Class Notes – Fall 2011

40s

Helen Iola Manoogian, BSN ‘47B, celebrated her 90th birthday with a ride on a zip line.

50s

Frances M. Edwards, BSN ‘53, MSN ‘76, received the Lifetime Achievement award at the Tennessean’s recent Salute to Nurses ceremony.  According to her nomination, “no one in Tennessee has been more involved in promoting the health of Tennesseans and the welfare of registered nurses over such a long period of time than Frances Edwards.”  She has worked in many capacities, from recovery room to classroom, but her passion is in the art of healing, especially through the use of alternative therapies such as Reiki and Healing Touch.  She has also been a political advocate in many forums, from presidency of the Tennessee Nurses’ Association to presidency and/or chair of many community and national organizations.

Elizabeth Reese Turrentine, BSN ‘55, had two hip replacements last year, but is back to being mobile.  She feels truly blessed to be “rambling about this gorgeous country in my RV, living my dream.”  All four of her children are doing well, and she is writing a book called, “Climbing Mountains When You’re Over the Hill.”

70s

Sandy Coats Chase, BSN ‘70, lives in Kingston Springs, Tenn., with three grown children, three grandsons and a new German Shepherd puppy.  She has returned to her love of horses and has two: a Chestnut great-grandson of Secretariat and a Percheron/Thoroughbred-cross mare.  The family construction company, D.F. Chase, Inc., does work in 34 states and recently completed the restoration and reconstruction of the Opryland Hotel after the May 2010 flood.

Judy Sweeney, BSN ‘70, MSN ‘75, retired as associate professor of Nursing at VUSN after 36 years of teaching.  She was initially hired to teach basic nursing assessment and intervention skills, but her teaching expanded from there.  In 1998, she became director of the School’s Bridge program and remained in that capacity until her retirement in July, introducing thousands of incoming students and future nursing faculty to the world of nursing.  Her goal was always for her students to succeed. Sweeney said of her career, “What a challenge it has been to bring both adult learners and young students together on an expedited track toward becoming a nurse practitioner.”

Karen Ward, BSN ‘70, MSN ‘72, was named interim head of the Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) School of Nursing in August.  She was on the MTSU faculty from 1974 to 1981, and then left to pursue her doctoral degree in developmental psychology at Cornell University.  She returned to MTSU’s nursing faculty in 1995. She gave a presentation at the 4th World Congress on Women’s Mental Health in Spain on March 19.

Leah Albers, BSN ‘71, MSN ‘74, PhD, received the Hattie Hemschemeyer Award at the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) 56th Annual Meeting & Exposition in San Antonio, Texas, in May.  The “Hattie” is the College’s most prestigious award, awarded annually to an ACNM member who has been certified for 10 or more years and has made continuous outstanding contributions to midwifery and/or maternal-child health or contributions of historical significance to the advancement of midwifery, the ACNM or maternal-child health.

Peggy Ingram Veeser, BSN ‘71, EdD, FNP-BC, FAANP, was appointed Director of Nursing Program at Christian Brothers University, where she heads the new accelerated BSN program for registered nurses.  She earned her Pediatric Nurse Practitioner certificate from the University of Virginia, Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), and a Doctorate in Interdisciplinary Higher Education from the University of Memphis.  Veeser retired in 2010 from UTHSC as professor emerita, after 32 years of teaching. She also founded and served as director for the UTHSC student and employee health services for more than 25 years.

Joan King, BSN ‘72, MSN ‘75, PhD ‘84, RN, ACNP-BC, was honored as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

George W. Lindsay Jr., MSN ‘78, retired in 2009 after 36 years in nursing and career experiences in med/surg, ob/gyn, critical care, trauma, education and working at various medical centers and Veterans Health Care Administration health care systems.  His last position was Clinical Director, Education and Training at Veterans’ Administration Salt Lake City Health Care System.  He thanks the many people who supported him throughout his career.

