L I FE NURSING LIFE MAGAZINE | Spring/Summer 2009 Volume 3 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA Journey with Purpose + Highest Honor + Burns’ USF Legacy of Leadership + Mentee, Mentor & Student
Mar 29, 2016
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NURSING LIFE MAGAZINE | Spring/Summer 2009 Volume 3
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
Journey with Purpose + Highest Honor + Burns’ USF Legacy of Leadership + Mentee, Mentor & Student
Dear Colleagues,
After a highly successful twelve-year career, I’ve decided to
step down and help begin the search for a new Dean of the
College of Nursing at the University of South Florida. I will
miss the College of Nursing a great deal; however, the time
has come for me to embark on a path towards a new chapter
in my life. I will always cherish my years at the College of
Nursing and I’m looking forward to continuing a relationship
with the community that I have been so much a part of for the
past twelve years.
As my legacy I leave the College of Nursing a successful
nationally-recognized nursing program built upon innovative
education models, collaborative clinical partnerships,
advanced practice graduate degree programs and a
facilitative multi-disciplinary scientific research infrastructure.
Our efforts as a College are well respected in the nursing
profession and the Tampa Bay community, especially our
immeasurable contributions towards making life better through
research, education and healthcare.
Thank you all for a breathtaking and memorable twelve
years. I’m extremely proud to have helped guide a College
composed of such bright and talented individuals.
Sincerely,
Patricia A. Burns, PhD, RN, FAAN
Senior Associate Vice President, USF Health
Dean, College of Nursing University of South Florida
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NURSING LIFE MAGAZINE | Spring/Summer 2009 Volume 3
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
Journey with Purpose + Highest Honor + Burns’ USF Legacy of Leadership + Mentee, Mentor & Student+ Cover: USF College of Nursing Dean Patricia
Burns’ 1960 graduation photo from the E J Meyer Memorial Hospital School of Nursing.
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Nursing Life Magazine is produced by
USF Health Office of Communications
12901 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, MDC 47
Tampa, FL 33612
P. (813) 974-3300
F. (813) 974-5422
Published for faculty, students, staff,
alumni and the community of USF Health.
EditorAshlea Hudak
Production Director Monica Matos
Contributing WritersAnne Baier, Leanna Baylis, Elise Brodeur,
Maureen Groer, Nick Hall, Ashlea Hudak,
Deena Kemp Pople, Marcia Parker,
Melissa M. Shelton, and Sarah Worth
Art DirectorKlaus Herdocia
PhotographersLuis Battistini, Lissette Campos, Michael Heape,
Ashlea Hudak, Bob Knight, John Lofreddo,
and Eric Younghans
PresidentUniversity of South FloridaJudy Genshaft, PhD
Sr. Associate Vice President, USF Health Dean, USF College of NursingPatricia Burns, PhD, RN, FAAN
University of South Florida
College of Nursing
12901 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard
MDC Box 22, Tampa, FL 33612
P (813) 974-2191
health.usf.edu
USF Health is a partnership of the University of South
Florida’s colleges of medicine, nursing, and public
health; the schools of basic biomedical sciences and
physical therapy & rehabilitation sciences; and the
USF Physicians Group. It is a partnership dedicated
to the promise of creating a new model of health and
health care. USF is one of the nation’s top public re-
search universities and one of 39 community engaged
public universities as designated by the Carnegie
Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. USF
received more than $360 million in research contracts
and grants last year. It is ranked by the National Sci-
ence Foundation as one of the nation’s fastest grow-
ing universities for federal research and development
expenditures.
S T U D E N T L I F E
02 A JOURNEY WITH PURPOSE
03 USF’S CHARTER CRNAS LAND JOBS BEFORE GRADUATION
04 TYLENOL EASES EXPENSES
05 DONORS SUPPORT, INSPIRE THE FUTURE OF NURSING
R E S E A R C H L I F E
06 EMOTIONS, THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
AND PERFORMANCE
07 DISTINGUISHED UNIVERSITY HEALTH PROFESSOR
08 NEWLY FUNDED GRANT PROJECTS
09 INTERNAL AWARDS & PENDING GRANTS
C O M M U N I T Y L I F E
10 CONGRESSWOMAN CASTOR HIGHLIGHTS NEW $3.5M VA NURSING ACADEMY
11 USF AWARDED $100,000 FOR RWJF NEW CAREERS IN NURSING PROGRAM
12 DIANE SCHUCHAT’S DREAM LIVES ON
14 DEAN BURNS’ USF LEGACY OF LEADERSHIP
17 COLLEGE ADOPTS NEW VALUES STATEMENT
A L U M N I L I F E
18 BULLS SPIRIT AT THE NURSING REUNION
19 RECENT ALUMNUS: MENTEE, MENTOR & STUDENT
20 NURSING ALUMNI FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE AWARD
21 ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
R E S E A R C H L I F E
C O M M U N I T Y L I F E
***The article, Prestigious Fellowship with the American Academy of Nursing and Institute of Medicine, on page 9 of the Summer/Fall Volume 2 Nursing Life magazine inadvertently did not acknowledge the American Nurses Foundation (ANF) as an organization supporting the Scholar in Residence program.
*** Correction Retraction
Jerome Noronha came to USF with a passion for working
with HIV patients, “both in the developing world and in the United
States.” Born and raised in Bombay, India, Jerome currently
enjoys working as an Adult Registered Nurse Practitioner
(ARNP) for the Florida Department of Corrections. Jerome’s
quest for knowledge and desire to achieve the most advanced
level of clinical education led him to the USF Doctor of Nursing
Practice (DNP) program. Before enrolling, however, Jerome
needed to make sure he would receive an education that was
“up to date and proactive.”
After speaking to a current USF Nursing student, he decided
to attend the First Annual Doctoral Open House in October 2007
to help confirm his decision. The Open House, which provided
prospective students an opportunity to meet with doctoral faculty,
“helped to take away his initial anxiety as an adult learner,” says
Jerome. “The key is that they made me feel very comfortable as
a returning student.”
