Frontier Nursing University

Student Spotlight: Kris Swanson plans to broaden scope as a Family Nurse Practitioner

February 13, 2025 By Frontier Nursing University

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

With a goal of providing comprehensive care for all patients, Kristin “Kris” Swanson, BSN, RNC-MNN, IBCLC, is currently pursuing her Master of Science in Nursing to become a Family Nurse Practitioner. Set to graduate from Frontier Nursing University this year, Swanson serves as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) for Birthmark Doula Collective/New Orleans Breastfeeding Center.

Birthmark Doula Collective is a birth justice organization dedicated to supporting, informing and advocating for pregnant and parenting people and their families in New Orleans. The organization provides childbirth education, birth doula and postpartum doula services and lactation support.

In her current role, Swanson works in direct client care in the prenatal and postpartum period, supporting parents and families in their feeding choices. She has a special interest in induced lactation for non-gestational parents, low milk supply and the intersection of postpartum mental health and infant feeding choices.

Swanson said while her career has focused on maternal-child health, she decided to pursue her MSN to broaden her scope as an FNP, noting that she wants to expand her knowledge base to provide care for the entire family. Swanson is also passionate about partnering in care with LGBTQ+, trans, and gender non-conforming individuals, especially concerning sexual health and family building.

“Relationships are so important in healthcare: a person’s relationship to their own health, their relationship with their community and family and their relationship with their health care provider,” she said. “The long-term relationship building in primary care is in line with my values of compassion, trauma-informed care, evidence-based practice and shared decision making.”

Swanson participated in FNU’s Professional Organizational Mentoring Program (POMP). This initiative pairs FNU faculty with nurse practitioner and nurse-midwifery students from underrepresented groups, offering crucial support and mentorship. Through POMP, students can join a professional organization in their field and attend a professional conference with their mentors, with all associated fees covered.

Swanson said her participation in POMP has been a clear highlight in her time at FNU, noting that she learned about the program from a classmate and applied as soon as the application became available.

“As an IBCLC, I have benefitted from mentor relationships and knew this would be important as I became an FNP,” she said.

Through POMP, Swanson attended the 2024 American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) National Conference in Nashville, Tennessee in June. The week-long event offered continuing education, exclusive keynote speakers, legislative and policy updates, hands-on workshops, exhibitors and networking opportunities. During the conference, Swanson was paired with Dr. Mary Hunt, an assistant professor at FNU.

“Conferences can be overwhelming and it was helpful to have her guidance on where to go and how to manage time, as well as hear about her professional experience,” Swanson said. “I also got to connect more deeply with two classmates, which was perhaps the best part of the experience. Having peers and colleagues in the program has allowed me to stay more connected as I move into clinical, and I am happy to have made lifelong friends.”

Thank you, Kris, for your dedication to serving families in your community and for your commitment to professional development, as demonstrated through your involvement with POMP. To learn more about POMP, click here.

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, preceptors and staff!

A Century of Stories: Leslie Copp, MSN, FNP, DNP (Class 57)

February 11, 2025 By Frontier Nursing University

In 2025, Frontier Nursing University celebrates the 100-year anniversary of the inception of the Frontier Nursing Service. We are grateful for the alumni, students, couriers, donors, volunteers, friends, and employees who have made an incredible impact on FNU’s century-long journey. We are celebrating this milestone year by capturing and sharing some of the countless stories that make up our history. Whatever your connection to FNU, we hope you enjoy these stories and are inspired to share your own story with us.

Frontier Nursing University alumni go on to do so many amazing things that it is sometimes easy to overlook the incredible accomplishments they achieved before graduating. Current DNP student Leslie Copp is a prime example.

In the summer of 2023, Copp, whose husband Justin is a Sergeant First Class in the U.S. Army with 24 years of service, was one of 60 U.S. service members, veterans, and military spouses chosen as a Tillman Scholar. Tillman scholarships are available to active-duty service members, veterans, and military spouses.

The Pat Tillman Foundation was founded by the family and friends of Pat Tillman, who, in 2002, put his National Football League career on hold to serve his country. Tillman died in April 2004 while serving with the 75th Ranger Regiment in Afghanistan. The Tillman Foundation identifies remarkable military service members, veterans, and spouses, empowering them with academic scholarships, lifelong leadership development opportunities, and a diverse, global community of high-performing mentors and peers. Tillman Scholars make an impact as they lead through action in the fields of healthcare, business, public service, STEM, education, and the humanities.

