2006 Award Recipients

Alumnus of the Year

The Alumnus of the Year award recognizes significant contributions by an individual whose efforts and support have added to the school’s reputation. This year, the school honored Lori Ladd, BSN ‘85 and MS(N) '89.

Preparation and experience as a clinical nurse specialist along with a passion and commitment for quality patient care initiatives fuels Lori Ladd's drive for taking on new endeavors on the behalf of patients.

Ladd has twice graduated from the school's program—a BSN in '85 and a MS(N) in '89. Her expertise includes oncology nursing and pain management with an impressive list of clinical, educational, research and consultative roles.

“Lori taught me valuable lessons in pain assessment, patient care and looking at the ‘whole person' rather than just the disease state, symptoms or lab values,” said Lisa Miller, PharmD Senior National Director of Purdue Pharma's Medical Liaisons and Medical Education Departments.

Her leadership and national recognition guided her to her current job as medical liaison for Purdue Pharma in Stamford , Ct. The company's value of patient care and healthcare professional education matched Ladd's professional passions exactly.

“Liaison is a wonderful title for Lori as she excels in communications, collaborations and creative thinking not only with her colleagues, but with key individuals and organizations outside the company,” Miller continued.

However, even with the honors, memberships, political appointments, levels of leadership and work ethic, Ladd continues to humbly and consistently do the work that she sees necessary in her mission to help patients in pain. She incorporates the life lessons taught to her by her patients and educates health-care organizations, hospice groups and others on a local, state and national level.

One of the highest honors an educator can receive is when professional health-care providers actually incorporate what they've learned into their professional practice.

“A director of nursing who regularly attends our geriatric conferences told me that Lori's session taught her the fifth vital sign—pain,” said Shirley Farrah, assistant dean of Nursing Outreach and Distance Education. “This director now puts this concept into practice.”

Ladd is a passionate educator who engages audiences and strives to provide information that empowers nurses and other health-care providers to advocate and improve care for patients in pain.

Ladd has been married to her “wonderful” husband, Chris Kertzman, for 10 years. They have two children, Matthew, 7, and Kathleen (Katie), 5. Matthew attends Shenandoah Valley Elementary School where Katie will also be in the fall.

 

Alumni Achievement Recipient

This award is given for significant accomplishment in nursing during the first five years post degree, BSN, MS(N) or PhD. This year, the school honored Donna "De" Minner, BSN ‘02.

Coming into the school's RN-BSN program in 2000, Donna “De” Minner already had a strong background in geriatric nursing.

“De came into the program with a greater understanding of nursing and nursing research than most students, but she didn't consider her coursework as repetitive or unnecessary,” said Shari Kist, instructor of clinical nursing in the RN-BSN program. “She excelled in her coursework and provided leadership for her classmates.”

Since graduating from the program, Minner has pursued additional national and international training in assessment and care planning for persons with dementia, including those with Alzheimer's-related dementia. She is now one of a select few in the country qualified as an evaluator in dementia care mapping and, as such, has been enormously influential to Missouri nursing home facilities. During the next several years, Minner will take the next step in the process and become an apprentice instructor in this area.

She has a real passion for the care of people with dementia. It started with her grandfather who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's while she was in her teens. Minner believes through care and support health-care professionals can help these patients maintain many of their abilities and their self esteem.

“By considering the person, instead of the disease, we can increase the well being in their lives,” Minner said. “It's about recognizing the dignity and value of human beings.”

She initially committed herself to sharing her knowledge with a large number of skilled nursing facilities throughout mid-Missouri through the Quality Improvement Program for Missouri (QIPMO). For seven years, she worked with both facility staff and administrators to develop in-service education and acquire resources on a variety of patient care issues and documentation. Currently Minner is working with Dr. Marilyn Rantz, professor of nursing, on a NIH/NINR intervention study “Roadmap to Success.” This study's purpose is to help nursing home staff personnel make sustainable improvements in clinical and leadership areas.

Recently she has had two articles published in peer reviewed nursing journals. The first was on the use of multi-sensory therapy in a nursing home for people with dementia; the second was the result of her BSN capstone project — pain assessment and treatment in the elderly receiving home-health care at MU Sinclair Home Care.

Minner has been married for 33 years to her husband and best friend, Bob, and they have two children, Angie and Joe. She has been able to balance the demands of a busy job, collegiate schedule, family and still have time to contribute to her community.

 

Humanitarian Nursing Recipient

This award is presented to someone who has given to individuals and families in need of support and care through volunteering time and effort. It also calls for someone who has applied nursing knowledge, compassion and caring on an on-going basis. This year, the school honored Gayle Lierheimer, BSN ‘01.

Those who have encountered a life-threatening illness often mark time in a new way — before and after the crisis situation. Gayle Lierheimer, BSN '01, might mark her life in such a way, but perhaps in three sections: before cancer, after cancer and after cancer recurrence.

Before cancer, Lierheimer was a nurse, wife, mother, sister, a friend to many, and an oasis to students from other lands. Her after-cancer life started in 1990 when she became the woman in her family's third generation to develop breast cancer. In 2002, the after-cancer-recurrence phase of her life began. Her cancer returned with a vengeance. Some four treatment cycles later, Gayle retired from the work she loved to focus on healing and giving to others in new ways. She has bolstered the parish nurse program in her home community and sought out ways to serve her fellow breast cancer survivors, cancer survivors, caregivers and vulnerable people in general.