After the Open House, Jerome applied for the program
and was accepted into the Fall 2008 class. Upon graduation,
Jerome hopes to contribute to public health policy that reduces
healthcare costs without compromising quality. What advice
does he offer future students? “Nursing is for everyone –
females and males,” he says. “There are so many different
avenues to choose from, whatever your interest. It all depends
on how hard you are willing to work.”
...whatever your interest. It all depends on how hard
you are willing to work.
“”
A JOURNEY WITH PURPOSE
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Story by Marcia Parker
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At the Dec. 13 commencement ceremony, 100 percent of USF’s
charter class of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs)
graduated with a job lined up -- proof that the demand for these
specialized health professionals remains strong even in a slow
economy.
CRNAs administer 65 percent of the 26 million anesthetics given to
patients each year, according to the American Association of Nurse
Anesthetists, and are the sole anesthesia providers in nearly half
of all hospitals and more than two-thirds of the rural hospitals in the
United States. A 1990 study by the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services drew attention to a national shortage of nearly
5,400 nurse anesthetists.
USF’s CRNA program, the first such certified program in the Tampa
Bay area, began in 2006 in response to the nationwide demand for
more anesthesia providers.
“The need for CRNA’s nationally and in the Tampa Bay community
has never been greater and we are extremely proud that 100
percent of our nurse anesthetists secured employment well before
completing their degrees,” said Sierra Gower, MS, CRNA, director
of USF’s CRNA program. “These 12 very skilled people will provide
much needed safe, competent anesthesia care.”
USF’s graduates were: Joshua Beason, Thomas Benafield,
Mary Bergin, Julia Cramer, Kimberly Durham, Jason Edwards,
Tae Garrison, Kathleen Harley, Lisa Hollett, Dean Jani, LaSonya
Malbrough, and Anita Lee-Newkirk.
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USF’S CHARTER CRNAS LAND JOBS BEFORE GRADUATIONStory by Sarah Worth
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Maria Seidel, MS, ARNP became a
nurse in 1976 and experienced all the
typical floor nursing activities. Then in
1992, she was exposed to nursing
education and has “gotten hooked on it
and been in it ever since.” Seidel began
teaching nursing part-time as an adjunct
and then progressed to full-time faculty,
currently serving as District 24 President of
the Florida Nurses Association for St. Lucie,
Martin, Okeechobee and Hendry counties
and as an Associate Professor of Nursing
at Indian River State College on the East
coast of Florida.
When Seidel’s colleagues began
making plans to go back to school, she
began researching the Doctor of Nursing
Practice (DNP) program at the University
of South Florida. As an educator, she “liked
what she saw.”
“The application process was smooth
and I always spoke to a person. Right
from the beginning we felt very valued and
welcome. I felt valued as a student, and I
felt like I was in the right place immediately,”
said Seidel.
Objectives for the USF Doctor of
Nursing Practice program are based on
recommendations for essential curriculum
elements as identified by the American
Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).
“I really enjoy the whole DNP Program
at USF,” says Seidel, who travels to Tampa
once a week with a colleague for DNP
courses at the University of South Florida.
“It’s a three hour trip. We enjoy our ride,
staying overnight and studying before
class.”
While at USF, Seidel works with many
of the faculty and staff. Beginning to name
them all she confesses, “They’re all great.”
“Everyone I have met has been so
wonderful - these are good leaders
and they have exceptional professional
qualities,”says Seidel. “Dr. Mary Webb
keeps us informed and wants to know how
we are feeling as a group. Prima Hower
was so nice, and because of her we wanted
to stay. For many reasons we knew made
the right choice.”
When Indian River State College
announced a scholarship opportunity with
the Tylenol National Scholarship Program,
a program for students pursuing healthcare
careers, Seidel submitted an essay
illustrating why she became a nurse and
where she is going with her nursing career,
including that she is pursuing her doctorate.
In October 2008, Tylenol announced
that Seidel had been awarded a Tylenol
Scholarship.
“I’m very honored to receive a national
award, and the money helps with my school
expenses,” Seidel says. “I’m a scholarship
junkie. If it applies to me, I’ll apply.”
Story by Ashlea Hudak
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“This round of applause is for you,” nurse
anesthetist student Kevin Sullivan said,
praising donors attending the 9th annual
USF College of Nursing Scholarship Award
Luncheon. On behalf of the 108 students
receiving donor-funded scholarships at
the event, Sullivan thanked donors for
setting a positive example, not just to
the community, but also to him and other
students. “I will continue in your example
by passing it on to future students,” he
said.
Nursing students Georgia Vong, Brooke
Waters, Sarah Chamieh and Jacqueline
Munro also reflected on the meaning of
the ceremony, each emphasizing the far-
reaching impact of the scholarship awards.
Dean Patricia Burns echoed the
students’ gratitude. “I want to express how
grateful we are to you for giving them an
opportunity to obtain a world-class nursing
education. Your support is significant,” she
said.
This year’s Scholarship Award Luncheon
was held on Nov. 21, 2008 at the USF
Marshall Student Center Ballroom. Funding
increased 80 percent since last year’s
ceremony, totaling more than $180,000.
Dean Burns was excited to announce the
establishment of five new awards.
In her keynote address, Janis Boyd, a
1973 USF graduate, shared what it meant
to cofound one of these new scholarships
with her mother, Shirley Marie Turner.
Boyd said the scholarship, established in
Turner’s name, represented her mother’s
love of nursing and desire to impact the
future of the profession.
DONORS SUPPORT, INSPIRE THE FUTURE OF NURSINGStory by Deena Kemp Pople
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Sometimes, you have to be in an
optimal performance state even though
you don’t feel like it. Athletes know this. So
do healthcare providers. But your immune
system and emotions may be working
against you. Any inflammation, whether part
of an allergy, an infection, or associated
with injury can give rise to pro-inflammatory
cytokines. These chemicals can derail
your mood, your reaction time and your
motivation to push on.
The USF College of Nursing will host
“Frontiers in Psychoneuroimmunology:
Emotions, the Immune System and
Performance”, the second annual
national conference for the Center for
Psychoneuroimmunology, September 17-
20, 2009 at Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa,
Florida.
