xt79s46h2f6n https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt79s46h2f6n/data/mets.xml The Frontier Nursing Service, Inc. 2009 bulletins  English The Frontier Nursing Service, Inc. Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Frontier Nursing Service Quarterly Bulletins Frontier Nursing Service, Vol. 84, No. 4, June 2009 text Frontier Nursing Service, Vol. 84, No. 4, June 2009 2009 2014 true xt79s46h2f6n section xt79s46h2f6n   FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE  
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 I FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE
US ISSN 0016-2116
TABLE OF CONTENTS
lntroduction to FNS 1 / A
The Joumey — Nathan W Lee 2 ,
Field Notes - Barb Gibson 5
Stories from a Former Nurse - Gladys R. Ross 12
Beyond the Mountains — Barb Gibson 14
Frontier School of Midwifery & Family Nursing 18
Footprints — Excerpts from Wide Neighborhoods 21
Legacies — Nathan W Lee 24
In Memoriam & In Honor Of 25
Urgent Needs 32
Cover Photo - FNS Nurse Zelda Pearson (1957). Photo - courtesy of
Gladys Ruth Boss.
NOTE - The cover photo on the last Quarterly Bulletin (Volume 84,
Number 3) was FNS Nurse Bertha Bloomer and her dog Boo. Photo
— courtesy of Carolyn Gregory.
Frontier Nursing Service Quarterly Bulletin is published at the end of
each quarter. Subscription Price $5.00 a year for Donors/$15.00 for In- I
stitutions. Periodicals postage paid at Wendover, Kentucky 41775 and
at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes
to FNS, Inc. 132 FNS Drive, Wendover, Kentucky. Copyright FNS/Inc.
All Rights Reserved. The Frontier Nursing Service does not share
its donor mailing list.
1
1

 QUARTERLY BULLETIN
Introduction to Frontier Nursing Service (FNS)
Maiy Breckinridge spent her early years in many parts of the
/· world - Russia, France, Switzerland and the British Isles. After
the deaths of her two children, she abandoned the homebound life
expected of women of her class to devote herself to the service
' of others, particularly mothers and children.
Several years after graduating from St. Luke’s Hospital Training
School for Nurses in 1910, Mrs. Breckinridge established the
FNS in Leslie County, Kentucky, in 1925, as a private charitable
organization serving an area of 700 square miles. It was the Hrst
organization in America to use nurses trained as midwives under
the direction of a single medical doctor/obstetrician, based at their
small hospital in Hyden. Originally the staff was composed of
nurse-midwives trained in England. They traveled on horseback
and on foot to provide quality prenatal and childbirth care in the
client’s own home.
Today, Mrs. Breckinridge’s legacy extends far beyond Eastem
Kentucky. FNS, Inc. is the parent holding company for Mary
Breckinridge Healthcare, Inc., Frontier Nursing Healthcare, Inc.,
which includes five rural healthcare clinics; Mary Breckinridge
Home Health Agency and the Frontier School ofMidwife1y and
Family Nursing which offers a Master of Science in Nursing de-
gree with tracks as a Nurse-Midwife, Family Nurse Practitioner,
Women’s Healthcare Nurse Practitioner and a Doctor of Nursing
Practice (DNP) degree.
Mary Breckinridge’s home, The Big House, located at Wendo-
ver, is a licensed Bed & Breakfast Inn. For more information or
rv reservations, call 606-672-2317 or e-mail: information@H·ontier—
nursing.org. You can also access our website:
l Frontier Nursing Service - www.frontiernursing.org
1
l

 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE
The Journey _
by Nathan Lee, President & CEO  
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Something magical happens in Kentucky the hrst week of May
each year. Thoughts turn from our ever-changing weather and
seemingly endless allergy season to horses and hats. And so they
did again this year, as we turned our attentions to the twin spires
of Churchill Downs and the annual running of the Kentucky
Derby.
This year, we watched as the 50-l long shot came from behind
to best the field by almost seven lengths. This year, we watched
as a horse "saved" for the low price of $9,500 handily won over _
competitors whose price tags were exponentially higher. This
year, we watched as a horse whose "indexes" and practice times
might have indicated a future of trail rides came from behind to ·
claim the top prize in arguably the premier event in horse racing.
And this year we watched as those who had believed in this _
underdog from the beginning smiled and wept tears of vindication y
on national television.
2  .