Mary Horn, BSN ‘79, recently joined Catapult Health, which uses nurse practitioners at workplace screenings. The focus is hypertension, diabetes, lipid disorders, and weight and activity levels and the approach includes collaborative behavior modification planning as well as pharmacological treatments.

Rita Krolak, MSN ‘79, and husband, Pat, live in Dover, Mass. They have three children, Pat, Karen and Mike, and three grandchildren: Max, 9, Madeline, 5, and Hamilton, 8 months.  She has worked in research for the past 22 years at Boston University and the Veterans Administration, including The Pregnancy Health Interview Study, a large birth defects study, at Boston University’s Slone Epidemiology Center.

80s

Julie Isaacson, MSN ‘81, lives in Jonesboro, Ark., with husband, Michael, a practicing cardiologist.  They have two children — Erick, an anesthesia intern at the University of Illinois, Chicago, and Locke, who is pursuing a dual master’s program with an MBA from the Walton College of Business and an MPS from the Clinton School of Public Service.  Julie is an associate professor at Arkansas State University where she teaches critical care theory and clinical rotations in the BSN program.  She is active on many university committees and is co-chairing the university’s Higher Learning Commission self-study.

Pamela Jones, BSN ‘81, MSN ‘92, chief nursing officer at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, recently graduated from the Johnson & Johnson – Wharton Fellows Program in Management for Nurse Executives, an intensive three-week management education program held at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.  Jones was one of 33 senior nurse executives selected to participate in the program.

James Pace, MSN ‘81, MDiv ‘88, joined the faculty of the New York University College of Nursing in January 2011.  He was appointed the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs in September, and oversees a diverse student population of more than 850 baccalaureate students and 125 full- and part-time faculty.  He also serves as an assisting priest in the Episcopal Diocese of New York at The Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Times Square.
Julie Bomberger Lindley, BSN ‘83, RN, director of Health Services, Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District, was recognized by the Colleyville Chamber of Commerce as the first recipient of the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District Employee of the Year.

Mary Hyndman, BSN ‘83, completed her first year at Dallas Theological Seminary on her way to earning her master’s degree in Biblical Counseling. She and husband, Peter (BE ‘80 pictured above left), have three children.  Pete, VU ‘07, pictured above right, earned his law degree from the University of Texas at Austin in May 2010, and works for Jackson Waller in Dallas.  Jenna received her BA from the University of Arkansas in May 2009 and her master’s degree in Social Work from University of Texas – Arlington, in May.  Daughter, Aimee, is a junior at Coppell High School and has completed her first novel, part of a trilogy.

Suzanne Baird, BSN ‘84, MSN ‘95, left VUSN to accept a new position at Texas Children’s Hospital and a faculty appointment at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. While at VUSN, she was a champion of clinical placements, setting up the systems needed for the enormous number of clinical contracts.
Becky Borman Berrens, BSN ‘88, MSN, works at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center as an Education Specialist II, in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.  She is married to Jamie Berrens, and they have five children, ages 8-17.

D. Elizabeth Jesse, MSN ‘88, PhD, CNM, is an associate professor of Graduate Nursing Science at the School of Nursing and assistant professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology for the School of Medicine at East Carolina University.  Jesse was awarded a $640,742, three-year grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to develop a public health program to reduce the risk of antepartum depression.

Susan Moseley, MSN ‘88, DNP, ‘11, RN, NE-BC, is the administrative director for Vanderbilt Medical Group Nursing & the Center for Advanced Practice Nursing and Allied Health.  She passed the American Nurses Credential Center Nurse Executive Certification exam in January, and has a wedding planned for November.

90s

Donna Herrin-Griffith, MSN ‘91, RN, NEA-BC, CENP, FACHE, accepted a new position as Senior Vice President / Administrator and Chief Nursing Officer for Martin Memorial Health System in Florida.

