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Alumni Spotlight: Charles Davis Leads Initiative to Open In-School Health Clinic

January 20, 2021 By Frontier Nursing University

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

It’s easy to forget what life was like before the COVID-19 Pandemic, but it was just in the spring of 2019 that Charles Davis, Ph.D., MSN, FNP-C, AE-C, Class 154 came up with an idea to help the students in the Webutuck Central School District in Amenia, New York. Employed as a nurse by the school district, Davis took action to bring an in-school based health clinic into the district.

“My district is a rural community in Dutchess County, New York,” Davis said. “Greater than 60% met a metric that classifies them as economically disadvantaged. Many also fit the category of being medically underserved and underinsured. Thus, these students face many barriers to getting their healthcare needs addressed including access to providers, transportation, and the ability of parents and guardians to take off work to have initial or follow-up appointments. Even parents/guardians that work as professionals and that have an easier time flex-timing from work still have challenges because the rural nature of our community means their jobs are often some distance away.”

Davis approached the district superintendent with his idea, arguing that a school-based health center breaks down those barriers. Furthermore, under New York State’s school-based health centers’ operation model, all services are delivered to the recipient without cost. He presented evidence demonstrating that students with access to school-based health centers not only have better overall physical and mental health but also improved educational outcomes, reduced chronic absenteeism and risky behaviors, improved management of chronic diseases, and a better-developed foundation for a successful transition to adulthood.

“Where better to provide comprehensive continuous primary and preventative care, acute care, chronic illness care, and referral management than the place where the students spend the majority of their waking hours?” Davis theorized.

With the approval of the district’s leadership and board of education, Davis moved forward to the task of complying with state regulations requiring in-school health centers to have a viable and qualified healthcare facility collaborator. By the end of the 2019-20 school year, he had found the necessary partner in the Open Door Family Medical Centers in Ossining, New York. Open Door was an ideal choice because it is a federally qualified health center with experience operating school-based health centers in other parts of the state.

With the required partner secured, the school board agreed, and the process of securing funding ensued. On May 4, 2020, the Foundation for Community Health in Sharon, Connecticut awarded the Webutuck school district a $100,000 grant to proceed with the in-school clinic. This funding was combined with $50,000 from New York State, resulting in the necessary dollars that will allow construction and remodeling of the health center’s space to occur, and a target opening of the beginning of the 2020-21 school year was projected.

Currently, the opening of the clinic is being delayed by the pandemic to at least the

beginning of the 2021-22 school year. Davis, however, continues to advocate for student healthcare throughout the state, recently collaborating with Webutuck Central School District Director of Curriculum and Development Jennifer Eraca to present to the New York State School Board Association on the value of school-based health centers.

“I wouldn’t be doing this without FNU, its faculty — especially Dr. Lisa Chappell and the

educators associated with the Family Nursing Practitioner Program, staff, and the vision and spirit of Mrs. Mary Breckinridge,” said Davis, who grew up in Coeburn, a small town in southwest Virginia, not far from FNU’s original Hyden campus. “Mrs. Breckinridge’s legacy and spirit are strong.”

Thank you, Charles, for all of the hard work and dedication you have to ensure that rural New York school children receive this vital access to care!

Are you interested in learning more about the great work of FNU alumni members? Visit the FNU Alumni blog!

Alumni Spotlight: Hélène A. Nau: Providing Care to Those Who Need it Most.

December 10, 2020 By Frontier Nursing University

Dr. Hélène Nau, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, graduated with her doctor of nursing practice (DNP) from Frontier Nursing University (FNU) in March of this year. Originally from Haiti, Nau built and ran the only emergency room in her home country and was the only trained emergency provider on the island when the devastating earthquake hit in January of 2010.

When the earthquake occurred, Nau was already an emergency RN, first responder, and medical reserve corps for Broward County and Miami-Dade. She is also advanced trauma, acute care and basic life support certified and has served in many critical environments and natural disaster-affected communities.

Following the earthquake recovery process, Nau moved to the United States to further her medical education. She earned her bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) Magna Cum Laude from Chamberlain College of Nursing in 2015, then pursued her master of science in nursing (MSN) with a concentration in family medicine at Chamberlain University and graduated in 2017 with distinction.

