election.

Kevin Scalf, DNP, PMHNP-BC

In April, Dr. Scalf presented “Demystifying Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Clinical Setting” at the Kentucky Association of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse-Midwives Annual Conference in Louisville, Ky.

Ana Verzone, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CNM

In collaboration with Forrest, C. L., Dr. Verzone published “Antibiotic Stewardship: Improving patient-Centered Right Care in Urgent Care Using a Shared Decision Aid and 5 Ds Tool” in the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Sally Weiss, EdD, APRN, FNP-C, CNE, ANEF

Dr. Weiss was selected to sit on the education committee for the state organization Florida Nurse Practitioner Network. F.A. Davis also contacted her to contribute to a chapter on cellular regulation for Linda Caputi’s new book, Nursing Concepts a Practical Approach.

A huge congratulations to all of our faculty for everything they do to build a better world for the health care community and underserved populations!

July 23, 2021
Over 100 Attend 2021 Diversity Impact Conference
The 11th annual Diversity Impact Conference 2021 was held as a virtual event, June 24-26. The theme of this year’s event was “Dismantling Systemic Racism and Discrimination in Healthcare: Our Roles and Responsibilities”. The overarching goal of the three-day conference was to explore the history of healthcare systems as a vehicle for promoting racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression.

A total of 112 attended the free, three-day conference, which was highlighted by a series of outstanding speakers. The conference opened with FNU President Dr. Susan Stone presenting “Decolonizing the Nursing Profession.” Dr. Menah Pratt-Clarke, JD, PhD, presented the keynote address on “Social Justice through Extraordinary Compassion”. Dr. Pratt-Clarke is the Vice President for Strategic Affairs and Diversity, and Professor of Education at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

The other featured speakers were:
- Sarika Bhakta, CDE, President of Nikeya Diversity Consulting: “Effective Cultural Communications – Beyond Words”
- Dr. Judy Myers, Phd, MSN, RN, Kentucky Foundation for Health advisory board member and FNU Trustee: “The History of Eugenics”
- Kirsten Ivey-Colson and Lynn Turner, co-founders of The AntiRacist Table: “A Path to Healing: Cultivating AntiRacism as a Daily Practice”
In addition to the daily speakers, Thursday featured a social justice activity in which participants were asked to define social justice and social injustice. Further, they were encouraged to share their reactions to the social injustices that occurred in America over the last year. One participant wrote: “I feel a renewed interest in centering social justice in my professional and personal life.” Another said, “This work is not optional, it is essential.”

Friday included a roles activity in which participants were asked:
1. What role(s) do I feel comfortable playing related to social justice in healthcare?
2. Where can I take bolder risks related to social justice in healthcare, especially if I hold different forms of privilege? What support systems do I need to be able to take those risks?
The featured speakers and activities helped drive the conference toward its overall objectives to:
- Identify ways to show compassion using diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Describe behavior changes essential to encouraging unity and improving the health outcomes of underserved and rural communities.
- Identify strategies to dismantle racism, sexism, heteronormativity, and classism in health care.
- Facilitate student confidence in their ability to find their place in the changing world.
July 19, 2021
FNU’s Spring 2021 Quarterly Bulletin Focuses on Stories of Impact

The Spring 2021 issue of the Frontier Nursing University Quarterly Bulletin takes a close look at the many ways that FNU alumni, students, faculty, staff, volunteers, and donors impact the university and its mission. Leading the way is a tribute to Kitty Ernst, who announced her retirement from FNU earlier this year. She looks back at her remarkable career, including her 70 years of involvement with FNU, in her own words, while President Dr. Susan Stone and others share their own thoughts and memories about Kitty.

Additional articles share news of incredible awards and honors, an amazing new scholarship, and faculty serving in leadership roles both in and outside of the university. Additionally, we feature two recent graduates, Dr. Rachel Sheman and Dr. Sybill Myers, who completed their final quality improvement projects during the heart of the pandemic.

For even more inspiration, please read the story about Patty Coldiron, who went from high school dropout and personal tragedy to opening her own urgent care clinic in rural Harlan, Kentucky, earlier this year.

We also mourn the recent passing and reflect on the impact of two FNU faculty members, Ruth Elsasser and Jan Weingrad Smith, as well as that of Judith Rooks, a nursing legend who was awarded an honorary doctorate from FNU in 2012.

These are just a few of the stories you will read in this issue, which also includes all the news, notes, and updates common to every issue of the FNU Quarterly Bulletin.

Read or download the Spring 2021 Quarterly Bulletin today!

July 12, 2021
The 2020 FNU President’s Annual Report: The Challenges and Triumphs of 2020

With the COVID-19 Pandemic, social justice and reform, political turmoil, and the completion of the move to the Versailles campus, 2020 was unlike any other year in the history of FNU. Still, the university maintained its course, relying on our strategic plan to guide our actions and measure our progress.

The 2020 President’s Annual Report takes a close look at each of the university’s six strategic plan goals and our progress toward achieving them. The Report includes feature stories on the people, events, and initiatives that impacted each of these strategic plan goals. For instance, read about the remarkable task of creating DNP quality improvement projects that students could complete virtually during the pandemic and hear first-hand from the students themselves.

This report also details the strategic goal to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at FNU and how the national movement for social justice and reform impacted that progress. Also included is a comprehensive list of the new and ongoing DEI initiatives and the purpose behind them.

In addition to the virtual DNP projects and coursework implemented due to COVID, the pandemic also brought about a national reliance on telehealth and other virtual technologies. Read in the Report about how telehealth impacted FNU’s Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner students and see how technology helped students find creative ways to connect with preceptors.

By being innovative and flexible, FNU worked hard in 2020 to ensure that students’ progress was not interrupted. However, some students were inevitably impacted by the pandemic and faced a variety of hardships. Read all about the unprecedented number of requests for aid and for the amazing number of students who were helped by our generous supporters via FNU’s Student Emergency Fund.

Learn all about the Versailles, Kentucky campus, which is now ready to host on-campus activities as soon as it is safe to do so. Read about FNU’s impressive data-collection and analysis capabilities and how this serves the university’s data-driven decision-making.

Data is also featured in an at-a-glance look at the university, including the latest numbers on enrollment, retention, graduates, diversity, and more. As always, the President’s Report features a photo-filled, comprehensive recap of the year’s major events, awards, and accomplishments.

Click here to read or download the 2020 President’s Annual Report today!

July 8, 2021

Request Information Apply Give Now