Post on 26-Jul-2016
description
he Magazine for aluMni & friends of Jefferson College of healTh sCienCes
issue One, 2007
he Magazine for aluMni & friends of Jefferson College of healTealTeal h sCienCes
issue One, 2007
next 25 years
spoTlighT on aluMni honduras Mission Trip soloneviCh sCholarship
next 25 next 25 next years
spoTlighT on aluMni honduras Mission Trip soloneviCh sCholarship
Building
Carol M. Seavor, R.N., Ed.D.President
[The reid reporT]
JEFFERSON COLLEGE of HEALTH SCIENCES
Featuresalumni association Board of directorsCarolyn Mason-Murray, ’98
President
Natalie O’Donnell, ’01Secretary
college Board of directorsStephen Musselwhite
Chairman
William R. ReidImmediate Past Chairman
Robert C. LawsonVice Chairman
Nathaniel L. BishopMartha Bruce Boggs
Charles SaldariniThe Honorable Philip Trompeter
F. Lee TuckerEllen Wade
Joseph Wright
college administrationCarol M. Seavor, RN, EdD
President
Douglas Southard, PhD, PA-CProvost and Dean for Academic
and Student Services
Anna Millirons, MBA, CPADean for Administrative Services
Howard Ballentine, MSDean for Enrollment Management and Planning
Bridget Moore, MADean for Technology Services
contriButing WritersSarah Ross Alice Carr
Linda Rickabaugh
magazine editorDiane Hailey
assistant editorChristina Hatch
designInprint, Inc.
PrintingSeckman Printing
college accreditationCommission on Colleges of the Southern
Association of College and Schools (SACS)
1866 Southern LaneDecatur, Georgia, 30033-4097
Phone: 404.679.4501
THE REID REPORT .........................................................3 Marines Mud Run Supports Toys for Tots Bookstore Opens in Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital
SPOTLIGHT ON ALUMNI ..........................6, 10 Jennifer Watson, RN, ’95 Bill Clark, RT-C, ’98 Dennis Valianos, RN ’95
FACULTY PROFILE ........................................................8 Al Overstreet, ’96
CLASS NOTES ..................................................................12JEFFERSON ADVANCEMENT .........................15 Jefferson Medical Mission to Honduras Set
About the cover...presidenT Carol M. seavor, rn, ed.d., (center) celebrated five years at
the helm of Jefferson by planning the next 25 years and setting the course for more
baccalaureate and master of science programs. Moving into the new campus building,
which is currently occupied by Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital, is a major
physical plant improvement and gives the College room to grow to 1,000-1,500
students in the next few years. Nationally, the need for higher degree requirements
for nurses, physician assistants and occupational therapists has influenced the College
to create new curricula. Not a problem, says Seavor, “the next 25 years in healthcare
education will change more than the last and we’ll be ready.”
piCTured on The Cover:
Cover photo by Darryl Arnold
10
Dennis Valianos, RN ’95
Marines Mud Run
Pho
to b
y Je
anni
e Ta
nner
5
New eMPloyeesWe welcome these new employees
who joined us in the last
several months:
Krista Breininger, RN, BsN, instructor in
practical nursing program; Traci Pack,
RN, MsN, assistant professor in the
nursing program; Kathy Kleppin, Ms,
assistant professor in the humanities
department; Katherine Major, Bs,
science lab coordinator; steven
Pack, BA, NReMT-P, instructor in the
emergency health sciences-paramedic
program; Jolee Preston, RN, BsN,
instructor in the nursing program; Paula
Prince, Ph.D., assistant professor in
the humanities department; Adelaida
stambol, department secretary for
the respiratory therapy and healthcare
management programs; Jeannie Garber,
RN, MsN, assistant professor in the
nursing program; Denise Dillingham,
MPAs, PA-C, assistant professor in the
physician assistant program; Chris Blake,
RRT, Bs, instructor in the respiratory
therapy program; Janet Phillips, MBA,
assistant professor in the healthcare
management program; Barrett sims,
telephone recruiter, lead; Rhonda Trotter,
telephone recruiter; Andrea Dunnings,
telephone recruiter.
Jefferson College of Health Sciences (JCHS) held a noteworthy event last
fall: the first ever JCHS Convocation. Many new JCHS students, faculty,
and staff were in attendance.
Dr. Carol Seavor, president, and Dr. Southard, provost and dean
for academic and student services, and second year paramedic student,
Mr. Benjamin Cunningham gave inspiring remarks to many of our
new students.
During the formal academic ceremony, new students signed a College
Convocation book, once again formalizing the feeling of community
among everyone in attendance. Following Convocation, students broke
out into their programmatic orientations.
Convocation is the start of an exciting academic tradition to the
campus of JCHS.
Convocation - AUGUST 19, 2006
Math professor David Eckes began
coaching the Jefferson Tennis Club in
the fall to keep the fitness momentum
going. The women came out and played
well against several area college clubs,
including Roanoke College, Mary
Baldwin College and Longwood
College. Tennis matches were held at
the River’s Edge courts and the Crystal Spring courts. Eckes hopes to have
a men’s and women’s team in fall 2007. The team was officially initiated into
the United States Tennis Association in fall 2006.
