Class of 2018
Every VUSN graduate has exciting things happening in her or his life, both professionally and personally. Class Notes – printed twice a year in the Vanderbilt Nurse Magazine and available online on this page – is an opportunity for you to not only learn what other alumni are doing but also share news about your life. We would love to hear what you've been up to! Please contact us with any updates, or call 615-322-4836. And, when posting on social media please tag us! #VUSN
Look below for news from your classmates as of December 31, 2022. Items received since July 1, 2022 are shown in red font.
Natima Geis Alexander, MSN'18, joined the Goshen Birth Center in Indiana in July 2019 as a certified nurse midwife.
Abdul Aziz, MSN'18, was a panelist for "Supporting Nursing Students of Color: Success Strategies from Academia to Practice," in February 2022, and for "Kids and Navigating the Pandemic: A Lesson in Resilience," in January 2021, both part of the VUSN Dore to Door Alumni Forum. He is a psychiatric nurse practitioner at Stars Behavioral Health Group in Indio, California.
Jennifer Barut, PhD'18, received the Sara K. Archer Award from students in the VUSN Nursing and Health Care Leadership specialty in August 2022. She returned to VUSN in May 2021 as an assistant professor in NHCL after serving as chief executive officer of Haven Behavioral Hospital of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Laurie Berg, PMC'18, is an advanced practice nurse at Nephrology Associates of Northern Illinois, treating hospital patients with significant metabolic abnormalities, acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease. She has approximately 40 patients at a long-term care facility as well as responsibilities at an outpatient hemodialysis unit (2019).
Sara Best, MSN'18, is a family nurse practitioner at The People's Clinic in Clarksville, Tennessee (2020).
Simona Black, DNP'18, was the commencement speaker at Auburn University in December 2022. The news was covered by The News Courier . She was a speaker at the Auburn Women's Summit and a panelist for "What a Nurse Can Do: The Surprisingly Broad Range of Expertise among Nurses/Nurse Practitioners," part of the VUSN Dore to Door Alumni Forum, both in May 2021. She is a retired colonel in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps and assistant professor at Norfolk State University in Virginia.
Kaitlyn Breiten, MSN'18, is co-author of "Destigmatizing Abortion in Primary Care Settings," published in Women's Healthcare in October 2022, and of "Successfully Managing Challenging Patient Encounters," published in American Nurse Today in October 2018.
Kristen Bromaghim, MSN'18, is an adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner at Saint Thomas West in Nashville. She joined the staff of Cherokee Regional Clinic in Iowa as a nurse practitioner, in March 2019.
Meaghan Burns, MSN'18, was named Provider of the Month in March 2019 by her employer, Gateway Community Health Center, in Laredo, Texas.
Skyler Carpenter, BA'16, MSN'18, was inducted into the Indiana Track and Field/Cross Country Hall of Fame in June 2022. She has a health and wellness blog called Well & Worthy Co. where, among other things, she shares about being a certified nurse-midwife.
Tiffany Chance, DNP'18, is one of two women's health nurse practitioners in the Okanawa, Japan, outpatient clinic that supports the U.S. Air Force's largest combat wing in the Pacific. A paper she wrote on ureaplasma lead to the implementation of testing throughout the USAF, saving money while increasing examinations. She directed a cervical cancer awareness project and spoke about it on Armed Forces Network radio, reaching 30,000 active-duty soldiers, 1,400 civilians and 25,000 family members (2020).
Caleb Cochran, MSN'18, is an emergency medical technician and flight nurse for Vanderbilt LifeFlight (2020).
Ellie Condie, BS'16, MSN'18, is co-author of "Successfully Managing Challenging Patient Encounters," published in American Nurse Today in October 2018.
Elizabeth Marino Condit, MSN'18, started her post master's certificate in acute care in January 2021 in Houston. She traveled to New York in March 2020, where she spent 14 weeks and over 900 hours in a COVID-19 intensive care unit in the Bronx, working as a nurse practitioner. Her experiences were captured that April in an interview on KPRC-2 News. She also went to El Paso and San Antonio to assist with COVID relief.
Bethany Cones, MSN'18, received an Excellence in Patient Experience Award from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in October 2021. She is a nurse practitioner at the Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center Pain and Symptoms Management Program.
Sarah Cox, MSN'18, was named American Psychiatric Nurses Association Board of Directors Scholar in October 2018.