Nau said she chose to become a family nurse practitioner (FNP) so that she could better provide a broad spectrum of care to those in need.

“I didn’t want to find myself limited to one population,” Nau said. “I wanted to be able to serve families, geriatric, women and pediatric, to provide as much care as possible. I believe in hands-on holistic care and enjoy the possibility of treating whole families.”

Nau first heard about Frontier while doing online research to find the best DNP program for her lifestyle. She chose FNU for the low tuition, flexibility and time frame offered for completing the DNP program. Although, once she enrolled, Nau found her favorite part of the program to be the Frontier Bound and Clinical Bound sessions. Nau loved connecting and building community with fellow students.

“I am incredibly thankful for all of the close friends I made through the FNU Bound sessions, and for the support I received from the wonderful faculty throughout my journey,” Nau said.

Nau completed her DNP at FNU with a 4.0 GPA.

In 2014 and 2015, Nau was the Volunteer of the Year Award recipient in Broward County. Additionally, this year she received the Pearl Of Nursing Award from Pearls of Life Women Foundation. She also is a Board Member for CapraCare, a non-profit organization dedicated to developing sustainable health programs for Haitian children and their families.

Because of her background working with those dealing with devastation, Nau’s focus is to deliver care to individuals and families who might otherwise go without access due to their immigration or financial status. For this reason, Nau opened her practice, HEALTH360, a direct primary care facility in Pembroke Pines, Fla. Her practice was created with the mission to deliver affordable and accessible quality care to those in her community. Through the direct primary care model, Nau can treat those without insurance or with high deductible plans more personally, with an obtainable cost for the patient.

Celebrating Dr. Nau’s 50th birthday at Neurofit360

In her spare time, Nau volunteers at NeuroFit360, a neurological recovery facility dedicated to spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries, where she dons multiple hats. She is in charge of human resources, health maintenance monitoring, X-ray and MRI reading. She also administers IV therapy at NeuroFit360 to neurologically injured clients and high-performance athletes.

Nau is also an outspoken cancer fighter who promotes early detection. Her DNP project was titled Implementation of Screening and Effective Care for Cancer Prevention at GetMed Urgent Care and worked to implement cancer screenings at an urgent care center that had not previously offered this service. Her results showed how easy and vital adding these types of programs to new environments can be.

To round off her many accomplishments, Nau is also a member of the Emergency Nurses Association, Haitian-American Nurses Association, Black Nurse Practitioners of Palm Beach County, AANP and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society.

Although she is a board-certified family practitioner, runs her own practice and has won multiple awards, Nau likes to say that the most important people in her life just call her “Mom”.

Thank you, Hélène, for all you do to provide quality care to those in need. FNU is proud to have you as a part of our community!

To find out more about other compassionate and driven FNU alumni, visit the alumni news page.

Alumni Spotlight: DNP Graduate Dr. Rhoda Ojwang Makes Worldwide Impact Through Non-Profit

August 24, 2020 By frontieredu

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) alumna Dr. Rhoda A. Ojwang, DNP, FNP-C, Class 17, is leading an organization with an ambitious mission: “To make healthcare accessible among the underserved in Kenya, across Africa, and eventually globally.”

Dr. Ojwang, who lives in San Diego, California, works with Advanced Pain Associates, an interventional pain management practice in Imperial Valley treating and managing acute and chronic pains. She also serves as the president and founder of Healthcare Access International Group (HAIG), a 501c3 non-profit organization incorporated in San Diego in 2018 dedicated to making healthcare accessible worldwide. HAIG’s mission is made possible through short-term medical mission trips to underserved areas.

“I decided to start HAIG because I am originally from Kenya,” Ojwang said. “Growing up I was privileged to be brought up in a family where I went to the best schools and received top quality health care services when I was ill. Throughout my nursing career here in the United States, I constantly thought of ways to give back to my own people, particularly those who were not as privileged as I was. I had a burning desire to make healthcare accessible to those in need. Lack of access to healthcare and the increasing rate of poverty is a growing global public health problem. Although the same is true for developed nations, the developing nations are in dire need of basic healthcare.”

HAIG strives to connect people with sustainable healthcare systems to help individuals manage their diseases and stay connected with their health care providers. Ojwang says that HAIG is focusing on Kenya currently, and plans to spread its wings into some other underserved areas of Africa, and other parts of the world in the very near future.

