Search Results for: courier

Courier Program Featured in The Bridge Magazine

December 16, 2019 By frontieredu

From the very beginning, Frontier Nursing University (FNU) has been committed to serving rural and underserved populations. In 1928, FNU founder Mary Breckinridge established the Courier Program as a way of recruiting young volunteers to serve in Eastern Kentucky. Young people were originally recruited to assist nurse-midwives with everyday tasks, such as accompanying the midwives to home births or grooming and taking care of the horses which were essential for transport.

The Courier Program has evolved into an eight-week summer program for college students. Couriers are immersed in the culture of a rural Appalachian community. They spend the summer shadowing healthcare professionals, leading projects and discovering the unique challenges these communities face.

The Bridge Magazine, a publication of the Kentucky Office of Rural Health, recently published a wonderful story featuring FNU’s Courier Program. In Training the Next Generation of Rural Health Care Providers, writer Robin Roenker tells the stories of students, clinicians, and community members who have been positively impacted by the program.

Couriers exit the program freed from the stereotypes of Appalachia they previously had. Molly Craig, a 2018 Courier, said, “I think there’s a lot of stigma about people residing in rural Appalachia. And through the Courier Program, I learned that rural people really shouldn’t be stigmatized, because that oversimplifies and overshadows their realities.”

Not only are the students transformed through their time in the Courier program, but so are the communities they serve. “Many of the Couriers come to us new to Kentucky and new to the Appalachian culture, but by the time they leave, they’re like family to the people here,” said Ellen Napier, CEO of a clinic for homeless and at-risk citizens.

Applications for the 2020 Courier Program are now being accepted! Applicants must meet the following criteria:

Completed at least two years of higher education
Be enrolled in undergraduate-level courses
Be between the ages of 20 to 25
Have a passion for service and learning about rural health care

Students from all majors are encouraged to apply, and no formal medical training is required. Learn more at Frontier.edu/CourierProgram or apply now!

FNU is Now Accepting Applications for the 2016 Courier Internship Program

January 20, 2016 By frontieredu

Frontier Nursing University is currently accepting applications for the 2016 Courier Internship Program which will run from June 5-July 31, 2016. Visit http://www.frontier.edu/courier for details and to apply.

Eligible applicants should be interested in learning about public health, health care, social work and related fields; share a commitment to Frontier’s mission of serving the rural and underserved; and be ready for an adventure! Formal training or an educational background in healthcare is notrequired.

Frontier Couriers Began Serving in 1928

Couriers are an integral part of Frontier’s history. Mary Breckinridge, founder of Frontier Nursing University, established the Courier Program in 1928 to recruit young people to work in the Kentucky Mountains and learn about service to humanity. Couriers escorted guests safely through remote terrain, delivered medical supplies to remote outpost clinics, and helped nurse-midwives during home visits and births. Frontier has benefited tremendously from the 1,500 Couriers who have served since 1928.

Today’s Couriers Embody the Same Spirit

FNU’s Courier Program is a service learning internship focused on serving rural and underserved communities, distinguished by its legacy and the adventuresome nature of our site placements. Couriers provide critical assistance to rural health clinics and birth centers in Appalachia, as well as outpost locations across the country.

While responsibilities vary by site, all Couriers will:

Complete a Community Health Profile, paying particular attention to health equity issues;
Shadow clinicians in their work with patients;
Perform volunteer duties to meet critical clinical needs; and
Engage directly with the community through secondary project(s).

Courier Program Goals

To introduce Couriers to the value of public health, advanced practice nursing, and primary healthcare services to people living in rural and underserved communities;
To support clinical and other community sites by meeting critical needs that would otherwise go unmet;
To foster cultural humility through Courier engagement with diverse communities and fellow Couriers; and
To facilitate Couriers’ experience of FNU’s mission in action and encourage them to embody the Frontier legacy in their later vocations and personal lives.

Important Dates

Applications and reference letters are due by February 12, 2016.
The Courier Program will run from June 5 to July 31, 2016.

Contact Information

APPLICATION FEE: Applicants should contact Robin Smith at 859-899-2503 to pay the $50 application fee by February 12.
REFERENCE LETTERS: References should email letters to CourierApplicants@frontier.edu with the applicant’s name in the subject line.
LEARN MORE ONLINE: Do you or someone you know embody the legacy of a Courier? Visit http://www.frontier.edu/courier for details.

