xt7hx34mmx21 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7hx34mmx21/data/mets.xml The Frontier Nursing Service, Inc. 2004 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. 79, No. 3, Winter/March 2004 text Frontier Nursing Service, Vol. 79, No. 3, Winter/March 2004 2004 2014 true xt7hx34mmx21 section xt7hx34mmx21 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE ce 
Volume 79 Numbcr3 Winter/March 2004 Q   * 
  €§;__L ¤ f’
”¤·»... . ·=° ’ ©
" ’ i   S  
" L M \‘ ¤ · ‘ °'*§w’f?$P$}"w%;:·;-‘. 
’ 0, S » ,. f:#>—$§!,.*.   .·
JIM v ·{;v kq ’ -{ ‘·` V ` ` * '*` ;> »•· .4 ‘•',_U
  .1.. "` K} `_)__= { ":¤»‘*`*~’*";·1·` 'V ` 
 Z2    .  ¢~ I J   " \ ·’ °° \ :~‘ K `ii
"at i,·. ‘\ A   we I   _ . `
    I   ` :Yf—— { . I ".. __ N" ·
A; Alql if?  J, \f;;     » .  V2;
VL   if . _ _  
‘ ?     ’
’ .  `ER " "`- . »-·v;· p
,    ~E 1. ·  \% X St      ki
  . fj I` IE S   `;·S  ~·    
ZZ   V J J ~ », .` ` 4* A  
 » ~‘ T   ¤\ ` tT;.(&·»·~¤, _ 0* fl? 0`·
*· .1 s "? L ..I— A   J · ‘    
I

 US ISSN 0016-2116
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Joumey - WW Hall, Jr. l
Introducing Stephen Palmer Brown 2 _
Wendover News - Barb Gibson 3
Mary Breckinridge Healthcare News - Mallie Noble 7
Frontier Nursing Clinics update - Dr Julie Marfell 10
Frontier School of Midwifery & Family Nursing News -
- Dr Susan Stone 13
Website Information 12
Courier Program News - Barb Gibson 23
In Memoriam 24
Urgent Needs 33
Cover: Left - FNS Nurse Betty Lester talking to Couriers in front of
Wendover Garden House Qohotographer unknown)
Frontier Nursing Service Quarterly Bulletin
Published at the end of each quarter by the Frontier Nursing Service
Subscription Price $5.00 a year for Donors/$15.00 for Institutions
Volume 79 Number 3 Winter/March 2004 ·
Periodicals postage paid at Wendover, Kentucky 41775 and at addi-
tional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to FNS, ·
Inc. 132 FNS Drive, Wendover, Kentucky. Copyright FNS/Inc. 2000
All Rights Reserved.

 QUARTERLY BULLETIN 1
The Journey
by WW (BHD Hall, Jn, President & CEO
Our joumey begins with a sense of ex-  
citement, real challenges and the ability   g
_ to enjoy hard work. We have identified _ gz T ..`  E
the objectives for this portion of our l »    
travels. The roadmap was provided by  
the Board of Govemors following a in   
year of strategic planning. The guide-  
lines are as follows: ·
* Maintaining quality healthcare in the Leslie County area and
improving the health of our neighbors.
* Establishing an independent college for advanced nursing prac-
tices.
* Re-focusing our development efforts across the organization
and emphasizing the growth of our Foundation.
* Maintaining our historic sites with continued focus on Wendover
while enhancing our Courier Program.
The energy for this journey is fueled by an eager and dedicated
staff who respect a history of success and remain committed to
fulfilling our dreams for the future.
I look forward with excitement to the challenges which lie ahead
and thank our Board and staff for the priviledge to work side by
side with the finest in the country. We will change the lives of
. those we serve.