 T QUARTERLY BULLETIN
i At the Frontier Nursing Service, we have our own rich tradition
of horses and unifonns. And we have often been the underdog
i in many of our endeavors. Yet, we always manage to elicit
Wt. smiles and tears of vindication for those who show their belief
in us, despite what at times are long shot statistics. Our current
economic situation is no different. In the past eighteen months,
Ii we’ve watched as more and more people come to us without
private health insurance, sicker because they’ve waited longer to
{ access the care we provide. We watched as the private insurance,
i that does cover some of our patients, reduce and delay their
reimbursement to us to help manage their own fiscal crisis. We’ve
watched as the state and federal funds we’ve come to rely on have
dried up like an empty mountain well. And we’ve watched as the
  value of our endowment has fallen over 40%.
W These circumstances are indeed a fiscal challenge for the
i FNS. ln the current year, we will stand to lose approximately
Q $5,000,000 from our operations, and an additional $4,000,000
2 from the devaluation of our investments. This makes it difficult to
  maintain principal, much less draw income to support operational
{ deficits. In response, we have taken on an even greater sense
l of fiscal discipline. Over $1,000,000 has been cut from our
i expense structure, and substantially all staff has taken a cut in
  pay of 10%. Each commercial insurer is being addressed as to
l their reimbursement contracts with us, and all services are being
  evaluated for fiscal propriety.
  Our odds do seem long, and again in our 84—yearhisto1y, we find
li' ourselves the underdog. But like Mine T/1atBi1·a’, we will triumph;
i for we have been through this before and have won over even
[I more adverse conditions. Our victory will not come without the
  dedication of you, our supporters. Indeed, you know something
l the odds-makers could never understand . . . the Frontier Nursing
Seivice is not something that can be abandoned. An associate of
Mrs. Breckinridge put it best in a letter to her, an excerpt from
T which is published in Wide Neighborhoods . . .
‘ 3

 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE
“‘I could no more dream of giving up the Frontier Nursing Service
than I could expect to fly by flapping my arms. As I wrote you
when I asked to come down here two years ago, I feel that it is
the most real bit of work in the country and we can do the greatest ¤
good by our services here in the mountains."
So may it always be. Thank you for your support . . . for your ii
dedication . . . and for your belief in the underdog. I look forward
to our smiles and tears of vindication together.
Please refer to "Footprints " in this Quarterly Bulletin _ for an
explanation ofliow the years ofthe Depression affected FNS Iv
financial condition. I
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Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered. And lo, no one was
there. I
-Anon ‘
 
The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm  
terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason  
for remaining ashore.
— Wncent van Gogh I
i
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  I

   QUARTERLY BULLETIN
Field Notes
E Wendover Guest Update
. From March 1, 2009 — June 1, 2009, Wendover hosted a total of
,_ 1,029 guests. This number includes ovemight guests, tour groups,
and special luncheons/events. For the fiscal year - May I, 2008 —
  April 3 0, 2009, Wendover hosted a total of 3,639 guests. Special
1 guests this quarter included:
  Singer/ Songwriter and Leslie County native, Hugh X. Lewis and
  his wife, Ann, who spent the night at The Big House during an
§ appearance at the Kentucky School of Bluegrass and Traditional
l Music in Hyden. Among his many accomplishments, Mr. Lewis
l wrote the #1 hit called "B.J the DJ " for country artist, Stonewall
  Jackson, and hosted a syndicated television show called the
1 "Hug/1 X Lewis C0zmt1y Club " from 1968 - 1971.
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M11 & Mrs. Hugh X Lewis - Singei%S0ngwriter
5