This second annual symposium will
bring together some of the nation’s leading
experts to discuss the impact emotions and
the immune system have upon performance
— whether it’s in a sports arena, hospital, or
war zone.
Attendees will gain a better understanding
of the cause of suboptimal performance, as
well as potential solutions, at this three day
program that will include both theory and
practical exercises.
Upon completion of this course, the
participant will be able to understand how
stressful memories of traumatic events
can impact the immune system and
performance, describe how self-destructive
emotions can be triggered by injury and
the immune system, as well as understand
how shift-work and crossing time zones
can impact the immune system and
performance.
For more information, or to register to attend visit: www.health.usf.edu/nocms/nursing/pni.
EMOTIONS, THE IMMUNE SYSTEMAND PERFORMANCE
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Story by Nick Hall
Dr. Nick Hall, Director of the Center for Psychoneuroimmunology at the USF College of Nursing, points out some of the equipment on the executive challenge course at Saddlebrook Resort while conducting a custom team building program aimed at evaluating and coping with stress, improving health and achieving performance-driven goals.
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Story by Anne DeLotto Baier
DISTINGUISHED UNIVERSITY HEALTH PROFESSOR
Outstanding contributions and internationally-recognized
scholarly accomplishments have earned College of Nursing’s
Susan McMillan, PhD the University’s highest honor -
recognition as a 2008 Distinguished University Health Professor.
Internationally known for her contributions to oncology
nursing and quality of life at the end of life, Dr. McMillan is the
Lyall & Beatrice Thomson Professor of Oncology Quality of Life
Nursing at USF. She was inducted into the prestigious American
Academy of Nursing in 1993 in recognition of her national and
international stature as a nursing leader – making her one of
only 1,500 nurses out of nearly 3 million nationally who have
received this honor. Dr. McMillan was named American Cancer
Society Professor of Oncology Nursing from 1990 to 2000, the
maximum time allowed for any professor to hold the award.
At USF, she has garnered many honors, including the Jerome
Krivanek Distinguished Teacher Award, the Theodore and
Venette Askounes-Ashford Distinguished Scholar Award, and
the College of Nursing’s Outstanding Graduate Faculty Award.
Currently the principal investigator for two large NIH grants,
Dr. McMillan is recognized worldwide for her research and
development of tools to measure symptom management and
quality of life in patients with cancer.
Dr. McMillan founded and continues to direct the Oncology
Nursing Program that prepares advanced practice nurses
in oncology – a field of nursing in great demand. Her NIH
training grant in cancer care was among the first to provide
interdisciplinary education for nurses and physicians. She
founded and played a key role in successfully transforming
an interdisciplinary research group into the USF’s Center for
Hospice, Palliative Care and End of Life Studies, which partners
with hospices across West Central Florida.
Dr. McMillan has been active in research at Moffitt Cancer
Center since its inception and is affiliated with the hospital’s
Psychosocial Oncology Program, where she mentors post-
doctoral fellows.
The Distinguished University Health Professor (DUHP)
award was established in 2007 to recognize USF Health faculty
members for their highly distinctive achievements in research,
teaching and service. Like the Distinguished University
Professor (DUP) award, the DUHP is selected through a
rigorous process of internal and external review.
DR. MCMILLAN AWARDED UNIVERSITY’S HIGHEST HONOR
The esteemed Distinguished University Health Professor
award applauds McMillan’s successful completion of 3 NIH
R01 studies funded by the National Institute of Nursing
Research:
2004 - 2008: Prior R01 with NINR: Systematic Improvement
to Include Hospice Outcomes – to test an intervention
consisting of systematic assessment of hospice patients with
cancer and their caregivers in improving symptom distress,
quality of life, and spiritual well-being
2002 – 2007: Prior R01 with NINR: Caregivers of Cancer Pain
Patients Coping Intervention – to provide a coping intervention
for caregivers of actively treated cancer patients that will assist
them in managing pain.
1999 – 2004: Prior R01 with NINR: A Caregiver Intervention
to Improve Hospice Outcomes – to test a psycho-educational
intervention for hospice caregivers that is designed to improve
caregiver quality of life and symptom management and quality
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The College of Nursing has recently initi-
ated two large randomized controlled trials
funded by the National Institutes of Health
(NIH). Dr. Cecile Lengacher was awarded
$2.6M over a five-year period beginning in
February 2009 as Principal Investigator on
“Symptom Cluster Trial for Breast Can-
cer Survivors,” sponsored by the National
Institutes of Health and the National Cancer
Institute. Breast cancer survivors frequently
feel pain, fatigue, sleep dysfunction, anxiety,
depression and fear of recurrence after they
complete their treatments.
Collaborating with Moffit Cancer Cen-
ter and the USF College of Medicine, Dr.
Lengacher and her team will evaluate the
effectiveness of the Mindfulness Based
Stress Reduction (MBSR) Breast Cancer
(BC) program among breast cancer survi-
vors. The primary goals of this randomized
controlled trial are to determine how effective
the program is for improving patient symp-
toms and outcomes after treatment, what
aspects of the program are most effective,
and which types of patients respond best to
the program.
The study will follow 300 women recruited
from Moffitt Cancer Center and USF Health
with Stages 0, I, II, and III breast cancer who
have undergone lumpectomy and/or mas-
tectomy. Patients will be randomly assigned
to the MBSR (BC) program or a typical care
regimen that is later offered in the program
and assessments will include measures of
psychological symptoms (depression, anxi-
ety, perceived stress), physical symptoms
(pain, fatigue, sleep dysfunction), quality of
life, biological stress markers (pro-inflam-
matory immune cytokines, cellular adhesion
molecules, lymphocyte subsets), and stress-
related hormones (cortisol).
Collaborating with Moffit Cancer Center
and the USF Department of Aging Studies,
Dr. Susan McMillan was awarded $2.5M
over a four-year period beginning in Janu-
ary 2009 as the Principal Investigator on
“Managing Medication-Induced Constipation
in Cancer: A Clinical Trial”.