 I
I
2 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE  
. Introducing Stephen Palmer Brown, AAMS, RFC  
Stephen Palmer Brown, AAMS, RFC, has it   "   ` I.
been appointed Executive Vice-President     I   .
for Advancement for FNS, lnc.   V   I
Z.      I I ~
A native of Lexington, KY, Mr. Brown       I
comes to FNS after 23 years in the Fin- g      
ancial Services lndustry, working for such   A   . . .  
companies as Prudential Securities, BB&T and Fifth Third Bank.  
Although Mr. Brown’s scope was broad based, he centered his I
technical skills on personal estate and gift planning. He is a Reg-  
istered Financial Consultant (RFC) and an Accredited Asset Man- I
agement Specialist (AAMS).  
I
Mr. Brown attended Transylvania University in Lexington where  
he majored in History, as well as continuing education at the Uni-  
versity of Kentucky in Business and Finance. He has furthered  
his education with Cannon Trust and Trust Graduate School at I
Boston University, Comprehensive Wealth Management School  
at Northwestern University and is currently enrolled with Kansas  
State University in their Certificate in Personal Financial Planning  
program.  
I
Mr. Brown serves on the Board of Governors of Shriners Hospi- I
tals for Children and the Board ofDirectors ofScottish Rite Foun—  
dation for Childhood Language Disorders. His is also a member  
ofthe National Committee on Planned Giving. ;
Mr, Brown along with his wife, Susan, have two children, Hannah I
and Palmer. As a family, the Browns spend their time playing golf I
horseback riding and hiking. I ’

 I
  QUARTERLY BULLETIN 3
Wendover News
by Barb Gibson, Assistant t0 CEO
‘ Guests
During the months of December, January and February, Wendover
hosted 18 overnight guests at our Bed & Breakfast Inn and served
1 ` lunch/dinner to 159 additional guests. These were our slow months
  and we’re expecting an increase beginning in March.
i Since Mr. Hall joined us, he has invited several guests for dinner
  at the Big House. These included a dinner on February 17 with
Q our neighbors up Camp Creek. In attendance were: JG & Juanetta
Morgan who both worked here for many years and JG’s grand-
  parents, Jahugh and Belle Morgan, worked at Wendover for 18
j years; Jim & Lillian Hayes who have been involved with Wendover
E for 69 years; Craig and Agnes Melton - Agnes was named after
  Agnes Lewis, Executive Secretary. Both Craig and Agnes worked
l at Wendover during summer months in their younger days; Lois
. Morgan - JG Morgan’s sister; and Ruth Morgan who was Devel-
I opment Secretary for 18 years and typed Wide Neighborhoods,
» Mrs. Breckinridge’s book, for two additional years. We had ap-
] proximately 255 years ofFNS service at this dinner! Other dinner
I guests included MBHC and local physicians; Mary Ethel Wooton,
  retired school teacher and part—time employee at the Leslie County
  PVA Office, and Rhonda Brashear with Hazard Community Col-
  lege. In an ongoing effort to keep the community abreast of FNS
I activities, Mr. Hall will continue these special dinners.
  Maintenance Projects
i Work this winter included replacement of two drain pipes in Pig
  Alley. This turned out to be a bigger project than we expected
  7 when a huge truck ran over the newly placed drain pipe and also
5 burst the city water lines. We are very thankful that Joey, Wendover
i Maintenance Foreman, can operate a backhoe. This saved us lots
[ _ of money on labor. Thanks to The Stone Foundation for funds to
complete another unexpected problem. See photo of Joey on next
I page.

