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FNU Employees “Walk the Walk” to Support Charities Throughout the Year

December 3, 2018 By frontieredu

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) employees are talking the talk and walking the walk for health – literally. In addition to educating the next nurse practitioners and nurse-midwives, FNU’s faculty and staff show their dedication to personal wellness and charitable service. Through the Walk the Walk initiative at FNU, employees are moving their bodies to support various causes.

So far this year, 23 employees have walked or run over 130 miles for those causes through Walk the Walk. The races or events supported a wide spectrum of charities, from humane societies, to ALS, to Forever Nursing and many more! A few examples:

Genny Little, Associate Director of Development and Alumni Relations, ran the Derby Half Marathon in February to support Every Mother Counts.

“I had a very stressful pregnancy and my son was admitted into the NICU. If it hadn’t been for our Midwife and the Neonatal team, it could have turned out differently. Every mother deserves the same care that I was offered,” Little said in the participation form.

Michael Steinmetz, Executive Vice President for Finance and Facilities, walked in the Woodford Wag 2k Dog Walk for the Woodford County Humane Society in June. Stephanie Boyd, Social Media and Communications Manager ran the Pistol Ultra 50km race in April for her I Run 4 Michael running buddy with Rhett Syndrome, Jessica.

“Jessica is now in her 20’s but cannot talk, walk, or complete daily activities of living on her own. I run for Jessica because she cannot and I dedicate all of my running miles to her,” said Boyd.

After each event, FNU employees fill out a participation form found on the Walk the Walk page. Each form logs the charity supported, number of miles walked or run, personal reason for participating and has a place to submit photos.

FNU is giving away $100 gift card towards a new fitness device for filling out a participation form. Walk the Walk participants can also utilize Go365, a wellness and rewards program through Humana, to earn additional incentives.

The photos from this year’s events can be seen here.

If you’re an FNU employee and would like to participate in FNU Walk the Walk:

Fill out a participation form and order your #FNUWalktheWalk t-shirt
Connect your fitness device to Go365
Use the #FNUWalktheWalk hashtag to share photos on social media

Thank you, faculty and staff, for all that you do to walk the walk! Let’s keep up the good work and bountiful miles!

: Jim Kelsey participates in A Midsummer Night’s Run 5k in Lexington, Ky.

: Stephanie Boyd runs for Every Mother Counts at the TCS NYC Marathon

: Jodi Dickey participated in the 1-mile Walk to Defeat ALS in Fort Wayne, Ind.

: Brittney Kinison and Genny Little race in the NSNA Forever Nursing 5k in Nashville, Tenn.

: Michael Steinmetz walks in the Woodford Wag 2K Dog Walk in Versailles, Ky.

FNU Awards Degrees to Over 800 Nurse-Midwife and Nurse Practitioner Graduates

October 26, 2018 By frontieredu

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) was proud to award 800 graduate degrees at the 2018 commencement ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 20.

Since October 2017, more than 800 nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners have successfully completed a distance education program through FNU. The new graduates represent 47 states and three countries. 45 of this year’s graduates are from FNU’s home state of Kentucky.

More than 1800 guests and friends of FNU gathered for the commencement activities. We were thrilled to celebrate commencement with over 200 of these new graduates, along with their family and friends.

FNU President Dr. Susan Stone presided over the commencement ceremony and degrees were conferred on graduates of FNU’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programs. MSN graduates have completed the Nurse-Midwifery, Family Nurse Practitioner, Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner or Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner specialty tracks.

Awards were also given to faculty and students who showed exceptional performance. Please join us in congratulating the following 2018 commencement award recipients:

Student Choice Award – Audra Cave, DNP, FNP-BC

Regional Clinical Faculty, Frontier Nursing University

Student Choice Award – Joanne Keefe, DNP, MPH, FNP

For Teaching Excellence, Frontier Nursing University

Kitty Ernst Leadership Award – Debora Alba, MSN

For leadership, academic excellence and excellent clinical judgment

Nurse Practitioner Leadership Award – Bree Ferrin, DNP

For leadership, academic excellence and excellent clinical judgment

DNP Leadership Award – Janette Bowers, DNP

For leadership, academic excellence and excellent clinical judgment

DNP Quality Improvement Project Award – Ana Verzone, DNP-c, FNP-BC, APRN, CNM

For leadership, academic excellence and excellent clinical judgment

Dr. Holly Powell Kennedy speaks at 2018 Commencement

Delivering the commencement address was Holly Powell Kennedy, PhD, CNM, FACNM, FAAN, Helen Varney Professor of Midwifery at the Yale School of Nursing. Dr. Kennedy received her certificate for nurse-midwifery from Frontier, and now is an internationally known midwifery researcher and leader. She was the recipient of Frontier Nursing University’s alumni award for Distinguished Service to Society in 2012.