Ojwang was inspired by her father, who is an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist in Kenya. He also organizes free medical clinics to help the community’s underserved population.

“My passion for serving the underserved came to fruition in April 2016 when I joined a group of health care professionals that went to deliver free medical care to an underserved area in Kenya,” Ojwang said. “This was my first medical mission trip. During this trip, I experienced an epiphany as to how much need there was among this community in terms of access and affordability of basic healthcare.”

Dr. Ojwang began her nursing career at Southwest Tennessee Community College, where she received her Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) in 2007. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at Chamberlain College of Nursing in 2010 and a Masters in Nursing (MSN) as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) at Azusa Pacific University in 2013. Soon thereafter, she enrolled at FNU, obtaining her Doctor of Nursing Practice.

“I am a proud FNU alumnus and Wide Neighborhood Ambassador. The DNP role prepares the graduate for the leadership role in the clinical setting, education, and the executive level. Pertaining to HAIG, I believe my leadership skills have been amplified with the attainment of the DNP degree.”

HAIG’s work is 100 percent dependent on donations. All financial donations received go towards the purchase of medications and supplies. Currently, HAIG has three board members and 12 organizing team members.

“We are all volunteers who share the same vision in making healthcare accessible to the underserved areas. Running a non-profit organization is not an easy task. You have to ensure the people you are working with share the same vision as the organization does.”

In 2019, HAIG served the underprivileged community in Kitale, Kenya, during a five-day medical mission trip. Over 900 patients were served through free health screenings for cervical and breast cancer, diabetes, and hypertension, wound care, HIV testing and counseling, ENT, and vision screenings. Patients were referred for continuity of care, treatment initiation, medication management, and follow-up. This was made possible through a partnership with AMPATH Kenya, which is an academic medical partnership between North American Academic Health Centers led by Indiana University School of Medicine, and Moi University School of Medicine in Kenya. AMPATH’s mission is to make quality healthcare achievable and sustainable for all. The partnership between AMPATH and HAIG provides comprehensive and preventive care through a sustainable health system that reduces health disparities. HAIG’s 2020 medical mission trip that was scheduled for June 15-18 in Kisumu, Kenya was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “We are hopeful that 2021 will be a promising year to the people of Kisumu in need of HAIG’s medical services”

“HAIG is also very supportive of students and would be willing to take a few FNU students on its upcoming medical mission trips (post-COVID-19) to experience treatment and management of tropical diseases among other cases rarely seen in the United States. HAIG would like to establish this long-lasting partnership with FNU. Student participation in HAIG’s medical mission trips would count towards their clinical hours as the HAIG team has medical professionals who would offer preceptor-ship and sign for hours.”

Ojwang said that one of the primary areas of focus for HAIG is preventative medicine. She noted that cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in low and middle- income countries, due to inadequate access to screening and treatment.

“HAIG is at the forefront of increasing awareness about this killer disease through screening and vaccination. Global health focuses on improving people’s health worldwide, reducing inequalities, and protecting society from global threats such as preventable diseases that do not stop at the national borders.”

To learn more about HAIG, visit their website at www.haighealthcare.net.

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.

COVID-19 Front Lines: Michelle Cochran Serves Patients After Recovering from COVID

July 6, 2020 By Frontier Nursing University

The Frontier community is proud to have students and alumni serving on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are committed to sharing their stories in order to provide insight, hope, and encouragement. Thank you to all the health care workers who are risking their own well-being daily to serve our nation. Click here to read more stories of courage and dedication.

Everyone understands that working on the front lines of the COVID-19 Pandemic comes with inherent risk. Working as a nurse practitioner at Metro Immediate and Primary Care, which is part of the George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates, in Washington, D.C., Michelle Cochran, MSN, FNP, Class 71, experienced that risk first hand. When the pandemic hit, her clinic began providing assessment and testing for COVID-19 to help ease some of the demand on the hospital. Then, in April, she tested positive for the coronavirus.

“I started out thinking maybe I just had a cold,” Michelle said. “Initially I was sneezing and had nasal congestion, but by the evening I had a headache and felt a bit achy. That was five days after a known exposure, so I was tested the following day. My main symptoms were headaches and low-grade fever but I did develop secondary pneumonia at the end of week two. I would say it took three to four weeks to recover. I was retested negative at three-and-a-half weeks and returned to work after four weeks.”