 4 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE {
  r ’ EEJE. 4; E?·—       l
, F1 E ’· agi! lv VVV/{ [  
  V ‘     J if ‘
    JM  -·"‘i if ' "· » » i"@‘$`·T l *..2 —
l if   T     fggc.,  `¤,., _=— rr 
·  V ·   .   J SP E   l ° ’  _     
.   ·- -**4   e é;§;·»;·>’i-"‘,»~  if f   V ,  . `. °* ‘· .
A `'E‘l J   s if EA‘` I  ·   1
~     3:  " J Y . - ; v»,··
Joey Roberts, Maintenance Foreman, operating the backhoe
- replacing drain pipes in Pig Alley
Other work this winter included restoration of Garden House of-
fice floors. We purchased a used sander (thanks again to The
Stone Foundation) and Joey and Ruben Feltner, Security Guard, _
worked long hours sanding and restoring the hardwood floors in
all ofthe offices on the first floor. We are beginning spring projects
which will include tree trimming and landscaping. We also have ’
minor repairs to finish at the Upper Shelf.
Christmas at the Clinics
The Children’s Christmas Parties at our rural healthcare clinics
were very successful again this year. We distributed approximately `
400 gifts and bags of candy and fruit. At each Center we had `
Christmas music playing with a table loaded with refreshments. ‘
AnnDraia Bales, Development Secretary, shared a wonderful hot ·
chocolate recipe with us and the Wendover kitchen staff baked
cookies. Joey Roberts, Maintenance Foreman at Wendover, played <
the part of Santa at the Clincs, and most ofthe kids liked him and J ‘
sat in his lap for their toy. Josh Lewis, Security Guard, played Z
Santa for the Wendover party.

 I QUARTERLY BULLETIN 5
I  
I
I
I ill  
I   ’§’:'{Ei’?? £
‘ —   I    I  YE
- U ’·- ‘ ·  "~  · ';   “`°‘· 9 ` ' ' .··i”¤  
 :— U  ~’*°l°u   ~ " '  f *     · r »  H  
      ”     I I     »·-’   
I    tg  ‘ ·-    — U ··   UT B, ‘ Irfi  .··R L I
ng;     _ `~·1?    `  
    _ .‘ ya ¤ gi ‘   _ UN,. _ F  
I   V _',R " J.  _  , ` `  a w   :U Y '*    
  ~  I   —     7  é   ’’'  P
    » V `§'·   __. T V YE —·
  M : 2*% · `·‘·  I  . gg; ·.R_r {2  
    ·: 5     . •   _; -.   I ¤
fg   `J .   \L,f;\,`;`  ,U‘ _ _ · g `   G: ·   ‘_ *
     —?" V·»»%#  . ' ik xx- ~  '·  Zi
T iheya Marcum, daughter of Gail Jo Marcum, Receptionist
at the Kate Ireland Healthcare Center in Manchester, enjoys
some punch with Santa
 Y. 1I"**l.`§$?`·I ·
3 Zip .  2 JI I   
 K ~ ··€}··< . .4% Wax ég,
·— '   #1 Q   RY?
  ~     ~ ;<;,L. U ‘» w
U U I FY _  
U  V`  U  I ‘*  { I
VI   »,x  IL I I
»  _  V ,
UI  ‘ U
l I
  I
I  ` Is
I ;.;‘i;·   ` `  
  Debi Karsnitz, Certyied Nurse Midwye, gives Santa her wish
list

 l
6 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE  
' This Christmas celebration has tumed into one of enchantment of  
the staff and expectation for the children. Both look forward to
the Christmas parties. It is a time of laughter, cheer and wonder. `
It is also a time of gratefulness on behalf of many parents who p
could not say "thank you" enough. We later learned that the gifts
distributed at the parties were the only gifts that some children I
received. This made our efforts even more rewarding.  
I would like to personally thank each one who has contributed to A
the Children’s Christmas Toy Fund. Since October we have re- l
ceived 62 donations for the Fund. Thank you! i
Tours .
"Totty" Lawson, Tour Guide wrote the following report:  
l
The frosty months of winter tend to lighten our tour schedule but  
we can be assured spring is near with approximately 45 people i
already scheduled to tour in the coming weeks. 2
We are proud to be chosen as a part of the l5th anniversary edi- V
tion ofB|ue Ridge Country magazine. The article narrates the life  
of our founder. Mrs. Mary Breckinridge. She speaks of Mrs. l
Breckinridge’s adventures and obstacles facing her as she started  
the Frontier Nursing Service.  
We were also pleased to be a part ofthe Kentucky magazine, the  
Lane Report. ln their January issue, Katherine Tandy Brown writes i
a story of the dream and vision that Mrs. Breckinridge began in g
southeastern Appalachia. Also included is a picture of St. Q
Christopher’s Chapel which houses a lovely l5th century mosaic  
stained glass window given to Mrs. Breckinridge by her cousin  
Dr. Preston Pope Satterwhite.  
lfyou haven`t visited historical Wendover, we extend to you an  
invitation to come spend the night at our Bed & Breakfast lnn. { *