Kennedy spoke about how her experience as an intern and nurse practitioner with the Frontier Nursing Service inspired her to become a nurse-midwife. She charged the graduates to know their community, be innovative and disciplined, believe in their patients and take care of themselves as they provide care to so many others.

Read more about Dr. Kennedy’s commencement address here.

FNU also conferred an honorary doctorate to Edith “Edie” Baldwin Wonnell, CNM. Edith was presented with the Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, for her development of freestanding birth centers and her extraordinary life-long dedication to the profession.

FNU confers honorary doctorate to Edith Baldwin Wonnell, CNM

Edith answered her call to nursing and midwifery by establishing a comprehensive family centered maternity service in the 1960s and two freestanding birth centers in the 1970s. Her entrepreneurial model in those settings has played a major role in offering an alternative to the not-for-profit birth center model. Well-deserving of Doctor of Humane Letters, Edith pioneered and beautifully modeled the mission of the nurse-midwifery program of Frontier Nursing University.

Congratulations to all of our 2018 graduates!

Watch the entire commencement ceremony live stream here.

About Frontier Nursing University:

The mission of FNU is to provide accessible nurse-midwifery and nurse practitioner education to prepare competent, entrepreneurial, ethical, and compassionate leaders in primary care to serve all individuals with an emphasis on women and families in diverse, rural, and underserved populations. FNU offers graduate Nurse-Midwifery and Nurse-Practitioner distance education programs that can be pursued full- or part-time with the student’s home community serving as the classroom. Degrees and options offered include Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Post-Graduate Certificates. To learn more about FNU and the programs and degrees offered, please visit Frontier.edu.

Frontier Nursing University Receives 2018 Health Professions HEED Award

October 18, 2018 By frontieredu

Versailles, Ky. – Today, Frontier Nursing University (FNU) received the 2018 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. As a recipient of the annual Health Professions HEED Award — a national honor recognizing U.S. medical, dental, pharmacy, osteopathic, nursing, veterinary, allied health, and other health schools and centers that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion — FNU will be featured, along with 34 other recipients, in the December 2018 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.

“We are deeply honored to receive the prestigious HEED Award,” said FNU President Dr. Susan Stone. “We believe in the benefits of a diverse university and in the positive impacts our diverse graduates can make in communities across the country. Our graduates serve people of all races and cultures and are increasingly coming from diverse backgrounds. It is imperative that our students, faculty and staff have cultural awareness and competency in order to effectively advance our mission of servant leadership. We have demonstrated our ongoing commitment to diversity by implementing programs and structure to ensure we reach our goals. The HEED Award is a validation of those efforts and provides additional inspiration to maintain our commitment to achieving and exceeding our diversity and inclusion goals.”

Since the implementation of the FNU PRIDE Initiative (Promoting Recruitment and Retention to Increase Diversity in Nurse-Midwifery and Nurse Practitioner Education) in 2010, which spearheaded many targeted recruitment activities, FNU has increased the student of color enrollment from 9% in 2010 to 23% in 2018. This success has been achieved through a comprehensive marketing effort targeting prospective students from underrepresented groups. Advertisements, conferences, events, and public relations have been focused on reaching and recruiting new students from underrepresented groups.

FNU has also held annual three-day Diversity Impact Student Conferences since the PRIDE Initiative began. The purpose of the Diversity Impact Conference is to ensure that nurse practitioners and nurse-midwives understand the challenges and opportunities offered by diversity in rural and underserved healthcare systems. Moreover, Diversity Impact advances solutions to problems posed by contemporary health care policy.

To further demonstrate its ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion, FNU created the position of Chief Diversity Inclusion Officer (CDIO) in 2017 and named Dr. Maria Valentin-Welch to that office. Dr. Valentin-Welch was named one of the Top 25 Women in Higher Education by Diverse Magazine earlier this year.