Being a survivor of violence, Copp has made caring for others her lifelong passion. With 23 years of nursing experience, she currently works full-time as a forensic nurse examiner in Indianapolis. She specializes in trauma care and frequently is called to testify in court.

“Watching my mother have to defend her and myself, and how scary that was, I know how children with trauma are affected the rest of their lives,” Copp said, reflecting on her own experiences with domestic violence. “But had I not gone through that, maybe I wouldn’t be able to care for my patients the way I do today. Our journey in life leads us to places we don’t expect. I’m so blessed to have not fallen victim to addictions or suicide or some of the things our patients face when they’re traumatized. I feel blessed to be here and to advocate for people.”

While trauma care centers are common in metropolitan areas, they are rare in rural areas, such as the one in which Copp lives. With the support of the Tillman Scholars program, Copp’s goal is to establish trauma care centers in rural and underserved communities, such as where she lives in Odon, Indiana.

“In these trauma centers, I’m hoping to not only be able to provide a medical exam, but I’m also hoping that it is a one-stop shop,” Copp said, noting that her vision is for the trauma care centers to include access to social workers, connections to prosecutors, and rooms for emergency housing. “We can eliminate so many things for law enforcement. They can have more time on the street doing what they need to be doing to keep the community safe while we’re doing the back work. We can take the photos, collect and bag the evidence and get it to the crime lab. There are a lot of benefits all the way around. I hope to see a huge stride in this in the next 10 years.”

We want to celebrate our anniversary by capturing and sharing the countless stories that make up our history. Whatever your connection to FNU, we are incredibly grateful to you and want to hear your Frontier story.

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Dr. Joan Slager Leaves Lasting Imprint on FNU

February 10, 2025 By Frontier Nursing University

Dr. Joan Slager, CNM, DNP, FACNM, FAAN, announced last fall that she will retire as Dean of Nursing on February 28, 2025. Dr. Slager’s tenure as Dean began in 2018, but her dream of becoming a nurse-midwife and her connection to Frontier Nursing University started long before.

Dr. Slager grew up on a farm in rural Lake Odessa, Michigan. She enjoyed caring for the animals and was drawn to the wonder of the birthing process at a young age.

“We would take turns checking on the cows in the barn during calving season,” Dr. Slager recalled. “I would sit for hours waiting for a calf to be born. It was fascinating to me, and I just loved being there and watching. I think that’s what drew me to midwifery. It made me respect birth a lot.”

Dr. Slager graduated from Nazareth College in Kalamazoo, Michigan, with her BSN in 1980. She considered becoming a physician but chose nursing because she wanted to raise a family as well. During nursing school, she enjoyed her maternal/child rotations and chose to work as a nurse extern in the neonatal intensive care unit the summer between her junior and senior years. She continued working in the NICU after graduation. Drawn to birth, her favorite part of that job was being assigned to attend at-risk deliveries. She subsequently worked three years (1981-83) with the Kalamazoo County Health Department clinics and later took a position as a staff nurse at the Borgess Medical Center Family Birthing Center (1984-91).

“I worked labor and delivery for six months and then took the birth center job and worked there for seven years until the birth center closed. While at the Birth Center, I worked with Kalamazoo’s first nurse-midwife, who cared for me during my pregnancies. As a nurse, I loved the partnership we nurses had with the midwife. It made caring for the women so much easier, and for the women, their labor and birth was a process they controlled. As a patient, I valued participating in my care and being listened to and respected. I wanted that experience for all women and their families. I knew I had to be a midwife. I heard about CNEP (Community-based Nurse-midwifery Education Program) at a nursing conference. I was intrigued that I didn’t have to travel 150-plus miles to go to school, and I could complete my education in my home community. It sounded too good to be true. I applied and was among the first students that started in the distance program at Frontier. I attended Level III (Clinical Bound) in the Chicken Coop on Kitty’s (Ernst) farm in Pennsylvania, and my first trip to Kentucky was for graduation which was held at Wendover. That’s how my relationship with Frontier started.”