“Gayle continues to teach all of us about the importance of the spiritual component of our existence,” said Peg Heckathorn, retired lymphedema research project manager at the school. “She operates from a holistic, mind-body perspective and framework. She models hope, compassion and action as she continues to keep herself informed of the latest cancer treatments available.”

In 2005 even with her own health issues, Lierheimer helped establish the parish nurse program in her home town of Mexico, Mo. After determining the needs within her church's congregation and adding in her passion to help those with inadequate health-care insurance, she now visits a number of church members and friends throughout the community. She monitors blood pressure, serves as an advocate and referral agent, serves as an integrator of faith and makes in-home visits. She is also assisting in initiating a formal parish nurse program that will reach community wide, involving all churches and health-care providers in her area.

“Gayle is a humble, deeply respected person of faith and integrity who serves out of her love for nursing,” said Rev. Dale Stone, pastor of the Mexico United Methodist Church. “Due to her own health concerns, and her humble, serving spirit in its midst, her courage inspires many.”

Additionally, Lierheimer is actively seeking to bring a therapeutic program incorporating horse therapy for oncology patients and caregivers to central Missouri . “Gayle's creativity and energy seem to know no bounds,” said Jane Armer, professor and researcher at the school. “This is due to the passion she has for nursing and serving her fellow man. Recognizing all that she has given to others in more than 35 years of nursing, it is in the second chapter of her life where perhaps we see most clearly the depth of Gayle's passion to serve her Lord and her fellow man.”

Lierheimer is an outstanding role model for nurses and students in the compassion, selflessness and holistic nursing skills she brings to nursing and caring for people.

Lierheimer and her husband, Richard, have been married 36 years this May and have a rich background in farming. Richard graduated from MU's College of Agriculture in '65, their daughter Kara in '95, and their son Ernie in '99. Kara went back to college and received her BSN in 2004 from the School. Both their children are married, and they are expecting their first grandchild in June.

 

Honorary Alumnus Recipient

The Honorary Alumnus Award is given to a recipient who is not a graduate of the school, but who has nonetheless made outstanding achievements in nursing or support for the nursing industry. The recipient also has supported and enhanced the school’s reputation. This year, the school honored Gail Hubbell.

Gail Hubbell is a Missouri resident with strong ties to the University of Missouri-Columbia.

As she was growing up, her father, a practicing attorney, served on the University Board of Curators and the Missouri Supreme Court. He and her mother taught her at an early age the importance of giving back to your community and the role philanthropy plays in individual lives.

Today the MU connection is still a strong force in Hubbell's life. Her husband, Dr. Ira Hubbell, received degrees from MU, as well as her daughter, Tammy; son, Greg; and stepson, George. Hubbell's Mizzou degree is in English with a secondary teaching certificate. However, her goal had always been to become a nurse – a career her grandmother suggested when she was very young.

But at that time she had a family to raise, which prevented her from pursuing a nursing degree. Later she achieved her goal by graduating from the nursing program at Central Methodist University in Fayette , Mo. For many years she worked as an RN in this area, finally stopping to care for grandchildren.

Due of her deep-seated belief in the importance of nursing, Hubbell established a scholarship in 2005.

“I want this scholarship to make it possible for others to obtain an education in the field I love,” Hubbell said. “I hope my contribution will help make a difference.”

During the last year she has become more involved with the school, discovering first hand how research data is collected.

Hubbell traveled with associate professor Linda Bullock as she conducted home visits to new moms in low-income families. The focus on the mother's mental health and improvement in parenting skills caught Hubbell's interest from the beginning.

“Her compassion for the women and their circumstances is obvious when we were in the field. Although Gail is not actively practicing nursing, her nursing role comes very natural to her when we are in these women's homes,” Bullock said.

Her support and compassion for some of Missouri 's most vulnerable populations are attributes the school hopes for in all its alumni. With all her connections to MU, it's no wonder she has always felt a strong loyalty to the University and supports the school as if it was her home school.

 

Citation of Merit Recipient

The Citation of Merit, is one of the most prestigious awards presented by the Nursing Alumni Organization. This MU graduate must have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the nursing field and continuous support of the school. This year, the school honored Marie Pattison, BSN '55.

Marie Pattison, BSN '55, has always been a forward thinker. This goes back well beyond her professional career.

Pattison, a 1951 graduate of Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in Des Moines, Ia., came to the University of Missouri-Columbia to complete her BSN degree.

“At that time, it was not common for nurses to seek their bachelor's degree after graduating from a diploma nursing program,” said Rebecca Johnson, the school's Millsap Professor of Gerontological Nursing. “Ms. Pattison, however, had a strong vision for herself and for her nursing career.”

She spent the first part of her career working with the American Red Cross in Los Angeles , Ca.

During her work in public health nursing, she sought to better the health and living conditions of the underserved both in the United States and abroad. She expanded her need to serve vulnerable populations by taking her work into the Foreign Service. Her years spent in places such as East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), Yugoslavia and Liberia gave her multitude of experience and also allowed her to bring skills and expertise to third-world countries who were very much in need.

She returned to the United States and served as the nurse to Congress until her retirement in 1980. In her role on The Hill, Pattison had multiple opportunities to represent nursing to those making key policy decisions about health-care issues facing our country.

After her retirement in 1980 from government, she worked in hospice nursing where she dedicated herself to soothing the needs of dying patients and their families.

“Seldom do we have the opportunity to recognize the outstanding contribution of an alum who has made a difference on the international health promotion scene and in the halls of our government,” Johnson said.

Pattison has been married to her husband, Bob, for 12 years and they reside in Virginia.