“The Health Professions HEED Award process consists of a comprehensive and rigorous application that includes questions relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees — and best practices for both; continued leadership support for diversity; and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. “We take a detailed approach to reviewing each application in deciding who will be named a Health Professions HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for schools where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being accomplished every day across their campus.”

About Frontier Nursing University:

About INSIGHT Into Diversity

INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine is the oldest and largest diversity publication in higher education today and is known for its annual Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, the only award recognizing colleges and universities for outstanding diversity and inclusion efforts across their campuses. In addition to its online job board, INSIGHT Into Diversity presents timely, thought-provoking news and feature stories on matters of diversity and inclusion across higher education and beyond. Articles include interviews with innovators and experts, as well as profiles of best practices and exemplary programs. Readers will also discover career opportunities that connect job seekers with institutions and businesses that embrace a diverse and inclusive workforce. Current, archived, and digital issues of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine are available online at insightintodiversity.com.

Frontier Nursing University President Dr. Susan Stone Elected to National Academy of Medicine

October 16, 2018 By Stephanie Boyd

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) president Dr. Susan Stone, DNSc, CNM, FACNM, FAAN, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). Dr. Susan Stone has served as President of Frontier Nursing University since 2001. NAM states the election recognizes Dr. Stone’s achievements that have opened the door to more than 5,000 nurses to achieve graduate education and positively impact the accessibility of quality health care for rural families across the United States.

Dr. Stone is a leader in the development of strategies to increase the quality and capacity of the midwifery and advanced practice nursing workforce with the specific goal of improving health care for families. Her primary position for the last two decades is as the leader of Frontier Nursing University, where she led the transition from a community-based school of nurse-midwifery offering a basic certificate program with 200 students enrolled to an accredited University offering master’s and doctoral degrees to nurses seeking graduate degrees. Today the University has over 2,000 graduate nursing students enrolled from every state in the United States and seven foreign countries. The focus is educating primary care providers from rural and underserved communities who will then serve rural and underserved populations. Within its degree programs, the university now offers tracks leading nurses to certification as nurse-midwives, family nurse practitioners, women’s health care nurse practitioners, and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners.

Dr. Stone currently also serves as the President of the American College of Nurse-Midwives, where her agenda includes increasing the midwifery workforce through educational quality and capacity strategies, advocacy especially related to the maternal mortality and morbidity crisis, and increasing the diversity of the healthcare workforce. She believes collaboration with other health care professionals is essential to achieve the goal of improving the health of women and families.

“I am deeply honored to be elected to The National Academy of Medicine,” said Dr. Stone. “I am so grateful for this opportunity to work collaboratively with and learn from other leaders across many other medical professions and disciplines. I am eager to join the Academy’s ongoing efforts to improve health and healthcare.”

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) announced the election of 75 regular members and 10 international members during its annual meeting. Election to the Academy is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.

“This distinguished and diverse class of new members is a truly remarkable set of scholars and leaders whose impressive work has advanced science, improved health, and made the world a better place for everyone,” said National Academy of Medicine President Victor J. Dzau. “Their expertise in science, medicine, health, and policy in the U.S. and around the globe will help our organization address today’s most pressing health challenges and inform the future of health and health care. It is my privilege to welcome these esteemed individuals to the National Academy of Medicine.”

New members are elected by current members through a process that recognizes individuals who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and public health. A diversity of talent among NAM’s membership is assured by its Articles of Organization, which stipulate that at least one-quarter of the membership is selected from fields outside the health professions — for example, from such fields as law, engineering, social sciences, and the humanities. The newly elected members bring NAM’s total membership to 2,178 and the number of international members to 159.

Established originally as the Institute of Medicine in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine addresses critical issues in health, science, medicine, and related policy and inspires positive actions across sectors. NAM works alongside the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding. With their election, NAM members make a commitment to volunteer their service in National Academies activities.

About Frontier Nursing University:
The mission of FNU is to provide accessible nurse-midwifery and nurse practitioner education to prepare competent, entrepreneurial, ethical, and compassionate leaders in primary care to serve all individuals with an emphasis on women and families in diverse, rural, and underserved populations. FNU offers graduate Nurse-Midwifery and Nurse-Practitioner distance education programs that can be pursued full- or part-time with the student’s home community serving as the classroom. Degrees and options offered include Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Post-Graduate Certificates.