Dr. Slager was part of Frontier’s first CNEP graduating class in 1991. She began working as a nurse-midwife in Battle Creek, Michigan, eventually becoming the Director of Nurse-Midwifery at the Family Health Center of Battle Creek. She assisted Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo in developing a midwifery-led service in 1993, where she served as the Director of Nurse-Midwifery at the Bronson Women’s Service for 27 years.

“It was so successful that it grew into one of the largest midwifery practices in the country,” Dr. Slager said. “They employ 17 midwives and three nurse practitioners now. The OB/GYN physicians and hospital administrators were very supportive of the midwives, who were among the first advanced practice providers in the health system. Our model of care resulted in decreasing the C-section rate, increasing patient satisfaction, and reducing the after-hours walk-in visits in OB triage.”

Shortly after becoming the practice director at Bronson, Dr. Slager attended the first annual midwifery business institute at the University of Michigan (a weekend conference) to gain skills in directing a midwifery service. She offered a suggestion to include information on Billing and Coding at future meetings. A year later, she was leading a four-hour billing & coding workshop at that event. “Midwifery education comprehensively covers clinical management and skills, but our survival depends on us developing some business acumen as well. I started researching and learning about billing and coding to prepare for the presentation I was asked to do, and it took my professional career down a whole different trajectory. I started implementing what I was learning in my own practice, and in one year, we tripled our billed revenue. It wasn’t because we got a lot busier, we were just capturing the work that we were doing. That made the hospital administrators very happy and demonstrated how cost-effective a midwifery model was. Not only were the patients happy, but we were positively affecting the bottom line as well as improving care.”

As a result of that workshop, Dr. Slager was invited to present at conferences and other midwife events or for individual practices and eventually founded Slager Consulting Business in 2000 while maintaining her everyday role as a nurse-midwife.

“It was very rewarding to help other midwifery practices demonstrate their value, improve salaries, and be able to grow and sustain their practices,” Dr. Slager said. “A lot of times, they (midwives) were working hard, but they were underbilling from a lack of knowledge of how to bill for all of the services they provided. It was important to me that midwives understand and learn to use billing codes accurately so that the work they did and the outcomes they achieved were documented.”

While occupied with a busy clinical practice, an independent consulting business, leadership roles in the American College of Nurse-Midwives, and raising an active family, Dr. Slager maintained her relationship with Frontier. During her 28 years of practice, she precepted over 100 FNU students.

“I always had a connection with Frontier because I routinely had Frontier students in our practice. Precepting is really fun, and teaching is rewarding work,” Dr. Slager said. “I want women to get good care, so I want people who provide care to do it well. Whether the students were medical students, nurse practitioners, or midwives, it was always fun to teach them how to provide safe, satisfying, collaborative, and competent health care.”

It was her own babies, fully grown with families of their own, that made Dr. Slager realize it was time for a change.

“Returning to Frontier was really driven by the fact that my three children, over a period of a couple of years, migrated to Phoenix, Arizona. We are a close family, and their spouses all grew up in Southwest Michigan too. One by one they relocated out to Phoenix. They all live close to each other, spend weekends together, and vacation together. I have nine grandchildren now between the ages of 4 and 11 and they are each other’s best friends. I realized I didn’t want to be the grandmother who only sees their grandkids on holidays and summer vacations. I wanted to be part of their lives.

Seeking more flexibility in her career, Dr. Slager contacted FNU President Dr. Susan Stone about a faculty position. Noting that Dr. Slager had extensive management experience, Dr. Stone suggested a different position – Director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program.

“Sue told me I had more management experience than teaching experience”, Dr. Slager said. “The more I learned about the DNP program and the director position, the more excited I got. I am good at fixing things or analyzing things and improving them. That’s what I did in my consulting business. I would go to a practice and spend time with the people there, learn what some of their challenges were, and then make suggestions to make things easier, faster, and more efficient. That was in perfect alignment with the DNP program curriculum which taught students to be change agents and to implement quality improvement projects.”

After 15 months as the DNP Director, Dr. Slager received another call from Dr. Stone, asking her to be the Interim Dean of Nursing. Dr. Slager was named the Interim Dean of Nursing in March 2018 and became the full-time Dean of Nursing in August 2018.