Karen Larimer, MSN ‘91, is director of Research for the Midwest Heart Foundation.  She earned her PhD in the spring from Loyola University Chicago, Niehoff School of Nursing.  Her dissertation was titled “Community Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk and Health Among People of Mexican Descent in Berwyn, Illinois.”

Matt Bumbalough, MSN ‘93, recently joined Vanderbilt Student Health Services as Manager, Patient Care Services.

Diana Ruzicka, MSN ‘93, RN, was one of the nurses featured in the 2011 Calendar of the National Museum of the United States Army for the 110th anniversary of the Army Nurse Corps.  She worked locally with the Madison County Red Cross in the aftermath of the tornado that struck Alabama in April. In May, she and her husband welcomed home their eldest daughter, the first civilian female aerospace engineer to deploy to Afghanistan.  Ruzicka continues to work on her Master in Theology degree and enjoys retirement in the Huntsville, Ala., area.

Mike Briley, MSN ‘94, DNP, was named one of Jackson VIP Magazine’s Healthcare Outstanding Professionals for 2011.  Briley owns his own practice, Primary Care Specialists in Jackson, Tenn.

James (Randy) Post, MSN ‘95, LTC, successfully defended his dissertation research titled “The Relationship of Lower Extremity Bone Mass on Body Mass Index in the NHANES Adolescent Population.” Upon graduating from the PhD program at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences, he will be transferred to San Antonio where he will be stationed in an army research unit.

Connie Chenosky-Miller, MSN ‘97, FNP-BC, CDE, BC-ADM, started her DNP at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colo., and accepted a graduate assistant position in the School of Nursing.  She has also taken a new position at Montfort Family Clinic, a community health center that is closer to home and school. Her family welcomed its second grandchild, Adilyn Marie, on Oct. 16, 2010.

John Shanley, MSN ‘97, RN NP oversees six medical clinics in and around Kabul, Afghanistan, and is working with Fluor, the prime military contractor, to start up clinics and provide medical and urgent care services to the company’s staff, to include local nationals. His family is still in Memphis, and he looks forward to coming back to the U.S. for a visit this fall.

Angela Wilson-Liverman, MSN ‘99, presented several sessions at the American College of Nurse-Midwives Annual Meeting in June 2011 including:  “Exam Prep Workshop,” “Midwives in Medical Education: The Who’s, Why’s, and How’s,” “When Diet is Not Enough…When and How to Initiate Medication in Your Gestational Diabetic Patient,” and “Is 42 Weeks too Long? An Update on Post-term Pregnancy Management.”

2000s

Donna K. Ayers, MSN ‘00, LTC, completed a post-masters in Family Health in 2008, and Psych Mental Health in May  at University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston.  She owns DKA Management, LLC, works at Tomball Walk-In Clinic and for Team Health at Southeast Memorial Hermann Emergency Department and was recently promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves.

Todd Griner, MSN ‘00, manager of patient care services at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, was the recipient of the Rebecca Clark Culpepper Education and Mentorship Award during Nurses Week 2011.

Nancy Hollingsworth, MSN ‘00, MBA ‘00, was named president and chief executive officer of Saint Agnes Medical Center in Fresno, Calif.  She had served as the interim president and CEO since February, and has a long history at the Medical Center having worked there as an oncology nurse and manager of patient resources in the 1980s.

Shae Whittington Uden, MSN ‘00, and Jim Uden welcomed a baby girl, Morgan Ainsley, on Easter Sunday, April 24. Morgan weighed 7 pounds, 12 ounces and was 20.5 inches long.  She was welcomed by brother Whit, 5, and sister Molly, 2.

Lorrie Cuartas, MSN ‘01, APRN, MPH, MSN, WHNP-BC, lives in Cape Girardeau, Mo., where she works at Saint Francis Medical Center’s Cape Care for Women.  She just completed her post-graduate degree at the University of Missouri-Columbia as a Family Nurse Practitioner.