While some might be understandably hesitant after such an experience, Michelle felt obligated to do more upon her return to work. She continues to take the proper precautions to prevent another infection, but she also intends to donate convalescent plasma and argues that she should be even more involved on the front lines.

“I feel I should take more of the testing shifts and potential exposure since I have the gift of antibodies,” she said.

Michelle has passed on the commitment to help others to her college-age son, who tested positive for COVID-19 in March. After recovering, he donated convalescent plasma at Johns Hopkins as part of a National Institutes of Health study and encouraged her to do the same after she recovered.

Michelle admits that the pandemic has brought more than a few moments of worry and doubt, but said she leaned on her experience at FNU as a reminder of her calling.

“When my clinic started to do COVID-19 testing in early March, I had a couple of days where I thought, ‘This isn’t what I signed up for as a primary care FNP,’” Michelle said. “But then I realized this is not what anyone signed up for, but it is what is needed in my community now. In that way, it is exactly what I signed up for as a community-based family nurse practitioner from FNU.”

When she’s not dealing with COVID-19, Michelle is part of a primary care practice that also features an adjacent urgent care clinic, where she also sees patients. Michelle moved to Washington, D.C., when she was four and it is where she continues to work, live, and raise her family. She says the racial disparity for COVID cases has been eye-opening.

“The racial disparity here in COVID severity is huge,” she said. “The percentage of patients testing positive for COVID who are Black is 46 percent, but the percentage of COVID deaths who are Black is 75 percent. The city has done an admirable job with testing availability and opening testing sites in wards of the city that do not have proximity to health care. But the fact that African American/Black people are dying from COVID complications in high numbers shows a disparity that we need to address at the root. Yes, the levels of hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia are high in this group in D.C., but why?”

“I believe we are seeing the physical effects of the stress of being Black in this country,” Michelle said. “It is not something that will be easy to address, but now is the time. It’s past time. It is a public health issue.”

From one healthcare crisis to the next, expect Michelle to be on the front lines, serving her community.

COVID-19 Front Lines: Julian Williams Answers the Call on FEMA Assignment

June 29, 2020 By Frontier Nursing University

The Frontier community is proud to have students and alumni serving on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are committed to sharing their stories in order to provide insight, hope and encouragement. Thank you to all the health care workers who are risking their own well-being daily to serve our nation. Click here to read more stories of courage and dedication.

Sometimes “answer the call” means literally answering the call. When the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) called this spring, Julian Williams, RN, CMSRN, FNP-C, Bridge 144, answered. Julian was already on a FEMA assignment at the Woodhull Medical Center of Brooklyn where he was working in the inpatient internal medicine department when the pandemic swept the country and FEMA contacted him for COVID-19 disaster response. He began working at Coler Rehabilitation and Nursing in New York City.

“I came into this position knowing the inherent risks associated with exposure to COVID-19,” Julian said. “I won’t lie and say that I did not have my reservations given my own risk factor — an underlying heart abnormality — but I knew that my training, clinical expertise, and my commitment to healthcare necessitated my need to respond and help my new community. FNU taught me to ‘Answer the Call’ whenever and wherever I am needed. This was no exception. It was my pleasure and duty to respond when called.”

Julian was born in Bridgeport, Conn., but spent most of his youth in North Carolina before moving to New York after college. When he’s not on contract with FEMA, Julian works at South Shore Family Medical Associates in Inwood, NY. There, his scope of practice is within the realm of family medicine. The practice provides preventative health maintenance, chronic disease management, acute illness management, as well as in-house services via specialists. Julian estimates that the typical outpatient volume is 25-plus visits per day.

“Prior to COVID-19, life was a bit simpler,” Julian said. “Besides treatment for the more common viral/bacterial illnesses, and/or chronic disease management, the healthcare burden was not as amplified as it has been recently. Things have certainly improved, but there is not a single day that COVID-19 is not a topic of discussion within our panel of providers. Prior to beginning my current assignment at the post-acute care facility, COVID swept through the facility like a whirlwind; there were some deaths, and we now appear to be on a decline of COVID positive patients. However, our daily discussions focus on COVID case tracking, quarantine protocols, and learning how to better synthesize laboratory data as it pertains to COVID infection and symptom/disease remission.”