 i FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE
l
Award winning Children’s Author, Healther Henson, stayed at  
The Big House in conjunction with the Hazard Community and  
Technical College’s Regional Library Conference on May 9th. Ms.
Henson wrote about FNS nurse-midwives in her children’s picture l
book, Angel Corning, in 2005. She recently received a Christopher  
Award for her most recent book, That Book Woman.  
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Autlzor Heather Henson
Former Courier Michelle Gazzool (‘83), Benton Harbor, Michigan, p
visited Wendover with her daughter.
Tours included: Berea College, Berea, KY; Buckhorn State ,
Park, Buckhorn, KY; Carson Newman College, Jefferson City, if
TN; Shawnee State University, Portsmouth, OH; University of
Maryland, College Park, MD; Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH; .
Big Sandy Community College, Prestonsburg, KY; University of
Tennessee, Knoxville, TN; McKendree Universities, Louisville,
KY and Lebanon, IL; Southeast Community College, Somerset,
KY; Illinois State University, Nomial, lL; Lee County Career _
and Technical Center, Ben Hur, VA and Leslie County Area
Technology Center, Hyden, KY _
6

 QUARTERLY BULLETIN
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7

 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE
Courier Program Update
The Courier Program continues to provide rural healthcare
experiences to young men and women. Two couriers are currently
participating in the Program: Jordan Minor from Lee County, 4
Virginia. Jordan plans to attend medical school in the fall at l
the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine.
Amanda Strauss is from Birmingham, Alabama, and graduated "
from Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Several
additional couriers are scheduled for this summer (June). N
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Letter of Appreciation from a Nursing Student  
Excerpts_]$·om a letter written to Linda Crah, Director of Nursin g, 1
from Timothy A. Hall, cz nursing student who spent a week at the Q
Frontier Nursing Service:  
I
. . . As the week progressed and I spent time on the Med/ Surg Unit,  
traveled with the Home Health Nurses to the deep reaches of never  
ending "hollers," assisted with patient care and education in the  
Emergency Room Department, and spent time on the Obstetrics I
Unit pondering how great God is to give us the miracle of life, my  
life was changed. I have now dedicated my ihture to providing care   A
to my patients in a manner in which l observed while spending l
time in Hyden, Kentucky.  
I
8 l;

 QUARTERLY BULLETIN
. . . I have noticed that at the heart of this hospital is what really
matters — holistic care for the patient. The bonds and relationships
f that I observed between doctors, nurses, and patients will forever
remain in my heart. There are so many things that stop me dead
__ in my tracks out of pure amazement about what is occurring in
the tiny town in Southeastern Kentucky.
. . . My eyes were opened as to how blessed I am through this
experience and to what opportunity that I, just one person, have to
i change the lives ofrny patients. If only one life is changed, if one
I life is spared from the grasp of poverty, if only one life is rescued
  from the cycle of drugs, alcohol, and violence, my entire career as a
  nurse will be well worth it. I have FNS to thank for this realization
  of the power one person can have on so many. Looking back and
  reading the story ofthe famous Mary Breckinridge I can see how
I powerfully evident and possible that is. I will take back with me
E more than the beautiful pictures on my camera - I will take back
j with me the basics of what it means to be a servant.
I Regional Library Conference
i Michael Claussen, Guest Services Coordinator/Development
i Assistant, presented an educational session called The Frontier
i Nursing Service: Bringing History to Life, at the Hazard Community
é and Technical College’s Regional Library Conference on May 9,
2 2009. Michael shared the rich history and heritage of the FNS
  through stories and artifacts from Wendover. He also discussed
  how librarians can share the stories from their community by
l developing a passion for their organization’s mission.
  , Employee Wellness Program
  179 employees throughout FNS are enrolled in the Employee
I Wellness Program. Total weight loss to date is 4,208 lbs. Eight
l employees have begun the Smoking Cessation Aide since January
i 2009.
I 9