“I was enjoying myself. I liked it (acting as Dean) because it was an executive management position and a great match for my skill set,” Dr. Slager said. “I used to work with midwife colleagues, and now I collaborate with and advocate for faculty, I used to care for patients, and now I work with students – there is a lot of correlation.”

The new position came at a pivotal time in the history of FNU, including the university moving its campus from Hyden, Kentucky, to Versailles, Kentucky. The Versailles property was purchased in 2017, and the planning and construction of the new campus began soon after.

“Frontier already had great programs and accomplished faculty leaders. These were well-established before I came to FNU. But moving the campus was a big deal,” Dr. Slager said. “Fortunately, in my job as the director of the midwifery program at Bronson, we relocated our office a few times, and we built a new hospital, and experienced major renovations of the inpatient units. I really believe you are in places for a reason at the right time.”

“I came to Frontier when we were starting the Versailles campus renovation project. I knew a lot about buildings, the things behind the scenes that people don’t really think about. I feel like bringing that experience to Frontier was a great way to contribute in a way that was completely unrelated to midwifery and people management.”

Renovating the new campus meant not only new buildings but planning for new offices, classrooms, simulation labs, dorms, a dining hall, and more. It also meant a lot of packing and moving items from the Hyden campus, all while maintaining normal university activities.

“I loved Hyden. I wasn’t anxious to move,” Dr. Slager said. “But I really love the Versailles campus and how it provides us with so many more opportunities and efficiencies. It was great to be part of the team that executed that. That’s probably one of the highlights of my career at Frontier. Someone could go through their whole career and never have the opportunity to move a university.”

As if moving the university wasn’t enough of a challenge, the COVID pandemic provided additional hurdles and significant delays. On-campus programs needed to pivot quickly to an online format. When the campus was ready, it still could not be opened. Finally, in 2021, the first students came on campus for clinical bound.

“It was very emotional for me to have that first group come to campus,” Dr. Slager said. “After all the planning and the waiting through the pandemic, we finally had students on campus. That was probably one of the most notable accomplishments at Frontier that I was able to be a part of.”

More recently, Dr. Slager took pride in being part of the group that hired new FNU President Dr. Brooke A. Flinders. It marked one of the final milestones that allowed Dr. Slager to consider retiring. “I had planned to serve as Dean for only a couple of years and then retire, but I felt compelled to stay through the topsy-turvy events that followed.”

“The pandemic hit, so I didn’t dare leave the university at such a challenging time. Then President Sue Stone announced her retirement, so I chose to delay retiring a little bit longer to facilitate a smooth transition in leadership. With Dr. Flinders in her position, I feel so great about where Frontier is. I can very comfortably and confidently step away knowing the university is in great hands.”

Dr. Slager intends to stay connected with the university and be available for special projects and other opportunities where needed. Otherwise, she looks forward to traveling with her husband and spending time with her family, including her nine grandchildren.

A Century of Stories: Breckinridge Capital Advisors

February 7, 2025 By Frontier Nursing University

Founded in 1993 by Executive Chair Peter Coffin, Breckinridge Capital Advisors (BCA) is an independently owned asset manager based in Boston. Coffin, who is Chair of Frontier’s Foundation Board, served as BCA’s President for over 30 years before retiring on June 30, 2024.

The relationship between BCA and Frontier Nursing University dates back to 2017, when BCA began its support of FNU’s Courier program. The FNU Courier program is an eight-week rural and public health-service learning program for college students interested in public health, healthcare, or a related field. BCA supports the Courier program as part of its own Ambassador Program, which is a charitable effort that includes five focused relationships, each led by a team of Breckinridge employees. When BCA chose to begin sponsoring the Courier program in 2017, the company sent two employees to FNU’s former campus in Hyden, Kentucky, to get first-hand experience with the Courier program.

“One of the objectives of the employee ambassadors is to educate the Breckinridge staff on the mission and goals of their respective organization,” said Coffin, who is a descendant of the Breckinridge family. “Our Frontier ambassadors have done this by inviting Dr. Susan Stone and her colleagues to our offices to give updates on the school and current initiatives.”

Courier program alumni and Boston-area FNU graduates have also been invited to the BCA offices to share their information and experiences with the staff to create a deeper connection to the program. In 2019, the BCA staff engaged in an outreach effort, asking the alma maters of their employees to spread the word about the Courier Program and help the recruitment.