In addition to wearing the appropriate PPE, Julian is swabbed twice per week for COVID-19 infection. He credits that diligence and his own personal health routines for helping him to stay healthy thus far.

“I think my judiciousness toward implementing the safety precautions has helped me remain healthy,” Julian said. “However, I still take my daily multivitamins, vitamin B12, Zinc, and Vitamin C for good measure. One cannot be too careful.”

Further precaution includes the FEMA mandate that the healthcare workers stay in a local hotel to reduce the risk of spreading the virus to the public. At Coler Rehabilitation and Nursing, Julian has been working in an inpatient setting as well as in post-acute care.

“FNU prepared me for COVID by equipping me with the clinical knowledge, confidence, and skills necessary to care for the acutely ill during this pandemic,” Julian said. “While I have seen my fair share of deaths due to COVID infection, I would say that my experience has been a bit different, especially in the post-acute care setting, as many of the patients have been COVID positive, but completely asymptomatic and otherwise healthy. I tell my patients that there is still much to learn about COVID-19, and as recommendations change, so will our approach to treatment; however, in the meantime we will continue to focus on tightly managing your chronic conditions, as well as provide evidence-based treatment to mitigate the effects of health decline secondary to COVID.”

While there are still more questions than answers regarding the pandemic, one thing remains clear. When the call for help comes, Julian will be there to answer it.

Alumni Spotlight: Nurse-Midwife Iniko Sallee Earning DNP To Educate

May 18, 2020 By Frontier Nursing University

Certified nurse-midwife (CNM) Iniko Sallee became a nurse-midwife to build deeper relationships with her patients, and now she is completing her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) to educate others following in her footsteps.

Iniko graduated from Frontier Nursing University (FNU) in 2018 with her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree (Class 148) with a specialty in nurse-midwifery. Prior to earning her MSN, she worked as a labor and delivery staff and charge nurse for 17 years.

“While I thoroughly enjoyed working with expectant moms and families as a nurse, I knew I wanted to develop deeper relationships with my patients before, during and after pregnancy,” said Iniko.

“I wanted to have more say in helping women and families formulate their birth preferences and assisting them in the reaching of their goals, and I wanted to catch babies.”

Iniko also has experience teaching, and she is currently enrolled in FNU’s DNP program to allow her to educate at a higher level.

“I have had the opportunity to educate through childbirth classes, as a nurse leader and as adjunct faculty for a nursing university. I have had wonderful teachers in my life who have assisted me through my education, and obtaining my DNP is a step toward educating practitioners in the future,” she said.

Her DNP studies have also paid off in her current role as a CNM at Baptist Health Lexington in Lexington, Ky.

“As a part of a quality improvement project for my DNP, I recently implemented a new process for educating, assessing and providing treatment and follow-up for perinatal depression and anxiety.”

FNU was an easy choice for Iniko due to its reputation, history and distance learning format. She said, “Frontier has a wonderful reputation and ranking in the nursing community. It has a rich history and great success rate in developing nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners. Being a part of a university and community birthed in Kentucky was a big draw for me, even while pursuing my degrees online worked best for me and my family.”

Iniko credits the FNU network with enhancing not only her studies but also her career. “Going from a nurse to a practitioner was a big step, and I have felt so supported through the transition. As a practicing nurse-midwife, I continue to network with current Frontier students, faculty and alumni.”

We are proud of Iniko for furthering her education not only to offer a deeper level of care to her patients, but also to pass her knowledge on by educating future nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners.

To find out more about any of FNU’s programs and offerings, visit Frontier.edu.

What is a Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM)?

Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) are educated in two disciplines: midwifery and nursing. They earn graduate degrees, complete a midwifery education program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME), and pass a national certification examination administered by the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) to receive the professional designation of CNM. Certified Midwives (CMs) are educated in the discipline of midwifery. They earn graduate degrees, meet health and science education requirements, complete a midwifery education program accredited by ACME, and pass the same national certification examination as CNMs to receive the professional designation of CM.