 I
I
i QUARTERLY BULLETIN 7
  Mary Breckinridge Healthcare, Inc. News
‘ by Mollie Noble, Administrator
Christmas Activities
I The month of December was quite busy.
. The Hospital was adorned in Christmas      
decorations as each department decorated  
2 and reflected on this special season. FNS      
i and MBHC staff helped sponsor 85 child-  , ,     ¤< 
  ren for Christmas, in conjunction with the ii     
  Kentucky Commission for Children and I     ,  _p~y , -5 
  the Department of Social Services. V A I
  The Home Health Department placed boxes throughout the Hos-
i pital for donations of personal care items for Home Health pa-
i tients. Baskets were prepared for I5 families. A special thanks to
  the Home Health staff for their kindness and consideration to the
  patients whom we serve.
I
  Quorum (QHR)
I Mary Breckinridge Healthcare, Inc. entered into a Management
  Agreement with Quorum (QHR) during December. QHR pro-
  vides management advisory services, implementation support,
  education and training programs, and consulting and related ser-
  vices to independent hospitals and health systems. QHR’s experi~
ence and knowledge spans over two decades of healthcare storm,
rainbow and prediction. Their clients number 300 hospitals across
43 states.
i During the past two months QHR has performed a Charge Mas-
i ter Review, Professional Staff Development Plan, Business Of~
i fice Review, and has placed an Interim Controller at the Hospital.
§ Jeff Taylor, Interim Controller, and his wife, Barbara, are from
I Edmond, OK. The staff at MBHC are very pleased to have QHR
, on board.

 8 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE l
' Cancer Coalition
Staff at MBHC is working with the Cancer Coalition Board, a i
newly formed coalition that will benefit residents of Leslie County
who suffer from this disease. The Coalition will focus on making
the community aware of services available for cancer patients
and of preventive measures. '
Bioterriorism Regional Meetings {
Important decisions are being made in the region regarding influx [
of patients and how to deal with bioterriorism. Our region, which  
consists of ll counties, received a $50,000 grant to be divided  
between all hospitals in the region. On February 20, another re-  
gional meeting will be held to decide how to allocate funds for the  
purchase of equipment to be used in the event of a bioterriorism  
attack. Kentucky has been a model for the rest ofthe nation in its I
ability to work with the Kentucky Hospital Association and the I
federal government to create a feasible plan which will meet the  
needs of our communities should we be faced with such a chal-  
lenge. i
2003 Employee of the Year t
Mrs. Billie Woods, Housekeeping, was chosen as the 2003 Em-
ployee of the Year. Billie has been employed at MBHC for 13  
years and has been an inspiration to everyone. Billie whistles as  
she works. Billie and her husband, Librum, reside at Big Valley in  
Leslie County. They have one son, Marvin, who lives in Michigan.  
Congratulations, Billie!  
I
Renovations  
The Maintenance Department gave the Emergency Room a new l
face lift by installation of new countertops and new paint. The
soothing taupe color with a burgundy accent will be used through- I
out the Hospital.
l
l