Nhan Dinh, MSN'18, DNP'22, co-authored the chapter, "Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 (DPP4) Inhibitors," in the book, Diabetes and Kidney Disease, published by Springer in January 2022. She co-authored "Managing Diabetes and Hypertension in Chronic Kidney Disease," published in The Nurse Practitioner in November 2021, and published "Acute Kidney Injury: Challenges and Opportunities," in The Nurse Practitioner in April 2020. She is a nephrology nurse practitioner at the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, where she evaluates patients for renal transplant and provides post-transplant care.
Penny Dodson, DNP'18, is an instructor in the nursing informatics program at VUSN (2019).
Meredith Donahue, MSN'18, was featured by Urology Times in an interview, "How APPs Can Be Involved with Genitourinary Cancer Care," in March 2021. She was credited as the impetus behind a paper published in Urology Times in December 2020 that was prepared to guide practitioners in ways to help patients undergoing therapy for bladder cancer. Meredith is a nurse practitioner in the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Department of Urology.
Darshi Edirisooriya, BA'16, MSN'18, was a panelist for "Transition to APRN Practice," hosted in August 2021 by the VUSN Alumni Board Mentoring Committee. She is a pediatric nurse practitioner at Pediatric Practitioners of Oklahoma near Tulsa.
Brooke Faught, DNP'18, was inducted as a 2020 fellow of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and was interviewed in a video, "Why Be a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner?" hosted by the National Association of Nurse Practitioner's in Women's Health. She is lead author of "Etiology of Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder and Implications for Treatment: Case Scenarios," published in Women's Healthcare in April 2020, and "Social Boundaries in Young Adult Females with Down Syndrome as a Foundation for Sexuality Education," published in the American Journal of Sexuality Education in October. Brooke received the Founder's Medal for the School of Nursing during Vanderbilt University's graduation exercises in May 2019, and co-presented "Women's Sexual Health," part 1 and 2, at the AANP conference that June. She was featured as a panelist for the Nashville Public Television documentary, Companionship & Intimacy: Aging Matters, which aired in December. Brooke is a women's health nurse practitioner at Urology Associates in Nashville, specializing in female sexual and pelvic floor medicine, urology and vulvoscopy.
Olivia Floyd, PMC'18, is a nurse practitioner at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, specializing in adult post-acute care and substance use disorders. She works at the Johns Hopkins After Care Clinic, a post-discharge clinic in the department of internal medicine that aids largely underserved patients, and rounds with the Hopkins inpatient Substance Use Disorders Consult Service (2020).
Frances Gaudier-Schmidt, MSN'18, DNP'21, moderated a panel, "The Power of Diversity in Nursing and Initiatives to Increase Diversity and Inclusion," hosted by the VUSN DNP Student Diversity Affinity Group in February 2021.
Kaitlyn Geib, MSN'18, joined the Hillside Health Center in Ukiah, California, as a pediatric nurse practitioner in February 2019.
Meagan Gilday, MSN'18, is an inpatient general surgery nurse practitioner at Boston Children's Hospital (2019).
Emily Giometti, MSN'18, is a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner at Mile High Psychiatry, an outpatient private practice in Denver (2018).
Mitchell Goldstein, MSN'18, is a nurse practitioner at Antelope Valley Emergency Medical Associates in Lancaster, California (2022).
Amanda Gonzales, MSN'18, is value analysis manager at the University of Colorado in Aurora (2019).
Eric Hall, MSN'18, became board certified in nursing informatics in January 2022, received the VUSN School Life Staff Award for Informatics in May, and was promoted to informatics specialist at VUSN in December. He welcomed a baby in October 2021, and joined VUSN in early 2020 as a simulation lab nurse.
Maggie Halloran, MSN'18, is a nurse practitioner specializing in gynecology at Women First in Darby, Pennsylvania (2020).
Alexandria Harvick, MSN'18, received the Patient Experience Award from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in November 2022.
Heather Hemmeger, MSN'18, is a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner at the Vanderbilt University Counseling Center (2020).
Drew Herbert, MSN'18, is a family nurse practitioner at Barton Health in South Lake Tahoe, California (2019).
