Tribute/School of Nursing 2013

SCHOOL OF NURSING | 2013

Many partnershipsempower the future of nursing

—PhilanthroPists Karen and ronald herrmann

The School of Nursing Alumni Association challenges you to stay informed, get involved and become invested in your alma mater this year! There’s no shortage of ways you can do this, and we hope you’ll find a couple that fit your busy schedule.

• informed: In addition to hosting the alumni website, the Alumni Association publishes a semi-annual electronic newsletter and an annual alumni magazine. We’d love to hear great story ideas if you have any. From our website, you can tap into library resources, sign up for continuing nursing education or access the university’s online alumni directory, where you can create or update your profile, post class notes and search for classmates.

• involved: Whether you’re exploring new job opportunities or looking to hire top nursing talent, our career fairs in the spring and fall are a great way to get involved. We also have opportunities for you to mentor students, serve as a class agent, become a member of the Nursing Advisory Council or join the newly formed Alumni Council, which will help shape the goals and strategies of the Alumni Association going forward.

• invested: Alumni gifts enable the School of Nursing to enhance our academic programs, hire outstanding faculty and researchers and recruit the best and brightest students. By making a gift to the School of Nursing, you can express your appreciation for the education you received, strengthen the stature of your alma mater and invest in the future of health care that benefits us all.

If you are interested in sharing a story idea or getting involved in one of the programs or activities above, contact Melissa Mireles at [email protected] or 210-567-5534. For questions about giving opportunities, including how you can include the School of Nursing in your estate plans, contact Gwen Notestine at [email protected] or 210-567-5313.

www.nursing.uthscsa.edu/sonalumni

ISN’t It AbOUt tIme YOU GOt eNGAGed?

http://www.nursing.uthscsa.edu/sonalumni/

4 dean’s message

6 new leadershiP, tenured and tenure-tracK faculty

17 honor roll of donors

18 schnitzler cardiovascular consultants Redefining Corporate Partnership

20 endowment enhances global visibility

22 first day of nursing school imPacts 30-year career

23 nursing informatics Helping Organizations Harness Information for Better Patient Care

26 dePartment of lifelong learning Offering Patient-Centered Inter-professional Engagement

5 8

10 12

14 24

5 maKing young men’s health a toP Priority

Professor conducts community-based participatory research to spur much needed change in men’s health care.

8 mesa Project $1.4 million grant seeks to advance health

disparities research while increasing the number of researchers and educators from under-represented minority groups.

10 simulation center High-tech center replicates a wide variety

of complex human conditions as well as the sights, sounds and smells of actual health care settings.

12 ut nursing clinical enterPrise The UTNCE provides students,

employees and community-based clinics with comprehensive health and wellness services.

14 new academic Programs Through its new degree programs,

the School of Nursing is positioned to be in the vanguard of the nationwide effort to educate the next generation of nursing leaders.

24 alumni join forces to Promote best Practices for breastfeeding

Three School of Nursing alumni are teaming up to ensure that babies, mothers and society at large enjoy the many benefits of breastfeeding.

School of Nursing Office of the Nursing Dean7703 Floyd Curl Drive San Antonio, TX 78229-3900210-567-5313


Many partnershipsempower the future of nursing

—PhilanthroPists Karen and ronald herrmann

on the cover

Karen and Ronald Herrmann exemplify the spirit of partnership that will be key to the nursing school’s future success. In addition to their extensive community involvement, Ron serves on the Health Science Center’s Development Board and Karen serves on the Board of Governors for the CTRC, the Nursing Advisory Council and the Executive Committee of the Council for Excellence in Women’s Health. The Herrmanns are longstanding donors to the Health Science Center whose many gifts include an endowed professorship in the School of Nursing. (COVeR Photo by lester rosebrocK, multimedia Services.)

School of Nursing | The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio tribute 3

eileen t. breslin | PhD, RN, FAANDean and Professor Dr. Patty L. Hawken Nursing Endowed ProfessorSchool of Nursing The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

dean’s messagedear friends,

I am pleased to introduce our second issue of Tribute, the official magazine of the School of Nursing. It comes at an interesting time in the history of our school … and an inflection point in the evolution of nursing. With the recent publication of “The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health,” the Institute of Medicine has provided a blueprint for the future of nursing. I am happy to say that our school is well positioned and prepared to capitalize on the key findings and recommendations in this seminal report.

Woven throughout the five sections of the magazine— Diversity, Discovery, Delivery, Development and Dedication—is an inspiring story of how our school is preparing today’s nursing students to lead tomorrow. Through a combination of innovative programs, pioneering faculty and state-of-the-art technology, we are preparing the next generation of nursing leaders to make lives better.

Following are just a few of the steps we’ve taken to fulfill our mission:• Twenty-one students are currently enrolled in our new DNP Program, which offers

Executive Administrative Management and Nurse Practitioner Leadership tracks. This fall, we will begin offering a third track: Public Health Nurse Leader.

• We are growing our Clinical Nurse Leader MSN Program to prepare students to provide direct patient care while facilitating team communication and implementing evidence-based solutions at the unit level.

• Through our new Alternate Entry Master’s Degree Program, we are meeting the needs of ADNs and diploma RNs who wish to advance their careers with enhanced knowledge and skills.

• Even as we expand our graduate degree programs, we continue to enjoy strong enrollment in our BSN Program.

Outside the classroom setting, our faculty continues to conduct important research while inspiring in our students a passion for discovery, exemplified in the story about Dr. Carrie Jo Braden’s work with the MESA project. Through our state-of-the-art Center for Simulation Innovation that opened last June, we are giving students across the university unique opportunities for hands-on learning and inter-professional collaboration. Our Department of Lifelong Learning, formerly called Continuing Nursing Education, is forging partnerships with other schools at the Health Science Center as well as professional organizations and associations to offer CNE programs that meet the knowledge base and competency needs of adult learners in the health care industry. Meanwhile, our clinical enterprise continues to expand the high-quality health care services it provides to all students and university employees as well as patients at a number of community-based clinics.

As you read this magazine, you will see how we are spurring innovation through a whole host of collaborative partnerships—with local school systems, private donors, corporate partners, community clinics around town and universities around the world. You will also notice that alumni stories are interwoven in the larger narrative. That’s because our graduates are playing key roles in our success—as mentors, faculty members, donors, career fair sponsors and advisory council members. I hope that you enjoy this second issue of Tribute, and that it will inspire you to re-engage in the life of your alma mater in new, exciting and mutually beneficial ways. Thank you for supporting our efforts and celebrating our successes.

I hope that you enjoy this second

issue of Tribute, and that it will

inspire you to re-engage in the life

of your alma mater in new, exciting

and mutually beneficial ways.”

4 tribute School of Nursing | The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Story by salwa choucair

When it comes to seeking knowledge and assistance concerning health care issues, women historically have had more options through state-funded and federally-funded programs than men. Peter Guarnero, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the School

of Nursing’s Department of Family and Community Health Systems, hopes his community-based participatory research will be the catalyst to spur much needed change in men’s health care.

“Currently, there is a lack of understanding of what young men need in such areas as reproductive and physical health,” Guarnero explained.

maKing young men’s

health a toP Priority

Diversity

Drawing upon his postdoctoral training in vulnerable (low socio-economic and minority) populations, Guarnero recently conducted three focus groups targeting young men of color between the ages of 18 and 25, with approximately six men in each group. With these groups, Guarnero wanted to turn the tables on research. Instead of formulating a specific topic to analyze, he chose to let the participants decide the issue. The idea was to gather information and determine the needs of the community based on how the community defines the issue of health. Guarnero is currently analyzing the results of his qualitative pilot study called Understanding Health Promotion Behaviors among Young Men of Color.

A few of his findings so far point to a need for mentorship and continuing education about what it means to be a father, respecting self and one’s partner and taking personal responsibility in relationships.

“These young men need guidance and adult males who can give them a sense of direction, especially in terms of relationships,” he said. The overall health of any individual begins with an understanding of how the body works, and with this fundamental knowledge, how it relates to others, especially when it comes to intimacy. When a man understands his reproductive system and a woman’s reproductive system, he hopefully can feel more connected to both. For example, if his partner is expecting a baby, he can relate more to the range of physiological and emotional changes she can experience.

“We have made great strides in understanding the unique health needs of women, and now it is time to start the discussion and begin changing men’s health care too,” Guarnero said. He hopes to lead the charge with the next step in his research—applying for a larger grant and publishing the results.

Dr. Guarnero earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from St. Mary’s Seminary College and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Marcella Neihoff School of Nursing, Loyola University in Chicago. He also holds a master’s degree in nursing with a specialization in psychiatric nursing from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a doctoral degree from the University of California, San Francisco. He most recently earned a master’s degree in biomedical sciences, clinical research from the University of New Mexico.