Through these engagement efforts, the connection between BCA and Frontier has grown to include significant financial support. In addition to their financial support of the Courier program, BCA endowed a need-based scholarship to offset tuition costs. To date, the scholarship has aided more than a dozen students. Additionally, in 2020, Breckinridge donated $10,000 to FNU’s student emergency fund, which provides financial assistance to students who are impacted by unforeseen circumstances such as the pandemic, hurricanes, or floods.

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Courier Connection Leads to Physician Mentorship

February 6, 2025 By Frontier Nursing University

For decades, Frontier Nursing University’s Courier Program has drawn people from far beyond Appalachia to become immersed in public health through service. It also offers an opportunity to explore careers in healthcare and build connections. For Dr. Jonathan K. Allotey (Courier, 2016) and Dr. Elia R. Cole (Courier, 2009), the Courier Program offered a unique entry point into mentorship. Their first meeting was in 2016 when Dr. Cole (then a medical student) joined the Couriers virtually to share her experience as a courier. At the time, Dr. Allotey, an international student from Ghana, was taking a gap year after college while preparing to embark on a career in healthcare. For the next 8 years, they continued a series of conversations to support Dr. Allotey through his medical education. In 2024, Dr. Allotey graduated from Tulane University with a dual degree in Medicine and Public Health.

Dr. Allotey, now a General Surgery resident at UT Southwestern, and Dr. Cole, a Family Medicine physician with Kaiser Permanente, sat down to discuss and reflect upon the impact of mentoring within their professional journeys.

What was your introduction to mentorship?
Dr. Cole: When I think back to being a Courier, I remember the feeling of looking ahead toward a health professions career. It felt daunting. I did not have a traditional level of preparation for this kind of environment and made plenty of mistakes along the way. My wish was to teach others who can ultimately benefit from those mistakes.

Dr. Allotey: From only a few early conversations with you, I had already learned so much. I think we had about five hour-long conversations. After those five hours, I ended up in graduate school. I thought, “Wow- this is what mentorship can do. I need as many mentors as possible!”

What are the pillars of mentorship?
Dr. Allotey: There is a big component of empathy that may be the foundation of a good mentoring relationship. This is one of the things that shocked me most about you. Because I think, from the surface, it was not obvious that you would be able to empathize with my life experiences. You’re not a black woman, you’re not an immigrant. The things that made my journey very difficult up to the point you just hadn’t experienced. I was always pleasantly surprised that you still felt my burden enough to empathize.

Perhaps the second one is a certain sense of generosity. It really takes a spirit of generosity to become a good mentor.

The other third pillar for me would be knowledge. A strong knowledge base about what we’re talking about. I would say those are my top three pillars. Empathy, generosity, and knowledge.

What advice would you offer to prospective mentors and mentees?
Dr. Allotey: The first thing is, come as you are. The second is checking in. I really value checking in and following up on previous conversations. Another key element to the success of a mentoring relationship, from the perspective of a mentee, is that you have to be generously vulnerable.

Dr. Cole: What a beautiful concept, being generously vulnerable! You are absolutely correct. This experience would not have been helpful to you if you weren’t honest with me about your strengths but also with me about what you were struggling with. That’s really hard to do.

What has been the most rewarding part about being a mentor?
Dr. Cole: I have gotten the most enjoyment out of the mentoring experience helping individuals through moments of “failure.”

For me in these situations, I have felt the most overwhelmed, the most engulfed by self-doubt, wondering if I had what it takes to get through. We are traditionally not supposed to talk about failure in medicine. Yet, so often, it is actually these experiences that success is built upon. It is invaluable to have someone there to remind you of this.

Dr. Allotey: For me, mentorship renews my sense of why. Mentees offer inspiration, even if they don’t realize that they’re doing it. Dr. Cole: You have absolutely inspired me. Many times I have thought to myself, if Jonathan can be vulnerable, self-reflective, and seek out the guidance of other people, maybe I should be doing that too. Because, of course, we all have opportunities to grow personally. Whether you are mentoring or being mentored, these experiences are relevant for any stage of one’s professional career.