2005 Award Recipients

Alumnus of the Year

The Alumnus of the Year award recognizes significant contributions by an individual whose efforts and support have added to the school’s reputation. This year, the school honored Cindy Gatens, BSN ‘71.

Although the MU campus was adapted to allow students who use wheelchairs access to classrooms in 1962, the School of Nursing hadn’t had a student in a wheelchair in its hallways until Gatens enrolled in the late 60s.

She was admitted with the understanding that she would have to take much of the initiative in adapting her approach to bedside care. After graduation, Gatens quickly found her passion in educating others about rehabilitation. Currently she is practicing as a Clinical Nurse Specialist at the Dodd Hall Rehabilitation facility in Columbus, Ohio.

In her role as educator, Gatens teaches patients, families and therapists at health-care facilities as well as educating faculty and staff from various local colleges.

 

Alumni Achievement Recipient

This award is given for significant accomplishment in nursing during the first five years post degree, BSN, MS(N) or PhD.

A passion for nursing education and administration has driven Cheryle Kelly, MS ‘00, throughout her academic and professional career.

As a graduate student, Kelly’s enthusiasm and desire to see practicum students succeed was evident in the way she inspired them to stretch their limits. During this time, she realized she had a knack for helping students transition from student nurse to professional nurse.

These two passions were combined in her role as medical unit director at St. Mary’s Health Center in Jefferson City, Mo. As the staff’s mentor and motivator, Kelly created a positive environment that resulted in higher productivity and increased patient satisfaction.

She also developed a graduate nurse internship program. This program helped new graduates make the transition to a professional role by assigning them
to a mentor.

Kelly is now the administrator for St. Mary’s rehabilitation and long-term care facility. Even though she manages 140 employees, she still finds time to help young professionals grow through her presentations and publications.

 

Humanitarian Nursing Recipient

This award is presented to someone who has given to individuals and families in need of support and care through volunteering time and effort. It also calls for someone who has applied nursing knowledge, compassion and caring on
an on-going basis.

Ann Essig’s compassion, strength and heart knew no bounds. Throughout her life, she accomplished a long list of goals that were for the benefit of those living with cancer and other debilitating diseases.

Only a cancer survivor can truly understand what others in this situation are going through. Essig, BSN ’71, took her personal story with cancer and made it into something beautiful for others to embody as they sat in their office. She and her husband, Dr. LeRoy Essig, who completed his residency at MU, worked together in an internal medicine and hematology-oncology practice in Fredericksburg, Va.

“Regardless of all her other activities, she was most proud of being a nurse,” her husband said.

Essig was an enthusiastic breast cancer survivor and participated in the Komen Cancer Walk, which runs 60 miles between Baltimore to Washington, D.C. She was also the driving force behind the formation of the Salvation Army’s Women’s Auxiliary in her hometown. She also established the Music by Moonlight concert. The concert raises money to send area children with limited opportunities to Camp HappyLand. It’s now in its 16th year.

The MU Nursing Alumni Organization honors a most deserving woman and nurse with their humanitarian nursing award posthumously.

 

Honorary Alumnus Recipient

The Honorary Alumnus Award is given to a recipient who is not a graduate of the school, but who has nonetheless made outstanding achievements in nursing or support for the nursing industry. The recipient also has supported and enhanced the school’s reputation.

Cancer nursing and patient care moved at the speed of light during the past four decades. Without professional name or organization to represent them, nurses jumped in to provide necessary care for cancer patients and their families. One of those nurses was Connie Henke Yarbro.

In the mid 70s, Yarbro and three other nurses recognized the need for a professional organization to represent them. They founded the Oncology Nursing Society. Today more than 30,000 members worldwide belong to ONS. She led ONS for four years as president and also nurtured the establishment of the ONS Foundation. As its first president, she helped structure how it financially supports nursing oncology research.

Yarbro feels she was in the right place at the right time as the foundation was laid for the profession of oncology nursing. The profession’s growth has led her to new challenges. As the founding editor of Seminars in Oncology Nursing and the lead editor of Cancer Nursing Principles and Practice, now in its sixth edition, she continues to nurture the profession’s growth. She currently travels the world consulting and lecturing.

In addition to her extraordinary accomplishments, she continues to support the School. She serves as an adjunct clinical associate professor. In 2000, she chaired a highly successful advanced practice nurse conference on breast cancer sponsored by the school and Ellis Fischel Cancer Center. Yarbro also contributed her time and talent to the school’s scholarship-building golf tournament and has been instrumental in its success as well as helping to establish a newly named faculty fellow position in oncology nursing at the school.

 

Citation of Merit Recipient

The Citation of Merit, is one of the most prestigious awards presented by the Nursing Alumni Organization. This MU graduate must have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the nursing field and continuous support of the school.

A class leader who believed in making a difference, Michael Beebe, BSN ‘72, is a self-proclaimed lifetime learner. He has earned five degrees or certificates in various nursing specialties, one in health information science and is currently studying Internet programming and management.

Although he has held a variety of clinical and academic positions since leaving MU, Beebe’s greatest contribution to the nursing profession has been in the area of clinical information management.

In 1990, he was called to active duty in the U.S. Army during Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm where he was responsible for all computer systems and training. His work kept track of all injured soldiers. Subsequently, he received the Legion of Merit, one of the highest awards given for military service.

After leaving active service, Beebe worked with the Fuld Institute
for Technology in Nursing Education in Canada to help develop a program
in Therapeutic Communications for Nursing. The finished program received two CINDI awards, the equivalent of an Academy Award for educational programs.