Courier Spotlight: Jill Davenport

October 16, 2017 By frontieredu

Jill Davenport served as a Courier for Frontier Nursing Service (FNS) from 1966 through 1967 in order to gain a sense of direction for her life. When Jill and her best friend, who both lived in Louisville, Ky., at the time, heard of FNS by word of mouth, the two jumped at the opportunity to ride horses and help people in the mountains.

According to Jill, she felt like a “lost soul” at school, unsure of the path she would take with her life. Her hope was that a stint in the Courier Program would be a time to figure out her next steps in life while being of service to the Appalachian community.

Jill excelled in the Courier Program, learning several different tasks aside from nursing. She was skilled at driving, very cheerful, and willing to help with whatever was needed. She routinely took care of the farm animals, made tea, and drove the FNS jeeps to pick up patients. Occasionally, Jill found herself in odd situations, like changing a flat tire in the middle of a road or chasing a loose pig.

Once, Jill had the opportunity to observe a birth at the hospital.

The woman in labor had not been given anything for her pain and was having a natural delivery.

“It was the most amazing thing I ever saw,” said Jill. “It was so amazing that I fainted right there in the delivery room!”

For the majority of her time as a Courier, Jill was assigned to assist a nurse-midwife from Texas named Anna May January. Anna was working on a breast cancer survey for the American Red Cross, which required reaching out to women who had multiple deliveries and breastfed most of their babies. Jill and Anna spent two months traveling to women’s homes and learning about their pregnancies, children and how long the children were nursed. The women welcomed Jill and Anna into their homes, many even offering them a bed to stay overnight.

Mary Breckinridge passed away about a year before Jill served as a Courier. Although she never met Breckinridge, Jill recalls that her reputation and spirit lived on through Frontier.

“Everybody loved the nurses: the moonshiners, the coal miners, the children, and the grandmothers. If you had FNS on your jeep or shirt, it was like an instant entry into a world that would have been otherwise closed,” said Jill.

Jill feels honored to have served with Frontier Nursing Service. She describes her time as a Courier as an eye-opening experience in which she gained a deep appreciation for the Appalachian region and its people.

“It was a time for which I will always be grateful,” said Jill.

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 who are focused on the mission of educating nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to deliver quality health care to underserved and rural populations.

In 1928, Mary Breckinridge, founder of Frontier Nursing University established the Courier Program, recruiting young people to work in the Kentucky Mountains and learn about service to humanity. Couriers escorted guests safely through remote terrain, delivered medical supplies to remote outpost clinics, and helped nurse-midwives during home visits and births. Frontier has benefited tremendously from the 1,600 Couriers who have served since 1928.

Courier Spotlight: Chris Tamis

March 26, 2019 By frontieredu

Chris Tamis served as a Courier for Frontier Nursing Service (FNS) in 1991. After diving into the rich history of FNS, Chris was excited to be a part of Mary Breckinridge’s legacy of providing assistance in rural healthcare organizations. He signed up for home health and teamed up with a local home health aid for their daily rounds.

Chris and the aid drove around Appalachia, visiting patients, delivering medications and food and providing health services. Chris volunteered the rest of his time at the Hyden Clinic, where he assisted the clinic and its physicians in non-medical tasks that helped facilitate daily practices.

One of Chris’s favorite parts of the Courier program was getting to know the people of Appalachia. According to Chris, the Courier program helped open his eyes to places outside of the metropolitan area he was used to.

“In New York, I walk down 52nd street to get lunch, and there are doctors offices everywhere. In rural Appalachia, that is not the case. Seeing this difference made an impact on me,” said Chris.

Chris now serves the New York community with his church as well as at the New York Common Pantry.

From wearing the classic uniform of a polo and khaki pants, to serving in rural healthcare organizations, Chris says he enjoyed everything about his time as a Courier. He now considers himself an advocate for Eastern Kentucky and the Appalachian people. Chris urges anyone interested in healthcare to consider becoming a Courier with FNU, especially those from urban areas.

Chris would also like to thank the Courier Program Coordinator in 1991, Cari Michaels, for running an organized, fun, and efficient program.

We also thank you, Chris, for your service to Appalachia!

In 1928, Mary Breckinridge, founder of Frontier Nursing University established the Courier Program, recruiting young people to come work in the Kentucky Mountains and learn about service to humanity. Couriers escorted guests safely through remote terrain, delivered medical supplies to remote outpost clinics, and helped nurse-midwives during home visits and births. Frontier has benefited tremendously from the 1,600 Couriers who have served since 1928.

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 health care to underserved and rural populations.