(Left to right) Peter Guarnero, Ph.d., assistant professor; daniel Pineda, health educator and community liaison for the School of Nursing’s Center for Community-based Health Promotion with Women and Children; and John Vacca, counselor at Por Vida Academy Charter High School, a community partner with the Center for Community-based Health Promotion with Women and Children.


laura alvarado, M.S.N., RN, NEA-BC Director of Lifelong Learning

Laura Alvarado joined the School of Nursing as the director of the Department of Lifelong Learning (DLL) in August 2012. In addition to advising Dean Breslin and faculty concerning trends in continuing nursing education (CNE), she is responsible

for offering CNE programs that meet the needs of the nursing and inter-professional communities in the areas of continuing competency and lifelong learning.

Prior to joining the UT Health Science Center, Alvarado worked as chief nursing officer (CNO) at InGenesis, Inc., where she led the transition of a federal contract to InGenesis and managed all clinical research staffing contracts. In addition, she is a retired Air Force Nurse Corps officer with 30 years’ experience in clinical, management and executive leadership roles. In her final Air Force assignment, she was the vice commander and CNO at the 59th Medical Wing, Lackland, Air Force Base, Texas. Prior to the Base Realignment and Closure initiative, it was the only Level I trauma center in the U.S. Air Force.

Alvarado earned her B.S.N. from University of the Incarnate Word and holds an M.S.N. from the University of Texas at Arlington. She also has a certificate in health management administration from The George Washington University Health Plan. She served on the Nursing Advisory Council at the UT Health Science Center from 2009 to 2012.

teresa boese, M.S.N., RN Associate Professor, Director of the Center for Simulation Innovation

Teresa Boese joined the School of Nursing in September 2012 as an associate professor and the director of the Center for Simulation Innovation (CSI). She is responsible for managing the CSI and its equipment and

developing educational programs that meet the shared missions of the School of Nursing and the Health Science Center in the areas of education, clinical care and community engagement.

Before joining the UT Health Science Center, Boese was an assistant professor and the director of the Human Simulation Laboratory at the International University of Nursing and University of Medicine and Health Sciences in St. Kitts, the Caribbean. Prior to that, she taught at the University of Iowa for 27 years.

Boese received her B.S.N. from the University of Iowa and her M.S.N. from the University of Minnesota. She has published numerous articles on clinical simulation in nursing and co-founded the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL), where she continues to serve on the board of directors.

janie canty-mitchell, Ph.D., RN Professor and Chair

In August 2012, Janie Canty-Mitchell, Ph.D. joined the School of Nursing as a professor and chair in the Department of Family and Community Health Systems. She holds the Lillie Cranz Cullen Endowed Professorship in Nursing.

Dr. Canty-Mitchell brings more than 40 years of experience as a professional registered nurse and 24 years of teaching, research and service in higher education to her current positions at the School of Nursing. She has taught courses in a wide range of topics, including community/public health nursing, leadership and management, and child and adolescent health disparities. In collaboration with community organizations and interdisciplinary groups, she has partnered with undergraduate and graduate students to develop and implement health interventions designed to promote child and adolescent health and decrease health disparities.

Dr. Canty-Mitchell has a diploma in nursing from Lincoln Hospital School of Nursing and a B.S.N. from Florida State University. She went on to earn an M.S.N. and Ph.D. in nursing at the University of Miami. She has been appointed as a charter member and a nurse consultant for a number of national programs, including the Children and Family Study Section, Center for Scientific Review (2004 – 2008); the Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellows Program (2009 – 2012); and Leadership America (2012 – 2013). She has also presented at local, regional, national and international conferences and has published a number of articles in peer-reviewed conference proceedings, journals and books.

lisa cleveland, Ph.D., RN, PNP-BC, IBCLC Assistant Professor

Since joining the School of Nursing as a clinical instructor in 2005, Lisa Cleveland, Ph.D. was promoted to clinical assistant professor in the Department of Family and Community Health Systems in 2010 before

moving to tenure track in 2011. She currently teaches nursing theory in the MSN and PhD programs. A board-certified pediatric nurse practitioner, she has a cross appointment at the School of Medicine.

Dr. Cleveland’s research is focused on improving health outcomes for vulnerable women and children. Among her many projects, she was the primary investigator on the Mi Chiquito study, which explored the experiences of Mexican-American women who have had an infant admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. She presented the findings of this study at several international conferences. She also presented her Baby Boy Jones Case-Based Interactive Learning Activity (CBLA) at the 2012 Interprofessional Partnership: Improvement for Global Health Outcomes Conference in Chiang Mai, Thailand. She is currently conducting research focused on the experiences of mothers of substance-exposed infants.

Dr. Cleveland earned a B.S.N. from the University of South Carolina, an M.N. from the Medical College of Georgia, and a

New Leadership, Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty


Diversity

Ph.D. in parent-child nursing from the University of Texas at Austin. She is also an international board-certified lactation consultant (IBCLC).

Karine crow, Ph.D., RN Associate Professor

Karine Crow, Ph.D. currently teaches several courses at the School of Nursing, including Healthcare Policy Analysis and Advocacy and Population-Focused Health, a class that involves collaborating with the American Indians at the Spanish Colonial Missions in Texas.

Throughout her professional career, Dr. Crow has focused on improving health among American Indian and diverse populations by promoting culturally congruent care through education, nursing practice and research. She coordinated the American Indian Program at Northern Arizona University for 11 years and served on advisory boards for the Oklahoma State University-Okmulgee Nursing Department and the University of New Mexico, Gallup Nursing Program.

Dr. Crow earned her B.S. at Texas Woman’s University and her M.S. and Ph.D. at the University of Utah. She has held a number of leadership roles in professional organizations, including Navajoland Nurses United for Research, Service and Education (N-Nurse), National Alaska Native American Indian Nursing Association (NANAINA) and Pathways into Health.

A recipient of the American Nurses Association Alumni Minority Fellowship Award, she has also been recognized as a leader in American Indian Nursing Education by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Alaska Elders for Excellence in Cultural Attunement and Lifelong Learning.

ilene decker, Ph.D., RN Associate Dean

Ilene Decker, Ph.D. was named associate dean of academic affairs at the School of Nursing in August 2012. She holds the William and Berneice Castella Distinguished Professorship in Nursing. She is responsible for leading the development and evaluation

of the school’s academic programs, including curricular and program innovations and education partnerships.

Before joining the UT Health Science Center, Dr. Decker worked for 20 years at Northern Arizona University, where she served as an administrator and a professor teaching courses in theory, research, palliative care and fundamentals of nursing. She has a broad background in nursing and specific training in key aspects of research that include the development of methodology for studying end-of-life issues and cross-cultural considerations in research.

Dr. Decker received her B.S.N. from Mercy College of Detroit before earning her M.S. from Arizona State University and Ph.D. from the University of Arizona. She has completed two national end-of-life nursing education consortium certifications. In addition, she holds professional memberships with the Hospice & Palliative Care Nurses Association and the American Association of Critical Care Nurses.

marion donohoe, D.N.P., APRN, CPNP-BC Assistant Professor

Marion Donohoe, D.N.P. teaches courses in the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs focused on pediatrics and public health nursing. Her research interests include pediatrics and youth infected with HIV/AIDS

as well as the impact of adverse childhood experiences (stress and trauma) on health and behavioral outcomes, and her international priorities are Peru and South Africa.

Dr. Donohoe received her M.S.N. with a focus on children with special health needs from George Mason University, and her D.N.P. in public health nursing from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She also holds a pediatric nurse practitioner post-master’s certificate from Catholic University.

rebekah salt, Ph.D., RN Assistant Professor

Rebekah Salt, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the Department of Family and Community Health Systems teaching in the undergraduate program. She has conducted research on women’s health issues, and her program of science focuses on social

determinants of health, specifically addressing the health-employment link for low-income women who participate in microcredit. Before joining the UT Health Science Center in January 2013, she worked at the University of New Mexico’s College of Nursing, where she taught in the undergraduate and graduate programs.

Dr. Salt received her ADN from Shoreline Community College and her B.S.N. from the University of Phoenix. She earned her M.S.N. and Ph.D. in nursing at the University of Washington. She also completed postdoctoral training in women’s health nursing research at the University of Washington’s School of Nursing.

azizeh sowan, Ph.D., RN Assistant Professor

Azizeh Sowan, Ph.D. joined the Department of Health Restoration and Care Systems Management as an assistant professor in March 2013. As the school’s lead informatics faculty member, she will develop the informatics curricular component for all the school’s

programs. Dr. Sowan’s recent research projects have included help-seeking behaviors in technology-mediated learning. She plans to focus future efforts on technology applications that facilitate communication with patients who are conscious but cannot speak.

After receiving her B.S.N. and her master’s in nursing education from the University of Jordan, Dr. Sowan earned her Ph.D. in nursing informatics at the University of Maryland. She is a member of the Capital Area Roundtable on Informatics in Nursing, the American Medical Informatics Association, Sigma Theta Tau and the Jordanian Nurses and Midwives Council.