He has worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs in Seattle, WA, for seven years now. In this position, he teaches nurses to use computerized medical records. His team develops computerized record systems used by VA nurses across the nation. It received an award for best clinical information system in 2000.

 

 

2004 Award Recipients

Alumnus of the Year

Palliative care is usually something that most Americans don’t want to think about. But one MU RN-BSN graduate has given end-of-life care a lot of thought during her career. Dorreen Rardin, BSN ‘98, isn’t shy about educating health-care professionals about the acute need for palliative care services.

Rardin worked closely with Michael Daly, the palliative care program’s medical director, and Lauren Beard, director of oncology, to educate physicians and the board of trustees about why such a program was needed.

However, Rardin hasn’t rested since realizing her dream of a palliative care consultation service in August 1998. She is now teaching the lessons her patients taught her about dying to health-care individuals throughout the United States. People travel to Columbia, to learn about the program and how to start one at their own institution. Rardin has also started working toward her new goal of a free-standing hospice house in Columbia.

One area that Rardin is most passionate about is that of educating health-care professionals on cultural diversities influencing individuals during their final days of life. She actively researches needs, documents them for the hospital’s board members and legal experts, and campaigns energetically to incorporate them into clinical practice at Boone Hospital.

“Few people would be willing to invest the time and effort needed to accomplish this, but Dorreen sees it as part of what being a professional nurse is all about,” said Beth Traudes, instructor at the school. “This ‘never say never’ role model she provides for our students as the ultimate patient advocate is invaluable.”

Her presentations throughout mid-Missouri relate to her belief that all health- care workers must be involved in palliative care in order to change the negative connotations associated with death in America. She has made palliative care nursing her life’s commitment and works to convince others that palliative care is more about living than dying.

 

Alumni Achievement Recipient

A PhD graduate that continues to give back to her alma mater, profession and the next generation of nurses in a way that fuels her passion for the nursing industry. Nelda Godfrey, PhD ‘00, returns every semester as a speaker to talk about a topic near and dear to her heart – the ethics of nursing.

“Nelda is a dynamic speaker and obviously loves what she does,” said Linda Evans, instructor of clinical nursing at the MU Sinclair School of Nursing. “The students are awed by her when she speaks to my class.”

Godfrey is the nursing department chair and teaches in the general education curriculum at William Jewell College in Liberty, Mo. She also works as a staff
nurse in the cardiology unit at the University of Kansas Medical Center. She continues to work in a clinical setting to keep in tune with what nurses are doing and feeling “in the trenches.”

Her self-designed plan for leadership is equal to her fierce commitment to her family, an organized plan for professional development, and a loyalty to nursing as a caring, cognitive and ethics-grounded profession. While raising her young children, Godfrey developed her leadership role in the William Jewell’s Nursing Resource Center. In this laboratory setting, the undergraduate students she taught gained confidence, organization and a respect for perfection. Her expertise and enthusiasm for teaching has resulted in recognition as an outstanding teacher in all the courses she teaches, whether they are general education or nursing. Her creative passion is apparent in her nursing courses. She has students wear ostomy bags filled with warm mashed potatoes or play terminology trivial pursuit. Before and after graduation, students quote Godfrey’s expectations about quality of nursing care.

“Nelda is an outstanding graduate of the University of Missouri School of Nursing,” said Ruth Edwards, professor of nursing at William Jewell. “She is a leader in the nursing profession.”

 

Humanitarian Nursing Recipient

The school’s humanitarian nursing award is given to someone who has given to individuals and families in need of support and care through volunteering time and effort. It also calls for someone who has applied nursing knowledge, compassion and caring on an on-going basis. This is the essence of Mary Eleanor Eaton Farrell, BSN ‘62, FNP ‘79.

After years of collaborative practice, Farrell and her husband, Sam (MD ’62), are still working together in retirement to promote and conduct the Backpacks for Kids program in their own Washington, Mo., Franklin County, backyard.

“I have always been impressed by Mary Eleanor’s true compassion for the emotional and physical needs of others. To recognize a need is one thing, but her first thought seems to be, ‘How can we help?’” said Doris Nappier, friend and co-volunteer at the St. John’s Mercy Hospital Auxiliary in Washington.

The Backpacks for Kids program is a volunteer-based group that provides backpacks or diaper bags filled with clothing, toiletries and comfort items for children or babies placed in foster or protective care with little or no notice. The items in the pack are designed to ease the transition these uprooted youngsters must face and to help provide them with the basic supplies needed for the first night and day with their foster families.

Farrell’s group’s modest beginning has grown to help literally hundreds of children. Articles have been written in local and statewide newspapers touting their success and encouraging participation.

In 2003, Farrell was recognized as the Outstanding Auxilian by the Missouri
Association of Hospital Auxiliaries for her commitment in bringing health related programs to her community.

The Farrell’s Mizzou connection includes their son, Thomas Mark, ’89 School of Medicine, and daughter, Anne, ‘91 College of Veterinary Medicine.

 

Citation of Merit Recipient

No matter what career changes Mavis Thompson, BSN ‘79, JD ‘90, has made over the years, she is always first and foremost a nurse — one who cares for the sick, the weak and the indigent.

Thompson holds the unusual distinction of serving in two professions over the past 20 years and upholding the highest standards of each. She has served as a nurse since graduating from MU in 1979. In 1987, she decided to attend the MU School of Law and worked with several law firms that concentrated on personal injury, medical malpractice and product liability cases.

“The insight Mavis developed from her nursing school classes and practicum was very important when she looked into the care of patients and safety issues,” said Mary Gillespie, MU curator emeritus.

