Vanderbilt School of Nursing honored its 2024 Alumni Award winners for their talent, brainpower and service in the world of nursing during its Reunion weekend, Nov. 7-10.
Award recipients were nominated by fellow alumni, students, faculty and other friends of the school, and selected by the school’s alumni board. Those recognized were:
Alma Gault Award for Public Service
Tanya Sorrell, PhD, MSN’03, FAAN, FAANP, an associate professor at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, received the Alma Gault Award for Public Service for her exemplary work as a specialist in mental health, substance abuse and racial disparity.
“Tanya is a staunch advocate for those who are less advantaged, particularly people of color,” her nominator wrote. “She is an excellent explainer of how historical racism has impacted the American society.”
Sorrell developed and taught a graduate-level nursing and medical course in cultural competence in psychiatric assessment, diagnosis and treatment, which led to state and national accolades. She led VUSN’s two-part Dore to Door “Mental Health and Black America Today: Where Are We? ” discussions. In 2019, while she was associate professor at the University of Colorado College of Nursing, Sorrell began a $5 million, two-year legislative program to train advanced practice providers and assist patients needing substance use treatment in rural areas of the state. She also trained over 5,000 community leaders in vaccine confidence for the InterFaith Youth Core.
Lulu Wolf Hassenplug Award for Distinguished Career in Nursing
A pioneering advocate of high-risk and critically ill obstetric populations, Suzanne McMurtry Baird, DNP, MSN’95, BSN’84, received the Lulu Wolf Hassenplug Award for a Distinguished Career in Nursing. Baird has a passion for care of high-risk and critically ill obstetric patients, exemplified in her 40-year career as an administrator, educator, advocate and national expert in care of this vulnerable population.
Baird’s service on the first obstetric intensive care team at Vanderbilt University Medical Center spurred her to pursue further education by first earning her MSN in critical care obstetrics, then a DNP with a capstone project that involved implementation of maternal early warning criteria at the largest community hospital in Tennessee. Now an entrepreneur, co-owner, and nursing director of Clinical Concepts in Obstetrics, Baird works with an interprofessional team to evaluate obstetric care in hospitals across the U.S. and to simulate emergency response to maternal compromise.
Linda D. Norman Award for Innovation in Health Care
Hannah Wright Meurer, MSN’15, received the Linda D. Norman Award for Innovation in Health Care. She is a developer of smart holistic miscarriage management and founded Haven Miscarriage Clinic, which is the first early pregnancy loss clinic in the United States. The non-profit provides holistic miscarriage management with a focus on maternal mental health.
“Hannah is completely changing this experience for people and their families as they navigate what is often times the worst days and weeks of their lives,” wrote her nominator. “She is providing stability and access in a sea of uncertainty. Hannah’s passion is early pregnancy loss and perinatal mental health and trauma, and she is using her years of experience and inner light to help create a tool that could help solve one of the biggest problems facing the patient population of midwives everywhere.”
Colleen Conway-Welch Award for National Leadership
Julia Cain Phillippi, PhD, MSN’99, FACNM, FAAN, is a renowned authority of midwifery and maternal health pedagogy. She received the Colleen Conway-Welch Award for National Leadership. Phillippi teaches in the MSN, DNP and PhD programs at VUSN. She has been a practicing midwife for nearly 25 years, and has published 78 times, written six committee opinions in peer-reviewed journals, helped write 27 American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists practice bulletins, delivered 49 podium presentations and 26 poster presentations (national and international), edited a landmark midwifery textbook, authored/co-authored 16 book chapters, participated in or has been the principal investigator in seven research grants, and has served on numerous committees and task forces for the American College of Nurse-Midwives, ACOG and others.
“Julia’s impact on health care is vast,” wrote her nominator. “She is the quintessential midwife. She is insanely intelligent, and also the humblest, kind, empathetic and patient person one could ever meet. She uses the midwifery philosophy of care in her daily life and has ‘midwifed’ many students, colleagues and friends throughout their lives and careers.”
Phillippi’s national service has also had a broad impact on health care. She edited the 7th edition of Varney’s Midwifery, considered the gold standard of midwifery textbooks. It is the most widely used textbook in midwifery education. The ACOG practice bulletins that she helped author are used worldwide to develop clinical practice guidelines, standard operating procedures and management protocols. Her publications have been cited 3,590 times.