 I QUARTERLY BULLETIN 9
Leslie C0unty Drug Awareness Cauncil
I This Council works in conjunction with the Kentucky Drug and
Dependency Agency with Kentucky River Community Care and
meets the third Monday of every month in Leslie County. The
Council has representation from the Mary Breckinridge Hospital
' and FNS clinics; Leslie County Board of Education; Kentucky
p and County Law Enforcement Agency; Leslie County Attorney;
{ Leslie County Health Department; local physician offices; local
I churches; State Representative Tim Couch; and local community
Q members. The Council is working on a project UNITE (Unlawful
  Narcotics Investigation, Treatment and Education). The Program
  is the result of a Federal grant obtained by United States Repre-
ii sentative Hal Rogers.
Travels
( On February 18, WW (Bill) Hall, President & CEO, and I at-
tended the Kentucky Hospital Association Cumberland District
. Meeting. Topics included legislative updates such as provider tax,
I cigarette tax, medical liability insurance refomi and retaining cer-
, tificate of need.
Other
= I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. John Samara and
  and staff of Porter Memorial Hospital of Valparaiso, Indiana, for
  the donation of linens. This is the second time Mr. Samara has
l volunteered to bring MBHC much needed items. Thank you Mr.
  Samara and Porter Memorial Hospital for choosing MBHC for
  this project.
l
I

 I
5
I
10 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE i
i Frontier Nursing Clinics Update  
by Dr Julie Marfell, Executive Director
Into the electronic age we go. .. In January  
we received training on our new electronic   iiii i  
practice management and patient records ;      '
system. All ofthe clinics have begun using ‘   I  
the system and most days are very pleased      
with the capabilities and ease of use. Our   ~ —  
goal is to be completely paperless within l2   p
months of utilizing the new system. This is hard for any of us to X
imagine but so far so good. I
Beech Fork Clinic is saying goodbye to one of our providers,  
Beverly "Bev" May. Bev has been working for FNS for the last .
nine years. She was offered the job of "her dreams”, running  
four free clinics in Perry County. Bev will be greatly missed but i
we wish her all the best in her endeavors. She will be replaced by
Katherine Lauderdale.
i i —’   f`
i     ·.i.   S  
  ,  I»I.     I
*5   ‘e ».     i.*    ·Z I
Q   ‘  ·’· i ~ >  .
Beveriv May and Katherine Lauderdale i

 I QUARTERLY BULLETIN 1 1
I Katherine "Kathy" Lauderdale is replacing Bev at Beech Fork
I Clinic. Kathy comes to us from Alabama and is a National Health
V Service Corps (NHSC) Scholar. She has been working at Beech
g Fork with Bev since last fall. Both Leslie and Clay Counties are
  designated as health professional shortage areas (HPSA) by the
1 US Department of Health and Human Services. This designation
2 allows health professionals to work in underserved areas and re-
I ceive help with student loan repayment or, in the case ofthe scholars
} program, a time commitment to service in exchange for payment
_ already made for their education by the NHSC.
I This photo was taken during a budget meeting
R M   "   ·o-o  ‘ T   ‘;=i   ..·.»-  
  · r ’‘¥=.‘   -· ..». JJ 
° I 1 4  
o ,   , e { - Q  ..°i       ‘ i'o‘
I   L, .
  w it . gl       eh 1
I     ei·r ;     
Ii J;1; ‘    · _ g   TF'- `4 ; tt   _
. pkt  · "   .».` `· ’ ‘ ··
    , X   . , 12 !»
 fi-V. Q   F.       si ‘ Tia .    A r
  » 1 ~. ·¢.» _+ » u, . =     *1 I
  in it    -ef=·€· · , ¥       E  
l ¢€`7"l   ` 3 si   " il 1* E
~>  »;;¤. ·  C     I   , · I
     ’  .       `  
»  r¤’;fgE!~{g:*$ fg  f KQ   El  lj 5 w I L
-...    ;$&r. ¤i‘* w w  it 1 o L {Q   » El    
gg ,,__;   *1  ly ·· Ttizetgt   of _,  
R .9* ‘E~. ,  ,   1. __; ~ ,'
Lejt t0 right: Dn Julie MaU”ell, Chair 0fFamib¤ Nursing; Heidi
Froemke, FNP; Beverly May, FNP; Kathy Lauderdale, FNP;
Lynn Wilkening, CNM; and Nathan Lee, FNS Vice-President
‘ 0f Finance (staff at Kate Ireland Healthcare Center not
present)