As a former Assistant Attorney General for the State of Missouri, she prosecuted Medicaid fraud cases. Her commitment to stamping out this injustice was fueled by her desire to improve the health-care profession and to provide access to indigent individuals who are in need of governmental support for their health care.

Thompson is committed to dismantling racism, cultural bias and bigotry by conducting workshops in communities across the nation in an attempt to bring people together to live and work more effectively in our diverse world. She serves her community as a member of countless organizations where she fights for justice, equality, caring and human rights for everyone involved.

Currently, Thompson is a member of the health law practice group at the law firm of Sandberg, Phoenix & von Gontard. She also works part time as an OB/GYN nurse at DePaul Hospital in St. Louis. She enjoys international travel and has visited Africa, Brazil, China, Japan, the United Kingdom, South Africa, the Netherlands, Italy and France. Her personal motto is, “Each one must teach one.”

 

 

2003 Award Recipients

Alumnus of the Year

Virginia “Ginny” Humphrey Haymes has impacted the lives of thousands of people through her role as director of educational services at CoxHealth in Springfield, Mo.

She has guided program development that focuses on what is important for patient care, CoxHealth and the community.

One example of an industry-respected program she co-developed is a competency/credentialing system. This easy-to-use practical tool was developed for orientation and ongoing monitoring of employee performance, and it has been consistently commended by JCAHO, CARF and other regulatory accrediting agencies.

She co-authored the R.E.A.C.H. program, designed and conducted a nursing refresher program, participated in designing an education department and resources for a newly constructed 506-bed hospital that includes increased specialty beds, and she began an EMT and paramedics school through CoxHealth.
The list of her accomplishments could continue, but as this list points out, Haymes’ influence is infused in her community and institution.

“She is a leader,” said Larry Wallis, CoxHealth president and CEO. “Her staff respects her. Her peers across the country respect her and what she has truly accomplished specific to health-care education.”

She has also tirelessly promoted continuing education concepts to CoxHealth administration so it had the resources to deliver quality courses. These programs reach nurses as well as health-care workers and laypersons throughout the region.

“Ginny sets a high standard and helps other achieve success,” said Sarah Muegge,’75 BSN, RNBC, and regional services educator for CoxHealth. “I enjoy my job and give credit to Ginny who has helped me challenge myself and find a way to make a difference with my nursing practice.”

 

Alumni Achievement Recipient

Many nursing graduates return to practice in rural health-care settings, but few nurses conduct research focused on the needs of rural populations.

This is the niche that Jill Scott, RN, PhD, is filling. While at the MU Sinclair School of Nursing, Scott specialized in rural health, and her career has uniquely prepared her to address the complex health-care access problems facing rural Americans.

Scott is one of the school’s first graduates to successfully launch a nursing research career at the University of Colorado. Following successful pilot work, she received funding from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. This federal agency funded her cutting-edge research to help nursing facilities in Colorado improve their work environments and quality of care for residents. She is a consultant to the Colorado Quality Improvement Organization as they work with the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare to help nursing facilities across the country improve quality of care.

“This type of funding is the gold standard for excellence in health-care research,” said Vicki Conn, School of Nursing associate dean of research. “Many doctorally prepared nurses never achieve this funding and those who are successful often only achieve this distinction after a decade of effort. Her success is a reflection on our educational programs and we are so very proud of her achievements.”

As Scott develops a national reputation as a strong health-care systems researcher, she still remains committed to educational advancement for nurses. She currently works with the Area Health Education Council, an interdisciplinary educational outreach program for health-care providers. Her ability to provide innovative educational opportunities to nurses located in rural areas is recognized not by only her students, but by her peers.

“As a student she was outstanding,” said Marilyn Rantz, MU Sinclair School of Nursing professor. “She embraced opportunities to gain sound research skills in order to advance nursing knowledge development. Her commitment to the school is evident in her continuing interest in outreach education for RN to BSN, a program that she pioneered as a graduate student at MU.”

 

Humanitarian Nursing Recipient

Since graduating from MU 15 years ago, Gayle Schotte fulfilled a military commitment and has been providing quality patient care in a Texas hospital. She has a comprehensive background in adult and pediatric ICU/PACU nursing as well as being deeply involved and committed to health-care education and clinical excellence.

After relocating to Dallas from a military base in California, she enrolled in continuing education classes and became American Sign Language certified. This additional skill has earned her recognition among her colleagues as an interpreter as well as communicating doctors’ orders for hearing impaired patients.

But when her shift ends, Schotte’s mind occasionally wanders back to her overseas experiences and the friends she’s made as part of medical missionary team. She has been on three medical missions in the past couple of years and is so enthusiastic about these missions that her hospital administrator has hailed her as a model of passion and dedication in her chosen field.

Her first mission was to Nablus, Palestine, the second to Beirut, Lebanon, and then a return trip to Nablus last year. The travel bug bit Schotte when she fulfilled her commission in the U.S. Air Force as a First Lieutenant. After three years serving in California, she left the service to join the Medical City Dallas health-care facility as a recovery room nurse. But another passion was ignited in her after she joined a medical team that travels to Third World countries.

As a member of the plastic surgery medical team involved with the Small World Foundation, Schotte helps repair the external scars of those that suffer from the violence in the Middle East as well as those suffering from severe burns and cleft lips and/or palates. These trips are made to extremely dangerous and violent areas.