Deanna Pilkenton, MSN ‘02, with VUSN instructor, Maria Overstreet, presented “Debriefing: A Critical Communication Method Midwifery Educators/Preceptors Can Use to Solidify Student Learning” at the American College of Nurse-Midwives Annual Meeting in June 2011.

Nichole Berglund-Clark, MSN ‘04, owner of Hope Medical Clinic in Clinton, Ark., added another nurse practitioner in February.

Julie Berkau Hutchison, MSN ‘04, ACNP-BC, RN, married David Hutchison in October 2010.  She serves as a nurse practitioner in the Orthopaedic Trauma Department at Vanderbilt.

Candace Riehl, MSN ‘04 and Founders Medalist ‘05, received the Preceptor Award which was selected by Vanderbilt University School of Nursing Midwifery faculty.

Kristin Eckland, MSN ‘05, ACNP, recently returned from a six-month stay in Bogota, Colombia, and is publishing two books: “Bogota! A Hidden Gem Guide to Surgical Tourism,” and “The Thoracic Surgeons: Bogota, Columbia.”

Cynthia Malowitz, MSN ‘05, NP-C, Owner/President, Bay Area Quick Care, PLLC, provides a clinical preceptor site for nurse practitioner students from Texas A&M – Corpus Christi and Baylor University.  Malowitz was one of five people who testified before the Texas Legislature for several bills that would have granted nurse practitioner independence.

Carrie Plummer, MSN ‘05, one of VUSN’s ANP faculty, just returned from a summer internship with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, the group charged with establishing policies, priorities and objectives for the country’s drug control program. Read more about Plummer’s work on page 8.

Melissa Willmarth, MSN ‘05, DNP ‘10, was the 2011 winner of the Kitty Ernst Award which is one of the highest honors bestowed by the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM). She is the fourth Vanderbilt certified nurse-midwife to have received the Kitty Award in the last six years. Willmarth has worked as a registered nurse and a certified nurse-midwife, and has been a faculty member at the University of Cincinnati since 2006. She currently serves as coordinator for the university’s nurse-midwifery and women’s health nurse practitioner programs.

Dorothy J. Dunn, MSN ‘06, PhD, APRN, FNP-BC, AHN-BC, Clinical Faculty and Family Nurse Practitioner from the Christine E Lynn College of Nursing at Florida Atlantic University, has accepted a tenure track appointment as assistant professor for the School of Nursing at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Ariz.  There, Dunn will continue her work on compassion energy by joining the newly formed Social and Behavioral Science Compassion Project interdisciplinary team.

Christy Lucas, MSN ‘07, and husband, Nick, announced the birth of Emma Jane, born May 11, 2010, in Memphis, Tenn., weighing 8 lbs., 7 oz.

Angel Epstein, MSN ‘08, was the guardian for two WWII veterans who traveled with Volusia Honor Air Flight 7 for a day in Washington, D.C. on May 14. The Army and Navy 90-year-old veterans were treated to a day at the World War II Memorial, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier wreath laying service, Marine, Air Force, Vietnam and Korean monuments and a lunch in the room where the Watergate hearings were conducted. The Deland Rotary of Florida’s goal is to take all remaining World War II vets to see their memorial.

Stephanie Nipper, MSN ‘08, and her family recently moved back to Middle Tennessee after living in Hilo, Hawaii.  She works as a family nurse practitioner at Minute Clinic, and loves it.

Mary Agnes Andreano, MSN ‘10, RN, CHPN, CCRC, started the VUSN PhD program this fall and is the online MSN program coordinator at Ohio University School of Nursing.

Mary Elizabeth Parks, MSN ‘07, and Timothy Hugh Scott Jr., were married April 2 at the Wightman Chapel in Nashville.  Mary works as a nurse practitioner at Wellness Solutions Inc.  Timothy works at Impact Media Studios and Tim Scott Productions as a production engineer and songwriter. The couple resides in Nashville.