 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE
The Leslie County Homemakers Donate Blankets
The Leslie County Homemakers donated 30 handmade baby
blankets t0 the Mary Breckinridge Hospital Maternity Unit. They
plan to present future newborns with a blanket. S
Annual Community Egg Hunt
On April 10th, Mary Breckinridge Hospital hosted the 6th Annual "
Community Egg Hunt with over 250 children participating. Thanks
to the Ladies Auxiliary for purchasing eggs and treat bags for the
children and to the City of Hyden for donating the prize baskets
and money prize eggs.
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Ayden Langdon and Tate Combs i
Johnessa Napier  
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FNS Rural Healthcare Centers Update ;
A review of practice trends has been performed which identifies  
revenue and expenses by provider. This information will be used l
to improve billing and collections.  
The School—Located Clinics continue to be a worthwhile endeavor  
in achieving outreach objectives. Recently, the School-Located i`
Clinics were featured in "The Advovate ", the Kentucky School E
Boards Association monthly publication.  
10

 QUARTERLY BULLETIN
Annual Civic Night
On April l6th, the Leslie County Chamber of Commerce held
their Annual Civic Night. The theme this year was "The Magic of
Change". The following employees at Mary Breckinridge Hospital
l received awards:
~ Kevin Couch, Controller; Brenda Morgan, Admitting Manager;
and Edith Hensley, RN, Emergency Room Supervisor received
Employee Recognition awards. Ms. Hensley received an award
for being the first nurse at Mary Breckinridge Hospital to graduate
(in October) as a Family Nurse Practitioner from the Frontier
School of Midwifery & Family Nursing. Both Arthur Melton,
p Jr., Maintenance/Security Employee for 20 years and Karen
_ Sizemore, X-Ray Technician for 16 years, were honored with
Longevity Awards.
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l (Administrator), Edith Hensley, Karen Sizemore
ll

 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE
Stories from a Former FNS Nurse
The following are excerpts from the diary of Gladys R. Ross,
FNS Nurse in 1956: {A
Breakdown En Route to Brutus
. . . Dark clouds were fonning on the horizon. It was a good sign ‘
of an impending storm. I kept driving along the dirt road hoping
not to run into heavy rain. Suddenly, the jeep stopped and would
not re—start. There was a strong odor of gasoline. I lifted the hood
and found the hose had disconnected from the fuel pump to the
carburetor.
. . . I pondered the situation and thought about the stethoscope
tubing. With the help of bandage scissors, I cut a length and
attached it to the carburetor. I reinforced the end with adhesive
plaster. The engine re-started and was running smoothly. The
storm broke with all its fury. I just "sat it out". It passed quickly,
lcaving heavy, deep puddles of rain behind. Slowly, I made my
way back to the Nursing Center . . .
Emergency at Double Creek j
While packing my bags into the jeep one early morning, my j
attention was drawn to loud voices coming from the path which led
to the Red Bird Nursing Center. Never expecting to be summoned j
to a most unusual nursing assignment, I proceeded to walk toward i
the Bam to investigate the cause of loud voices.
I was met by Annie who excitedly told me that she needed our ·
help at her place. "Honey, ah shore hates to ask u’ns this, but mah 5
mule’s neck is cut right bad, and hit needs sewin up". Hardly
knowing what to reply I asked what happened. After a spell, Annie I
told me that her men were hauling logs when the chains around ;
the mule’s neck had cut deep into it’s neck. At this stage the only ,
alternative was to accompany Annie home. ;
l
l2 i