“I have never been so glad to be back in the United States in all of my life,” Schotte said. “There’s just no place like home. But I really miss Nablus and all the people there. It’s amazing to me that you can build such strong relationships with people, most of whom don’t even share your same language. I’ve learned that so much is said through a person’s eyes and their smile. These trips are truly an inspiration.”

 

Honorary Nursing Recipient

At times it is hard to believe that Barbara Levy is not a graduate of the MU Sinclair School of Nursing. She is a loyal and tireless supporter of the school’s programs, projects and progress.

For 30+ years, Levy’s career has revolved around gerontology. Her career gradually evolved into ensuring quality care of older adult populations by working with nursing homes and home health agencies through consulting roles.

“The depth and breadth of her work with nursing homes and home health-care agencies demonstrates her knowledge of older adults needs and her commitment to helping them,” said Rebecca Johnson, director of the school’s Center on Aging.

There are many reasons why the school’s faculty think of Levy as one of their own. She has played a supporting role in establishing the corporate relationships that are essential as the school embarks on a project that will change people’s perceptions of nursing homes — the Tiger Place residential facility.

In addition, Levy is an active player in various school advisory groups. Her guidance in the beginning stages of the Senior Care’s business plan was helpful in establishing the infrastructure of this program.

“Her vast knowledge base in relation to both clinical operation and to the business management of the continually changing Medicare system was invaluable,” said Karen Marek, executive director of Senior Care.

Levy owns the LSS Resource Group, Ltd., a consulting service she started in 1997. Her company established, organized and successfully maintained a full-service consultation workload for skilled nursing facilities to provide compliance with government regulations and insurance guidelines, while maximizing reimbursement for covered benefits.

Levy’s clear vision of the nursing profession makes her a leader in the industry, and she tells everyone she comes into contact with about the exciting work currently under way at the MU Sinclair School of Nursing.

 

 

 

2002 Award Recipients

 

Alumnus of the Year

Darlene Huff, BSN '65, MS(N) '79, has been a school nurse for more than 20 years and the coordinator of health services for the Columbia Public Schools since 1990. A leading force in school nursing in Columbia and the state, she successfully coordinated and expanded clinical school nursing practice for the Columbia Public School district , which is composed of 16,000 students in 27 buildings.

She established a process for collecting and assessing pertinent data to plan, implement and evaluate students' health needs and outcomes; initiated the process for the integrated computerization of student health concerns, immunizations and screening exams; management of illnesses and injuries and established links to Web sites for health information. She was also instrumental in helping to develop a state and local mentor program for school nurses.

The School of Nursing recently implemented a school health specialty track within the public health nursing master's program. This program aims to develop school nurses to be leaders of a comprehensive school health program in their school districts. Huff serves on the school's Public Health Nursing Advisory Board and has been instrumental in ensuring success of the program, leading to its national recognition.

Huff also collaborated with the School to provide an innovative mentoring program for school nurses enrolled in the master's program allowing nurses who have little school health experience to obtain a master's degree in the school health specialty and also have a mentor in the school setting to help develop their role as a leader of their school's comprehensive health program.

Huff received a baccalaureate degree in 1965 and a master's degree in nursing in 1979 and holds an adjunct faculty position in the School of Nursing. This year she is co-chair and presenter of the Coordinated School Health Coalition Conference, and she has been appointed by the Columbia City Council to the Mayor's Council on Physical Fitness and Health.

She serves on the Missouri Association of School Nurses board of directors, is an executive committee member of the National Association of School Nurses and is a member of the Boone County Health Report Card Mid Missouri Coalition on Adolescent Health, a member of Sigma Theta Tau International and the MU Alumni Association. In April 2001, she received the Missouri Association of School Nurses Administrator of the Year Award.

 

Alumni Achievement Recipient

In the few short years since her graduation from the Sinclair School of Nursing, Sarah Willson, BSN '96, has distinguished herself in many areas of nursing practice including clinical and administrative realms.

As assistant manager of Women's Services/Newborn Nursery, at University Hospital , she has been instrumental in developing and presenting programs such as Bootcamp for New Dads and the Babyfaces, an online posting of newborn photos.

 In addition to her administrative and clinical responsibilities, she was awarded a $40,000 grant in 2000 from the Missouri Children's Trust Fund to study the impact of infant massage and breast-feeding on prevention of child abuse.

The program includes educating nurses and physicians on the dangers of shaking a baby, the use of infant massage and involvement of parents in the program. A free infant massage kit is provided each participating family discharged from the newborn nursery or neonatal intensive care unit along with an infant massage class held twice monthly to show parents how to use their massage kit and perform massage. Breastfeeding classes, education and support are provided to the mothers as well as a mother's support group is held weekly to provide guidance and mentoring.

As co-coordinator, Willson reports that the program is 100% operational. Her efforts have resulted in an increase in breastfeeding success rates and participation in the Mothers Helping Mothers support group and the infant massage class. Since the inception of the program, a decrease in the incidence of shaken Baby Syndrome has been noted.

As she provides expert clinical service to patients, she readily fulfills her commitment for involving and educating nursing students. She has served as a preceptor for students in providing an educational model for a research-based nursing project based on her own nursing research.

Sarah received a baccalaureate degree in nursing in 1996. She has been a nursing assistant, a teaching assistant and a staff nurse in labor and delivery at University Hospital and at St. Mary's Health Center in Jefferson City, Mo.

 

Citation of Merit Recipient

Dr. Mary Ann Curry, BSN '64, MS(N) '76, is recognized professionally both nationally and internationally for her work in maternal child health, particularly preventing low birth weight infants. She is responsible for the creation of a frequently used instrument in nursing and health-related research, The Prenatal Psychosocial Profile Instrument.