 12 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE
I The staff at the Hyden Clinic and the Wasson Building located on
the MBH campus will soon be under one roof with a new name
for the clinic. The BOD approved the change in name to the FNS ‘
Dr. Anne Wasson Rural Healthcare Center. A dedication cer-
emony is scheduled for the morning ofApril I6, 2004. Plans for
the rehab of the current clinic located in the hospital are under- °
way. The move is tentatively scheduled for May l, 2004.
The Kate Ireland Healthcare Center in Manchester continues to
grow. In January they saw more patients than any of the other
outpost clinics. Our pediatrician, Dr. Tan, is currently going to
KIHC one morning every week to see children. National City
Bank recently donated blankets for babies or small children to be
distributed from the clinic.
Currently one of the FNP students, Laura Wetherelt, is complet-
ing some ofher clinical time at the Community Health Center and
Kate Ireland Healthcare Center. Laura is from Montana. She is
one of several FNP students who have come to Kentucky to com-
plete some of their clinical experiences with the nurse practitio-
ners and midwives from the FSMFN faculty practice.
WEBSITES
Frontier Nursing Service - www.frontiernursing.org .
FSMFN Community Based Nurse Midwifery Education Program  
(CNEP) - www.midwives.org .
FSMFN Community Based Nurse Practitioner Program (CFNP);
www.frontierfnp.org •.
I

 l QUARTERLY BULLETIN 13
Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing News
by Dr Susan Stone, President & Dean
l This is an exciting time as we continue to
make the transition to a fully accredited, ,_
{ degree-granting graduate school. We . l _
started the action phase of our transition
to a graduate school in the year 2000 with i V .
( the adoption of a 5 year plan that included 1
T thirteen strategic goals. The progress that .
we have made towards meeting these goals is unprecedented. l
( have taken the opportunity in this report to document and share
our progress related to each strategic goal.
FSMFN Strategic Goals for 2000-2005
( (Excerpts from the 2003 FSMFN President’s Report)
Design, implement, evaluate and improve the revised
graduate curriculum
In the year 2000, a major revision to the curriculum was com-
pleted. This was necessary to assure that the curriculum for the
planned Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree met all of
the criteria established for this degree by the Southern Associa-
tion of Colleges and Schools (SACS), the American Association
t of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the American College of Nurse-
A Midwives (ACNM), the National Organization of Nurse Practi-
  tioner Faculty (N ONPF), and the National Certification Corpora-
i tion for the Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing Spe-
t cialties (NCC).
The programs currently meet all the criteria of these organiza-
d? tions. Additions to the curriculum included strengthening the
` women’s health content for the Community-Based Family Nurse
Practitioner Program (CFNP) and strengthening the primary care
content for the Community-Based Nurse-Midwifery Education
Program (CNEP). Two new courses were added to meet the
( needs of the MSN students for a background in theories and re-
l search. The new curriculum was implemented in the fall of 2000.
l

 14 FRONTIERNURSING SERVICE
. During 2001, 2002 and 2003 the curriculum committee has been
in an ongoing process of evaluation of each course and the out-
comes ofthe entire curriculum. Courses have been revised based FA
on student/graduate feedback and student learning outcomes. In
the year 2003, we graduated our first class of MSN students.
Seventeen students graduated on October 18, 2003 with a Master ,,
of Science in Nursing degree. Evaluation ofthe curriculum is on-
going as outlined in the annual strategic plan. There are currently
39 students enrolled in the MSN program. Results on the National
Certification Exam remain greater than 97% in each year since
2000. This is one indicator that the new curriculum is effective.
Achieve Licensure and Accreditation from Appropriate
Organizations
Licensure
ln the year 2000 the FSMFN applied to the Kentucky Council on
Post Secondary Education to include the Master of Science in
Nursing degree in the areas ofnurse-midwifery and family nurse-
practitioner to our license. We received approval on October 17,
2000. We successfully added the Women Health Nurse Practitio-
ner to our license on May 22, 2001.
Institutional Accreditation
During the year 2000, we actively began the process to achieve
institutional accreditation through the Southern Association of Col-
leges and Schools (SACS). We attended a SACS orientation ses-
sion in January of 1999 and again in January 2000. We attended
our first annual SACS Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia in December
2000. We had much work to do in terms of the way our school
was organized, the implementation ofthe new graduate curricu-
lum and our institutional effectiveness process. In June 2001 we U
submitted our first application for Candidacy to SACS. In the fall
of 2001, we received feedback from SACS and proceeded to
rewrite our application. In February of 2002, we resubmitted our r
application. At the SACS annual meeting in December, 2002, we
were notified that we had been approved for a candidacy site
I.