 QUARTERLY BULLETIN
. . . Now my problem was to find a suitable cutting edge needle
and suture. The only needle and suture kept at the Center was
a small Mayo designed for small lacerations. After carefully
{ searching the clinic I found a tube of obstetrical suture attached
to a large cutting edge needle. "Well, I thought, this won’t do".
I I found some black silk suture which I was able to attach to the
cutting edge needle.
. . . En route to Double Creek we were momentarily delayed by
a lumber truck which was stalled in the middle of the dirt road.
Consequently, we were forced to detour through a nearby cornlield.
Having arrived at our destination, we found our patient with a
jagged laceration about four inches long on the inferior aspect of
the neck. The wound was cleansed with Zephiran Sol, and dried.
I placed several sutures with great difhculty due to the thickness
of the hide. Slowly, all went well and the mule withstood the
suturing well.
7%%:9:1*::*:vkulrkk*%%******%*******7%%***:*:*]:9::*:9:9:
SAVE THE DATE
I FNS’ers who worked during the 7()’s and/or 80’s are planning a
Reunion Weekend at Wendover, Friday, October 2nd in conjunction
I with the Annual Mary Breckinridge Festival.
If you are interested in participating, contact Betty Couch at
Mary Breckinridge Hospital, 130 Kate Ireland Drive, Hyden,
p` Kentucky 4l 749. Email betty.couch@frontiernursing.org or call
I at 606-672-2901.
I More details in the next Quarterly Bulletin.
l
4 13

 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE
Beyond the Mountains
Visit t0 St. Luke ’s Hospital Sch00l 0f Nursing
On Saturday, May 2nd, Nathan Lee traveled to New York City to  
participate in a Homecoming Celebration ofthe 120th anniversary I
of the founding of the St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing, ,
where Mary Breckinridge graduated in 1910. Given that the `
School has been closed since 1974 and the youngest graduates
are in their mid—hfties, this was be the last event on such a grand
scale. Because of St. Luke’s long tradition of support for nursing
causes, the Board of Directors felt it appropriate to sponsor three
organizations with ties to the School and that included the Frontier
Nursing Service.
The event was held on the grounds of the Cathedral of St. John
the Divine and included class reunions, tours of the hospital
and cathedral, display of memorabilia housed at the Center for
Nursing History at the Foundation of New York State Nurses and
ended with a gala dinner in the Cathedral itself.
   
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2
14 1

 QUARTERLY BULLETIN
A Success Story
The Frontier Nursing Service Information Technology Department
was recently featured by Astaro Intemet Security regarding their
.»_· switching to Astaro Security Gateway as an all—in—one security
solution. Astaro currently protects over 400 users at FNS. Prior to
switching to Astaro Security Gateway, the reporting capabilities
4 were inadequate and did not allow for proper network needs.
Washington, D. C. Committee Luncheon
On May 9th, Nathan Lee and Barb Gibson traveled to Glen Echo,
Maryland, for the Annual Washington, D.C. Committee Luncheon
held this year at The Irish Inn in Glen Echo. We were thrilled to
meet with the following friends, some who have been involved
with FNS for many years, and some who just recently became
involved:
Anne Clemmitt, Mr. & Mrs. Fred Harris, Mr. & Mrs. Bertam Donn,
Trudie Musson, Joan McPhee, Karen Fennell, Patricia Malloy,
Catherine Barry Davis, Heather Swartz, Mrs. William Ashby Beal,
Beth Hadley, Priscilla Becker, Posy Mendoza, Chip and Dorothy
Mudd, Marion McCartney, Jackie Musselrnan, Mr. & Mrs. Phillip
Combs, Susie Quinlan Hill, Sarah Steck, Ruth Harker Newell,
Molly Singerling, Mary Carson and Dr. Susan Crawford.
Mr. Lee spoke of the financial condition of FNS in today’s
economy and expressed appreciation, on behalf ofthe FNS, for
friends who continue to be cornrnitted to supporting this great
organization.
We were especially delighted to meet Ms. Mary Carson, a cousin
to our founder, Mary Breckinridge.
See photos on next page.
  15