Sponsored by the National Institutes of
Health and the National Institute of Nurs-
ing Research, the randomized clinical trial’s
goals include determining incidence, dis-
tress, and trajectory of constipation among
cancer patients receiving the medications to
evaluate the efficacy of a Constipation Treat-
ment Protocol, and comparing medication-
induced constipation management according
to dose of medication versus management
according to assessment data.
NEWLY FUNDED GRANT PROJECTS
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Story by Ashlea Hudak
INTERNAL AWARDSThe Nursing Faculty in Pilot Research Projects Program, an inter-
nal program within the College of Nursing, aims to provide support
for nursing faculty to launch productive new programs of research
that will ultimately result in intellectual productivity, published re-
search, and successful grant proposals to agencies or foundations.
Two $7,500 awards were made to College of Nursing faculty as
part of the 2009 program including Theresa Beckie for the propos-
al, “The Relationship Between a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism
on Chromosome 9p21 9rs1333049 and the Phenotype of Women
with Coronary Heart Disease” and Cindy Tofthagen for “Neuro-
pathic Symptoms and Their Relationship to Depressive Symptoms,
Quality of Life, and Sleep Quality in Colorectal Cancer Survivors
Treated with Oxaliplatin.”
PENDING GRANTS Several grants are under review that, if funded, would substantial-ly augment the College’s current research portfolio. The pending grants include, but are not limited to:
Susan McMillan, PhD – “Pilot of an Intervention for Caregivers of Hospice HF Patients” NIH: NINR (R21) 2009 – 2011 – $375K
Cheryl Zambroski, PhD – “Psychometric Evaluation of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale-Heart Failure” In response to PAR-08-213: Methodology and Measurement in the Behavioral and Social Sciences. NINR (R21) 2009 – 2011 – $400K
Cecile Jevitt, PhD – “Prenatal and Postpartum Weight Control Intervention in Healthy Start Coalitions” In response to RFA-HL-08-007: Targeted Approaches to Weight Control for Young Adults. NIH (U01) 2009 – 2014 – $4.7M
Maureen Groer, PhD – “Allostasis as a Framework for Prevent-ing and Managing Cardiopulmonary Disease” In response to RFA-NR-09-001: Centers in Symptom Management Research or Centers in Health Promotion/Disease Prevention: Building Research Teams for the Future. NINR (P20) 2009 – 2014 – $1.5M The proposal will test and refine the allostasis model for women’s cardiopulmonary health. This is to build a center in health promo-tion research. Individual proposals from 5 Colllege of Nursing faculty members were submitted:
• Susan Kennel – “Children and Risk for Cardiopulmonary Disease: A Developmental and Allostatic Study”
• Brandy Lehman – “Understanding Stress, Immunity, and Sleep Disturbances in Caregivers of Persons with Heart Failure”
• Theresa Beckie – “The Relationship Between Common Variants on Chromosome 9p21 and Allostatic Biomarkers in Women with Coronary Heart Disease”
• Frances Rankin – “The Allostatic Load Consequences on Cardiopulmonary Disease Risk of Iron Supplementation In duced Constipation Following Gastric ByPass Surgery in Morbidly Obese Women”
• Cheryl Zambroski – “Unplanned Admissions to the Acute Care Setting in Women with Acute Decompensated Heart Failure: An Allostatic Perspective”
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Dr. Cecile Lengacher leads a group of women in a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction stretching exercise.
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A new nursing academy will help
alleviate the state’s nursing shortage,
offer care to wounded veterans and
create high-paying jobs in the Tampa
Bay area, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor said
last fall.
“It marries a number of missions,”
Castor said. “This VA Nursing Academy
is a wonderful new initiative that builds
upon the collaboration of USF and the
James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital.
With the Haley VA’s new state-of-
the-art spinal cord injury wing as a
backdrop, Castor was joined at the
news conference by Patricia Burns,
PhD, Dean of the USF College of
Nursing, and Sandra Janzen, Associate
Director for patient care services/nursing
programs at the Haley VA Hospital.
The Department of Veterans Affairs
has provided $3.5 million to USF’s
College of Nursing to establish the VA
Nursing Academy. USF’s nursing school
is one of 11 across the country to date
selected to form nursing academies
with 10 VA medical centers. The money
allows Haley and the nursing college
to hire five faculty members this year
and another five next year. That, in turn,
allows the school to enroll more nursing
students.
As a result of the program, 100 new
nurses are expected to graduate with
their baccalaureate degrees in the next
four years, Janzen said. If they join
the VA system, those new nurses can
CONGRESSWOMAN CASTOR HIGHLIGHTS NEW $3.5M VA NURSING ACADEMYStory by Anne DeLotto Baier
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expect starting salaries of about $47,000,
she said.
“These are high-paying jobs for our
community at a time when unemployment
is on the rise,” Castor said. “These are good
paying jobs with good benefits.”
The nursing students do clinical work at
Haley, where they gain first-hand experience
treating the nation’s veterans. They will be
exposed to specialized services including
mental health, physical rehabilitation,
polytrauma and spinal cord injury care.
Haley officials hope the nursing students will
eventually work at the VA hospital.
The program has three main goals:
to expand teaching faculty, to improve
recruitment and retention of nurses, and
to create new educational and research
opportunities.
Florida’s nursing shortage is acute. The
state is short nearly 13,000 registered nurses
this year. By 2020, the shortage is expected
to reach more than 52,000, according to the
Florida Center for Nursing.
Part of the problem is nursing schools are
forced to turn away qualified applicants. In
2007, for example, nursing schools had to say
no to more than 40,000 qualified applicants,
primarily because the schools didn’t have
enough faculty members to teach the aspiring
nurses, according to the American Association
of Colleges of Nursing.
Students enrolled in the VA Nursing
Academy are eligible to apply for $10,000
scholarships awarded through USF’s College
of Nursing and the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation.
The Nursing Academy initiative
underscores Castor’s work on higher
education, health care and military affairs.