Alumni Award for Clinical Achievement in Nursing
The recipient of the Alumni Award for Clinical Achievement in Nursing, Pamela Nelson, DNP’20, PMC’20, MSN’98, is a pioneer in the treatment of psychiatric patients. Her research on suicide prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic earned widespread recognition, with an article she wrote becoming the primary reference in the American Medical Association’s updated educational pamphlet to screen and treat at-risk patients. That publication, Suicide Prevention How-to Guide, offers actionable, evidence-based best practices on suicide prevention for primary care physicians and other health care professionals.
“Dr. Nelson’s dedication to improving mental health outcomes through research, quality improvement, clinical excellence and patient-centered care merits nomination for the Alumni Award for Clinical Achievement,” wrote her nominator. “Her commitment to compassionate care and innovation serves as an inspiration to current students, fellow alumni and all health care professionals.”
Nelson also researched the epidemic of psychiatric boarding in hospitals, implementing an intervention for a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner psychiatric consultation service to address this issue. This service demonstrated a cost-effective practice model and decreased length-of-stay for psychiatric patients in the emergency department, gaining the respect of hospital physicians.
Thomas L. Christenbery Award for Diversity and Inclusion
Courtney Young Pitts, DNP’11, MSN’09, FAANP, FAAN, who received the Thomas L. Christenbery Award for Diversity and Inclusion, is known as an advocate for marginalized, vulnerable and historically excluded populations. In the academic setting, her work has supported the need for diversifying nursing workforce and expanded access to health care for rural and underserved communities through academic practice partnerships.
“Dr. Pitts is a champion of diversity, equity and inclusion who leads by example,” read her nomination. “She has national influence within the nursing profession and her passion for inclusive excellence is apparent in all she does. Additionally, with her strong intellect and thoughtful insights, she is able to bring groups together and build consensus about how to create healthy, positive environments where DEI is championed and sustained.”
As a national leader, Pitts led or collaborated on the development of key position statements and organizational policy agendas that address justice, equity, diversity, inclusivity and belonging, for organizations such as the National League for Nursing and the National Organization for Nurse Practitioner Faculties. As a champion of justice, she led a national cadre of colleagues in the development of a NONPF position paper that addressed the need for greater nursing education workforce diversity. She also coauthored a peer-reviewed publication related to the topic.
Catherine Hanley Class of 1912 Rising Star Award
Lauren Flagg, DNP’20, MSN’13, received the Catherine Hanley Class of 1912 Rising Star Award. She is currently a clinical instructor at Yale University, where she developed the curriculum for the pediatric acute care nurse practitioner program, ensuring that future nurse practitioners receive the highest quality education and training.
“In all her roles, Lauren exemplifies the qualities of a rising star in nursing. Her innovative contributions to education, her clinical excellence, and her commitment to advancing pediatric health care through research make her an outstanding candidate for this award,” said her nominator. “Lauren’s achievements not only reflect the excellence of her education from VUSN, but also inspire those around her to strive for excellence in nursing.”
Flagg’s academic influence extends beyond Yale, as she is a heavily sought-after guest lecturer for nursing schools across the country. Her ability to share knowledge in an easily understandable manner testifies to her dedication to the profession and her exceptional communication skills.
Friend of Nursing Award
Elian Cox, MDiv, MA, a champion of LGBTQI+ health and well-being, received the Friend of Nursing Award. Cox has lectured and hosted a seminar, LGBTQIA+ for Interprofessional Practice, for three years, in which they talk about their chaplaincy at VUMC, spirituality and religion across these population. Cox also participates in EDI initiatives at the school, including lunch and learn sessions open to all students.
“Rev. Cox is well respected at VUMC and VUSN and understands the impact and importance of nursing care,” said their nomination letter. “They have proven themselves to be a true friend of nursing and nursing education.”
VUSN’s alumni award celebration included a state of the school address from Dean Pamela R. Jeffries, PhD, FAAN, ANEF, FSSH, which was followed by presentation of the awards by the alumni board. The event also included a cocktail reception before the ceremony and a reception for attendees immediately following the awards.
Nominations for the 2025 Alumni Awards will open in spring 2025.