She recently received a $1.4 million National Institute of Nursing Research RO1 research study: Nursing Case Management of Abused Pregnant Women. MU Sinclair School of Nursing has been designated a second site for this project with the Oregon Health Sciences University being the primary site. Curry has completed, as investigator or co-investigator, at least 14 research projects in the area of prenatal/infant care, which contribute invaluably to this body of knowledge.

Curry's accomplishments are a credit to the School of Nursing. She believes her education at MU gave her the foundation to enable her to go on to be either a student or faculty at some of the most prestigious schools of nursing in the country. Curry was the first in her family to have a college education.

Following graduation from MU in 1964, she received her master of science degree in 1976. In 1979 she obtained her doctor of nursing science degree from the University of California in San Francisco and began serving as the program director of the Women's Health Care Nurse Practitioner Program. An associate professor at the School of Nursing at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, from 1979 to 1986, she was named a full professor in 1987.

From 1998 to 2000, she held the Grace Phelps Endowed Distinguished Professorship, and in 2001, she achieved professor emeritus status.

Curry has actively participated in the American Nurses Association; the American Academy of Nursing, currently as a member of the Violence and Abuse Expert Panel; Sigma Theta Tau International; American Public Health Association; and the Nursing Network on Violence Against Women International.

She received the 2001 Award for Excellence in Research: Nursing Network Violence Against Women International. With more than 35 publications in books and journals, she has also chaired 47 master's theses and projects, six doctoral dissertations, and has sponsored five postdoctoral fellows. In addition to her academic activities, she is active in her community, and for the past 10 years has been a member of the Governor's Medicaid Advisory Board.

 

 

 

2001 Award Recipients

Alumnus of the Year

Mary Cunningham [BSN '76] received a baccalaureate degree from the MU School of Nursing in 1976. Shortly after graduation, oncology nursing became her clinical area of emphasis. She has distinguished herself in many ways throughout a long career in oncology nursing.

During her 20 years at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston , she progressed from a staff nurse to clinical nurse specialist in adult leukemia, the last 12 years serving as Clinical Nurse Specialist in Pain and Symptom Management. She also served as clinical instructor at the University of Texas School of Nursing for 10 years. In 1999, she returned to mid-Missouri and holds the position of Coordinator of Pain and Palliative Care Services at Ellis Fischel Cancer Center.

She received a master's of science from Texas Woman's University in Houston in 1988, completed a post-master's oncology nurse practitioner program at University of Texas Health Science Center-School of Nursing and in 1999 was certified as an Advanced Oncology Nurse. She holds an Adjunct Faculty appointment with the MU Sinclair School of Nursing.

Mary is involved and serves at every level - direct patient care, education of future health care professional, nurse colleagues, physicians, and the public. A patient has shared that Mary gave her back her life.

She was wracked with chronic pain to the point that she was unable to do anything except focus on her horrible existence. In a short period of time, Mary worked with her physician and adjusted her pain medications and significantly enhanced the quality of this woman's life. The patient said, “this was the first time anyone really listened to me 'I love Mary'”.

Education is one of Mary Cunningham's priorities. Each month she presents a lecture on cancer pain management to new staff nurses, student nurses, medical students, residents, fellows and new attending physicians. Because of her vast clinical knowledge, learners quickly recognize her as an easily approachable expert and a resource/consultant for complex patient needs. In addition, she mentors two MU Sinclair School of Nursing senior student groups focusing on cancer pain management.

She is known nationally and internationally as evidenced by her many invited speaking engagements and publications. In 2000, she spoke at the 19 th Annual Oncology Nursing Society in Atlanta on the “Challenges in Pain Management: Providing Care to Individuals Diagnosed with Cancer Pain and Substance Use Disorder."

She has moderated and presented in over five educational videos and television programs. Her publication list of clinical articles for journals and chapters in textbooks is extensive. Most recent publications completed in 2000 include a booklet, Management of Analgesic Side Effects; a chapter “Thriving as an oncology nurse” in the book, Cancer Nursing: Principles and Practices, 5th ed. ; an article for the Ellis Fischel physician newsletter, Oncology Review entitled “Chronic pain: Potential sequella of cancer and cancer treatment;" and an article for the Oncology Nursing Update.

“Controlling cancer pain” has been the focus of her research that includes seven completed research projects, two as principal investigator and two as collaborator on randomized clinical trials.

She is a member of many professional organizations including the American Nurses Association, American Society of Pain Management Nurses and International Association for the Study of Pain. In 1989 received the Oncology Nursing Society/Schering Award for Clinical Excellence.

 

Alumni Achievement Recipient

Marcia Beck [MS(N) '97] completed a master's of science degree in 1997 utilizing the distance study option. She obtained a baccalaureate in nursing from Truman State University in 1977 and prior to that attended southwest Baptist College in Bolivar, Mo. She received training as a lymphedema therapist by Lerner Academy of Lymphatic Studies and is certified as a medical-surgical clinical nurse specialist.

Her accomplishments in the area of cancer care, specifically in lymphedema therapy, are numerous and remarkable. In 1996, she initiated an innovative nurse-managed lymphedema clinic at Northeast Missouri Regional Medical Center in Kirksville and currently serves as its director.

She successfully manages the administrative, educational and direct patient care components of the clinic and is an exemplar of the role of MU nurses throughout the state and country in advanced practice. One of her patients comments that Marcia is a highly skilled practitioner and educator for patients who have lymphedema following breast cancer treatment.