Castor pushed for the College Cost Reduction
and Access Act, which provides loan
forgiveness to students entering careers in
public service – including nursing. Congress
also allocated $2.4 million for a program
through the USF College of Nursing to help
veterans cope with emotional health and
other problems.
USF AWARDED $100,000 FOR RWJF NEW CAREERS IN NURSING PROGRAM
L to R: U.S. Rep Kathy Castor talks about the USF College of Nursing’s partnership with James A. Haley VA Hospital, flanked by Marian Hardwick and Carey Ledee, among the first USF nursing students enrolled in the new VA Nursing Academy.
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USF College of Nursing received
$100,000 through The Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation (RWJF) New Careers in Nursing
Scholarship Program, a groundbreaking
national initiative launched by RWJF and
the American Association of Colleges of
Nursing aimed at helping alleviate the
nursing shortage by expanding the pipeline
of students in accelerated programs. Eight
eligible Accelerated Second Degree students
in the incoming VA Nursing Academy (VANA)
cohort received scholarship applications, and
two are being held for the next VANA class.
“This program aims to safeguard the health
of the nation by helping to ease the nurse and
nurse faculty shortage,” said RWJF President
Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, MBA.
Accelerated programs offer the most
efficient route to licensure as a registered
nurse for adults who have already completed
a baccalaureate or graduate degree in
a discipline other than nursing. Although
enrollment in these programs has steadily
increased, many potential students are unable
to enroll since already having a college
degree disqualifies them for most federal
financial aid programs for entry-level students.
The New Careers in Nursing scholarships
address this and the overall nursing shortage
by enabling hundreds of students to launch
their nursing careers through accelerated
education.
By bringing more nurses into the
profession at the baccalaureate and master’s
degree levels the program helps to address
the nation’s nurse faculty shortage. Data from
the U.S. Health Resources and Services
Administration show that nurses entering the
profession at the baccalaureate level are four
times more likely than other nurses to pursue
a graduate degree in nursing, which is the
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Story by Deena Kemp Pople
Diane Schuchat was born to take care
of living things. She began treating her first
patients as a toddler in preschool. At an age
when many little girls pretend to be nurses
caring for imaginary human patients, Diane
was more interested in real, live animals.
Growing up in a wooded area, she had lots
of opportunities to practice her veterinarian
skills.
“No wart covered toad living nearby was
safe from being cradled in her hands or
showered with kisses,” Diane’s mother,
Susan, recalls. “She once picked up a snake
and brought it in to show her dad. It was a
poisonous copperhead, yet, it didn’t bite her.”
Because of her persistent love of animals,
her family owned two dogs, a cat, two
horses and a skinny gerbil all at one time.
According to her mother and father, Brad,
she loved them all equally. It was no surprise
when she volunteered at a veterinarian clinic
in middle school. The young husband and
wife team who ran the clinic allowed her
to brush dogs’ teeth and help with puppy
deliveries. She spent all her time on the
weekends with them.
Diane was determined. Even when health
issues prevented her from completing
high school, she plunged forward with the
same enthusiastic persistence \she had
as a six year old winning swimming races.
She got her GED, took the SAT exam with
a 104-degree
fever, and started
community college
at 17—all to get
closer to her goal of
being a veterinarian.
After transferring to
a university to major in biology, her interest
suddenly changed. “She became more
aware of the needs of people,” her mother
says, “and like my mother, whom she never
knew, Diane decided to become a nurse.”
Diane was courageous. After three years
of college, choosing a new career required
significant changes. Facing the cost of three
more years in college at a small private
school, she worked part time as a pharmacy
tech and stayed up long into the night to
complete her studies.
Diane was compassionate. She obtained
her nursing degree and spent a lot of time
deciding how she could make the most
difference in people’s lives. She worked in
cardiac care, psychology, and dermatology,
but finally fell in love with acute kidney
dialysis care. She embraced the opportunity
to provide comforting care to seriously ill
patients. Susan remembers how Diane went
beyond her duties as a nurse to care for a
patient who lived alone in the country. “She
purchased a second cell phone and paid to
add the woman to her plan for more than a
year, so her patient wouldn’t feel so isolated.
Diane really loved her job.”
In 2006, as her health problems
progressed, Diane moved to Florida to be
closer to her family. Interested in pursuing
a graduate nursing degree, she visited
the USF College of Nursing. She was
enthusiastic about the facilities and the
opportunity to start classes in Fall 2008. “But
it was not to be,” her mother says. Diane
died in May 2008.
Her parents, along with her grandparents
Robert E. and Virginia Dreher and her
brother Michael, a second-year law student
at Drake University, felt establishing
a scholarship in Diane’s name was
an appropriate way to remember her.
Diane was determined, courageous, and
compassionate. The Diane Schuchat
Graduate Nursing Scholarship will help
nurses like her fulfill their dreams of
obtaining an advanced nursing degree.
That’s something her family thinks that she
would like.
She became more aware of the needs of “
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her patient wouldn’t feel so isolated
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After a highly successful 12-year
career, Patricia Burns, PhD, RN, FAAN,
has announced that she will step down
as Dean of the College of Nursing at the
University of South Florida. Dr. Burns
is well respected in the nursing profes-
sion and the Tampa Bay community for
her immeasurable contributions towards
making life better through research,
education and healthcare.
“I will miss the College of Nursing a
great deal; however, the time has come
for me to embark on a path towards a
new chapter in my life,” Dr. Burns said. “I
will always cherish my years at the Col-
lege of Nursing and I’m looking forward
to continuing a relationship with the com-
munity that I have been so much
a part of for the past 12 years.”
In the Tampa Bay area, nursing short-
ages and nursing faculty shortages are
greater than the national average. Under
Dr. Burns’ leadership, the USF College
of Nursing has developed new advanced
degree programs and created innovative
education models to fill this need in the
profession. She established the Clinical
Collaborative Initiative, a partnership
between local healthcare agencies in
the Tampa Bay area and the USF Col-
lege of Nursing. The Initiative gives
students seeking bachelor’s degrees
the opportunity to reside in a single
agency for clinical coursework.