Alumni Spotlight: Nurse-Midwife Jennifer Scott Serves Local Mennonite Community

April 2, 2020 By Frontier Nursing University

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) alumna Jennifer Scott, CNM, recently left her hospital job to co-found a home birth practice in her local Old Order Mennonite community. Located in the Finger Lakes region of central New York, Jennifer and her colleagues opened Community Midwives in March of last year, filling a gap in maternity care in the area.

In a typical week at Community Midwives, Jennifer spends one day in an open clinic providing prenatal care and other services to the women who visit. She spends the rest of her week making postpartum home visits and being on call 24/7 to conduct home births.

According to Jennifer, the Mennonite women are not opposed to hospital care, but home birth is their preference. Without motor vehicles, the 45-60 minute distance from the Mennonite community to the nearest hospital presents a great challenge, so nurse-midwives are a cultural necessity.

Community Midwives is a simple, self-sufficient organization. They draw their own labs, book their own appointments, and spend their time on rural farms – but they are making an impact.

“I finally feel that I am answering the call!” Jennifer said.

Although Jennifer enjoyed her time working in a hospital and is grateful for the experience she gained, she admits it did not bring the same level of fulfillment that her current career holds.

“At Frontier, we were led by the example of Mary Breckinridge, who worked for the good of those in need rather than for fame or fortune,” Jennifer said.

The longer Jennifer and her colleagues work in the Mennonite community, the more they have come to understand the value in Mary Breckinridge’s career model.

“We came to help the Mennonite women without knowing how much we would learn,” Jennifer said. “The women I work with experience birth as I have always felt it should be; they have faith in their bodies and lack the fear of birth that most American women have. I love what I do because of the strong women I serve.”

A 2012 alumna, Jennifer built strong relationships with fellow FNU nurse-midwives she admires. The bonds she made with these “sisters” have lasted long past graduation.

“I am still friends with so many of my fellow alumni and we are always here to support one another. As we continue to expand Community Midwives, I hope some of my Frontier sisters will be interested in working with us in this region. FNU leads the way in how nurse-midwives are perceived in this country, and as long as they continue with their strong work, I will always be proud to be a Frontier alumna,” Jennifer said.

Thank you, Jennifer, for following the example of Mary Breckinridge and filling a gap of care in your community!

What is a Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM)?

Year of the Nurse and the Midwife Spotlight: Stephanie VanderHorst

March 26, 2020 By Frontier Nursing University

Stephanie VanderHorst (left) with grandson Easton and daughter-in-law Leah (right), who is currently enrolled in FNU Class 194.

Stephanie VanderHorst, CNM, MSN, Class 28, had a plan. She was going to open a freestanding birthing center in Auburn, Ind., a rural community of 13,000 people located in DeKalb County, two hours north of Indianapolis. There was no birthing center in the community and she knew there was a need.

As part of her coursework at Frontier Nursing University (FNU), she developed a business plan for the birthing center in 2000. The results were not what she expected.

“I realized my plan for a birthing center in Auburn wouldn’t work,” she said. Working as the manager of the obstetrics department at DeKalb Memorial Hospital, her interviews with patients revealed a glaring problem. “I realized people didn’t know what a certified nurse-midwife (CNM) was.”

Understanding that the reason the plan wouldn’t work wasn’t a lack of need, but rather a lack of awareness, she held onto her dream and took steps to make it a reality.

“I conducted exit interviews with patients postpartum,” she said. “During those exit interviews, I asked ‘What is your ideal birth? When you have your next baby, what do you want the experience to be?’ People started talking about birth centers. In having those conversations, I was able to lay a foundation that there are options.”

It took longer than expected, but her diligence paid off with the opening of the Auburn Birthing Center in 2010. In addition to co-owning the birthing center, Stephanie is employed by Auburn OB/GYN and Midwifery and has privileges at Parkview DeKalb Hospital.

As of March 2020, Stephanie has welcomed nearly 2,000 births. She has also welcomed nearly 30 students, serving as their preceptor and helping her to earn FNU’s Distinguished Service to Alma Mater Award in 2019. Remembering that she had difficulty finding a preceptor when she was a student, Stephanie is happy to serve in this role but also screens prospective students carefully before agreeing to work with them.

“I’m looking for nurse-midwives who are going to grow the profession,” she said. “Precepting is helping to identify midwives who are going to live the profession and provide quality care that is research-driven and evidence-based. I take about one out of every 10 students who come to me.”