Courier Spotlight: Kathy Dalton

August 10, 2017 By frontieredu

Kathy Dalton, from Lexington, Ky., grew up hearing her mother’s stories about Eastern Kentucky. While her mother was also from Lexington, her grandfather traveled frequently as a mining engineer for coal mines in Eastern Kentucky, making Kathy curious about the area. When her parents found the Courier Program at Frontier Nursing Service (FNS), now Frontier Nursing University (FNU), she decided to take the opportunity.

The summer after her junior year in college, Kathy was with FNS for eight weeks. She remembers sitting in Anna May January’s room in the evenings and hearing about her experiences. Anna May advised Kathy to meet local people during her free time when she was assigned to an outpost clinic. Kathy took her advice to heart, and when she was assigned to Flat Creek, she focused on meeting as many people as she could.

At Wendover, Kathy took care of horses and pigs at the Upper Shelf. On the weekends, she would go with the Couriers to a swimming hole at Hurricane Creek. When patients at FNU didn’t have transportation after they were discharged, Kathy would drive them to their homes in Thousandsticks. Some of her best memories from that time are fixing tea for the midwives at the Big House, the cooks who prepared the food in the kitchen, and daily tea and sherry hour at 4 and 5 p.m.

Serving as a Courier lit a fire in Kathy – it was exactly what she wanted to do. Her time at Frontier made her more aware of poverty and its effects, and deepened her commitment to service in her church and community throughout her life. The Courier Program serves a valuable purpose in helping not only defray the costs of healthcare, but it also gives the Couriers insight into what’s important in life. Young people in the Courier Program can be inspired to serve in their own communities after they return home, as Kathy was.

Since serving as a Courier, Kathy has remained supportive of Frontier. In April 2014, she hosted a tea party to help release Unbridled Service, Frontier’s historical book about the Courier Program. The tea service was done in the traditional English style in honor of the Breckinridge-style tea service she learned at FNS.

Kathy remains involved with the University because she sees that the mission of FNU today matches Mary Breckinridge’s original mission. FNU continues to serve a need, and Kathy is proud to be a part of something that has stayed the course over time. She is also interested in how Frontier’s mission can be met from a distance through technological advances. This success is an example of the best technology has to offer, and Kathy is delighted to be a part of a vital project that is serving the world.

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 health care to underserved and rural populations.

Meet the 2018 Couriers

August 13, 2018 By frontieredu

2018 Couriers (top to bottom): Dania Cervantes Ayala, Molly Craig, James Rasmussen

Three Couriers have just completed Frontier Nursing University’s (FNU) Courier Program from June 10 – August 11, 2018. Coming from as far as California, the Couriers served at clinics and were immersed in the culture of rural, underserved Appalachia during the two-month program.

Read more about each of the Couriers who answered the call to serve in these communities:

Dania Cervantes Ayala

Dania Cervantes Ayala is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from College of Saint Mary in Omaha, Neb. with an expected graduation date of May 2019. Already with a Spanish minor and a Medical Interpreting Certificate from College of Saint Mary, Dania is the first in her family to graduate from high school and pursue higher education.

She was introduced to FNU’s Courier Program through her Nursing Public-Health Rotation, where she found a draw to underserved communities. Dania is passionate about public health, women’s health and pediatric health. After obtaining her RN, BSN, she plans to apply to a DNP program in order to become a Pediatric Primary and Acute Care Nurse Practitioner.

Dania’s role as a Courier included serving at the Hometown Clinic and Bluegrass Care Navigators. Throughout the summer, Dania implemented a drive for hygiene products, school supplies and food in Leslie County. The drive helped fill the gap and provide supplies to lower-middle class working families who need a little extra assistance.

Molly Craig

Molly Craig is studying biology and psychology at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. She was born in Mansfield, Pa. and attended Notre Dame High School in Elmira, N.Y. She is part of the swimming and diving team at Williams, and competed for Division III nationals in her freshman season. Additionally, she is a member of the Lehman Service club that conducts community outreach projects throughout the school year.

Molly plans to graduate pre-medical with a concentration in public health. When she is not swimming, Molly enjoys hiking, going to concerts, playing with her dog, and going on adventures with her friends.

As a Courier, Molly served at Kentucky Mountain Health Little Flower Clinic and volunteered with a summer youth program. With the program, Molly was able to use her swimming and lifeguarding skills while mentoring local kids.

James Rasmussen

James Rasmussen is a senior at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., where he studies chemistry. Originally from California, he will graduate pre-medical at Williams and continue his studies in hopes of becoming a doctor. In his free time, James enjoys making music playlists and journaling.