Students are often eligible and qual-
ified to serve as nurse technicians,
and are employed by the agency after
the first semester.
NURSING DEAN PAT BURNS’ USF LEGACY OF LEADERSHIP
Patricia Burns, RN, PhD, FAAN becomes Dean of the USF College of Nursing.
In Fall 1999, 628 students were enrolled across all of programs at the College of Nursing.
The USF College of Nursing launched the Clinical Collab-orative, a partnership between local healthcare agencies in the Tampa Bay area.
The College of Nursing’s new building was dedicated. Reno-vations tripled the size of the College of Nursing facility, from 25,000 to 75,000 square feet.
The USF Clinical Nurse Leader program began in 2005 and admitted a charter class of 10 Clinical Nurse Leader students.
1997 1999 2001 2005
TIMELINE OF LEADERSHIP
Story by Ashlea Hudak
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Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program established.
USF’s Nurse Anesthesia mas-ter’s program was established as the first in the Tampa Bay area and only the third public university in Florida to offer a nurse anesthesia program.
USF’s first class of 8 Clinical Nurse Leaders students graduated in 2006.
A formal Research Center was established in 2007 at the Col-lege of Nursing to streamline the research process and expand the research portfolio.
Comprehensive five-year strategic planning process involving students, faculty, staff, alumni and the commu-nity began.
2006 2007
ADDRESSING THE NURSING SHORTAGE
“The USF College of Nursing has
fostered innovative programming between
the community and college to address the
nursing shortage by expanding student
numbers and needs for more educators
and enhancing the research focus within
hospitals,” said Sandra K Janzen MS, RN,
CNAA-BC, Associate Director of patient
care services at James A Haley
Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa,
Florida, “This forum is an exem-
plary model of community and
academic collaboration that
addresses current and future
needs while systematically
exploring innovative ideas
together.”
The College of Nurs-
ing has built healthcare
partnerships across 10
counties in Florida and
forged collaborations across the Univer-
sity and State, as well as nationally and
internationally. The College’s exchange
program with the University of Panama is
now in its third year. To date, three delega-
tions totaling nearly 45 nursing students
have participated in the program, a hands-
on community health learning experience.
Clinical community partnerships are im-
perative for preparing nurses in advanced
clinical roles as much needed educators
and researchers. One such partnership
is the College’s longstanding collabora-
tion with Moffitt Cancer Center, the only
comprehensive cancer center in Florida
designated by the National Cancer Insti-
tute. USF offers the only oncology nursing
master’s program in the state.
INNOVATIVE GRADUATE NURSING PROGRAMS
The College’s Doctor of Nursing Prac-
tice (DNP), Nurse Anesthesia, and Clinical
Nurse Leader (CNL) advanced graduate
degree nursing programs epitomize Dr.
Burns’ vision of the ideal innovative educa-
tion model. One of the first universities
in the country to offer the CNL and DNP
programs, USF has graduated some of
the first nurses in the country with these
degrees. In response to the nationwide
demand for more anesthesia providers,
USF began the nurse anesthesia program
in Fall 2006 as the third public university to
offer the program, out of the seven accred-
ited nursing programs in Florida. USF’s
program is the first in the Tampa Bay area.
In Fall 2008, 100 percent of USF’s charter
class of 12 nurse anesthetists graduated
with a job already lined up.
Nursing bachelor’s, master’s and
doctorate program students and graduates
provide safe competent healthcare in hos-
pitals across the greater Tampa Bay area,
a testament to the significant community
impact of the collaborations Dean Burns
initiated.
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To facilitate the growth of research initia-
tives in the College and bring together
diverse faculty and student research inter-
ests, Dr. Burns created a Nursing Research
Center within the College. The Center
has significantly broadened the College’s
research portfolio, including multidisciplinary
collaborations, and substantially upgraded
its research infrastructure and capacity,
including enhanced administrative support
and expertise in data management, project
management and statistical analyses.
STRENGTHENING RESEARCH COLLABORATION
Recently, the College of Nursing in-creased its research awards by 64 percent and achieved its goal of raising both public and private funding by 40 percent – re-sulting in the highest percentage jump for a single college in research funding at USF for FY 2007-2008. Dr. Burns fur-ther strengthened the College’s research endeavors by establishing a Biobehavioral Laboratory. Scheduled for completion this year, the laboratory will support the Re-search Center and the College’s Center for Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI). Occupying more than 2,000 square feet, it will house state-of-the art equipment for conducting blood assays, such as flammatory markers, stress hormones, proteomics, and RNA and DNA analyses. The facility will also include multiple patient rooms for conducting physical examinations, clinical measurements, and treatments for health care and research pur-poses. Enabled by the College’s productive research environment and clinical partner-ships, the PNI Center pursues research, education and the translation of knowledge into clinical practice. The College of Nursing’s collabora-tive structure encourages a community of scholars and clinicians interested in related topics. This benefits the college by providing a framework for research studies and part-nerships. Ultimately, this strong research foundation benefits patients through evi-dence-based clinical care – another way Dr. Burns’ leadership has profoundly influenced healthcare in the Tampa Bay community. Continued community support and individual contributions are vital to the future of the College of Nursing. As Dean, Dr. Burns fostered a large increase in financial donations to the College; endowments have grown by more than $5 million during her 12-year tenure.
BUILDING NATIONAL PROMINENCE
The College has received national support and accolades as well. The USF master’s program in Nursing was recently ranked 72 by U.S News and World Re-port – a large jump from 115 scored when the program was last ranked in 2003. The USF profile included in the 2009 Princeton Review “Best 368 Colleges” praises the College of Nursing. Among the candid com-ments of USF students surveyed for the book: “There’s a great nursing program.” USF’s nursing programs have steadily flourished to accommodate a growing student population. As of Fall 2008 the Col-lege of Nursing had 1,888 students enrolled across its baccalaureate, masters, doctoral and continuing education programs – up from 628 students in Fall 1999. Dr. Burns oversaw the College of Nursing’s much needed physical expansion. Members of the College, University and community gathered to dedicate the new building in May 2005 and celebrated renovations that tripled the size of the College of Nursing facility from 25,000 to 75,000 square feet. In 2007, Dr. Burns launched the College on an exciting and momentous endeavor – a comprehensive five-year strategic plan-ning process. Carefully constructed through student, faculty, staff, alumni and commu-nity involvement, the strategic plan has set the mission, vision, goals and values to help guide the College of Nursing to future suc-cess and prominence regionally, nationally and internationally. As her lasting legacy, Dean Patricia Burns leaves a successful, nationally-recog-nized College of Nursing built upon innova-tive education models, collaborative clinical partnerships, advanced practice graduate degree programs and a facilitative multi-disciplinary scientific research infrastructure.