Tennis Club Sparks Inter-Collegiate Competition
Co
urte
sy p
hoto
Pho
to b
y D
iane
Hai
ley
1) Dr. Carol M. Seavor, RN
2) Sara Decker, ’07
3) Amanda Webster, ’08
4) Jade Tollar, ’08
5) Tim Tannian, ’08
6) Laura Davis, ’08
7) Bonnie Miller, ’08
8) Jason Feyerherd, ’08
9) Dana Hurt, ’08
10) Heather Reed, ’08
11) Montique Burnette, ’07
12) Michael Moges, ’09
13) Jamie Stevens, ’08
14) Ravin Mehta, ’09
15) Angela Struna, ’08
16) Steve Young, ’0812 4
7
1516
1410
1312
118
5
9
3 6
2 VISIT US AT WWW.JCHS.EDU OR CALL 888 .985 .8483 JEFFERSON CHRONICLE 3
fralin house turns 100!Faculty, staff, students, alumni and members of the downtown
Roanoke business community celebrated the 100th birthday of
Fralin House. The house is a charming and welcoming first stop
for prospective students and families as it houses our admissions
and financial aid offices. The College was given the home in
2005 by Carilion, and renovations have been done to update
and beautify the house. A patio has also been installed on the
grounds of Fralin House to add some much-needed outdoor
gathering space for the campus community.
[The reid reporT] [The reid reporT]Ph
oto
by
Dia
ne H
aile
y
Marines
MUD RUN!Faculty and staff, Jennifer Brumfield,
Catherine Prescott, Monty Gross, warren
Clark, and Melissa Taylor were the
Marine Mud Run team for the College.
The Marine Mud Run is an annual event,
held in september by Bravo Company-4th
Combat engineers, which benefits Toys for
Tots and Camp Roanoke. The course for the
5K is made up of obstacles, two mudpits
and a run through the Roanoke River.
BooksToreopeningIn fall 2006, the College gathered to celebrate
the Bookstore opening in Carilion Roanoke
Community Hospital. The Bookstore is
the first college entity to be moved into
the future home of Jefferson. It occupies
a large space on the fourth floor near the
hospital cafeteria.
JEFFERSON CHRONICLE 54 VISIT US AT WWW.JCHS.EDU OR CALL 888 .985 .8483
JEFFERSON COLLEGE of HEALTH SCIENCES
When William Clark ’97 looks back on his academic and professional careers, he credits the College
for giving him the skills he needed to reach his dream job at a dream hospital, The Mayo Clinic.
He has practiced as RT clinical specialist at The Mayo Clinic, which is located in Rochester, Minnesota, for eight years and is still amazed at how far he has come. Prior to coming to Roanoke, Clark attended Keen State College in Keene, New Hampshire. He describes his life as an undergraduate as doing “just enough work to graduate” with a bachelor of science in sports medicine/athletic training. But the highly competitive job market of athletic training threw Clark for a loop and he had to come to terms with life on the outside of that career.
“I spent the next year working with people with traumatic brain injuries, in an independent living apartment environment,” remembers Clark. “This was a very fulfilling job but not one I could see myself doing for any extended period of time.”
The summer of 1995 was a turning point for Clark. “I moved in with a group of friends at our fraternity house for the summer to save some money. Some time in July we were informed by the electric company that there was a substantial overdue balance, which none of us knew about before we moved in, and that the electricity would be turned off in two days if it was not paid.”
He lived one month without electricity before getting into his car to make his way to Virginia and the respiratory therapy program at Jefferson College of Health Sciences. When he started classes, things began to fall into place. Clark says his professors were wonderful and the
advice he received from them continues to help him.
“Kim Roe taught us various aspects of respiratory therapy,” recalls Clark. “Kim would stage scenes that we would face in the hospital, and walk us through what we should do,” says Clark. Roe also encouraged him to put himself in the position to learn more. “She told us to always volunteer to do chest compressions or to ventilate the patient once they were
intubated. That way we were right in the middle of the situation and could learn from everything that was going on,” he explains.
Carilion hired Clark as an RT assistant during his second year in the respiratory therapy program. “My duties were to take care of patients on the general care floors with their nebulizers, MDI treatments, chest physiotherapy, incentive spiromitry, as well as other treatments associated with respiratory therapy.”
Tom Trennis was the director of respiratory therapy at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital while Clark was working there as a student and as a therapist after graduation. Trennis helped Clark apply what he had learned in the classroom to real life situations.
“I remember one time when there was
a major accident in town and we were preparing for the worst. We were getting every ventilator ready that could be found. I received an order from a physician to wean a patient off the ventilator. Tom worked me through the real life way of weaning a patient as compared to the textbook way.”
Clark stayed at CRMH until 1998, when he decided to become a traveling respiratory therapist. His wife Amy gave up her position as an occupational therapy assistant at Carilion to travel with him. During a three-month contract in Wichita, Kansas, they decided it was time to find a place to call home.
“I told my wife to find a job opening for a respiratory therapist at The Mayo Clinic and five minutes later I was reading an online job posting for a respiratory therapist at The Mayo Clinic St. Mary’s Hospital,” remembers Clark. “When we looked into The Mayo Clinic and Rochester more extensively, we really got excited about it. I knew it was my dream job and the perfect place for us to start a family.”
Clark is a clinical specialist in critical care and the secretary of the equipment committee, which is responsible for the trial, testing and purchasing of new respiratory equipment. Duties of this committee also include educating respiratory therapists, nurses and resident physicians in the usage of new equipment.