Stephanie is earnest about guiding students interested in growing the profession because she herself has become an active leader and advocate for nurse-midwifery throughout the state. She served consecutive two-year terms as the president of the American College of Nurse-Midwives Indiana Affiliate and is on the board of the Coalition of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses of Indiana. She served on a cervical cancer task force and is on the Governing Council of the Indiana Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative (IPQIC) as part of a state-wide initiative to reduce maternal mortality.

“Governor Holcomb wants Indiana to be the best in the midwest in maternal mortality and neonatal mortality rates, and that has launched a huge initiative,” Stephanie said. “We are looking at every birth center and rewriting the policies and standards for birth centers.”

Stephanie, who makes the drive to the state board of health in Indianapolis three to four times per month, studied the state’s policies and utilized resources from the American Association of Birth Centers (AABC) and the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers (CABC) as guides to help review and suggest revisions to the the state’s existing policies and guidelines. The collaborative effort led to the creation of a revised document that is scheduled to be reviewed by the state board of health at a meeting in March 2020.

Stephanie described the past six years in these leadership roles as, “Two years of asking what the problem is, two years of exploring what other ideas are out there, and two years of instituting change.”

Estimating that the world needs 9 million more nurses and midwives if it is to achieve universal health coverage by 2030, the World Health Organization designated 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife. Stephanie’s experiences serve as an example of how nurses and midwives play a vital role in healthcare and why they must be included in policy-making decisions.

“We are the boots on the ground,” she said. “When doctors give direction and say ‘you need to stop smoking or you need to lose weight,’ the nurse-midwife is the one who sits down with the patient and says ‘Let’s talk about it. What’s really going on inside this family? What are the triggers? What are some realistic ways we can make healthier choices?’ We are digging deeper and getting a clearer picture of the situation because we have a little more time to spend with the patient.”

Stephanie said that, as is the case in many communities across the country, there is a shortage of psychiatric-mental health providers in Auburn and across the state. Serving on IPQIC’s maternal mortality review board, she has seen evidence of the impact mental health plays in the overall health of the patient.

“Mental health can have a big impact on these women and them not seeking the help and care that they need,” she said. “Substance abuse, depression, and mental health permeate everywhere.”

With leadership roles as co-owner of a birthing center, preceptor, and active participant in state healthcare initiatives, Stephanie may seem to have been destined for this profession. That, however, was not the case.

“I became a midwife by default,” she said. “As a nurse, I had those rose-colored glasses, but soon realized that some of the nurses were really taking care of the doctors more than the patients. I became more and more disheartened. I had changed as much as I could as a manager. I needed to be a provider.”

She was also helping provide for her family, which at the time consisted of her husband Dean and two sons.

“The only options I had for midwifery school other than FNU were Michigan or Case Western,” said Stephanie, who now has three sons, a daughter, and a grandson. “Do I want to travel every week to Michigan or Case Western or do the distance-based program at FNU? I needed to work. I had two boys at the time and I carried our insurance. I worked throughout the completion of my midwifery program.”

Stephanie credits FNU with helping her direct her passion to open a birthing center by creating a plan that served the needs of the community and could succeed as a business. “The program did well in instilling that there are different ways to practice and finding out what your community needs are,” she said.

She recalled attending FNU’s Midwifery Bound where the attendees shared their dreams and motivations. She remembers both FNU President Dr. Susan Stone and FNU Board of Directors member Kitty Ernst being in the circle. When it was her turn to share her story, Stephanie said, “I’m going to open a birth center in northern Indiana.”

She shared her voice that day with a relatively small group of people. Today, Stephanie continues to share her message with a much larger audience, her voice resonating as a leader, advocate, educator, and caregiver.

What is a Certified Nurse–Midwife (CNM)?

2020: Year of the Nurse and the Midwife

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) is proud to support and join the World Health Organization’s international campaign designating 2020 as the “Year of the Nurse and the Midwife.” In recognizing the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, FNU joins the efforts to raise awareness of healthcare shortages in the U.S. and abroad; demonstrate the need for more nurses and nurse-midwives; educate the public of the value of nurses and nurse-midwives in their communities and advocate for access to quality healthcare for every individual.