Elizabeth Blanchard Hills, MSN'18, was a panelist for "Loan Repayment Programs: What Are They and How Do They Work?" hosted in July 2021 by the VUSN Alumni Board Mentoring Committee. She serves on the legislative committee of the Kansas State Nurses Association and spoke at its annual conference in March 2020, and created a webinar on self-care for nurses on the front lines of COVID-19 for the Midwest Multi State Division. Elizabeth is owner and clinical director at Inspired Psychiatric Care in Overland Park, and a board member for the American Psychiatric Nurses Association Kansas Chapter.
Ashley Holmes, MEd'13, MSN'18, is a pediatric nurse practitioner at Calcagno Pediatrics in Gresham, Oregon, where she provides mental health care to a mostly-Medicaid population (2022).
Cerrissa Hugie, MSN'17, DNP'18, opened a psychiatric practice in January 2022 in Charleston, South Carolina. She was a panelist for three Dore to Door Alumni Forum events in 2020: "Mental Health and Black America Today: Where Are We?" in February, "Mental Health and Black America Today: Where Are We? (Part 2)," in July, and "SANE: Improving Outcomes for Survivors of Sexual Assault," in October. She and her husband are the featured speakers for the Pressure Points Unpacked podcast, "Understanding the Dynamics of Race Based Trauma," recorded in July. She is author of the book, Cultivating and Creating Healthy MyNDSpaces: 9 Strategies to Emotional Wellness and Personal Growth , published in August, and welcomed twins in early 2020. Cerrissa is founder and owner of MyNDSpace, a company in Charleston that provides mental health education and consulting to promote mental health awareness in underserved communities.
Nancy Husson, PMC'15, DNP'18, is lead author of "Education to Improve Point of Care Documentation in Home Care Nurses: A Quality Improvement Project," published in CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing in July 2021.
Ashlee Jackson, MSN'18, joined the staff of the Swedish Medical Center in Seattle in April 2021 as a nurse practitioner in complex care management.
Emily Baldwin Jennewine, MSN'18, was recognized by the Memphis Flyer in January 2022, for being among the city's "best and brightest young leaders " . She is a pediatric nurse practitioner at Lifedoc Health.
Melissa Johnson, MSN'18, was nominated in May 2022 for a Vanderbilt University Medical Center award named in memory of the late Jerita Payne, MSN'90, MMHC'13.
Mindy Johnson, MSN'16, DNP'18, co-taught two, four-hour workshops titled "Basic to Advanced HEENT Procedures Used in Primary and Emergency Care Settings," at the American Association of Nurse Practitioners conference in June 2022. She was promoted to assistant professor at VUSN and is one of eighteen Vanderbilt University faculty members named a Junior Faculty Teaching fellow, both in June 2021. She is a contributing author of the book, Emergency Nurse Practitioner Core Curriculum , published in August by Springer. Mindy authored "Impetigo," published in the Advanced Emergency Nursing Journal in October/December 2020, and "Nursemaid's Elbow Reduction," published in its October/December 2019 issue.
Lindsay Johnson-Bishop, MSN'18, DNP'20, co-authored "Comparison of Hickman versus Proline Central Venous Catheters in Pediatric Patients Undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant," published by Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation in March 2020. She is a pediatric nurse practitioner and instructor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, specializing in hematology/oncology and bone marrow transplant, and teaching bachelors, masters and doctoral nursing students.
Jenn Keck, MSN'18, welcomed a baby in September 2018. She is a nurse practitioner at Grand Rapids Women's Health in Michigan.
Heath Kohlmeier, MSN'18, joined Tulip Tree Family Health Care in Fort Branch, Indiana, as a family nurse practitioner in February 2019.
Holly Kosir, BA'13, MSN'18, is a pediatric nurse practitioner with Youn and Mannan in Baltimore (2018).
Laura Logan, MSN'18, is a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago (2020).
Chelsea Lytle, MSN'18, is the neuroscience program coordinator at Piedmont Healthcare in Atlanta, where she is launching a neuro intensive care unit and developing a comprehensive stroke center (2020).
Heather Mantsch, MSN'18, was in the Duluth News Tribune for joining the staff at the Range Mental Health Center in Minnesota as a psychiatric nurse practitioner in December 2020.
Holly Mathews, BA'13, MSN'18, was a panelist for the VUSN Alumni Board's annual MSN Know Your Value "Salary and Contract Negotiation for New NPs," in April 2022. She is a pediatric nurse practitioner at Youn & Mannan in Baltimore, specializing in patients from birth to age 22 years.