Clark and Amy have two daughters, six year-old Madison and three year-old Taylor.
“I firmly believe that I would not be where I am today if it was not for Jefferson College of Health Sciences being a small, private school. I had unlimited time to talk with my professors about respiratory therapy and life outside of school as a respiratory therapist. If I had decided to attend a larger school, I would not have received the help and education that enabled me to become the therapist I am today.” n
A thirst for knowledge keeps Jennifer Watson ’94 at the top of her field. For her, lifelong learning was not something she was born with, it was something instilled in her by her professors.
“I remember Sandy Anders, one of my instructors telling me when I was in my CV rotation at RMH, ‘the more you know, the more you see,’” recalls Watson. “That really stuck with me, and I tell the new nurses in my unit the same thing. After I studied for my CCRN (Critical Care Registered Nurse) test in 1999, I was amazed at how much more I saw, and I was terrified when I realized that the more you learn, the more you realize you don’t know.”
Watson moved to Fort Worth, Texas after graduation. Her parents lived there and she and her husband wanted to be near family. In 1994, the demand for nurses was not as great as it is today, so Watson worried about finding work in Fort Worth.
“During spring break my senior year, I came to Fort Worth and scheduled a bunch of interviews,” remembers Watson. “The hospital I’m working at now wasn’t even hiring new graduates. I was hired by three hospitals; two large and one smaller hospital.”
Watson chose one of the large hospitals for its location. She soon learned not all hospitals are created equally.
“It was a for profit hospital, not that there is anything wrong with that, but they seemed more interested in making a dollar than taking care of the staff,” says Watson. “There wasn’t the ancillary staff that there should have been.”
Watson eventually found the environment she was seeking at Harris Methodist Hospital, also in Fort Worth, and part of Texas Health Resources. “It’s a not for profit hospital and a wonderful place to work because they listen to their nurses,” says Watson.
Listening to nurses is in large part why Harris Methodist Hospital received Magnet designation in February 2005. To attain this designation, hospitals must achieve excellence in 14 rigorous standards that touch all aspects of superior nursing, from quality in patient care to nursing education and leadership. Magnet facilities also consistently rank among the most successful hospitals in recruiting and retaining nurses.
According to the American Nurses Credentialing Center only four percent of the nation’s hospitals have achieved these standards. According to the ANCC website, Magnet hospitals meet the following criteria:n Nurses within the hospitals considered them good places
to practice nursing.
n The hospitals had low turnover and vacancy rates.n The hospitals were located in areas where there was significant
regional competition for nursing services.n The hospitals have excellent nursing management, philosophy
and practices.n They adhere to standards for improving quality of
patient care.n They understand and respect the cultural and ethnic diversity
of patients, their significant others and the care providers in the system.
The process can take years to complete. Carilion Medical Center, the system with which Jefferson College of Health Sciences is affiliated, achieved this status in 2003.
Watson says Harris Methodist and other Magnet hospitals have a system in place for all nurses to have a voice in hospital policies and
planning, which means bedside nurses are involved in all aspects of the hospital decision making. She says the benefit to the hospital is a happy nurse. The benefit to the patient is better healthcare.
“In the ICU where I practice, we work very closely with the surgeons and I feel respected. I have more autonomy,” says Watson of the Magnet hospital atmosphere. “I feel like if we were short nurses and I called my supervisor and said ‘this is an
unsafe situation; I cannot take anymore patients,’ they would listen to me because they do respect me.”
Watson now works in the cardiovascular ICU and completed her critical care registered nurse certification in 1999. She is also certified in IABP (intra aortic balloon pump) and CRRT (continuous renal replacement therapy).
Watson and her husband, Gavin, have two adopted children; Ivan, 6, and Levi, 3. She says nursing provides her the opportunity to have a lot of family time.
“The beauty of nursing is you can have a somewhat flexible schedule,” explains Watson. “My six year old son is in kindergarten all day and my three year old is in preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I usually work 12 hour shifts on Tuesdays and Thursdays and a weekend shift.”
Watson says the small college atmosphere at Jefferson helped her thrive and complete the rigorous nursing curriculum. She describes her education as the foundation for her current success.
“It is amazing to me that after only 13 years of nursing, I am considered an expert on my unit. I am thankful to be a nurse and would recommend it to anyone.” n
WilliaM Clark ’97
[spoTlighT on aluMni]
respiratory therapy By Denise Allen MeMBrenOBy Denise Allen MeMBrenOJennifer Watson ’94
[spoTlighT on aluMni]
Courtesy photo
Courtesy photo
JEFFERSON CHRONICLE 76 VISIT US AT WWW.JCHS.EDU OR CALL 888 .985 .8483
young people are more receptive to
mentors. As a mentor, Overstreet takes
his role in the lives of Jefferson students
very seriously. “I use a developmental
approach to counseling students, I meet
people where they are and go from there.”
Listening is key for him. Overstreet says
that in our day-to-day lives, people listen
but also feel compelled or responsible
to give advice or react. “That’s human
nature,” says Overstreet. But, when a
person has a mental or emotional load
to bear, they most-times just want to tell
their story to an objective ear.