New Leadership, Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty


(Left to right) bina Prakash, project coordinator, delana Gonzales, second-year student in the master of Public Health Program at SARC, and Carrie Jo braden, Ph.d., RN, FAAN, associate dean of research, work together on the meSA grant project. (Photo by lester rosebrocK, multimedia Services.)

meSAPROJeCt Planting

the seeds for tomorrow’s teachers and researchers


Discovery


Graduate students from five disciplines on the campus of the UT Health Science Center San Antonio are reaping the benefits of a grant project called Mechanisms for Enhancing Scholarly Achievements (MESA). These students

represent the Health Science Center’s schools of nursing, medicine, dentistry and health professions as well as the University of Texas School of Public Health San Antonio Regional Campus (SARC). Supported by a $1.4 million grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (1 R01 GM088781), MESA provides funding for students who are randomly assigned to the intervention to earn 10 units of research-focused elective credit over a two-year period, paid in full. These credits count toward a “distinction in research” designation upon graduation for medical and dental students.

In addition to the parent grant, NIH awarded the UT Health Science Center two administrative supplements, also known as diversity supplements. These have been awarded to minority graduate students in the School of Nursing: Isabel Calderon Martinez, M.S.N., RN, who is currently in the doctoral program, and Sergio Rivas, RN, who is currently in the master’s program.

MESA seeks to advance health disparities research and increase the number of researchers from under-represented minority groups while fostering interdisciplinary networking across health care professions. As such, it is particularly important in South Texas, where diversity among medical researchers and educators is lacking.

Carrie Jo Braden, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, associate dean of research for the School of Nursing, noted that while diversity among clinicians has improved, the same is not true when it comes to researchers and professors. This void also can be seen in the topics they study and how they study them.

“Learning is the primary mechanism of change—that is my central belief,” Dr. Braden said, and that’s why she encourages MESA participants not only to continue their research efforts after they finish the program but also to consider pursuing their doctoral degrees. By planting seeds in the hearts and minds of graduate students today through programs like MESA, the hope is to create a more knowledgeable and diverse health care community in the future.

With a passion for teaching and fostering health research, Dr. Braden encourages MESA participants to apply for various research grants of their own. The process of finding the right grant and completing the application can seem overwhelming to graduate students, but Dr. Braden’s guidance and experience eases the complicated road. In her second year of the Master of

Public Health program at SARC, Delana Gonzales promotes the MESA program within her school and is thankful for the opportunities it has offered her.

“MESA has developed my research skills and provided me with networking opportunities throughout the Health Science Center, giving me a glimpse into a wide variety of research projects being conducted on campus,” she said. “The experience has also opened my eyes to the fact that there are not enough minorities in higher education.”

With a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Mexico, Gonzales is focusing her research on breast and

cervical cancer screening among underserved populations. Upon receiving her master’s degree, she plans to continue her education in a doctoral program, focusing on health promotion and health education.

Amery Yang, who completed her master’s in public health from SARC in August, had a similar experience in the MESA program. A native of McAllen, Texas, Yang took an interest in MESA because of its research focus.

“The MESA program enabled me to get out of the lab and into the community,” said Yang, whose focus was on discovering whether or not patients from underserved populations understand the advice they receive from health care professionals and if they are then able to apply that advice to their daily lives.

“MESA opened my mind not only to community research, but to different fields of research as well,” Yang said. She is currently applying to medical school and would like to study internal medicine combined with research and eventually return to her roots in the Rio Grande Valley to work with the underserved.

With participants like Gonzales and Yang, the MESA program appears to be doing exactly what Dr. Braden hoped it would—cultivate a passion for research in students today who will grow into the teachers and researchers of tomorrow.

By planting seeds in the hearts

and minds of graduate students

today through programs like

MESA, the hope is to create a more

knowledgeable and diverse health

care community in the future.


The world of academic health care simulation centers has seen its fair share of innovation since the 1990s, when students practiced basic procedures using simple task trainers in traditional classroom settings. Today’s state-of-the-art simulation centers integrate high-tech manikins into high-fidelity environments to replicate not only a

wide variety of complex human conditions but also the sights, smells and sounds of actual health care settings. These realistic learning labs facilitate students’ suspension of disbelief, so much so that their heart rates and anxiety levels often increase when they train in them for the first time.

According to Teresa Boese, M.S.N, RN, director of the School of Nursing’s Center for Simulation Innovation (CSI), this heightened physiological reaction is vital to the learning process for nurses. “By performing procedures on manikins in settings that offer an extremely high degree of realism, our students learn to deal with anxiety that is inherent to any new training situation,” she said. “After participating in a simulation, students have increased confidence in their knowledge and skills, and that leads to better decision-making.”

Boese should know. As co-founding president of the International Nursing Association for Clinical Nursing Simulation and Learning (INACSL), she has witnessed the evolution of academic simulation centers for the past two decades and has literally written many of the international standards for simulated education.

Opened in the spring of 2012, the School of Nursing’s CSI features an array of hospital and home health environments, including pediatric and ambulatory care suites, a trauma center and intensive care rooms that will be replicated at University Health System’s facility. In these and other settings, nursing students work with complex computerized manikins that mimic human physiological reactions; the manikins simulate newborns, children and adults. The $3.9 million, 7,281-square-foot center was funded by gifts from public and private partners, including the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas (MHM), University Health System, Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (KCI), the School of Nursing and its Nursing Advisory Council, Donna Block and the family of alumna and former faculty member Ruth Ann Baldwin.

While many of the people who tour the new simulation center are amazed by its state-of-the-art technology and rigorous attention to even the smallest of details, Boese sees the center as merely one tool, albeit an important one, in the school’s larger pedagogical portfolio. “Our simulation center is a complementary teaching tool that reinforces and extends the knowledge and techniques our students are learning through online instruction, classroom lecture, small group discussion and clinical rounds. Having said that, we know that simulated education improves many of our desired teaching outcomes.

Simulation Center

is Powerful Tool for Achieving

School’s Mission

Story by david e. Perryman, M.A.


Delivery

These include higher student satisfaction, greater interaction between students and teachers and increased engagement and accountability that result from active versus passive learning, as students don’t ‘tune out’ while participating in a simulation like they sometimes do listening to a lecture.”

Since the CSI opened last spring, students from the School of Nursing, the School of Medicine and the School of Health Professions have utilized the facility to practice various procedures in their respective curricula. More recently, medical, nursing and respiratory therapy students have come together as integrated teams of health care providers to collaborate on rapid response simulations. “These kinds of inter-professional simulations will increase students’ awareness of and appreciation for each profession’s role, scope of practice and unique skills,” Boese noted. “They will also improve communications across the professions to produce more efficient and effective health care teams.”

Beyond fulfilling the Health Science Center’s educational and clinical missions, the CSI has enabled the university to forge new partnerships with external agencies, institutions and individuals throughout the South Texas community. Last November, students from Hendrickson, Marshall, Raymondsville, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo and La Joya high schools toured the simulation center as part of the Science Expo 2012 hosted by the Health Science Center.

“Many of the students who attended the Expo have dreams of becoming the doctors and nurses of the future,” said Irene Chapa, Ph.D., director of the Office of Recruitment and Science Outreach. “But few of them have tangible plans about how to accomplish their dreams, and even fewer still have real-world experiences and mentors to guide them on their way. By watching our nursing students practice procedures in the technologically advanced simulation center, the high schoolers were able to see their dreams come to life, and that experience will inspire them to pursue their interests in science even more diligently.”

University Health System also uses the simulation center once a month as part of its employee orientation program, in which new employees learn policies and practice procedures in realistic hospital settings. In addition, one of San Antonio’s charter high schools recently inquired about the possibility of using the center to shoot a health-related film that is written by students and set in a hospital.

“In the future, the simulation center will present the School of Nursing with virtually unlimited opportunities to achieve our educational, clinical and community outreach objectives,” Boese noted. “The potential to leverage the center to make lives better will be constrained only by our imagination.”

Note: This story includes material excerpted from Mission Fall 2012 “Modeling Excellence” by Rosanne Fohn.

Students and faculty work together to perform a range of procedures on high-tech manikins in high-fidelity environments at the new Center for Simulation Innovation. (Photos by lester rosebrocK, mulitmedia Services.)


UT Nursing Clinical

Enterprise Poised toexpand Services and Patient base

Julie Cowan Novak, dNSc, RN, CPNP, FAANP, vice dean for practice and engagement, leads a team of health care professionals that provides comprehensive health and wellness services to Health Science Center students and employees as well as community patients. (Photo by fred greaves, Courtesy of the University of San diego.)


Delivery

In September 2009, the UT Health Science Center’s School of Nursing created the Office of Practice and Engagement (OPE) and recruited Julie Cowan Novak, DNSc, RN, CPNP, FAANP as vice dean for practice and engagement. The OPE’s mission is to integrate discovery, diversity

and delivery in a research and learning laboratory where evidence-based practice and education occur.