Erica May, MSN'16, DNP'18, co-authored "Dental Pain Relief in the Age of ALTO," published in the July/September 2019 issue of Advanced Emergency Nursing Journal . She is an instructor in the Emergency Nurse Practitioner specialty at VUSN.
Amanda McClure, MSN'18, joined the staff at Mercy Clinic Endocrinology in Fort Smith, Arkansas, in May 2019 as a nurse practitioner.
Tempesst Merricks, MSN'18, was a panelist for a discussion that followed a presentation by U.S. Congressperson Lauren Underwood to members of the VUSN community in May 2022, and co-presented, "Avoiding Burnout while Practicing Telepsychiatry," in August 2021, hosted online by ReifyResilience. She is a doctor of nursing practice student at VUSN and secretary of the DNP Diversity Affinity Group.
Rachel Short Minton, MSN'18, is a clinical informaticist for HCA in Millcreek, Utah (2022).
Jenna Murray, MSN'18, is an advanced practice provider in the department of gynecological studies at University of Pittsburgh Physicians, specializing in chronic pelvic pain, endometriosis and general gynecology (2022).
Zoe Olavarri, BA'16, MSN'18, is a pediatric nurse practitioner at Academy Children's Clinic in Nashville (2020).
Rebecca Palmer, MSN'18, co-authored "Utilizing Academic-community Partnerships with Nursing Students to Improve Hand Hygiene in Elementary Students to Reduce Transmission of COVID-19," published in NASN School Nurse in January 2021. She is a family nurse practitioner and certified nurse-midwife specializing in obstetrics and gynecology at Gundersen Health System's Viroqua Clinic in Wisconsin.
Corry Paul, MSN'18, was interviewed by the The Washington Post in June 2019 for a story about the plight of primary health care in rural Tennessee. At that time, she was an advanced practice registered nurse at Jennie Stuart Family Health in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Corry is an adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner at NP Housecalls in Nashville.
Marie Peters, MSN'18, is a women's health nurse practitioner at WOMEN Obstetrics & Gynecology in Nashville (2020).
Connie Phillip, MSN'18, is a nurse practitioner at AFC Urgent Care in Anderson, South Carolina, where she sees patients ranging from babies to elderly persons and serves as the clinic's provider for workers compensation cases (2019).
Carina Platner, MSN'18, is an advanced care provider at the Mental Health Cooperative in Nashville (2022).
Kelsey Pope, MSN'18, is a psychiatric nurse practitioner at the Vanderbilt University Counseling Center (2018).
Jamie Powers, MSN'18, is a nurse practitioner at Graves Gilbert Clinic in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where she cares mainly for adult and gerontology patients (2020).
Alexa Proctor, MSN'18, joined San Francisco Planned Parenthood in April 2019 as a nurse practitioner.
Alice Proia, MSN'18, is an adult nurse practitioner at Adelante Healthcare in Phoenix (2020).
Erica Kierce Ramey, MSN'18, is an associate professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (2022).
Jennifer Rice, MSN'18, is a palliative care and hospice nurse practitioner at the Hospice of West Tennessee in Jackson. She is the first and only nurse practitioner to hold this position in the West Tennessee Healthcare system (2020).
Gloria Rothenberg, BS'17, MSN'18, shared a virtual conversation with Dean Linda Norman titled "Nursing Then and Now, and the (Mis)perceptions that Linger," as part of the VUSN Dore to Door Alumni Forum in May 2021. She is transplant coordinator and a family nurse practitioner at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York.
Darby Sangrey, MSN'18, is a family nurse practitioner at Hopewell Family Care in Hermitage, Tennessee (2020).
Jennifer Shelby, MSN'17, DNP'18, is a nurse practitioner at Women's Health Specialists in Murfreesboro, Tennessee (2020).
Micah Skeens, PhD'18, is lead author of "Factors Affecting COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Parents of Children with Cancer," published in Pediatric Blood & Cancer in April 2022. She is a principal investigator and nurse scientist at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, practicing in a pediatric oncology clinic. Her research is funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research and focuses on digital health interventions to improve adherence and symptom burden in pediatric oncology and bone marrow transplant patients. She has several studies evaluating the psychosocial impact of COVID-19 on children.
Misty Smith, PMC'17, DNP'18, was interviewed by Nashville's Fox17 in May 2018 for a piece about the nursing shortage in Tennessee. She is a neonatal nurse practitioner at the Hawai'i Pacific Health Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women and Children in Honolulu.