She brings unparalleled sensitivity and compassion in working with and advocating for patients who may be undiagnosed or under-treated. She works closely with physicians, staff, families, patients, volunteers and the public in increasing understanding about breast cancer prevention, detection and treatment.

She serves a rural under-served population and is extremely accountable and committed to this issue of concern to her. As a five-year breast cancer survivor, she brings a unique perspective on the disease to her patients and can counsel them from a personal viewpoint on breast cancer survival and symptom management.

Prior to establishing the clinic, she held a number of nursing administrative positions in the Kirksville area. From 1988 to 1996 she was Director of Patient Services at Kirksville Osteopathic Medical Center and before that was Interim Director of Nursing Services and Director of Emergency Services.

Marcia volunteers for the American Cancer Society serving her local area as Community Chairperson. She is a local Reach to Recovery volunteer and organized the first Adair County Community Relay for Life on the regional level. She serves as the lynmphedema resource person for the Heartland Division of the American Cancer Society that includes Missouri , Nebraska and Kansas .

She shares a commitment to research in the area of lymphedema and is planning a collaborative multi-site research project with faculty at the MU Sinclair School of Nursing. She maintains an active speaking schedule and is a contributing member of the National Lymphedema Network. She has published in multidisciplinary journals on lymphedema assessment and management.

 

Humanitarian Nursing Recipient

The Humanitarian Nursing Award recognizes the unique nursing contributions of Silvia Manson Tribble, BSN '92. She is employed part time as a labor and delivery nurse on the obstetric unit at Boone Hospital Center. The remainder of her time is devoted to serving the homeless community in Columbia.

She, and her husband, who is also a nurse, share the primary leadership responsibility of the St. Francis House, one of three local shelters that provide a home for homeless men and women. Fluent in Spanish, she has recently expanded her services to include a Spanish-speaking population that has come to central Missouri. She is truly an advocate for those in need of assistance, whether helping individuals navigate the legal system or the state welfare system. She is widely respected within the homeless community.

Members of the MU Sinclair School of Nursing faculty provide this example of Silvia's compassion. “We have known Silvia for a number of years and stand in admiration of her pursuit to provide care to our most vulnerable population group in Columbia. One such example was a 16 year-old Spanish-speaking woman who, due to an undiagnosed heart problem, had complications with her pregnancy. Silvia took the girl into her home and cared for her during that difficult time. After the baby was born, Silvia continued to help this mother obtain the available services necessary for her and her infant to maintain their health status.”

Tribble shares her knowledge and zeal for advocacy with the senior nursing students each semester by providing real-life examples and case studies from her work. As a preceptor, she provides students entry into home base camps and other hidden spots where homeless people reside. This afforded students a wonderful and rare opportunity to develop skills related to providing care for one of our most vulnerable populations. She is a great role model for students. She serves as a wonderful example of what caring is all about and brings honor to the MU Sinclair School of Nursing through her work.

 

Honorary Alumnus Recipient

Dr. Meridean Maas has served the MU Sinclair School of Nursing as consultant to the Office of Research since 1995, when research efforts were reorganized to invigorate the School's research infrastructure. She has traveled from the University of Iowa on a regular basis to consult with the faculty in developing programs of research and to assist the faculty in preparing successful grant applications.

She serves on research teams and shares her knowledge and expertise in gerontology. As a consultant for the research office, she has worked extensively with the MU Minimum Data Set and Quality Research Team. This team is an interdisciplinary group dedicated to improving the quality of care in long term care. Her contributions have been invaluable in the development of several grants that the team submitted. She has also assisted in writing several journal articles with the Team.

During the past six years, the School of Nursing has experienced a 3,427 percent increase in external research funding. While this would be impressive for faculty in any school or college, it is especially remarkable for the MU Sinclair School of Nursing and its position as part of a Doctoral/Research University-Extensive institution as designated by the Carnegie Foundation.

Increasing the grant income over the last few years has kept the School of Nursing moving in the right direction. (Campus officials determine the university funding that goes to each school each year with discretion to increasing or decreasing funding.) Keeping the research funding strong means that faculty are able to pursue the important educational goals of the School of Nursing. Maas has been instrumental in achieving and maintaining this success.

Maas is well known nationally and has many important connections. She consistently informs faculty of opportunities at the national level and assists in promoting the School of Nursing 's activities. She is not only an adviser to the faculty but a friend and colleague. Her work also profoundly affects students because it develops faculty expertise.

Strong graduate programs require strong faculty research skills and productivity. Maas' work with faculty has a major impact on doctoral education because her work has increased the research capacity of the faculty, which faculty then offer to graduate students.

Maas is currently professor and chair of adult and gerontologic nursing and senior associate director of the Office of Research at the College of Nursing at the University of Iowa and adjunct executive associate of nursing at Iowa Veteran's Home in Marshalltown.

She holds the title of distinguished visiting professor at Wayne State University College of Nursing in Detroit . She received a baccalaureate and a master of arts in nursing from the University of Iowa, a post master's in rehabilitation nursing from Texas Woman's University and a PhD in sociology organizations and research methods from Iowa State University in Ames.

She has numerous publications in professional journals and has chapters published in 16 books. Recent journal articles focus on quality care of the elderly and outcomes of nursing interventions. Maas has served on the Editorial Board for several journals such as Advances in Gerontological Nursing and IMAGE: Journal of Nursing Scholarship. She is a member of many professional organizations including Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society, Midwest Nursing Research Society, and the American Academy of Nursing.