 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE
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Mary Carson - Cousin t0 Mrs. Breckinridge
16

 QUARTERLY BULLETIN
 
Parish Nurse Day
March 29th, Dr. Julie Marfell, Frontier School of Midwifery &
Family Nursing (FSMFN) Chairperson of Family Nursing and
, Family Nurse Practitioner, and Doctor of Nursing students Shirley
` » Pollard Ramsey and Ellen Urquhart participated in a Parish Nurse
Day at Central Christian Church in Lexington, Kentucky. Ruth
` Beeman, MPH, CNM and FSMFN Dean Emeritus, is an active
member ofthe Parish Nurse Program at Central Christian Church
and invited the group to participate. The emphasis ofthe FSMFN
presentation was on the importance of nurse practitioners and
nurse—midwives in the healthcare system and in the history of
FNS.
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Lef t0 right: Shirley Pollard Ramsey, Dr: Julie Marfell,
Ruth Beeman and Ellen Urquhart
17

 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE
Frontier School of Midwifery & Family Nursing News
Your Best Birth Event Recap
by Brett Morris, Marketing Director '
May I3, 2009, expectant mothers, birth advocates and local
professionals gathered at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lexington
to participate in a live Internet Q&A with Ricki Lake and Abby
Upstein, authors of the new book, Your Best Birth. Lake and
Epstein, producers ofthe popular 2008 Elm, The Business of`Bein g
Born, answered questions from groups around the country via
live chat and email about topics involving the midwifery model
of care, breastfeeding, the role of doulas, fear and pain coping
methods and the birthing process. An impassioned and often
exuberant duo, the authors relayed details from their experiences
between the release ofthe film and the book, including their own
birth stories. The book, subtitled KnowAl/ Your Options, Discover
The Natura! Choices and Take Back the Birth Experience urges
expectant mothers to be informed about the birthing process and
make informed decisions about their birth plan.
Although the authors signed off after nearly 40 minutes, a panel
of local experts was on hand to continue the discussion well into
the evening. Dr. Susan Stone and Aggie Hoeger ofthe Frontier
School of Midwifery and Family Nursing (FSMFN), Lexington I
Psychologist Dr. Colby Cohen-Archer and Doraine Bailey, I
Breastfeeding Support Services Coordinator for the Lexington- I
Fayette County Health Department, conducted lively and often J
candid discussions with the birth enthusiasts in attendance.
The Frontier School of Midwifery & Family Nursing prides itself —
on being a good corporate citizen in its Lexington and Hyden
community and relishes the opportunity to bring together a
collection of people committed to education and enlightenment.
For more infonnation about the F SMFN, go to www.frontierschool.
edu.F or more information about Your Best Birth, you can log onto
www.mybestbirth.com. ,

 QUARTERLY BULLETIN
Alumni Homecoming Weekend and Courier Conclave
The Annual Alumni Homecoming Weekend and Courier Conclave
was held May 8-l0 in Hyden. Frontier School of Midwifery &
. Family Nursing Alumni Jean Fee (‘59) and Lillian Link (‘77)
along with former Couriers Carlyle Carter (‘65), Heather Brine
Martin (‘78), Frances Marshman (‘78), Jennifer Swisher Lynes
(‘98) and Anna Carey (‘03) took part in several activities held at
Wendover and the Frontier School of Midwifery.
The Weekend began Friday evening with dinner at The Big House
and then a memorable visit to George Wooton’s Farm. Saturday
morning started off with an adventurous Elk Tour, where a herd
of about 20 Elk was spotted. Later in the morning, Nathan Lee,
FNS CEO & President, presided over a special prayer service at
the St. Christopher’s Chapel on Hospital Hill followed by a lunch
in the Haggin Dormitory Dining Room. Dr. Susan Stone, Frontier
School of Midwifery & Family Nursing President & Dean, led
a tour of the campus and then a trip out to the old Beech Fork
Nursing Center. Many memories were shared.
Both Jean Fee and Lillian Link had worked at the Beech Fork
Center. As they looked out the window, they both decided that
not much had changed as far as the beautiful mountainous
terrain surrounding the Beech Fork Center. Heather and Frances
. remembered playing Santa and Mrs. Santa Claus for the local
children at Christmas. Returning to Wendover late in the aitemoon,
. the Alumni and Couriers enjoyed a "Welcome Home" reception
and dinner with music provided by FNS Board Member Rhonda
’ Brashear and FNS Rural Healthcare Centers Director Ben Peak.
After dinner, Dr. Stone and Mr. Lee led discussions that harvested
_ a multitude of fond memories of time well spent with the FNS.
The Alumni Homecoming Weekend/Courier Conclave is an annual
event sponsored by FNS and the Frontier School of Midwifery &
Family Nursing. We hope you can plan to join next year for this
exciting event! See photos on next page.
j 19