What are the barriers to mentorship?
Dr. Cole: I think people don’t know how to start. We might not feel we are worthy of these relationships, and we aren’t often given the social norms to have these experiences incorporated into our professional careers.
Dr. Allotey: Initially for me, I did not know very many people who had done professional work in healthcare. And I didn’t really even know how to find those people.

Another barrier is just learning how to ask for help. Acknowledging when you need help because a lot of times when you need help, it kind of takes you by surprise. And while these steps are essential to being open to professional growth, they are emotionally very difficult. It is a hard sell to ask a healthcare professional to be vulnerable or meet a colleague or a peer in a vulnerable place.

Dr. Cole: I think what we are talking about represents a culture shift. You yourself are a mentor for others, teaching with kindness and wholeheartedness. The culture shift happens through this, stepping up to the plate and being vulnerable. These conversations, including with the people that you now serve as a mentor to, continue the momentum to change this profession for the better.

For more information on Frontier’s Courier Program Public Health Internship Program, click here.

A Century of Stories: Patricia “Patsy” Lawrence

February 3, 2025 By Frontier Nursing University

When Patricia “Patsy” Lawrence joined Frontier’s Courier program in 1946, little did she know it would be the start of a life-long relationship with Frontier. Her Courier experience was so impactful that, according to Patsy, her father said she “went away for six weeks and matured six years.”

Patsy has been an instrumental figure in the Frontier Nursing Service and Frontier Nursing University through her efforts to share the mission and work of Frontier with colleagues and friends in Philadelphia and Boston. Patsy served as Chair of the Boston Committee for many years and is still actively involved with the Boston Committee events. The Boston Committee is made up of many Frontier alumni, former Couriers, and their friends who are passionate in their efforts to raise funds and awareness about Frontier. As part of her work leading the Boston Committee, Patsy also organized annual Boston events to bring together Frontier supporters and invite new supporters to join the work.

In 2015, she hosted a showing of “Forgotten Frontier,” and in 2024, she hosted a viewing of “Nurse-Midwives: Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis.” Through these events, Patsy shared her Frontier story and encouraged others to join her in support of the university.

Patsy and her husband Robert (Bob) committed $25,000 to establish the Patricia Perrin Lawrence Endowed Scholarship in support of FNU students. The first scholarship was awarded during the 2015 Commencement ceremony. That same year, FNU presented Patsy with the Courier Program Unbridled Spirit Award, which is given annually to a former Courier who has perpetuated the mission and spirit of Frontier in their own lives. The criteria for this award include dedication to serving others; ongoing, longstanding stewardship of Frontier; and demonstration of personal conviction, courage, and a zest for adventure.

Then, just two years later, Bob and Patsy made another donation after Frontier’s purchase of the Versailles property was finalized in October 2017. Their donation funded the construction of the Labor and Delivery Room (LDR) Birthing Simulation Room in the Academic Center on Frontier’s new campus.

In 2023, Patsy donated $50,000 to support the university, noting that she is very impressed with FNU and its students. FNU personnel visit Patsy and her daughter Fran in Boston every year to thank them for their support and to keep them up to date on the university’s latest happenings. The support Patsy and Robert have given to Frontier has played a significant role in helping the university continue to grow and evolve in service to its students and mission.

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Graduate Spotlight: Melody Mast, CNM, WHNP, shifts focus to women’s health as co-owner of Virginia clinic

February 3, 2025 By Frontier Nursing University

At the heart of Frontier Nursing University is a talented 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 health care to underserved and rural populations.

After 15 years of clinical experience in a full-scope midwifery practice, FNU graduate Melody Mast, CNM, WHNP, has recently shifted her focus to women’s general health. And in this new chapter, she is partnering with a fellow FNU graduate.

Mast is now the co-owner of Plena Integrative Health Center (IHC) in Harrisonburg, Virginia, a clinic established by FNU graduate Tammie McDonald-Brouwer in 2023. McDonald-Brouwer shares not only her FNU alma mater but also a degree from Eastern Mennonite University.

Plena IHC provides comprehensive care for various health issues, including acute respiratory infections, mental health disorders, thyroid problems, weight-loss, hypertension, and early onset diabetes. The clinic’s gynecological services include pap smears, contraceptive counseling, treatment for urinary and vaginal issues, and management of menopause symptoms.