There are two kinds of counseling
that the Jefferson Counseling Services
department offers. Personal counseling
and academic counseling. For college
students, these two issues are usually
a tangled mix. Very seldom does one
stressor not affect the other, but when a
student is having problems in one area
and resolves those issues, the other area
generally sees some relief as well.
“Students who come in for academic
counseling can expect us to listen and
help them problem solve. For time
management and student skills, there are
training and tips that we can offer them to
help with those problems. On the
academic side, students seek any input
from us that they can get.
I really emphasize to students that
everyone has strengths and weaknesses.
What’s most important is to be self aware
and to take responsibility to work on areas
of need. Don’t ignore the problem and
don’t blame others. Students who come
in and say, “I’m having problems with
getting distracted while I’m studying,” are
halfway there as far as fixing the problem.
A major issue on all college campuses
across the nation is the greater population
of young people who come to college
with a diagnosed mental illness, social
disorder or anxiety disorder. Many
students diagnosed with attention deficit
disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder
or a hyperactivity disorder expect to get
the same counseling they received while
they were in the care of their parents.
“In years past, arriving at college was a
turning point, everything changed from
that moment on – and that was a good
thing. Now, for some students, it’s
a place where therapy continues
and personal growth occurs in smaller
increments,” explains Overstreet.
According to Overstreet, students
grow best in an environment that
is both nurturing on a human level,
and pleasing on an aesthetic level.
“The Student Services department is
very excited about the move into the
Community Hospital (CRCH) building
because it will positively affect the way
that students interact with each other,”
says Overstreet. The layout of the new
campus will be much more conducive
to social interaction between students in
all programs. “Reid Center, by virtue of
its layout, is too compartmentalized and
students from different programs don’t
have the opportunity to be a community,”
he explains. Carilion has already begun
the process of renovating, as hospital
departments are slowly moving into the
new wing of Carilion Roanoke Memorial
Hospital. The physician assistant program
will move into the new building in fall
2007, making them the first program of
the college to change quarters and enjoy
the new space.
Once the College is fully housed in
a campus designed to be truly student-
centered, interaction among students
across all programs will improve. This
improved environment will mean happier
students, according to Overstreet.
“Students need a bright, light, airy
space to really grow and succeed,” says
Overstreet. He also believes that new
campus amenities like the cafeteria and
social space will serve to eliminate some
of the isolation students can feel when
gathering places are nonexistent. “Reid
Center has served the College well for
25 years, but the expectations of young
people have changed dramatically,”
explains Overstreet. And he is right on
the money. Students used to see colleges
as classrooms and laboratories- functional
spaces. Now they demand the comforts
of home, such as great food and a sense
of community. For Overstreet, the higher
expectations indicate that students are
expecting more of themselves as well.
“Jefferson students are seeking purposeful
activities while they are here, and that’s a
good sign that they will continue to seek
out a balanced life after they leave. Seeing
them make good choices makes my work
here very rewarding,” he says. n
Al Overstreet uses Skip
Downing’s book On Course
in his freshmen seminar class
because of one sentence. A successful
student accepts personal responsibility,
discovers self-motivation, masters self-
management, employs interdependence,
gains self awareness, adopts lifelong
learning, develops emotional intelligence
and believes in themselves. Like Downing,
Overstreet believes that each student
should be empowered to reach this level
of confidence and wisdom.
Overstreet also believes that an
institution of learning has the responsibility
to nurture and develop the whole
student, not just their academic intellect.
“Because I am a counselor, I have the
opportunity to talk to students when they
are most likely to listen. Because I am
also a Certified Occupational Therapist
Assistant, I take those opportunities to
explain the importance of purposeful
activity in maintaining a healthy, balanced
life,” says Overstreet.
Counselors are often-times referred
to as life coaches in today’s world where
By diane hailey, CoordinaTor for CoMMuniCaTions and College relaTions
Al Overstreet
faCulTy profile
JEFFERSON CHRONICLE 9
“I use a
developmental
approach to
counseling
students, I meet
people where
they are and
go from there.”
8 VISIT US AT WWW.JCHS.EDU OR CALL 888 .985 .8483
JEFFERSON COLLEGE of HEALTH SCIENCES
“we get to see lots of live music, movie stars,
and do plenty of surfing,” says Valianos.
“Pretty much what you see on television;
I only work 30 hours a week so I have time for
a life in addition to my nursing practice.”
His decision in 1993 to attend Jefferson
College of Health sciences helped him
realize two dreams. He was able to become a
registered nurse and it brought him closer to
his hometown of Rocky Mount.
“I had been working at UVA for a couple of
years in the oncology clinic so I knew nursing
was for me and I wanted to get my degree
quickly,” remembers Valianos. “I applied
to several universities and the College was
the first one that accepted me. I decided
to come to Roanoke because it instantly
felt like home.”
The private college atmosphere suited
Valianos well. He says the classes were smaller
and tailored for people who really knew
what they wanted to do—be nurses. “The
instructors do more than teach, they are in
the business of nurturing good nurses,” says
Valianos of his college professors. He refers to
the nursing faculty as people “with skin in the
game.” For Valianos, nursing was a personal
achievement and that kind of commitment
from his professors helped instill a lot of
integrity into his practice.
As a student, Valianos was able to take
advantage of the College’s integration with
Carilion Health system. He was selected
for a nursing externship offered at Carilion
Roanoke Memorial Hospital and spent a
summer working in every department of the
hospital, all the critical care areas, dialysis, and
emergency room. He spent a week in each
area to get a broad perspective of what it’s
like to be a nurse in different units.