Susannah Spero, MSN'18, is co-author of "Destigmatizing Abortion in Primary Care Settings," published in Women's Healthcare in October 2022. She was a primary care and urgent care nurse practitioner at an Indian Health Service critical access hospital, and was a frontline provider diagnosing and treating COVID-19 patients in one of the most severely impacted communities in the country and the world. In 2018, she traveled to Guyana as a Frist Global Health Leader with support from VUSN and VUMC's emergency medicine program. Susannah is a nurse practitioner at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, in the university health center.
Julia Martin Steed, MSN'10, PhD'18, co-moderated the panel, "COVID Perspectives, Values and Vaccination Hesitancy," presented by the VUSN Diversity and Inclusion Committee in January 2022. In April, she received the Tennessee Rising Star Nurse Leader Award from the Tennessee Nurses Association, Tennessee Hospital Association and Tennessee Action Coalition, and was lead presenter of, "Advocacy among Underrepresented Faculty Group Leverages Advances in Nursing Workforce Diversity at a Predominantly White Institution," at the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties conference. She received the VUSN Dean's Award for Faculty Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion in May, and is co-recipient of a Vanderbilt University Sesquicentennial Grant for "Project SHARE: Sharing Strategies for Academic Faculty and Student Recruitment," in the fall. She was elected to TNA's Nominating Committee in November for 2023 and 2024. Julia is co-author of "Creating Collaborative Relationships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities: An Approach to Diversifying the Nursing Workforce," published in Nurse Educator in April 2021, and lead author of "Smoking and Maternal Health: Evidence that Female Infertility Can Be Attributed to Smoking and Improved with Smoking Cessation," published in May in Advances in Family Practice Nursing . She was promoted to assistant professor at VUSN and is one of eighteen Vanderbilt University faculty members named a Junior Faculty Teaching Fellow, both in June. Julia co-authored "A Summer Professional Immersion in Nursing Program for Underrepresented Minority Undergraduate Students," published in the Journal of Nursing Education in October 2020, and welcomed a baby in September 2019. She was interviewed by VUMC Reporter in July 2018 for an article about VUSN hosting undergraduate students from Fisk and Vanderbilt universities and the Undergraduate Health Sciences Academy at Morehouse School of Medicine. The programs expose them to nursing as a career choice.
Sabrina Stover, MSN'18, PMC'21, joined CHI Memorial Family Practice Associates—Cleveland in Tennessee in June 2022 as an advanced practice provider. She had been an NP at CHI Memorial Infectious Disease Associates in Chattanooga, where she incorporated mind, body and spirit in caring for the human immunodeficiency virus population while utilizing resources through the Ryan White Program.
Tiffany Street, MSN'03, DNP'18, received the Jeanne E. Doyle Award from the Society of Vascular Nursing (the highest honor given by the organization) and co-presented at its conference in June 2022. She served on the SVN board in 2014-16 and was national president in 2016-17. Her article, "I Am TNA," was published in the winter 2021 issue of Tennessee Nurse . Tiffany was promoted to associate nursing officer at the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute in March 2021. She was named assistant professor at VUSN in January 2020 and appointed to represent VUSN as a board member of the Vanderbilt University Alumni Association, starting that July. She presented at the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant Critical Care Bootcamp at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in August 2018.
Tristan Strong, BS'12, MSN'18, is owner of Strong Health and Wellness in Nolensville, Tennessee (2021).
Maggie Swietlik, DNP'18, co-presented her doctor of nursing project, "Decision Support to Reduce Nursing Documentation Burden," at the American Organization of Nurse Executives conference in April 2019. She is chief nursing informatics officer at Inova, headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia.
Demetria Smith Tennefoss, MSN'18, DNP'20, is a medical science liaison in the medical affairs—cancer screening division of Guardant Health, headquartered in Redwood City, California, researching the clinical utility of blood-based cancer screening for colorectal and lung cancers (2022).
Michelle Terrell, MSN'01, DNP'18, is co-author of "Development and Testing of an Advanced Practice Clinical Advancement Program within an Academic Medical Center," published in the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners in September 2021, and was a panelist for the VUSN Alumni Board's annual DNP Know Your Value in January 2019. Michelle presented at the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant Critical Care Bootcamp at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in August 2018 and at the VUMC Pediatric Critical Care Boot Camp in September 2017.