Under Dr. Novak’s leadership, the OPE has fostered the growth of clinical science and the UT Nursing Clinical Enterprise (UTNCE), which operates on-campus facilities for students and employees as well as community-based clinics. “The UTNCE is committed to providing an accessible, high-quality and cost-effective system for individuals, families and communities,” said Dr. Novak, who also serves as executive director of the UTNCE.

At the Student Health Center, the UTNCE provides a range of health and counseling services to more

than 3,300 students. Through Quick Response student surveys and regular meetings with student organizations, Dr. Novak and her team are able to continuously improve the service and care they deliver. Recent enhancements have included renovations to the waiting room and extended hours on Mondays; an evening pediatric clinic for students’ children is currently under development.

In November 2010, Dr. Novak and her team created the Employee Health and Wellness Clinic. In addition to providing employees with comprehensive health and wellness services, the clinic offers monthly health promotions and disease-prevention initiatives on topics such as heart health, smoking cessation, weight

and stress management, and healthy eating and activity together (HEAT).

The UTNCE also provides health care and child health services at two community-based clinics: AVANCE Head Start and Healy-Murphy Alternative High School and Daycare. In response to the success of these programs, AVANCE partners have asked Dr. Novak and her team to expand their services to other San Antonio and rural Head Start sites.

Across its four clinics, the UTNCE provides care to more than 10,000 individuals. Three of the four clinics are designated as Medically Underserved Populations. “In addition to delivering high-quality, compassionate care to our patients, the UTNCE clinics enable students from the schools of nursing, medicine, dentistry and health professions to perform clinical rotations while enjoying diverse community service learning experiences,” Dr. Novak said. “These settings serve as rich learning laboratories where inter-professional collaboration, outstanding clinical care and sustainability of the health home model are emphasized.”

Not satisfied with resting on their laurels, Dr. Novak and her team have several projects in the works designed to increase the services they deliver as well as the number of patients they serve. They are currently developing a proposal to partner with local school systems to establish additional Health Homes, and after an intense three-year pilot they recently received approval for the Nursing Faculty Practice Plan. Meanwhile, Dr. Novak regularly applies for grant funding that would allow the UTNCE to expand its patient base at each clinic to include care across the lifespan and provide additional nurse practitioners to integrate behavioral/mental health into primary care.

As she looks to the future of the school’s clinical enterprise, Dr. Novak is excited about the prospects. “Nurse practitioners have the authority to write prescriptions, are nationally certified in their specialties and are licensed by the Texas Board of Nursing,” she said. “We are confident that through our nurse-led, nurse-managed clinic networks, we have a systematic process for delivering accessible, high-quality and cost-effective health care while achieving continuous quality improvement.”

Dr. Novak holds the Thelma and Joseph Crow Endowed Professorship at the UT Health Science Center’s School of Nursing. She has authored numerous grant proposals and has secured more than $24 million in grants to support her research, nursing education, clinical projects and global health care initiatives.

The UTNCE is committed

to providing an accessible,

high-quality and cost-effective

system for individuals, families

and communities.”—julie cowan novaK

Story by michelle southwell


doctor of nursing Practice Program

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program is designed to help nurses achieve their professional goals while addressing the growing need for nurse leaders. According to Gemma Kennedy, Ph.D., RN, director of the DNP Program, students’ desire for further education typically revolves around three common themes. “Our students are highly motivated individuals, and while they want to play a greater leadership role in their organizations, they recognize the need to enhance their leadership skills,” Kennedy said. “They also want a broader perspective of health care that includes a more holistic understanding of the health, policy, social, economic and technological forces driving change. Finally, they are looking for a deeper knowledge of how to use evidence-based approaches to manage these industry forces while always remaining focused on the patient. We have designed the DNP Program to address these three needs.”

For Robert Walsh, M.S.N., RN, NEA-BC, a third-year part-time DNP student who serves as the director of nursing practice at Seton Healthcare Family, it was a series of basic questions with practical implications that inspired him to go back to school. “How do I make my current position more

Gemma Kennedy, Ph.d., RN, director of the doctor of Nursing Practice Program, and third-year student, Robert Walsh, m.S.N., RN, NeA-bC, are part of the new dNP Program designed to create the next generation of nursing leaders in texas. (Photo by lester rosebrocK, multimedia Services.)

regulatory changes, relentless technological advances and continued

growth in scientific knowledge are dramatically

transforming the health care industry. Within this

dynamic environment, hospitals, clinics and private

practices are under greater pressure than ever to

improve outcomes and increase access for patients

while standardizing best practices and controlling

costs. This setting presents unprecedented

opportunities for nurses with specialized knowledge,

advanced practice expertise and strong leadership

skills. Through its Alternate Entry Master’s Degree

and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs, the School

of Nursing is positioned to be in the vanguard of the

nationwide effort to educate the next generation

of nursing leaders.


Delivery

effective and efficient?” he remarked. “How do I get the buy-in from nurses, medical staff and administrators necessary to implement a new policy change throughout the hospital? And how do we, as nurses, do an even better job of coordinating overall care for our patients when they are also being treated by a range of health care providers—from nurses and physicians to occupational and physical therapists and even pharmacists?”

The School of Nursing’s DNP Program is designed for students who already hold a master’s degree in nursing as well as nursing specialty preparation at the graduate level. The program’s blended curriculum of online courses and classroom sessions is flexible enough to accommodate the busy schedules of working professionals. Students can pursue one of three concentration tracks: Nurse Practitioner Leadership, Executive Administrative Management or Public Health Nurse Leader. The post-MSN pathway ranges between 41 and 48 semester credit hours depending upon the track that is chosen, and part-time (six credit hours) and full-time (nine credit hours) study options are available.

One of about eight DNP programs in Texas, the School of Nursing’s program differentiates itself in several ways. The DNP faculty offers a unique combination of teaching excellence, research expertise and real-world experience. In addition, students have access to the cutting-edge resources and interdisciplinary research opportunities that come only with a major academic health science center.

Walsh noted another of the program’s distinguishing features. “As great as the faculty is, I am learning just as much from my classmates,”

he noted. “Our study group activities require us to work closely together to solve a range of problems—from developing new organizational models to translating evidence-based findings into repeatable best practices. All the while, I am forging a strong network with a group of peers who will become the future nursing leaders in our state.”

For Kennedy, the network that Walsh refers to bodes well for the future of nursing. “At the end of the day, we are trying to transform our students into agents of change for the health care industry,” she said. “Some of our graduates will create entirely new positions, equipped with knowledge and tools that have not previously existed. Others will become leaders who drive innovation not only within their own organizations but throughout the industry. The net effect will be a new generation of nurse leaders who apply an evidence-based approach and a patient-centered focus to everything they do.”

alternate entry master’s degree ProgramThe Alternate Entry Master’s Degree Program is designed for

associate degree or diploma RNs who want to acquire the knowledge and skills they need to advance their careers. Students enrolled in the program complete 21 credit hours of transitional courses for the B.S.N. as well as a minimum of 40 semester credit hours to receive the M.S.N. The program offers online courses, traditional classroom sessions and clinical work with preceptors. This blended curriculum reflects a best teaching practice for adult learners while offering working professionals

Train the Next Generation of Nursing Leaders

ACAdemICPROGRAmS



Delivery

the flexibility they need to pursue the degree either full-time or part-time. Students can choose from six majors: clinical nurse leader, administrative management, family nurse practitioner, pediatric nurse practitioner, family/psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner.

“Most of our Alternate Entry Master’s students are very accomplished, goal-driven nurses with five to 10 years of clinical experience,” said Brenda Jackson, M.S.N. ’76, Ph.D., RN, director of the MSN Program and professor in the Department of Health Restoration and Care Systems Management. “They have reached a point in their careers where they want to move into an advanced practice role, a clinical nurse leader role or an administrative management position. This program is designed to help them accomplish their professional goals while meeting the growing need for more nurses in South Texas who possess the experience, knowledge and skills necessary to lead.”

Rocio Garcia, RN is a student in the program who plans to help fill that leadership void in nursing after graduation. After earning her ADN from San Antonio College, Garcia has worked in a number of nursing roles at University Hospital since 2005, including as a bedside nurse in the Emergency Center, a case management manager and director of admissions. She also has national certifications in emergency nursing and pediatric emergency nursing, and is an instructor for the Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course (ENPC).

“I applied to the Alternate Entry program because of the Health Science Center’s strong reputation,” Garcia said. “During my time at

University Hospital, I have had the opportunity to work side-by-side with students, alumni and faculty from the School of Nursing and the School of Medicine, and I am constantly amazed by the caliber of those people and the quality of their work.”

A number of alumni have played key roles in Garcia’s graduate school experience. Ernest Prince, M.S.N. ’12 was a colleague of Garcia’s in University Hospital’s Emergency Room. “He helped recruit me to the program and continues to be one of my mentors,” she noted. “I’ve also benefited from the outstanding instruction of several alumni who are now on the nursing school faculty, including Dr. Paula Clutter [Ph.D. ’07], and Dr. Nancy McGowan [Ph.D. ’01].”