That summer of training also gave Valianos
another advantage–meeting a beautiful,
single doctor. He saw his future wife while
spending a week in the emergency room.
“This beautiful doctor in scrubs walked by
and I thought ‘oh my gosh who is that?’”
They met over a trauma patient in the eR.
“she was barking out orders and pointed at
me and said ‘you take the head.’ From that you take the head.’ From that y
point on I was smitten.”
Constanze Rayhrer did her undergraduate
work in santa Barbara and her father and
grandmother live in southern California. After
she finished her surgical residency at Roanoke
Memorial Hospital the couple decided to
head west in 1998
The education he received at Jefferson
gave him confidence as he entered the
nursing world. However, in California, he
realized that east Coast and west Coast
healthcare practice has some differences.
To illustrate his point Valianos tells this
story. “In the recovery room at Roanoke
Community Hospital we used the drug,
fentanyl, as a first line pain reliever. At the
hospital here in California, which is a 400-bed
facility, they don’t use fentanyl even though it
has a fast acting onset, a great duration and is
non-nauseating. so although you would think
that all the trends begin in California and
spread across the United states, I found that’s
not the case for all healthcare practices.”
Valianos now practices in the PACU at
Ventura orthopedic surgery Center. He
works on a per diem basis, about 30 hours
a week. It affords him flexibility to help care
for their three year old daughter, Alexandra,
and it gives him time to surf. For fun, he
decided to start a catering business as well.
“I do gourmet appetizers for all kinds of
gatherings. I’ve learned a lot of organization
skills that’s for sure,” observes Valianos.
But nursing is still the way he chooses
to make a difference in the world. “It
immediately gratifies my need to help
people, and it’s often a two-way street-
you help people and they respond with their
thanks. It’s a great feeling.”
For Dennis Valianos ’95, life is a beach.And when the waves pound the shore, hegrabs a surfboard.iving and working in
Ventura, California,Valianos has a beautiful family, loves his nursing practice and has plentyof time to ride the waves.
point on I was smitten.”
By DeNIse AlleN MeMBReNo
PHoTos By JeANNIe TANNeR
SurfinSurfinRNFor Dennis Valianos ’95, life is a beach.And when the waves pound the shore, hegrabs a surfboard.living and working inVentura, California,Valianos has a beautiful family, loves his nursing practice and has plentyof time to ride the waves.
By DeNIse Alle
PHoTos B
SurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinSurfinDennis
Valianos ‘95
Spotlight on Alumni:
JEFFERSON CHRONICLE 11
[Class noTes] [Class noTes]
JEFFERSON CHRONICLE 1312 VISIT US AT WWW.JCHS.EDU OR CALL 888 .985 .8483
1940sLois Slater Carter McConnell,
JHSON ‘48,
retired from
occupational
health nursing in
1985. since that
time she worked
as a homemaker;
lois’ husband passed away in
2000. lois is very proud of her old
est granddaughter, Trimble Bailey
spitzer, who graduated from
eastern Virginia Medical school
in May 2005 and is completing
her oB/GyN residency at George
washington Hospital in washing
ton D.C. lois’s youngest grand
daughter just returned from study
abroad in Turkey and will graduate
college in May.
1960sRhonda Richardson Wall, CHRV-Rhonda Richardson Wall, CHRV-Rhonda Richardson Wall, CHRV
SON ’67, began her 34th year
teaching nurse aide and health
occupation students at a career
center, and her 10th year serving
as an eMT and eVoC driver for
Rugby Rescue squad. Rhonda
owns and operates a farm that has
been in her family since 1902 with
registered Poll Hereford cattle
and horses.
1970sJenny Tench Shepherd, CHRV-Jenny Tench Shepherd, CHRV-Jenny Tench Shepherd, CHRV
SON ’73, remarried in 1992 and
has four grandchildren. Jenny
works three days a week in cardi-
ology at Carilion New River Valley
Medical Center. Jenny is proud of
her work in the ICU-CCC, telem-
etry step-down units, med-surg,
oncology, and home
health sectors.
Patricia Crowder, CHRVSON ’77,
currently works in orthopaedics
at Carilion Roanoke Memorial
Hospital as a clinical team leader.
Patricia’s daughter, Kimberly, is a
senior at George Mason
University in Fairfax.
Katherine Anderson Pungarcher,
CHRVSON, has two children ages
25 and 24. Katherine has been
living in wisconsin for six years
and working full time. Currently,
she practices with a physician
whose specialty is chronic pain
management with some use of
acupuncture. Katherine says the
use of acupuncture prompted her
interest in alternative medicine,
so she is currently enrolled in Mid-
west College of oriental Medicine
and hopes to graduate in 2008
with a Bs in nutrition and Ms in
oriental medicine.
1980sBeth Tomlinson Hawkins,
CHRVSON ’80, has been a plastic
surgery scrub nurse for 10 years.
Currently, she is CNIII at Virginia
Baptist Hospital on the acute
rehabilitation unit.
Donna Londeree Smith, CHRV-Donna Londeree Smith, CHRV-Donna Londeree Smith, CHRV
SON ’80, is a service line educator
with Centra Health’s home health
division in lynchburg, and has lynchburg, and has l
been with the department for 20
years. Donna and husband Tim
have two sons: Jeff, 23, and
Jason, 19.