James split time as a Courier between ARH Mary Breckinridge Hospital, Red Bird Mission and Clinic and the Well Coffee Shop. His roles included observing a week-old baby receive its check-up, designing a flyer for the Red Bird Health Fair, making phone calls to schedule appointments for hearing aids, and making specialty coffee drinks.

For his independent project, James met with Carol Graham Joseph, mayor of Hyden, Ky. and Joel Brashear of the Hyden Citizens Bank to organize and complete a mural for the town.

Summer is always an exciting time when the Couriers are at Wendover. Though they impacted communities here, this year’s Couriers will have many more opportunities to answer the call to service as each returns to their home colleges. Join us in thanking Dania, Molly and James for their outstanding efforts as Couriers this summer. Welcome to the FNU Courier family!

Students of all majors and backgrounds are encouraged to apply for the Courier program – no formal medical education required. Apply today!

Frontier Nursing University Awards Courier Program Unbridled Spirit Award to Nancy Reinhart

February 14, 2022 By frontieredu

Frontier Nursing University (FNU), located in Versailles, Ky., recently announced its annual award recipients. These awards are presented to FNU alumni who have gone on to make significant contributions to their communities or to the university. Among those honored was Nancy Reinhart, MPH, CNM, who is a certified nurse-midwife in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Reinhart was awarded FNU’s Courier Program Unbridled Spirit Award. This award 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 a dedication to serving others; ongoing, longstanding stewardship of FNU; and demonstration of personal conviction, courage, and a zest for adventure. The Courier program is an eight-week rural and public health-service learning program that targets college students with an interest in public health, healthcare, or a related field.

“We are so proud of our Courier program and of the many students who have spent their summers in this immersive experience to learn about rural health,” said FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, CNM, DNSc, FAAN, FACNM. “Nancy Reinhart is not only the past director of this program but also has gone on to embody the spirit of the program through her ongoing work in her community.”

Reinhart’s relationship with FNU began before she ever became a student. Between her junior and senior years of college, she participated in Frontier’s Courier program.

“My family has always been committed to helping people and giving service,” she said. “But the rural healthcare piece was inspired by my experience in the Courier program. I saw my first birth and it made a tremendous impact on me. I actually chose my master’s program because of that history.”

After her Courier experience, Reinhart earned a master’s degree in public health and began a job in social justice. Soon thereafter she was contacted by FNU and offered the opportunity to run the Courier program. She became interested in midwifery and began taking classes at FNU while running the Courier program. After graduating, Reinhart joined WellSpan OB/GYN in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as a full-scope nurse-midwife in July 2020. The practice, which consists of four nurse-midwives and four physicians, is the only one in the area that offers 24/7 nurse-midwifery care.

Because of her commitment to the university, the Courier program, and nurse-midwifery, FNU proudly honors Nancy Reinhart as the recipient of the 2021 Courier Program Unbridled Spirit Award.

2017 Alumni Homecoming and Courier Conclave Weekend

October 26, 2017 By frontieredu

By: Angela Bailey, Associate Director of Development & Alumni Relations

Jill Alliman, left, and Patty Kandiko, right.

On September 22, alumni, family and friends gathered at the Big House in Wendover, Ky., to celebrate the annual Frontier Nursing University Homecoming. The weekend featured many special moments including a district tour, formal tea, and a cookout with live bluegrass music under the stars! As always the highlight of Homecoming weekend is the Awards Ceremony held in the Big House living room where Mary Breckinridge looks on from her portrait over the many men and women who work daily to continue her vision.

2017 Award Winners:

Distinguished Service to Society – Jill Alliman

Distinguished Service to Alma Mater – Patty Kandiko

Courier Unbridled Service Award – Cherry Forbes Wunderlich

Mary Breckinridge Lifetime Service Award – Thompson Charitable Foundation

The Mary Breckinridge Lifetime Service Award recognizes an individual or organization providing longstanding support and commitment to the mission and work of Frontier Nursing Service and Frontier Nursing University. We are exceptionally proud to present this year’s award to the Thompson Charitable Foundation. Founded in 1987, the Foundation was established with the primary focus of funding projects related to education, health, and human services. This includes funding for capital and building improvements for human service organizations and educational institutions along, with funding for youth and Christian organizations.

We hope that you will join us for Homecoming next year! Look for details coming soon!

View photos of our 2017 Homecoming celebration here.

The annual Homecoming activities included a formal tea.