Hollie Tamez, MSN ‘10, lives in Hemet, Calif., and is the Meaningful Use Coordinator  at Riverside Community Hospital, which she describes as a “fantastic position with the flexibility I had been praying for.”  Thanks to support from the hospital chief nursing officer, Tamez is ready to help the center meet all Stage I objectives.

Sandra Brooks, DNP ‘11, was selected as one of 15 graduate level American Psychiatric Nurses Association Janssen Student Scholars for 2011. Scholars receive a one-year complimentary annual membership, all-expense paid trip to the 25th Annual APNA Conference in Anaheim, Calif., and mentoring by APNA leaders in scholarship and leadership roles.

Susan Ecklin, MSN ‘10, lives in Zanesville, Ohio, and works as a trauma and general surgery nurse practitioner.  She provides trauma education to paramedics and staff registered nurses.

Adrienne Jones, MSN ‘10, and Erik Adamczyk were married on Oct. 30, 2010, in Historic Cedarwood in Nashville.  Former VUSN faculty member Jim Pace conducted the ceremony.

In Memoriam

Luther Christman, PhD, RN, dean of the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing from 1967 to 1972, died at his home in Chapel Hill, Tenn., on June 7 at the age of 96.

Dr. Christman came to Vanderbilt as a national leader in nursing and a fellow of the Academy of Nursing. His appointment at Vanderbilt made him the first male dean of a nursing school in the country.  Considered an innovator of new models of nursing practice and education, Dr. Christman made significant and often controversial changes in the curriculum and structure of the school.

At the time of his arrival, the undergraduate program was small, the graduate program was unaccredited and few faculty had doctoral degrees.  His efforts were directed toward unifying education and service. He endorsed moving all non-clinical activities to Vanderbilt University Hospital administration.

He embraced the concept of joint appointments between the school and hospital to provide a professional model of care to nursing staff and students. He spearheaded a revised curriculum based on transforming basic science into practice. He hired more doctorally prepared faculty and changed the faculty and administrative reporting structure.

Dr. Christman left Vanderbilt in 1972 to become the first dean of Rush University College of Nursing and vice president of Nursing Affairs at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center. At Rush, he continued efforts to integrate practice, education and research in nursing until his retirement in 1987.

Throughout his career, he remained a controversial figure, a strong supporter for the recruitment of male nurses and is known as one of the most honored and awarded professionals in the history of American nursing.

Ellen Adair Sallee, BSN ‘40, died Jan. 11 in Wilmington, Del.

Virginia P. Crenshaw, BSN ‘42, died Jan.14 in Albuquerque, N.M.

Martha Eleanor Becker (Elly) Becker, BSN ‘43, died April 19 in San Rafael, Calif.

Helen Weatherman Booth, BSN ‘47A, died March 16 in Pulaski, Tenn.

Beatrice Evelyn Szabo Rogers, BSN ‘47B, died July 19 in Florence, S.C.

Loretta B. Roberts, BSN ‘48, died May 16 in Suwanee, Ga.

Phyllis Lange Bateman, BSN ‘61, and VUSN Founder’s Medalist, died April 5 in Franklin, Tenn.

Anita Taylor Davis, BSN ‘74, died July 12 in Nashville.

Julie Caldwell Huffman, BSN ‘77, died July 4 in Graham, Texas.

Joann F. Barber, MSN ‘77, died Aug. 1 in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Bonnie Chisholm, MSN ‘78, died July 3, 2010, in Hardy, Va.

Linda Williams Brown, BSN ‘80, died March 19 in Huntsville, Ala.

Verna A. McLaughlin, MSN ‘97, died May 14 in Algood, Tenn.

Christopher Todd Lewis, MSN ‘01, died on May 26 in Carthage, Tenn.

Kathy Lynn Carmichael, MSN ‘05, died on May 29 in Edmond, Okla.

Teri Jo Prosser Lynch, MSN ‘08, died on March 23 in Shelbyville, Ill.

 

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