Susan Foley Brooks, CHRVSON
’85, worked in the oncology and
bone marrow transplant unit for 10
years then as a hospice nurse for
11 years. she has two sons and
a daughter. susan lives in
Birmingham, Al.
Kim Eversmann, NSG ’85, prac-
tices in the student health depart-
ment at wake Forest University.
she is married with two children.
will is 15 years old and emily is 10
years old.
Mary Dillon Quinn, ADN ’88,
BSN ’07, has worked in the NICU,
home health, long term care, pe-
diatric surgery and specialty clinics
and PICU. Most recently, she
has been in the PICU at Carilion
Roanoke Community Hospital for
the last eight years. Mary has two
children ages 16 and 12 years.
1990sAnne Brady Ewers, RT ’90,
practiced respiratory therapy
from 1990 until 1992 at lynchburg lynchburg l
General Hospital. since then, she
has earned a degree in nursing
and holds a staff nurse position
in the intermediate care unit at
Virginia Baptist Hospital in lynchlynchl -
burg. Anne is married and has two
daughters.
Paul Harris PTA, ’93, of Tampa, Fl,
recently retired from practice. He
worked for 10 years at Tampa Gen-
eral Hospital in the outpatient clinic.
Carmen Elliott Thompson,
PTA ’94, earned a Bs in Health
Care Management. In 2006, she
finished certification in manual
lymphatic drainage and complex
decongestive physiotherapy and
certification in massage therapy.
she teaches lymphatics at Blue
Ridge school of Massage.
Lou Anne Rodgers Welch, OTA
’96, is employed by Rehabcare
Group as a clinical coordinator in
a skilled nursing facility. she has
been in her current position for
four years and in long term care
for eight years. lou Anne moved
to the Tidewater area from
Buchanan when she married
eight years ago.
Julie Barefoot, HIT, ’97 moved moved
to Tupelo, Ms to care for her par to care for her par- to care for her par- to care for her par
ents. Julie has earned her emerents. Julie has earned her emer-ents. Julie has earned her emer-ents. Julie has earned her emer
gency medical technician-basic at gency medical technician-basic at
Itawamba Community College in
Tupelo and is interested in
pursuing surgical technology,
or some other medical-related
advanced degree.
Bill Clark, RT ’97, works at the
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN and
specializes in thorasic surgery.
He serves on the committee that
tests new RT equipment. Bill and
his wife Amy have two daughters,
Madison, five, and Taylor, two.
He encourages his fellow class-
mates to write to him at
clark.william@mayo.edu
Jenny Campbell, LPTA ’98, lives
in Amherst and has practiced
as an lPTA in acute care since
graduation. Jenny and her hus-
band have two little boys—four
years old and 18 months old.
Kimberly Compton, PA ’99,
practices at Patrick County Family
Practice since 1999. Kimberly
continues to reside in Collinsville
and has a new daughter named
Karli born December, 2006.
Cory A. Key, EHS ’05, is a
ieutenant with the Fairfax County ieutenant with the Fairfax County
Fire and Rescue department. He Fire and Rescue department. He
also serves as a marine reservist.
Key was stationed in Iraq from
March to ooctober 2006. “My ctober 2006. “My
training through the College training through the College
helped me to provide aid to helped me to provide aid to
other Marines I served with and other Marines I served with and
to aid Uto aid Us Navy Corpsman in Navy Corpsman in
rendering appropriate aid to Iraqi rendering appropriate aid to Iraqi
civilians,” says Key. He was also civilians,” says Key. He was also
able to teach paramedic classes able to teach paramedic classes
while in Iraq.while in Iraq.
Tiffany Lager, NSG ’99Tiffany Lager, NSG ’99, works for , works for
a medical evacuation company a medical evacuation company
based in based in llondon, england. After ngland. After
graduating from Jefferson, she graduating from Jefferson, she
went on to Duke University went on to Duke University
and went through their critical and went through their critical
care program.care program.
2000sSuzanne Spencer, NSG ’00, has
been a nurse in a family practice
office in Blacksburg for over
five years. suzanne loves seeing
patients of all ages. she has been
married for six years and has two
boys, Hayden, age three years,
and Ryan, age 13 months.
Summer Patteson, CUTA ’00,
has worked in home health for six
years and begins a new position
as a nursing and rehabilitation fa-
cility in Jan, 2007. summer enjoys
taking Ce classes and asserts that
the most useful Ce class for her
has been myofacial release.
Rena Jennings, EHS ’02, works
full time as a paramedic-fire
fighter for Franklin County and
part time as a paramedic for the
Roanoke City Fire/eMs team.
Rena precepts JCHs paramedic
students. she and husband David
have four children.
Heather Campbell, ADN ’03Heather Campbell, ADN ’03,
moved to Asheville, NC after moved to Asheville, NC after
graduating from JCHgraduating from JCHs. she is an
RN at Mission Hospital on the RN at Mission Hospital on the
pediatrics floor and works as a pediatrics floor and works as a
PRN as a phone triage nurse at a PRN as a phone triage nurse at a
pediatric doctor’s office. Heather pediatric doctor’s office. Heather
and her husband have a one year and her husband have a one year
old daughter.old daughter.