To learn more about FNU and the programs and degrees offered, please visit Frontier.edu.

Meet FNU’s New Dean of Nursing, Dr. Joan Slager, CNM, DNP, FACNM

October 8, 2018 By frontieredu

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) is pleased to bring on alumna Dr. Joan Slager, CNM, DNP, FACNM to spearhead FNU’s nursing education. Joan assumed her new position as dean of nursing in August 2018 after serving as interim dean beginning in March 2018. As dean, she is poised to address healthcare gaps by educating nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners amidst the transition to a new campus in Versailles, Ky.

Joan graduated from the Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing in 1991 and completed her Master of Science in Nursing in 1993. She helped to establish Bronson Women’s Service in Kalamazoo, Mich., which is now the state’s largest midwifery service. She served over 20 years in full scope midwifery practice and returned to school to earn her Doctor of Nursing Practice in 2008. She is now serving a second term as the treasurer on the American College of Nurse-Midwives Board of Directors.

Frontier spoke with Joan about her passion for the Frontier mission, nurse-midwifery practice, and the challenges she will face as FNU continues to grow.

Where did your passion for caring for women and families originate?

“In a barn! I would sit for hours waiting for our cows to birth. Later as a nursing student, I saw a nurse care for a family during birth and thought that is how all women and families should be cared for. Later as a NICU nurse, I enjoyed attending the high-risk deliveries because I was so intrigued by labor and birth, so I transitioned to Labor & Delivery nursing and eventually midwifery.”

Learn more about Joan’s passion for women and families in this video.

Can you share your story of how and why you became a certified nurse-midwife?

“I worked with Southwest Michigan’s first Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) and liked the partnership with this CNM in caring for women as a nurse, but also liked the care difference I observed. That is the kind of care I felt all women deserved, so I decided to pursue midwifery.”

Learn more about Joan’s calling to nurse-midwifery in this video.

We know you are a graduate of the first CNEP class at FNU. How does it feel to come back to the university you graduated from and assume the title dean of nursing?

“After working 25 years as a clinician, one would think a “new” career would be very anxiety provoking, but I have been involved in FNU as a midwife from the beginning – student, faculty, preceptor. It was like coming “home.” I did not anticipate becoming the dean, but leadership skills are the same no matter the job and with FNU’s strong team of associate deans and program directors, I felt as a team we would be successful.”

Learn more about Joan’s return to Frontier in this video.

What has been your career path so far and how did it lead you to joining the faculty at Frontier and to your current role as dean of nursing?

“In addition to the obvious career of full scope midwifery, I have spent a great deal of time teaching. I have been involved with Frontier since I was a student, including precepting nearly 100 FNU students as well as teaching courses in the midwifery program. Working collaboratively at a very large practice with multidisciplinary teams, along with gaining experience in business development and finance, were great preparation for this administrative role as a member of FNU’s leadership team. I felt those leadership skills could be used to successfully transition from clinical practice into working with an institution that had been a part of my life for a very long time.”

Learn more about Joan’s journey to Dean in this video.

How have you carried out the mission and vision that Mary Breckinridge set forth through your career thus far?

“By building a practice that has stayed true to midwifery core values and the midwifery model and helping others to do the same. Also, the entrepreneurial aspects of developing places where midwives can work to their fullest capacity and articulating the value of midwifery to protect practices has been a personal commitment. I think Mary Breckinridge would be proud to know her vision has stayed the same and we’ve stayed true to our mission and philosophy.”

Learn more about how Joan plans to carry out Mary Breckinridge’s mission for Frontier in this video.

What are you most excited about in your new role as dean of nursing and/or what goals do you have?

“The opportunity to work with an organization with thoughts and beliefs that match my own. I like developing processes, working to build teams and creating synergy to streamline processes. The move to the new campus and developing a business model that will allow for more growth as our capacity increases.”

Learn about Joan’s planned strategies as Dean in this video.

What are the biggest challenges that you will face in your new role?

“I look at challenges as opportunities. I like change. I think the challenge confronting all of FNU at this time is executing a seamless transition to the Versailles campus. I want to preserve what students value about FNU’s history and traditions and translate that to meaningful on-site experiences in Versailles.”