USF’s master’s program in Nursing ranked 72 by U.S News and World Report.
College of Nursing web-based instruction was ranked third in the nation – with larger enroll-ments for its graduate nursing program than 70 other schools across the U.S.
Annual exchange program with the University of Panama, a hands-on community health learning experience, began.
100 percent of USF’s charter class of 12 nurse anesthetists graduated with employment already lined up.
College of Nursing increased research awards by 64 percent, achieving the goal of raising both public and private funding by 40 percent.
2008
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path towards a new chapter in
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On October 31, 2008 a group of more than 50 staff, students and
faculty participated in a retreat, the purpose of which was to craft
a set of shared values that would guide the College’s strategic
plan. Under the leadership of a faculty/staff committee and with the
help of consultant Dorothy Moga, the retreat was organized using
an approach called Appreciative Inquiry. This approach focuses
on past successes as well as individuals’ positive and meaningful
experiences within the organization.
During the retreat, participants split into groups and shared their
individual stories with each other, many of which were moving and
touching stories about deeply personal events. Each small group
developed a set of value statements that exemplified the spirit
of these positive and meaningful stories. When everyone came
back together, each small group advocated for a particular values
statement. Then the entire group discussed, deliberated and crafted
these into statements that everyone felt captured the values being
expressed.
The set of value statements that the retreat produced are
powerful, evocative and capable of guiding the college into the
future. The sentiment of those who attended the retreat is one of
accomplishment and significance. The College is committed to not
only endorse these values, but to use them in every day teaching,
research, practice and service.
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA COLLEGE OF NURSING VALUES:
We embrace the diversity and expertise of our students, faculty, staff and community partners.
We lead the discipline and are nationally recognized for the generation, exploration and application of new knowledge for education, practice, science and knowledge.
We embody personal and professional integrity to create a safe and trusting environment.
We embrace an environment where we mentor, encourage and empower students, staff and faculty.
We promote partnerships where coordinated teamwork accomplishes innovative outcomes to advance the art and science of nursing.
We honor and recognize our community, students, faculty and staff.
We develop, nurture and recognize engaged leadership in students, faculty and staff for positive impact in education, research and health care.
We support and help each other to achieve shared goals.
COLLEGE ADOPTS NEW VALUES STATEMENTStory by Maureen Groer
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As of Fall 2008, 1,888 students were enrolled across all of the bachelor’s, master’s, doctor-ate and continuing education programs at the College of Nursing.
The strategic planning process established the Mission, Vi-sion, Goals and Values of the College.
Construction completed on the Biobehavioral Laboratory, a 2,000 square-foot facility housing state-of-the art equipment for conducting blood assays and multiple patient rooms for conducting physical examinations, clinical measurements, and treatments for health care and research purposes.
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On October 15, 2008, University of South Florida
College of Nursing alumni gathered underneath the
USF Nursing tailgate tent just outside Raymond
James Stadium for the annual Homecoming Reunion.
Brunch was served along with drinks, and fellow alums
spent the morning catching up with one another and
reminiscing about their lives as students at the College
of Nursing.
There was plenty of Bulls’ spirit in the air as current
nursing students stopped by the tent to proudly display
their 2nd place trophy for the College of Nursing float in
the USF Homecoming Parade the evening before. After
the tailgate, nursing alums helped cheer on the USF
Bulls to a 45 -13 victory over the Syracuse Orange.
Thanks to everyone who participated in this year’s
homecoming reunion. We hope to see you and your
classmates at next year’s reunion on November 21,
2009! For updates visit nursing.usfhealthalumni.net.
Story by Leanna Baylis
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Nursing students unite and proudly display their Bulls spirit and love of all things health and nursing while aboard the College of Nursing float which won second place in the 2008 USF Homecoming parade.
Allyson Radford has been very busy Allyson Radford has been very busy
since she completed her Bachelor of since she completed her Bachelor of
Science degree in nursing in December Science degree in nursing in December
2008. The recent USF College of Nursing 2008. The recent USF College of Nursing
alumna has been studying for and taking alumna has been studying for and taking
the GRE and NCLEX exams and applying the GRE and NCLEX exams and applying
to the college’s BS to PhD program. With to the college’s BS to PhD program. With
all this, she also found time to work as all this, she also found time to work as
a research assistant. March 2009 was a research assistant. March 2009 was
exciting for Allyson because she received exciting for Allyson because she received
the wonderful news that she not only the wonderful news that she not only
passed her nursing board exam, but she passed her nursing board exam, but she
also was accepted into the USF College of also was accepted into the USF College of
Nursing’s BS to PhD program. Nursing’s BS to PhD program.
Through her work in the college’s Through her work in the college’s
simulation lab teaching fundamental simulation lab teaching fundamental
skills for entry-level courses and tutoring skills for entry-level courses and tutoring
students, Allyson realized she wants to students, Allyson realized she wants to
pursue research and teaching as a career. pursue research and teaching as a career.
This stemmed from her work for the past This stemmed from her work for the past
year as a research assistant with Debra year as a research assistant with Debra
Gottel, MHS, BSN and her research to help Gottel, MHS, BSN and her research to help
individuals with mental illness quit smoking. individuals with mental illness quit smoking.
She gives credit to the College’s recently She gives credit to the College’s recently
appointed Doctoral Student Ambassador appointed Doctoral Student Ambassador
and USF nursing ’05 graduate, Melissa and USF nursing ’05 graduate, Melissa
Molinari Shelton, MS, for helping her take Molinari Shelton, MS, for helping her take
the initial steps to realize this goal. the initial steps to realize this goal.