Marizol Fontanez, PA ’04Marizol Fontanez, PA ’04, works
in orlando, Fl in family practice in family practice l in family practice l
and geriatrics. Currently, she is and geriatrics. Currently, she is
the medical advisor for the medithe medical advisor for the medi-
cal assistant program at Florida cal assistant program at Florida
Metropolitan University. Metropolitan University. she is
working on her master’s degree working on her master’s degree
in geriatric medicine and as a in geriatric medicine and as a
diabetic educator and recently diabetic educator and recently
participated in a missionary participated in a missionary
trip that provided health care trip that provided health care
in Nicaragua.
Tairy Adams, PA ’04, works as
a PA-C at both Carilion Commu-
nity Hospital emergency Room
and Carilion Roanoke Memorial
Hospital emergency Room Chest
Pain Center.
Barbara Lee Ryan, NSG ’05, has
worked on 10 Mountain PICU
and at a urogynecology clinic.
Recently, she has begun working
with stroke and car accident
victims in rehabilitation for
Carilion Clinic.
Charmaine Byrd, NSG ’05, mar-, mar-, mar
ried Tony Tomlinson on February
24, 2007. she practices in Hol-
ywood, Fl at Hillcrest Rehabilital at Hillcrest Rehabilital -
tion Center as a registered nurse
and unit manager.
Andrea Harris, NSG ’06, has
worked at lewis-Gale Medical
Center since graduation.
Whitney Bartlett PA, ‘??,
practices as a physician assistant
n family medicine with Fairbrook
Medical Clinic in Hickory, NC.
she recently became a member
of the North Carolina Medical
society Foundation’s Commu-
nity Practitioner Program. The
program strives to place much
needed primary care providers in
underserved areas of the state.
Shannon
Watts, prac-
tices as rehab
manager at
the summit
Health and
Rehab Center
n lynchburg. lynchburg. l she married hus-
band Tim in 2000 Tim and now
has daughter Katlyn Amber who
s five years old.
Alumni from every class and program can report their news in each issue of
the magazine. Mail or email photos to the addresses listed below; be sure
to include your name, address, graduation year and program of study in
your correspondence. electronic photos need to be 300 dpi and no smaller
than 4x6 inches and saved as .jpg or .tif files. send news and photos to
alumni@mail.jchs.edu or to:
JCHS Alumni Relations OfficePO Box 13186Roanoke, VA 24031-3186Fax (540) 224-4562
Please report weddings, births and deaths to the address above.
JEFFERSON COLLEGE of HEALTH SCIENCES
suMMer 2007
Email digital images (300 dpi) tochatch@jchs.edu or mail to
PO Box 13185, Roanoke, VA 24031
Send us your new baby photo and we’ll send you a Jefferson
baby bib!
Class Notes KeyJHSON: Jefferson Hospital
school of Nursing
L-GSON: lewis-Gale school of Nursing
CHRVSON: Community Hospital of Roanoke Valley school of Nursing
JEFFERSON CHRONICLE 1514 VISIT US AT WWW.JCHS.EDU OR CALL 888 .985 .8483
how a small group of people will make a big difference, and how you can help.mission
HoNDURAsa to
several JCHs nurses will participate in a medical mission trip to
western Honduras in october 2007 as part of a team sponsored
by a local faith community. The mission is organized through the
Friends of Barnabas Foundation (www.fobf.org). A team of 14 people,
including four nurses from JCHs (linda Rickabaugh–Team leader,
Rebecca Clark, lisa Allison-Jones, Teresa Kern) will participate.
Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the western
Hemisphere. The country was devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998.
The mission is to provide medical care to people in Honduras with
a focus on improving healthcare of children. They will provide eye
glasses, medicines and parasite treatment to the people.
Donated money will be used to buy prescription and non-
prescription medications including vitamins, analgesics, topical
preparations, eye drops, deworming medications and medical
supplies such as band aids, dressings, baby clothes and
diapers, school uniforms for the children and shoes for the
1,500 to 2,000 people who will be treated in the medical clinic
over the five-day trip. some funds may also be used to defray
travel expenses for the team.
Friends of Barnabas sponsored teams are made up of people with
a combination of skills–medical and non-medical, and of
experienced mission members to mentor novice mission members.
As more faculty from JCHs become experienced, a goal is to include
students and alumni as part of the team.
Facts About Honduras (Source: Friends Of Barnabas)Source: Friends Of Barnabas)Source: Friends Of Barnabas
once owned by spain, Honduras became independent in 1821.
After two and a half centuries of military rule, a freely elected civilian
government came into power in 1982. In the 80s, Honduras was a safe
haven for anti-sandinista contras fighting the Nicaraguan government
and an ally to salvadoran Government forces fighting leftist guerillas.
The country was devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998, which killed
about 5,600 people and did $2 billion in damage.
About the size of Tennessee, Honduras is located in Central
America bordering the Caribbean sea, between Guatamala and
Nicagagua and also bordering el salvador.
environmental issues include expanding urban population,
deforestation and soil erosion from improper land use practices.
Those practices include farming marginal lands and mining activities
that pollute lake yajoa – the country’s largest source of fresh water and yajoa – the country’s largest source of fresh water and y
other streams and rivers.