 QUARTERLY BULLETIN 15
visit. We submitted an updated application to our site visitors in
February of 2003. We hosted six site visitors from SACS at our
,-. school on March l7-l9, 2003. In June of 2003, we were notified
that the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools had ap-
proved us as a Candidate. We were very proud and happy to have
iz achieved this accomplishment, but we knew that there was much
more to do.
We met with our SACS liaison in July of2003 in Atlanta, Georgia
to continue the path to full accreditation. We developed our lead-
ership team and began the process of writing the SACS Compli-
ance Document. We plan to complete and submit the Compliance
Document of spring of2004 and host a site visit in July 2004. Our
goal is to achieve full accreditation from SACS in December 2004.
Program Accreditation
ln February of2002, knowing that we would need the approval of
the American College ofNurse-Midwives Division ofAccredita-
tion to offer the MSN program to the CNEP students, we applied
for a change of status. We received a change of status from a
certificate program to a Master of Science in Nursing program in
February of 2002.
We are currently preparing for full reaccreditation by the ACNM,
which is scheduled for fall of2004. We are deep into the process
of writing the self-study and preparing for the fall 2004 site visit.
We are also pursuing accreditation through the National League
for Nursing Accreditation Commission. This is necessary to oper-
ate the CFNP track and provides overall validity to the MSN pro-
gram. This process also requires a self-study and a site visit planned
ri for fall of2004.
Much has been accomplished and there is much more to do. Our
if goal is to achieve full accreditation by spring of 2005.
x

 16 FRONTIER NURSING SERVICE
— Develop, evaluate and improve library resources
In the year 2000, we realized that we needed to improve the qual-
ity of our library services in order to meet the needs ofthe gradu- I
ate level program leading to the Master of Science in Nursing
degree.
We started by hiring a fully qualified half-time Librarian. In addi-
tion, we contracted with the University of Kentucky Medical Li-
brary to provide us with expert consultation and support. We de-
veloped strategic planning goals for the library and proceeded to
build a comprehensive on-line library that is available to our stu-
dents on-site and off-site. We focused our on-site physical collec-
tion on primary care and midwifery resources that students would
need only when on-site on the campus. We developed a plan that
would provide adequate physical space and include a fully equipped
computer lab that students could use during their on-site sessions.
With full support from our Board of Directors, we renovated Aunt
Hattie’s Bam and moved the library and computer lab into this
space in 2003. We added a Tl line and wireless access cards so
that students can use their laptops to access courses, the commu-
nication system, and library services from the Barn and from their
dormitory rooms.
Today we have a full-time qualified Librarian and a comprehen-
sive on—line library focused on primary care nursing and midwifery
that is available to students anyplace and anytime. We have a
fully equipped physical library that includes two computer access
stations in the library and ten computer access stations in the com-
puter lab on the second floor. There is a very active library com-
mittee that includes the librarian, faculty, students and web de-
signer who continuously evaluate the current library resources to I
meet the needs of the FSMFN community