Garcia also noted the program’s flexibility to accommodate personal needs and professional goals. “The program gave me the time I needed to complete the prerequisites while I was working full-time,” she said. “And as a student pursuing the clinical nurse leader track, I’ve been able to do a lot of research in my main area of interest—applying evidence-based practices to improve the quality of patient outcomes.”

As she sets her sights on graduating in the spring of 2014, Garcia considered her professional future after the program. “The education I am receiving and the professional network I am building will enable me to pursue a range of opportunities,” she said. “Whether that turns out to be a leadership role with a broad system-wide view, a more focused emergency room position or maybe even something with a trauma service, I am confident in my new knowledge and skills and excited about my prospects.”

brenda Jackson, Ph.d., RN, director of the mSN Program, and Rocio Garcia, RN, work together in the new Alternate entry master’s degree Program designed to help accomplished, goal-driven nurses advance their professional careers. (Photo by lester rosebrocK, multimedia Services.)


Development

Planned giftsAnne F. BriscoeEstate of Anonymous Leonard C. GalliaRebecca Garcia-Michels

Lucille E. HamillGladys I. LynchPhilip and Jean Piccione

Carol A. Reineck

endowment supportGary A. BaldwinAnne F. BriscoeEarl Fae C. EldridgeFriends and Family of Mary J. Ford

Patrick and Kelley Frost

Gladys I. LynchFriends and Family of Mary Faye Montgomery

Philip and Jean Piccione

Ronald J. ReedSearing Brown Foundation

Friends and Family of Jennifer Herin-Selvester

Friends and Family of Katherine Erdmann Shelby

Barry and Carol Swartz

President's councilAnonymousPatricia K. AvantJames and Estela Avery

Michael and Irene Black

Donna BlockEileen T. Breslin and William L. Israel

Jo Ann CrowPatty L. HawkenBrenda G. JacksonJanna W. LesserJaney B. Marmion

Gregg and Sydney Muenster

Victoria A. PaparelliJane Cheever PowellCarol A. ReineckKatherine A. Schwesinger

Gregg and Phyllis Siegel

Paul and Marie SmithNeill B. WalsdorfBarbara R. Wulfe

dean’s excellence fundPatty L. HawkenHearthside HomesThe Herrmann Family Charitable Foundation

Frances J. KelleyNortheast Methodist Hospital

living endowment scholarshipAlamo City Chapter of ASPMN

Patricia ArmstrongSam and Kay BasharaBeldon Roofing Company

Anne F. BriscoeJane M. CardeaFrancisco and Graciela Cigarroa

William and Jean Craig

Anita M. EggertJohn and Darlene Gilcreast

Ashley M. GoseDavid and Cynthia Hnatow

Janet S. JeanninJoseph Johnson and Karen Diaz

Fernando and Martha Lopez

Joan G. MartinJim and Julie MeyerPan American Round Table of San Antonio

Ronald J. Reed

San Antonio Livestock Exposition

Sigma Theta Tau/Delta Alpha Chapter

Gregory and Carole Thompson

Lewis and Nancy Thorne

Wendy TillotsonMary E. WalkerWomen's Overseas Service League

Barbara R. Wulfe

friends of the school of nursing —scholarshipsBonna E. AllenPatricia ArmstrongLorraine R. BartonFlorence M. ChesnickKathryn L. CloseJanet L. CruzLilia DeBenedettoCarrol W. DoolenEstate of Howard HalffFernando and Patricia Hernandez

Bradley B. Kayser and Gemma T. Kennedy

Lattner Family Foundation, Inc.

James B. LukoseRobert and Delia Meyer

Jana OrsingerBetty PortilloWa PoungPercy L. RichardFrederika G. RiveraJacqueline S. RockOlivia E. San MartinCorrine L. ShermanJulia A. ThompsonJeanette M. Wyland

friends of the school of nursingEduardo and Laura Alvarado

Betty J. AndrewsAnonymous

Patricia K. AvantWilbur and Martha Avant

James and Estella Avery

Laura N. Banks-ReedDouglas M. BaysingerMichael and Louise Beldon

Gus J. BelitzerDonna BlockCraig J. BrennerJudith M. Brinckerhoff

Jose and Carolina Canales

Adelita G. CantuRita A. CarlsonPhyllis CheletteChristus HomeCareKathryn L. CloseCommuniCare Health Centers

Patricia L. CordierHelen CoronadoJudy R. CostiganJo Ann CrowCandace CurleeLilia DeBenedettoUloma N. EkeW. Frank and Rose Ann Elston

Melissa M. EsparzaChristine N. EvansPeggy P. FrancisFrost National BankRebecca Garcia-Michels

Richard and Antonia Goldsmith

Jerry P. GonzalesGood Samaritan Community Services

Estate of Barbara Green

Barbara A. HaleyBetty M. HalffJames P. HalloranPatty L. HawkenKaren L. HeintzIrwin HelfordFernando and Patricia Hernandez

The Herrmann Family Charitable Foundation

Janis L. HofmanIngenesis, Inc.Brenda G. JacksonJanet S. JeanninJoseph Johnson and Karen Diaz

Bradley B. Kayser and Gemma T. Kennedy

Walter H. KeimKinetic Concepts, Inc. (KCI)

Paul and Sandra KleinEarline LagueruelaMary K. LaraDeborah D. LewisPatricia M. LivingstonNancy A. LoefflerRoberta L. LuedkeJed and Nancy Maebius

Mary A. Manwell-Jackson

Tony and Louise Maples

Janey B. MarmionMartha L. MartinezCatherine S. McLeodHilda Mejia AbreuMethodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc.

Charles and Nancy Miller

Linda C. MillerMission Pharmacal Company

Jesse T. MorenoMorningside Ministries

Gregg and Sydney Muenster

Nix Health Care System

Northeast Methodist Hospital

C. J. OettingerL.D. Ormsby Charitable Foundation, Inc.

Judy PalansLoretta H. Patterson

Estate of Mary O. Pena

Jimmy E. PierceBetty PortilloCory RamseyBarbara A. ReedFrannie M. RettigAnn RichardsonMarian S. RodgersLorena RodriguezMaria Cristina Rodriguez

Raul Rodriguez-Barocio

Norma M. RogersCarol A. RowlandSan Antonio Area Foundation

San Antonio Medical Foundation

Marcia A. SawyerSchnitzler Cardiovascular Consultants, PLLC

Robert N. SchnitzlerSol and Joan SchwartzPaul and Marie SmithDana TerracinaWendy TillotsonPatricia R. ToneyJonathan and Leslie Tramer

Sue E. TurnerUniversity Health System

Dolores M. VaronaMarilyn L. WeberLinda L. WeissWellMed Medical Management, Inc.

Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.

Maura WindlingerKristina M. WiseBarbara M. Wroblewski

Barbara R. Wulfe

HONOR ROLL

OF DONORSSept. 1, 2011 – Dec. 31, 2012


When it comes to corporate partners for the School of Nursing, Schnitzler Cardiovascular Consultants is redefining the role. As a donor, recruiter of nursing talent and clinical training partner, the nationally renowned practice specializing in cardiology with sub-specialty in

electrophysiology supports a range of activities to help advance the school’s educational mission. As alumni of the School of Nursing with a combined 30 years of experience at Schnitzler Cardiovascular Consultants, Clinical Nurse Specialist Victoria Paparelli, B.S.N ’83, M.S.N. ’00, RN, CCNS-AC, and Chief Executive Officer Maria Cristina Rodriguez, B.S.N. ’73, RN know a thing or two about what makes the partnership between the private practice and nursing school so special.

Rodriguez first met Dr. Robert N. Schnitzler when she started working as a 3-11 charge nurse at the Bexar County Hospital in 1973. “Dr. Schnitzler trained all the nurses as if they were Fellows,” she said. “We would run codes and he would time us just like he timed the other young physicians. He has always understood that it takes a team of health care professionals to care for patients. And he treats nurses as equal members of that team.”

Paparelli, who has worked with Dr. Schnitzler since 1983, echoed the sentiment expressed by Rodriguez. “One of the amazing things about Dr. Schnitzler’s support for his nurses is a kind of referred power,” she said. “His explicit trust in my skills and expertise as an advanced practice nurse gives me instant credibility with the other physicians I work with.”

Never was Schnitzler’s support for his nurses more evident than in the 1980s when he challenged the State of Texas, which at the time would not allow licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) to administer shock. “Dr. Schnitzler said, ‘I have trained these nurses, they are working under my aegis, and I am willing to take responsibility for them’,” Rodriguez recalled. She and Paparelli worked side-by-side with him as first surgical assistants in the cardiac cath lab, further evidence of his confidence in their abilities.

“It has always been in my best interest to empower the nurse at the bedside,” Dr. Schnitzler said. “They are my eyes and ears, their thought process is what I rely on.”

