jefferson chronicle-spring/summer 2007

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


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


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


“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:


[Class noTes] [Class noTes]


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

[email protected]

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

[email protected] or to:

JCHS Alumni Relations OfficePO Box 13186Roanoke, VA 24031-3186Fax (540) 224-4562

Please report weddings, births and deaths to the address above.


suMMer 2007

Email digital images (300 dpi) [email protected] 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


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


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 [email protected]



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

[email protected]. 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!

jefferson chronicle-spring/summer 2007

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