Annual physical exams and thorough lab work are central to the clinic’s preventive care strategy. Additional services include chiropractic care, massage therapy, and counseling. The clinic emphasizes individualized and holistic healthcare plans, incorporating herbal medicine, lifestyle changes, prescription medications, and medical therapies.

“Harrisonburg has experienced a lot of turnover in not only OB providers but also primary care providers,” Mast said. “The goal of this practice is to provide access to primary and gynecological services with a more integrated approach.”

Recently, Plena IHC was named one of the Best Obstetrics/Gynecology Practices in the area by the Daily News-Record in Harrisonburg.

“We are providing a compassionate and comprehensive care setting with personalized care,” Mast said.

At Plena IHC, Mast is dedicated to tailoring healthcare plans to individual needs and priorities. Her extensive experience as a Nurse-Midwife and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner contribute to her success, along with other skills, such as her fluency in Spanish. Throughout her career, she has focused on herbal and complementary medicine, mental health throughout the lifespan, and peri and post menopausal care.

“I believe in a holistic and patient-centered approach, with open communication and trust,” Mast said.

Mast graduated from FNU in 2007, earning her MSN – Nurse-Midwifery and Post-Graduate Certificate – Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner. She said she chose FNU because of the university’s emphasis on meeting the needs of students’ local communities, as well as its grassroots history of midwifery.

“I became both a nurse-midwife and a women’s health nurse practitioner because I wanted to care for people throughout the lifespan, not only during pregnancy and postpartum,” she said.

Thank you, Melody, for your extensive work caring for women in your community and for helping ensure FNU’s network of graduates continues to make a difference in healthcare.

To read more alumni stories, visit the FNU Alumni stories page.

A Century of Stories: Dr. Susan Stone

January 30, 2025 By Frontier Nursing University

Dr. Susan Stone served as President of Frontier Nursing University from 2001-2024. During her tenure, Dr. Stone led the campus move from Hyden to Versailles, Kentucky. She championed prioritizing increasing enrollment and diversifying the student body to produce graduates prepared to address healthcare disparities nationwide. Under her leadership, FNU’s enrollment grew from 200 to more than 2,500. Enrollment of students of color grew from 9% in 2010 to 30% in 2024.

Throughout FNU’s growth and innovation, Dr. Stone kept the university on a path of commitment to the mission of educating advanced practice nurses and midwives to serve in rural and underserved areas. Today, more than 10,000 FNU graduates practice in every state in the U.S. and several foreign countries.

“I’m most proud that we took this little, tiny school that was offering certificates and became an accredited university that are offering master’s degrees and doctoral degrees that we’ve been able to add programs as they were needed,” Dr. Stone said. “Here we are with a broad scope of practice and practitioners that can really provide the care, the caring that nurses do as well as highly-skilled healthcare to these rural and underserved families all across the nation. With over 10,000 graduates out there just from the distance learning program, we are really making an impact. That, I would have to say, is what I’m most proud of our accomplishments.

While practicing as a certified nurse-midwife at Bassett HealthCare, Dr. Stone continued her affiliation with Frontier, serving as course faculty; regional clinical coordinator; assistant clinical director; program director of the community-based nurse-midwifery education program; and dean. In 2001, Dr. Stone became president of FNU, serving as both the president and dean before relinquishing the dean duties in 2014 to focus solely on her role as president and as a leader throughout the healthcare community.

Dr. Stone was inducted into the National Academy of Medicine Class of 2018 and was president of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) from 2019-2020. She is a Fellow at both ACNM and the American Academy of Nursing. She received ACNM’s Kitty Ernst Award in 1999, recognizing “innovative, creative endeavors in midwifery practice and women’s health care.” Other honors include the 2011 American Public Health Association’s prestigious Felicia Stewart Advocacy Award, which recognizes individuals who have demonstrated a strong commitment to advocacy for reproductive health and rights.

Dr. Stone’s accomplishments and reputation as a leader and advocate have made her a frequently invited speaker at national conferences. Among her many engagements, she has presented at such prestigious events as Beyond Flexner (2018, Atlanta); the American College of Nurse-Midwives annual meeting (2017, Chicago, Ill.); the International Midwifery Conference in Education in Research (2012, Nottingham, England); and the International Confederation of Midwives 28th Triennial Congress (2008, Glasgow, Scotland).

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