“It is very comforting to have someone “It is very comforting to have someone
like Melissa to turn to,” Allyson says. like Melissa to turn to,” Allyson says.
“Melissa has been a huge help. She “Melissa has been a huge help. She
answered any silly question, telling me what answered any silly question, telling me what
I have to look forward to and what I need to I have to look forward to and what I need to
get prepared for.”get prepared for.”
At times, Allyson doesn’t feel like a new At times, Allyson doesn’t feel like a new
alumnus since she is still involved in the alumnus since she is still involved in the
college. “It’s kind of surprising to get the college. “It’s kind of surprising to get the
Nursing Life magazine, newsletters and Nursing Life magazine, newsletters and
alumni materials in the mail when I just alumni materials in the mail when I just
recently got my diploma.” Allyson says. “It recently got my diploma.” Allyson says. “It
is a little strange.” is a little strange.”
As part of her work with current nursing As part of her work with current nursing
students, Allyson has taken on a new students, Allyson has taken on a new
role as an alumni mentor, whether it is role as an alumni mentor, whether it is
reaching out to the underclassmen, giving reaching out to the underclassmen, giving
them advice on how to prepare for the them advice on how to prepare for the
boards and finals or answering any other boards and finals or answering any other
question they have. On her path to being a question they have. On her path to being a
double USF Nursing alumna, she herself is double USF Nursing alumna, she herself is
becoming an ambassador for the College. becoming an ambassador for the College.
“The students all know me and catch me “The students all know me and catch me
in the hall and ask me how I did this or that,” in the hall and ask me how I did this or that,”
she says. “It is beneficial just to have a face she says. “It is beneficial just to have a face
that everyone knows and the students all that everyone knows and the students all
know that they can e-mail me anytime.” know that they can e-mail me anytime.”
Ms. Radford is excited about taking Ms. Radford is excited about taking
the next step in her career with a nursing the next step in her career with a nursing
graduate degree. As a new alumna, she graduate degree. As a new alumna, she
wants to help students and alumni realize wants to help students and alumni realize
there are many possibilities in nursing. there are many possibilities in nursing.
“You don’t even realize how many “You don’t even realize how many
avenues you can take. That is why nursing avenues you can take. That is why nursing
is so great—there are so many different is so great—there are so many different
areas you can go into,” Allyson says. areas you can go into,” Allyson says.
“When I realized that there was a doctoral “When I realized that there was a doctoral
program where I could pursue research and program where I could pursue research and
teaching, I wanted to make a difference in teaching, I wanted to make a difference in
the community a different way.” the community a different way.”
Story by Elise Brodeur
RECENT ALUMNUS: MENTEE, MENTOR & STUDENT
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There are so many different areas you can go into.“ ”
Story by Elise Brodeur
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NURSING ALUMNI FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE AWARD
Dean Patricia Burns leans in for a photo with nursing graduates, Matthew Wolland (left) and Allyson Radford (right), recipients of the inaugural USF Nursing Alumni Florence Nightingale Award.
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The USF College of Nursing started
a new tradition this past December
when the USF Nursing Alumni
Florence Nightingale Award was
introduced at the Nursing gradua-
tion awards ceremony on Saturday,
December 13, 2008. This new award will
be given each semester to two undergraduate
students – one in the traditional program and one in
the accelerated program.
The USF Nursing Alumni Florence Nightingale
Award is sponsored by an individual alumna on
behalf of the USF College of Nursing’s Alumni and
Friends Board and will be awarded to students who
are beginning their nursing career and who will forth
into the community and represent the College of
Nursing in a positive light. Recipients demonstrate a
dedication to charity and community service.
A USF College of Nursing gold pin depicting the Col-
lege’s official seal will be presented to each person
honored with this award.
The recipients of the award are chosen through
a vote by their peers approximately two weeks prior
to the students’ graduation. The announcement
of the voting results and presentation of the pins
take place during the College’s awards ceremony
which is held between University Commencement
ceremonies on graduation day.
Congratulations to the first two recipients, Allyson
Radford and Matthew Wolland, who were chosen
by their classmates for this award. They, along with
their classmates, join the many alumni of the USF
College of Nursing who have made nursing their life.
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Story by Melissa M. Shelton
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ALUMNI CLASS NOTES Virginia Wollard, ’75, is the Vice President of Triumph
HealthCare in Houston, TX.
Regina Petzold, ’76, is an Operating Room Supervi-
sor at Longview Regional Medical
Center in Longview, TX.
Vicki Dillard Brunson, ’78, is the Financial and Operations
Director for Integrity Research in
Pensacola, FL. She is married to
Robert and has two children, Tori,
21, and Becca, 18.
Jean L. Kline, ’78, is the Deputy Secretary for
Health for the Florida Department of
Health.
Judy Heilig Zaritt, ’80, is the Clinical Research Coordi-
nator for USF Pediatrics.
Carl Goff, ’86, is currently working for the Blue
Cross Blue Shield Association. He
currently resides in Washington,
D.C. with his wife, Rebecca, and two
sons, Errett and Carlisle.
Jeanne Hopple, ’93, is a family nurse practitioner at
Ocala Family Physicians in Ocala,
FL.
Theresa Allen, ’98, is a psychiatric nurse at the
Hartford Hospital Institute of Living.
She currently resides in Middletown,
CT with her husband and three boys
ages 1, 11, and 14.
Elton Ammons III,’02, is a product sales consultant for
Cardinal Health.
Menchu Lalas Barcenas,’05, is a clinical nurse at the UC Da-
vis Medical Center in California.
Lisa Bartell,’05, is a cardiology nurse practitioner
at Life Link Healthcare Institute in
Tampa, FL.
Jeffrey McDermott,’06, is a CVRU/CVICU RN at Oak
Hill Hospital in Brooksville, FL.
Kenneth Duncan, ’08, is an acute care nurse practitio-
ner at Tampa General Hospital
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