In 2004, Dr. Schnitzler paid the ultimate tribute to his nursing staff when he created The Schnitzler Cardiovascular Consultants Living Endowment Scholarship in honor of Rodriguez, Paparelli, and Marcia Abbott, M.S.N., RN. By providing support for students at the School of Nursing, the scholarship seeks to lighten the financial burden of their education so they can focus more intently on their studies.

“I have had the opportunity to actually present the scholarship and meet some of the recipients,” Paparelli said, “and they have all been incredibly grateful. For some, the money helps pay rent during the year. Others apply it toward books and fees. Sometimes, it can even spell the difference between being able to move forward with their education or having to put it on hold.”

Dr. Schnitzler’s commitment to being an advocate and a philanthropist are only two aspects of what Paparelli calls the “six degrees

Redefines Corporate Partnership

Schnitzler CardiovascularConsultants

Story by david e. Perryman, M.A.two alumni, Victoria Paparelli, b.S.N., m.S.N., RN, CCNS-AC, and maria Cristina Rodriguez, b.S.N., RN, are helping Schnitzler Cardiovascular Consultants redefine the mutual benefits of corporate partnerships with the School of Nursing.


of Schnitzler,” which also include his serving as an exemplary mentor, entrepreneur, philosopher and community leader.

Inspired by the culture of giving that Dr. Schnitzler has instilled in his team along with their love for the School of Nursing, Rodriguez and Paparelli continue to engage in the life of their alma mater. Rodriguez served on the Nursing Advisory Council (NAC) for 25 years, and she actively recruits key individuals from the nursing profession and the San Antonio community to contribute their time, talents and treasure to this group. Paparelli is one of those recruits, encouraged to serve on the NAC because of her clinical expertise and knowledge of the health care industry, which she gleaned from years of clinical experience and her service on the Texas Insurance Pool, Board of Directors. Schnitzler Cardiovascular Consultants also hosts graduate students from the School of Nursing for their clinical rotations, giving them the opportunity to apply knowledge learned in the classroom to real-world cardiovascular cases.

So what has been the driving force behind this unique and mutually beneficial partnership between Schnitzler Cardiovascular Consultants and the School of Nursing?

“Dr. Schnitzler has created a supportive work environment with employees who are ferociously committed to providing the very best care for the sickest of the sick,” Rodriguez said. “We all know that by taking care of patients, we always receive far more than we could ever give. We also know that the nursing students we support and help train will take care of literally thousands of patients in the future. There is no greater reward than that.”

Living EndowmEnt SchoLarShip programSupport Student Education Today While Enhancing the School’s Competitiveness

The current legislative and economic climate presents students and universities with significant challenges to keep higher education affordable. As states throughout the nation continue tightening their budgetary belts, the proportion of the School of Nursing’s annual budget funded by the State of Texas has dropped below 50 percent. Meanwhile, rising higher education costs—including tuition, fees and textbooks—continue to outpace personal incomes.

Within this environment, endowed scholarships have become even more critical to the School of Nursing’s ability to attract top talent and provide an excellent educational experience. Scholarships not only allow our students to focus on their education today, they also help lower their debt burden at graduation. While the School of Nursing is still one of the most affordable schools in the country, the number of students applying for merit-based or need-based scholarships has doubled during the past few years.

Established by the School of Nursing and the Office of Institutional Advancement in 2003, the Living Endowment Scholarship Program enhances the school’s ability to recruit and retain the best and brightest students.

how does the living endowment scholarship Program work?Donors make three-year pledges for a minimum of $500

a year. There are five pledge levels, and commitments can be divided into three equal amounts paid annually over the duration of the pledge. Pledges of $10,000 a year can cover 100% of tuition, books, and fees for one year of a student’s studies plus monthly room and board.

what are the donor benefits? • Opportunity to personalize your scholarship by naming

it for yourself, in honor of a family member or in memory of a loved one

• Ability to select the criteria of your scholarship award as well as directly and immediately impact a student’s educational experience

• Opportunity to meet the student recipient of your gift each year at the spring scholarship luncheon hosted by the dean

• 100% of your gift is tax-deductible

how can you create a living endowment scholarship?If you are interested in creating a Living Endowment

Scholarship or finding out more about the program, please contact gwen notestine, director of development, at 210-567-5313 or [email protected].

Development

We know that the nursing

students we support and help

train will take care of literally

thousands of patients in the

future. There is no greater reward

than that.”—maria cristina rodriguez


mailto:notestine%40uthscsa.edu?subject=


An endowed professorship offers a university numerous advantages, including the recruitment of top faculty, enhanced visibility within the field of concentration and greater opportunities for professional development and collaboration. The School of Nursing has seen this firsthand with the establishment in 2005 of the Roger L. and Laura D. Zeller Professorship in Nursing in memory of Doris L. Heizer, RN.

“The Roger L. and Laura D. Zeller Professorship brings tremendous international collaborative opportunities to our school,” said Eileen Breslin, Ph.D., dean of the School of Nursing. “Through this professorship, we were

able to recruit Kay Avant, whose extraordinary leadership and excellence has had a great impact on our school and the global nursing community.”

A highly-respected educator, researcher and speaker, Avant, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, was awarded the Zeller Professorship at UT Health Science Center San Antonio eight years ago. The decision to join the School of Nursing in San Antonio after teaching at the University of Texas at Austin for more than 20 years was an easy one for Dr. Avant when she was presented the endowed professorship. Upon her arrival, she also served as chair of the Department of Family and Community Health Systems, a position she maintained for five years.

“The professorship allowed me as department chair to fund travel for younger faculty members and graduate students, allowing them to attend conferences,” Dr. Avant explained. “I wanted to broaden their horizons. It also allowed me to stay current on my own professional affiliations and collaborations, particularly when it came to nurturing international ties.”

In fact, as the director of international programs for the School of Nursing, Dr. Avant’s international connections have grown while she has been at the Health Science Center. She has negotiated and confirmed six Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) agreements in four countries, including Thailand, Finland, Australia and Mexico. These MOUs are contracts signed by the presidents of both universities in which they promise to collaborate on a range of activities, including student and faculty exchange programs as well as online seminars and conferences. Currently, Dr. Avant is working on an MOU with Saudi Arabia.

“Professor Avant’s international experience helped secure Memoranda of Understanding agreements with

eNdOWmeNt eNHANCeS GLObAL VISIbILItY

(top) Kay Avant, Ph.d., RN, FAAN, the Roger L. and Laura d. Zeller distinguished Professor, has applied endowment monies to fund faculty and student travel for conferences as well as to forge School of Nursing partnerships with nursing programs around the world.

(Left) Karen and Ronald Herrmann established the Roger L. and Laura d. Zeller Professorship in Nursing to honor Karen’s mother, doris L. Heizer, RN, and support the field of nursing education. (Photo by lester rosebrocK, multimedia Services.)


universities in multiple countries, which have not only enhanced collaborations, but have made our school visible to the international community,” Dean Breslin said.

The benefits of an endowed professorship are easy to see, especially when looking at what Dr. Avant has been able to accomplish with the Zeller Professorship. “I continue to be honored to be the first holder of the Roger L. and Laura D. Zeller Distinguished Professorship in Nursing in honor of Doris Heizer, RN. As I tell Mr. and Mrs. Herrmann regularly, the endowment has been extremely helpful to advance our global mission,” Dr. Avant said.

Karen and Ronald Herrmann, who serve as the trustees of the Roger L. and Laura D. Zeller Charitable Foundation, are responsible for choosing the School of Nursing and the endowed professorship. Making charitable donations in support of education, health care and the arts is an important way of paying it forward for this native San Antonio couple, but this particular contribution was personal.

Established in memory of Karen’s mother, Doris L. Heizer, RN, who retired as a nurse anesthetist from San Antonio’s University Hospital in 1978, the professorship was a way for Heizer’s love of nursing to be remembered while also advancing the field of nursing’s dynamic future. The idea of providing a professorship that recognized a faculty member’s program of scholarship and provided financial support for his or her research took root when Karen began serving on the Nursing Advisory Council (NAC).

“I know my mother would be pleased by the work that is being done and the advances being made to the profession that she loved so much,” Karen said. “We are so pleased with Dr. Avant as the recipient of our professorship.”

Without a doubt, the Herrmanns’ benevolence has made a lasting impression on the School of Nursing, and the various beneficiaries—from faculty members to students both near and far—will continue to reap the rewards for years to come.

DevelopmentI continue to be honored to be

the first holder of the Roger L.

and Laura D. Zeller Distinguished

Professorship in Nursing in honor of

Doris Heizer, RN. As I tell Mr. and Mrs.

Herrmann regularly, the endowment

has been extremely helpful to advance

our global mission.”—Kay avant

Please consider a gift to the School of Nursing in

your estate planning.Your gifts will create a healthier future

for generations to come. Estate gifts provide for:

• Education of the next generation of health care professionals

• Innovative educational environments

• Compassionate Care and Community Health Initiatives

Support to the School of Nursing may be provided in many ways; perhaps you would like to create a scholarship fund for deserving students, provide funds for research or honor a loved one with an endowment in their name.