Learn more about the challenges Joan anticipates in her new role in this video.

How do you see technology and innovation having an impact on educating the next generation of nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners?

“I think technology can expand our exposure to knowledge and experiences. I’m very excited about the advancement in simulations and virtual learning, but I never want to see us lose touch with developing our people skills.”

Learn more about how Joan will handle technology and innovation in nursing education in this video.

What is a fun fact about you?

“My dad used to race thoroughbred horses and I grew up on a horse when most kids had bikes, so Kentucky horse country is a very cool place for me to work.”

Learn more about Joan in this video.

What do you do for fun when you are not busy being the dean?

“The 3 Gs – grandchildren, gardening and golf. My Achilles heel is my grandchildren. I’m absolutely crazy about all of them.”

Learn more about Joan’s life outside of Frontier in this video.

We wish you luck as you settle into your new role, Joan! We are glad to have another alumna making a difference at FNU!

Explore Sessions from This Year’s National Midwifery Week Virtual Event

September 24, 2018 By frontieredu

Sessions are in place for Frontier Nursing University’s (FNU) annual virtual event celebrating National Midwifery Week. From September 30 – October 6, FNU will host the free event, themed “Answer the Call to Service,” online. Anyone can visit the website to hear from this year’s outstanding speakers and participate in a free continuing education opportunity.

Presenter: Lisa Astalos Chism, DNP, APRN, BC, NCMP, FAANP

The event kicks off with a free Continuing Education session, Female Sexual Health and Cancer Survivorship: Art, Science and Quality of Life, presented by Lisa Chism, DNP, APRN, BC, NCMP, FAANP on October 1 at 6 p.m. EST. In it, Dr. Chism will explore health concerns women have after treatment for cancer; how to assess female cancer survivors for sexual health concerns; and pharmacologic interventions to address female sexual health concerns.

The session is approved for 1.0 contact hour of continuing education (which includes 1.0 hours of pharmacology) by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Presenter: Nan Strauss, JD

The following evening, on October 2, Nan Strauss, JD presents Maximizing Midwifery: Strategies to Expand Access to the Midwifery Model of Care at 6 p.m. EST. This session will discuss the lacking maternity care system in the United States for pregnancy and childbirth, examining substantial evidence in support of the midwifery model of care as a key strategy to improve outcomes. Participants will explore strategies for advocating for increased access to the midwifery model of care in the U.S.

Presenter: Susan E. Stone, CNM, DNSc., FACNM, FAAN

FNU President Dr. Susan Stone, CNM, DNSc., FACNM, FAAN will take the virtual stage on October 3 at 6 p.m. est to present Building a Diverse Midwifery Workforce in the United States to Improve Maternity Care Outcomes. Dr. Stone will guide participants through the alarming statistics regarding maternal mortality and pregnancy complications among women in the U.S., particularly women of color. The presentation will explore strategies for increasing the numbers of midwives as well as the diversity of the midwifery workforce in order to contribute to improved outcomes.

Presenter: Dawn Thompson

To conclude National Midwifery Week Virtual Event, a session entitled The Greatest Action Starts with Good Communication will be held on October 4 at 6 p.m. EST. Presenter Dawn Thompson, founder of Improving Birth, will rethink how medical providers can communicate with pregnant families during care. Participants will learn to detect and avoid coercive language, discover how to support clients through collaboration and see how care providers can reduce the risk of traumatic birth through improved communication.

We hope you will join us for one or more of these impactful sessions! Visit frontier.edu/midwiferyweek to register for one or all of the sessions. See FNU’s full lineup of virtual events here.

Building a Legacy in Haiti: Spotlight on Alumna Nadene Brunk Eads

February 26, 2018 By frontieredu

A Frontier Nursing University (FNU) alumna and midwifery legacy celebrated her retirement with purpose this month. Nadene Brunk Eads, CNM, was honored on Saturday, January 20, with a party and special fundraiser for Midwives For Haiti, the organization she founded and has poured herself into for the last decade.

When Nadene graduated from Frontier as a nurse-midwife, a mission trip to Haiti, the poorest nation in the Americas, changed the course of her life. She was struck by the statistics she witnessed firsthand: Haitian women die during childbirth at a rate 12 times that of women in the United States, and a severe lack of resources and skilled care for birthing mothers made Haiti one of the most dangerous countries for childbirth in the world.