 _ QUARTERLY BULLETIN 17
Develop, evaluate and improve the use of technology to
support teaching and learning
In the year 2000, all courses were being developed in paper for-
mat and placed into paper modules and mailed to students. Al-
, though we used email and forums extensively, the courses them-
selves were not available over the web. We decided that all courses
needed to be developed in web design format and placed on a
user-friendly web site. The design team was recruited. A multi-
media director was appointed and the process began.
Today all courses are available over the web site. In addition,
these are supported by a rich interactive communication system.
Every course has its own discussion forum. Faculty members use
many different modalities in their teaching including verbal course
introductions, on-line chats, power point presentations, mini tests,
and games. Most assignments are received through email attach-
ments allowing efficient turnaround time to students. News, cal-
endars, and group activities are communicated electronically.
The web site/communication system has become a successful
on-line community that exchanges over 2000 messages per day.
All of these modalities are available to students, faculty and staff
24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
Increase financial resources
Increasing financial resources continues to be a challenge. We
have been in a period of building the basic structure that will sup-
port a graduate school. This has also been a time of recession for
our country. In spite of this, with the resources of the FSMFN
NEED Fund, we have been able to maintain a healthy bottom line
t throughout this period of development. We are confident that full
accreditation as a graduate school will result in increased enroll-
ment and less dependence on Foundation funding.

 18 FRONTIERNURSING SERVICE
` Improve student retention
We had identified an increasing attrition rate as an area of con-
cem in the year 2000. In 2001, the attrition rate hit an all time high v
of 22%. The faculty and staff came together to develop an action
plan to address the issue. Students participated in the planning.
The student advisor role was completely reorganized. Students ‘l‘
activated the Mi Amiga (My Friend) student support system. Fac-
ulty was gradually moved from part-time positions to full-time po-
sitions, including responsibilities for student advising. Administra-
tion was reorganized to have a President and Dean and two De- I
partment Chairs. This provided more time to attend to the needs
of our students.
A Faculty Mom program was started where each student has a .
faculty "Mom" that they could call. This was eventually replaced p
by having an assigned faculty advisor who had responsibility for A
one class of students. Each class was led by this advisor to par- l
ticipate regularly in their own forum. A part-time option was imple- y
mented. Above all, we worked very had on having a culture of I
caring. The message was that faculty, administration and support
staff are there to assist the students to be successful. They were ,
encouraged to call anytime they felt discouraged or had a prob- p
lem. The result was outstanding. The attrition rate fell rapidly. I
The attrition rate for 2003 is 6%.  
Establish a research agenda/Develop the faculty practice
Establishing a research agenda has been a slow process. It has i
been clear from the beginning that there would be a focus on .
institutional effectiveness, clinical issues and educational issues.  
In the year 2000, we did not have the resources necessary to do .2
this. One necessary resource was an increased percentage of "l
doctorally prepared faculty members. At the beginning ofthis pro-
cess we had no doctorally prepared faculty. In 1999 we hired one,
in 2000 we hired two. in 200] we hired two and in 2002 we hired 0
one. A faculty tuition assistance program was established. One l
1

 QUARTERLY BULLETIN 19
faculty member started a doctoral program and finished in 2002.
Five faculty members are currently enrolled in doctoral programs
`I with one more planning enrollment in 2004. There are currently
six full-time and one part-time doctorally prepared faculty mem-
bers. We are now well prepared to do clinical research in the near
g, future.
The next goal was to establish a faculty practice. We needed a
place where we could demonstrate the effectiveness of nurse
practitioner and nurse midwifery care. The obvious choice was
the FNS rural healthcare clinics.
In 2002, FSMFN took over the management ofthe rural healthcare
A clinics clinical staff Faculty members provide all clinical services.
Any nurse practitioner or nurse midwife recruited to work in the
A clinics became an employee of the school and a member of the
. faculty practice. This provided the school with clinical faculty and
provided Frontier Nursing Healthcare (FNH) with needed clini-
p cians. It also established an optimum place to conduct clinical re-
search on the effectiveness of nurse practitioner and nurse mid-
wifery care.
T In 2003, the FSMFN Chair of Family Nursing was appointed as
A the Executive Director of the Frontier Nursing Healthcare rural
L health clinics. A complete evaluation of electronic medical records
systems resulted in the purchase of a new system. The electronic
system provides medical record management, a billing system and
data collection. This data collection function will provide health
; process and outcome data.
E The combined actions of increasing the number of doctorally pre-
ij pared f