We can help you with sample language for specific goals such as creating an endowment or scholarship fund through your will or trust. Two of the most frequently used gift types are a bequest in a will or including the UT Health Science Center San Antonio as the beneficiary of an insurance policy or retirement plan.

Please feel free to contact gwen notestine at [email protected] or call 210-567-5313 for assistance.

The best way to give depends on your own personal situation and should be discussed with your professional advisor.

Your legacy, our future“When I was thinking of the

legacy I wanted to create, I decided to help those students going back

to school to get a second degree in nursing and to encourage the non-

traditional, second-degree program that is now in place at the

School of Nursing.

—anne briscoe, B.S.N. ’87


mailto:notestine%40uthscsa.edu?subject=


As vice president and chief nursing informatics officer (CNIO) with Catholic Health Initiatives in Englewood, Colorado, Linda Harrington, B.S.N.’81, Ph.D., D.N.P., RN-BC, CNS spends her days

leveraging technology in order to improve patient care, all while telecommuting from her home in Dallas.

Throughout her 30-plus years in the nursing field, Dr. Harrington has pushed the envelope when it comes to technology, while placing patient care first, thanks to her first day of nursing school at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio.

She easily recalled the day she joined her fellow first-year students in a clinical setting, not a classroom. They were asked simply to talk with the patients. That initial glimpse into the nursing field at Wilford Hall made a big impression on this talented and grateful alumna.

“The profound message in that exercise was to communicate with your patients,” Dr. Harrington said, “and I know that it is what shaped my future.”

This lesson has remained a barometer throughout her career, whether serving as a clinical professor teaching statistics, developing nursing programs or implementing evidence-based research. Dr. Harrington has worked for leading hospitals and universities honing her skills in system analysis and design, clinical intelligence and decision management systems.

With her affinity for technology and interest in quality improvement, she was naturally drawn to informatics. “I enjoyed looking at issues, current or potential, and asking the question of what we, as clinicians, could do to intervene quickly and effectively. Technology brings us the information, or digital data, that enables us to accomplish this.”

As she harnesses technology to improve health care, she also recognizes the inherent risks in rapid technological advances, including the potential to breach the safety of health information. Part of her current job is discovering those breaches before they occur and implementing solutions.

Of course, on the other side of technology are the end users, both patients and health care professionals, who must learn how to use technology to their benefit. So education is Dr. Harrington’s other focus, and as patient engagement becomes more inherent in health care, she is concerned about educating patients on how to access, understand and use their electronic health records.

As the role of informatics in health care rises, Dr. Harrington looks to the future with great anticipation and promises to always remember the simple but profound lesson she learned on the first day of nursing school: to place the patient first.

dr. Linda Harrington serves as chief nursing informatics officer at Catholic Health Initiatives.

Impacts 30-Year Career

FIRSt dAY OF NURSING SCHOOL


Story by angela ross, M.S.N., M.P.H., PMP, PHCNS-BC

The American Nurses Association defines nursing informatics as the integration of nursing science, computer science and information science to manage and communicate data, information and knowledge in nursing and patient

practices. Nursing informaticists use information structures, processes and technology to facilitate this integration with the goals of enhancing health care providers’ decision-making and ultimately improving patient outcomes. Health care organizations are beginning to create the role of chief nursing informatics officer (CNIO) to ensure strategic leadership and oversight of this important function.

Dr. Linda Harrington, vice president and CNIO of Catholic Health Initiatives, noted that her undergraduate education at the UT Health Science Center’s School of Nursing provided a strong foundation for her continued education in nursing informatics.

“On the first day of our clinical rotations at a local hospital,” she recalled, “we focused on the patient, just communicating, gathering information. The goal was to connect with the patient first and foremost. From that initial clinical experience, I understood the importance of when data are presented and its need to be timely and accurate to support clinical decision-making.”

Dr. Harrington also said the School of Nursing instilled in her the principles of lifelong learning, which led her to earn a doctorate in nursing (focused on research), and a doctor of nursing practice (focused on informatics). “The Ph.D. is, in essence, constructing a violin, and the D.N.P. is playing the violin,” she explained.

CNIOs today play a number of key roles in diverse settings including health care organizations, academia, research, government and industry. They integrate nursing, information and computer science to facilitate communications across organizational departments and

disciplines. They also help their organizations streamline workflow processes to ensure that health care providers have access to timely, accurate and actionable data so they can deliver better care to patients.

In addition, CNIOs play an important role in helping their organizations develop or acquire health information technology (HIT), such as electronic health records (EHRs). In the future, heath care organizations will focus even more intently on EHRs because of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) incentive payment schedule for meaningful use as well as future CMS payment penalties

for failure to meet meaningful use criteria. This represents a significant opportunity for CNIOs to deliver even greater value to their organizations’ bottom line.

As Dr. Harrington explained, “It’s all about the data, data that will enable clinicians to better prevent illness and intervene earlier for improved healing and prevention of complications. Our target should be connecting with the patient and utilizing technology to gain access to better and more timely information to improve care.”

Ms. Ross is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Health Restoration and Care Systems Management at the School of Nursing. She also serves as chief medical information officer (CMIO) at the U.S. Army Medical Information Technology Center (USAMITC).

nursing informatics

Helping Organizations Harness Information for Better Patient Care

Dedication

Our target should be connecting

with the patient and utilizing technology

to gain access to better and more timely

information to improve care.”—linda harrington

Impacts 30-Year Career


It’s no secret that the health and economic benefits of breastfeeding are manifold—for babies, their mothers and society at large. A 2010 Harvard Medical School study using data from the Centers for Disease Control estimated that if 90 percent of all American mothers chose to breastfeed exclusively in the first six months, approximately $13 billion

and more than 900 lives could be saved each year. The study’s cost savings include both direct and indirect costs of infant deaths; treatment of children for conditions such as ear infections, eczema and childhood obesity; as well as missed time away from work for mothers. Breastfeeding also has positive health benefits for women, lowering their risk of diabetes as well as breast and ovarian cancer. Yet despite these considerable benefits, only 47.2 percent of babies are still breastfeeding six months after birth, with that figure decreasing to 25.5

percent by their first birthday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2012 Breastfeeding Report Card (based on births in 2009).

Why, then, is breastfeeding so underutilized? A combination of factors are conspiring against breastfeeding, ranging from inconsistent hospital practices to the economic necessity of mothers needing to return to work.

Three Nursing School alumni—all at different stages of their professional careers—are teaming up to change this state of affairs. By participating in a nationwide breastfeeding initiative; educating nursing students, health care professionals and patients; and engaging in political activism at the state level, these graduates are striving to implement more consistent and widespread breastfeeding practices throughout Texas and beyond.

alumni join forces to Promote Best Practices for Breastfeeding

(Left to right) Sara L. Gill, Ph.d., RN, IbCLC, Kelly mcGlothen, b.S.N., RN, tbe, and Anni mendez, b.S.N., RN, tbe, are joining forces to promote the benefits of breastfeeding through education, political activism and a nationwide project funded by the National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality and the Centers for disease Control. (Photo by lester rosebrocK, multimedia Services.)



Dedication

Last summer, University Hospital in San Antonio was one of 90 hospitals in the nation (and the only one in South Texas) selected to participate in the Best Fed Beginnings initiative, whose goal is to increase the number of “Baby-Friendly” hospitals in the United States. Achieving the Baby-Friendly designation requires a hospital to implement the 10 Steps for Successful Breastfeeding established by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF. These steps include developing a written breastfeeding policy and training all staff to enact the policy, allowing mothers and babies to “room in” (remain together 24 hours a day during their time in the hospital) and providing referrals to support groups and resources for new mothers after they are discharged from the hospital. The Best Fed Beginnings program is supported through a cooperative funding agreement between the National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality (NICHQ) and the Centers for Disease Control, working closely with Baby-Friendly USA, Inc.

One member of the Best Fed Beginnings project team is Sara L. Gill, B.S.N. ’77, M.S.N. ’83, Ph.D., RN, who worked with an inter-professional group of Health Science Center and University Hospital employees to submit the grant proposal to NICHQ. An international board-certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) who serves as the senior

lactation consultant on the team, Dr. Gill works at University Hospital one day a week training nursing staff and educating patients on a range of breastfeeding techniques, such as initiating skin-to-skin contact between a mother and her baby immediately after birth (one of WHO/UNICEF’s “10 Steps …”). Dr. Gill is also a distinguished teaching professor at the School of Nursing and the director of its PhD Program, so she spends most of her time teaching and mentoring students, one of whom is Kelly McGlothen, B.S.N. ’12, RN, TBE.