Moved by a desire to provide a long-term solution, Nadene rounded up a team of volunteers and began to train Haitian nurses to be skilled birth attendants. The nonprofit organization Midwives For Haiti was born in 2006, with Nadene at the helm as executive director. In 12 years, Nadene founded a school, saw hundreds of American medical professionals and nurse-midwives volunteer time and knowledge, and made it possible for dozens of Haitian nurses to receive invaluable instruction in order to help mothers from pregnancy through postpartum recovery.

While Midwives For Haiti and the Nadene Brunk Eads School are continuing to grow, Nadene will be passing the torch to Jessica Jordan to enjoy retirement.

To celebrate Nadene’s distinguished legacy, a dinner party and fundraiser was held by Midwives For Haiti. The guest count totaled over 100, including several FNU students and alumni. One very important alumna and Mary Breckinridge Chair, Kitty Ernst, was the keynote speaker for the evening and spoke on the importance of having vision.

Dinner was followed by live entertainment, award presentations, photo slideshow, shared stories, toasts, cake and the unveiling of a very special Haitian painting given as a gift to Nadene. Guests were also able to write special memories and messages on cards for Nadene to cherish for years to come.

With a legacy of improving maternal health and birth outcomes in Haiti for many years, Frontier is proud to call Nadene Brunk Eads one of our own!

From the Legacy Celebration Dinner:

Midwives for Haiti Outcomes

Legacy Celebration Photos

FNU Alumni and Faculty Contribute to Textbook Awarded First Place in the 2017 AJN Book of the Year Awards in Maternal-Child Health

January 11, 2018 By frontieredu

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) is excited to announce that the book, Freestanding Birth Centers: Innovation, Evidence, Optimal Outcomes, written by several FNU faculty members and alumni, was awarded first place in the 2017 American Journal of Nursing (AJN) Book of the Year Awards in Maternal-Child Health.

Since 1969, AJN has published an annual list of the best in nursing publishing. The AJN Book of the Year program is a prestigious competition that garners the attention of the medical world, as well as librarians and universities.

Freestanding Birth Centers: Innovation, Evidence, Optimal Outcomes, is written for graduate students and professionals and explores freestanding birth center models in the U.S. from the 1970’s to present. It provides a thorough history of the birth center movement and serves as a resource for up-to-date evidence on clinical and cost outcomes while also covering all issues involved in implementing and operating a U.S. birth center.

The textbook is published by Springer Publishing and is the first of its kind. It was co-authored by Linda Cole, DNP, RN, CNM, Assistant Professor, Course Coordinator, Course Faculty at Frontier, and Melissa Avery, PhD, RN, CNM, FACNM, FAAN.

A number of Frontier-educated women, including Alumni Alisha Wilkes, DNP, CNM, ARNP and Autumn Versace Vergo, MSN, CNM, CPM, as well as alumna and current Frontier Course Faculty Jill Alliman, CNM, DNP, contributed to chapters pertaining to their medical and professional specialties.

FNU Senior Instructor Kathryn Schrag, MSN, CNM, FNP, co-authored the book’s first chapter, Organizing for Change: History, Pioneers, and the Formation of a National Organization. Diana Jolles, CNM, MSN, FACNM, PhD(c), a Frontier instructor and Course Coordinator, also made contributions to the new book. The foreword was co-written by Ruth Watson Lubic, an FNU honoree, with Kitty Ernst, CNM, FCH, FACNM, instructor and Mary Breckinridge Chair of Midwifery at Frontier.

Writing contributions from FNU Professor Emeritus Barbara Anderson, DrPH, RN, CNM, FACNM, FAAN, can also be found within the book’s 382 pages.

Freestanding Birth Centers: Innovation, Evidence, Optimal Outcomes was published by Springer Publishing Company in May 2017 and released at the American College of Nurse Midwives’ (ACNM) 62nd Annual Meeting and Exhibition in Chicago, Ill., Wednesday, May 24, in the ACNM bookstore.

For more information on AJN, click here.

Freestanding Birth Centers: Innovation, Evidence, Optimal Outcomes can be purchased at this link.