Population: nearly 7 million (276 million in Us)Population under age 5: nearly 1 million (19 million in Us)Mean age: 19Life expectancy: 65.6 (Us 76)Annual deaths under age five: .93 percent of population (Us .15%)Underweight children: 29 percent (Us 1 percent)Children with stunted growth: 39 percent (Us 2 percent)GNP per capita: $760 (Us $30,000)Living with HIV/AIDS: 63,000 (1.8 percent)
90 percent mestizo (Amerindian & European), 7 percent Amerindian, 2 percent black, 1 percent white
53 percent of the population is below the poverty level
one of the poorest countries in the western Hemisphere with
an extraordinarily unequal distribution of income and massive
unemployment (rate 29 percent), Honduras banks on trade under
the U.s.-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and HIPC
– the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative. Growth remains
dependent on the economy of the Us, its largest trading partner,
and commodity process, particularly coffee and on the reduction
of the high crime rate.
For more information: Friends of Barnabas – website: www.fobf.org
JEFFERSON COLLEGE of HEALTH SCIENCES
If you would like to make a tax-deductible monetary
donation which will help purchase medical supplies,
please fill out this card and mail it to us in the
envelope included in this Jefferson Chronicle.
Check payable to: JCHS Honduras Trip
Thank you for your support of this worthy
mission project.
Name:______________________________________
Program/Class year:year:y _________________________
Address:____________________________________
Ctiy, state, Zip: ______________________________
Phone: _____________________________________
email: ______________________________________
Alumni: Look for details soon on the web and in your mail.
16 VISIT US AT WWW.JCHS.EDU OR CALL 888 .985 .8483
I am happy to have this opportunity to introduce myself to you as Jefferson College of Health
Science’s Coordinator of Development and Alumni Relations. It is an exciting time to join
such a respected institution with such rich history, strong community presence and progressive
future within the vital world of healthcare education.
I have worked for the past six years in development at Hollins University and Child Health
Investment Partnership, so to meld my background in academic and healthcare fundraising is
the best of both worlds.
My husband is a local attorney and I have two children—one in college and one in
elementary school. That is a little bit about me and I hope to learn more about each of you
at upcoming alumni events.
Please contact me at 540.224.4644 or send me an e-mail at chatch@jchs.edu
JEFFERSON COLLEGE of HEALTH SCIENCES
JEFFERSON CHRONICLE 15
Several years ago, Ewing was talking to George’s widow,
Inga, about how they could fund a substantial scholarship
that would help train more paramedics to work in the
Roanoke Valley. The two friends each had their own
contributions- Inga was holding on to a number of prints
of one of George’s favorite paintings Freedom’s Price, and
Edwin was anxious to write the scholarship and fund it
with a generous gift. Both believed that starting a paramedic
scholarship for qualifying graduates of Patrick Henry
and William Fleming High Schools to attend Jefferson
College of Health Sciences would be a benefit to Roanoke
and would please George immensely. Paramedics saved
George’s life years ago when a stroke while stoking the
fires of his homemade sauna left him with massive burns.
Solonevich, no stranger to pain or tragedy, lived through
the incident to continue his artwork.
George and Inga Solonevich were among the millions
of immigrants who came to America after World War II.
They passed the Statue of Liberty in 1953 and made their
home for several years in Brooklyn. While there, they had a
hobby. They would go to the New York public library and
scour maps of the United States and look for places where
“rivers met the mountains.” With only an old station wagon
for transportation they knew they would never make it to
the western paradise of Washington State, which had caught
their eye. From their view from Midtown Manhattan, the
closest to the mountains and waters of the West they could
find was southwestern Virginia. They made an “X” on
a map near Roanoke and decided they would make the
journey and begin a new life there.
They lived in downtown Roanoke for a while and
finally were able to look for a piece of land with a habitable
dwelling. They found cheap land on the side of Bent
Mountain, where inspiring views were plentiful - if you
could get to them. At the far end of a twisted road, they
had a little farm consisting of a small house, a milking
cow, a few goats, and rabbits to both sell and eat. Inga and
George continued their art, painting and sculpting. Inga
holds celebrity status in her native Finland, and is known
as the Audobon of Europe after painting hundreds of bird
portraits in 1936 and 1937. Her watercolors of migratory
birds hang in the natural history museum in Finland.
George is probably most famous for his work for publisher
Simon & Schuster. He illustrated dozens of the popular
Golden Books over the years.
If you would like to purchase a copy of Freedom’s Price, a 14” by 20” print:
Please contact Christina Hatch, development and
alumni relations coordinator at 540-224-4644 or
chatch@jchs.edu. Gifts of $25 or more will be
accepted in exchange for the archival-quality print
and the funds designated for the scholarship.
edwin ewing kicks off Contributions to solonevich scholarshipRoanoker Edwin Ewing is honoring the memory of late Roanoke artist George Solonevich by initiating and funding the George Solonevich Scholarship at Jefferson College of Health Sciences.
Jefferson College Welcomes Christina Hatch
P.O. Box 13186Roanoke, Virginia 24031-3186
Non-Profit orgU.s. Postage
PAIDRoanoke, VAPermit No. 28
Jefferson College of Health Sciences License Platesare now available at Virginia’s Department of Motor Vehicles!
Go to your local DMV or online at https://www.dmv.virginia.gov
Plates can be personalized with up to 6 letters or numbers!