A staff nurse on the Inpatient Women’s Services Unit at University Hospital, McGlothen has been interested in breastfeeding since she started the School of Nursing’s BSN Program in 2010. As an undergraduate, she became a student leader in the BEST Program, a breastfeeding education program that Health Science Center students provide to women at Seton Home, a residential facility in San Antonio that provides housing and supportive services for homeless, abused, pregnant and/or parenting teens and their children. After learning about Dr. Gill’s expertise in breastfeeding and human lactation on the nursing school’s website, McGlothen contacted her to get recommendations about how to better serve the young women at Seton Home. “I was extremely impressed by Kelly’s willingness to take

initiative,” Dr. Gill recalled, “and I could tell right away that she was going to be one of our shining stars.”

McGlothen recognized in Gill someone who could serve as her mentor in both the academic and professional arenas. “Dr. Gill has inspired me to explore my interests in researching and promoting breastfeeding, particularly as it relates to cultural diversity and post-partum depression,” McGlothen said. “She is the primary reason why I have decided to apply to the School of Nursing’s PhD Program.”

Anni Mendez, B.S.N. ’10, RN, TBE is another alumna teaming with Gill and McGlothen to educate health care staff and mothers about the benefits of breastfeeding. A staff nurse at University Hospital who serves primarily as a lactation consultant and breastfeeding educator for patients, Mendez chairs the Inpatient Women’s Services Breastfeeding Committee, for which McGlothen serves as secretary. (Mendez was McGlothen’s preceptor when she began working at University Hospital.) The goal of this committee is to help University Hospital achieve the Baby-Friendly designation by identifying breastfeeding topics on which the staff needs more training and delegating in-services to members of the committee.

Mendez decided to pursue a career in nursing after her father had a liver transplant at University Hospital when she was 16 years old.

“My father received outstanding care from the nursing staff throughout his stay,” she recalled. “That experience made me realize that nurses have the opportunity to have an incredibly positive and life-changing impact on patients and their families. I decided then and there that I wanted to pursue a career that would give back to the community that had saved my father’s life.”

Beyond University Hospital’s walls and the Health Science Center campus, Dr. Gill, McGlothen, and Mendez—all members of the Texas Breastfeeding Coalition—strive to influence legislation that could improve

employment policies and employer attitudes about breastfeeding throughout the state. In October, McGlothen and Mendez traveled to Austin and spoke to representatives of senators and congressmen about the importance of mother-friendly worksites. “Texas currently has a law stating that employers with more than 50 employees must provide time and space for working mothers to express their milk without penalty,” McGlothen said. “But this law currently applies only to hourly employees. We hope that the law will be expanded to encompass exempt employees and that it will be enforced more widely throughout the state.”

When Dr. Gill considered the forces that brought her, McGlothen and Mendez together, she recollected her days as a young nursing student and the impact that one of her teachers made on her life. “When I was in the master’s program, Dr. Sue Ellen Reed, associate dean of the Graduate Program, was the most instrumental person in my decision to pursue a career in teaching,” she said. “Today, Dr. Reed’s son is in our PhD Program, and I am his dissertation chair. Dr. Reed opened the door of opportunity for me, and as a faculty member, my duty is to hold the door open for the nursing students following in my footsteps, because they will become the nursing leaders of tomorrow.”

A combination of factors are conspiring against breastfeeding,

ranging from inconsistent hospital practices to the economic

necessity of mothers needing to return to work.


Health care is and will always be a team sport. But the challenge of managing health and reimbursing providers for services based on patient outcomes is forcing many health care organizations to change the way they do business. Continuing education programs, in turn, are rethinking their traditional

discipline-specific practices. When considering this challenge, Laura Alvarado, M.S.N., RN, NEA-BC, director of the School of Nursing’s Department of Lifelong Learning (DLL) (formerly called Continuing Nursing Education), believes that we should, as our military colleagues profess, “train like we fight.”

In plotting the DLL’s new strategy, Alvarado drew upon recommendations from the Institute of Medicine’s 2010 publication, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health and the Josiah Macy Foundation’s final conference report entitled Lifelong Learning in Medicine and Nursing. Both documents stress the significance of lifelong learning skills and inter-professional, team-based education and practice.

“By taking these recommendations to heart,” Alvarado said, “the School of Nursing has made a commitment to include inter-professional approaches in leading research and preparing nurses to deliver effective, compassionate, innovative and culturally proficient care.”

A self-sustaining, revenue-generating unit within the School of Nursing, the DLL team includes an associate nurse planner, who serves as lead faculty for the RN Refresher Course, as well as a continuing education (CE) coordinator and a senior administrative assistant, who provides individual CE activity and program evaluation support, conference planning, budgeting and accounting services. In addition to being responsible for the overall operation of the department, Alvarado serves as the lead nurse planner facilitating the CE credit for RNs as prescribed by the Texas Nurses Association.

Under Alvarado’s leadership, the DLL partners with other schools at the Health Science Center as well as professional organizations and associations to offer programs targeted at meeting the knowledge base and competency needs of adult learners. As part of the School of Nursing’s community engagement strategy, the DLL collaborates with faculty, alumni, health care organizations and institutional counterparts to facilitate partnerships and provide learning opportunities that promote nursing’s value in preventing illness, restoring health and achieving optimum wellness in diverse and underserved populations.

Ms. Alvarado is the director of the Department of Lifelong Learning (DLL) at the School of Nursing. To learn more about the DLL and its offerings, go to http://nursing.uthscsa.edu/ce.

Dedication

(Left to right) In the department of Lifelong Learning, Joyce borgfeld, m.S.N., RN, Ne-bC, Cynthia Gutierrez; Laura Alvarado, m.S.N., RN, NeA-bC; and Sherece mcGoon prepare nurses to deliver effective, compassionate, innovative and culturally proficient care throughout their professional careers. (Photo by lester rosebrocK, multimedia Services.)dePartment

of lifelong learning Offers Patient-Centered

Inter-professional Engagement


www.facebook.com/pages/San-Antonio-TX/ UTHSCSA-School-of-Nursing/260467756667

deaneileen t. breslin, Ph.D., RN, FAAN

editor and Production managerdavid e. Perryman, M.A. Senior Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving

associate Production managermelissa mirelesAlumni Coordinator and Development Assistant, School of Nursing

communications consultantNancy ArispeSenior Executive Director of Communications

creative directionJennifer bittleCreative Director of Communications

contributing writersSalwa Choucair, melissa mireles, david e. Perryman, Angela Ross, michelle Southwell

design and ProductionCausality: Brand Marketing for Good Causes

Photos provided by Multimedia Services and printing provided by UT Print,UT Health Science Center San Antonio.

© The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 2013. All rights reserved.

www.nursing.uthscsa.edu http://makelivesbetter.uthscsa.edu

The School of Nursing’s Office of Admissions and Student Services (OASS) hosts two career fairs each year to bring employers to campus to meet with juniors and seniors. Held in the spring and fall, the career fairs are a great way for alumni to recruit top talent for their organizations.

The career fairs offer three sponsorship levels (Gold, Silver and Bronze) for employers that are interested in setting up exhibit space and meeting with students. Each sponsorship level provides unique benefits to employers. If you are interested in finding out more about sponsorship opportunities, please contact the OASS at 210-567-5805 or 877-235-0341.

special thanks to our gold sponsors for the february 2013 career fair:

carEEr FairSA GREAT WAy FOR ALUMNI

TO GET ENGAGED!


uthscsa.edu

Ours is a story of hope. Compassion and joy. Commitment, vision and inspiration. We engage our minds and talents, and give from our hearts, to help and heal. We touch the lives of thousands, to serve those in need, here and around the world. And, through it all, we work to make lives better.

Thank you for all you do to make our story so remarkable. You’re the reason we’re able to write the next chapter.

Ours is a story of learning.

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San AntonioOffice of the Nursing Dean - Mail Code 7923

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on the bacK cover

The School of Nursing offers innovative programs, pioneering faculty and state-of-the-art technology to

prepare today’s students to lead tomorrow. A second-semester student in the BSN Program, Jeoffrey Tinapay aspires to be an emergency nurse or trauma nurse. As the president of the Class of 2014, the president of the Nursing Student Council, and a Health Science Center Ambassador and Student Health Board representative, he is well on his way to becoming a nursing leader of tomorrow. (bacK cover Photo by lester rosebrocK, multimedia Services.)

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http://www.nursing.uthscsa.edu/

http://makelivesbetter.uthscsa.edu/

uthscsa.edu

Ours is a story of hope. Compassion and joy. Commitment, vision and inspiration. We engage our minds and talents, and give from our hearts, to help and heal. We touch the lives of thousands, to serve those in need, here and around the world. And, through it all, we work to make lives better.

Thank you for all you do to make our story so remarkable. You’re the reason we’re able to write the next chapter.

Ours is a story of learning.

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San AntonioOffice of the Nursing Dean - Mail Code 7923

7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900

Moving? Help us with your new address. Send the mailing address printed on this page with your new address and

ZIP code to TRIBUTE at the above return address.

Non Profit Org.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDSan Antonio, TX

Permit #1941

http://www.uthscsa.edu

Documents

Tribute/School of Nursing 2013