 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE
I
1
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        UBCPYF ZIAFW 'Y? IEC
Dia Stone with Alumni Lillian Link and Jean Fee
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Couriers Front Row - Jordan Minor; Jenn#er Lynes,
Francis Marshman, Caryle Carter: Back Row - Amanda
Strauss, Heather Brine Martin, Anna Carey
20

 QUARTERLY BULLETIN
 
" Footprints
Excerpts #0111 I/Wde Neighborhoods
by Mc11yBrec/cinridge, Founder
Chapter 30, Part V
lt was during the years of what has rightly been called the
Depression that my young associates in the Frontier Nursing
t Service met a financial crisis as gallantly as they meet "nature
j with a small ‘n."’ Up until then we had been able to pay salaries
l at what was considered a high level twenty-odd years ago, and
p income taxes then were low. Our staff were able to set aside
f enough money to take the long vacations they needed during the
six weeks, annually, that we have always allowed for vacations.
They were able to set aside money for their old age. But when
l hard times came "a knocking at the door" the Frontier Nursing
  Service shared in the common disaster. Nearly all our subscribers
l stood by us but most of them had to reduce their subscriptions
{ drastically. In one case that l recall, a trustee who had been able
i to give a thousand dollars a year could only give twenty—frve.
Fortunately, our people had recovered from the drought so that we
g no longer needed to meet costs of things like milk and shoes on a
Q vast scale. The Alpha Omicron Pi National Sorority, through its
i Social Service Secretary, continued its financial assistance. This
  enabled us to handle cases of acute distress, so that we were not
E haunted by people poorer than we were for whom there was no
l relief. But we could not carry on as we had done.
  lt was during the depression that we cut our field work, closing
·i out our fine affiliation with Red Bird Mission at Beverly and
reducing the staff to one nurse at each of the six outpost centers
where there had been two. This meant lopping off territory and
[ patients carried from these centers. This was heartbreaking. In the
  course of time, and in the following order, we put a second nurse
  back at Possum Bend, Brutus, and Beechfork. But Red Bird, Flat
  Creek and Bowlingtown each have only one nurse even now and,
  in consequence, a heavy fringe territory to handle as best they can.
I
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21

 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE
We cut the administrative end of our work t0 the bone, placing
a mighty load of work on the few who remained. As for Hyden
Hospital, so many hospital nurses were unemployed that we could
take care of our sick patients by engaging nurses, in rotation, for
little more than their maintenance, and letting them go wherein _
they got employment outside. More than once we had the help of
a nurse who came as a volunteer, just because she knew we were I
up against it and she had the means, not only to give her service, {
but to pay her own travel expenses. One volunteer nurse of this  
period, Betty Washburn, came all the way from Minneapolis to i
help us and has been a supporter of our work since then and is ,
one of its trustees. I
As I have said elsewhere, we closed our outside offices after the  
bank failures, because of which our Belgenland cruise made no  
money. We were h