Emily Thermos, BS'17, MSN'18, is a family nurse practitioner at Penobscot Community Health Care's Brewer Medical Center in Maine (2020).
Grace Underhill, BA'17, MSN'18, is a nurse practitioner at Covenant Care Pediatrics in Stockbridge, Georgia (2020).
Sarah Vaillancourt, MSN'18, co-presented on fat stigma in women's health at the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health conference in October 2021, and is the author of "Use of Motivational Interviewing to Address HPV Vaccine Hesitancy," published in Women's Healthcare in December. She is lead author of "Strategies to Decrease Fat Stigma in Women's Health," published in Women's Healthcare in October 2020. Sarah co-authored "Fat Stigma in Women's Health," published in the Journal for Nurse Practitioners in February 2019, and co-presented on the same subject at the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses conference in June. She co-wrote "Successfully Managing Challenging Patient Encounters," published in American Nurse Today in October 2018.
Joshua Viele, MSN'18, is director of informatics at HCA in Nashville (2018).
Jean Walker, MSN'18, is co-author of "Successfully Managing Challenging Patient Encounters," published in American Nurse Today in October 2018.
Jerald Westendorf, MSN'18, was a panelist for "The American Indian Health Care Delivery System: How and Why it Works," in June 2021, part of the VUSN Dore to Door Alumni Forum. He is a nurse practitioner at Tuolumne Me-Wuk Indian Health Center in California.
Morgan Willbarger, MSN'18, joined the Neurology Specialists Clinic of Riverside Healthcare in Kankakee, Illinois, in September 2019, as an adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner.
Ellen Williams, BA'13, MSN'18, received the Patient Experience Award from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in November 2022, and co-presented a poster, "Colostomy Irrigation: Prevalence, Interest in Irrigation and Quality of Life," at the 2019 VUMC Nursing Research Day.
Hannah Wolfshohl, MSN'18, received the Patient Experience Award from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in November 2022.
Alan Wygant, MSN'18, is a family nurse practitioner in the Utah Navajo Health System (2022).
Jaime Young, MSN'18, is an adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner in the office of Anthony E. Jones, MD, in Oakland, California (2020).
Thomas Young, MSN'18, DNP'21, received the Patient Experience Award from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in November 2022, and an Excellence in Patient Experience Award from VUMC in October 2021.
Tiffinie Zellars, MSN'18, DNP'18, is an assistant professor at the Belmont University School of Nursing in Nashville.
Marci Zsamboky, PMC'18, DNP'18, received the Distinguished Teaching Excellence Award from the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing's alumni association, and co-presented, "Designing a Behavioral Health Curriculum for Family Nurse Practitioner Students: Integrated Care Begins in the Classroom," at the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties conference, both in April 2022. She received a three-year $1.92 million Health Resources and Services Administration grant in mid-2021 to prepare and increase the number of advanced practice registered nurses able to provide behavioral health care for people in rural and underserved areas. She co-presented, "Trauma in Children and Adolescents: A Roadmap for Assessment, Diagnosis and Treatment," at the American Psychiatric Nurses Association Pre-Conference, "Meeting the Needs of Underserved Populations: Designing Behavioral Health Content for a Family Nurse Practitioner HRSA Training Grant," and "Innovative Strategies for Optimizing Virtual Learning and Telehealth Simulation Experiences for PMHNP Students," at the APNA conference in October. In December, she was awarded a grant from Vanderbilt's Course Improvement Grant and Educational Advancement Fund for her project, "Utilizing a Trauma-informed Care Approach to Nurse Practitioner Education." Marci was named academic director of the VUSN Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner specialty in January 2020, where she had been assistant professor. She co-authored "Easing the Psychological Impact of COVID-19 for Nurses," published in April in American Nurse , and "Easing the Psychological Impact of COVID-19 for Nurses: An Update for Tennessee Nurses," published in the summer issue of Tennessee Nurse . She is lead author of "Treating Child and Adolescent Depression and Anxiety in Primary Care," published in The Journal for Nurse Practitioners in September. Marci presented "ADHD or Bipolar Mania? Using Neuroscience to Inform Diagnosis and Treatment in Children and Adolescents," at the APNA conference in October 2019. Marci is a clinical associate professor and director of the PMHNP program at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.
