In this issue of Harbor Reflections,published during my inaugural year asdean of the College of Nursing andHealth Sciences (CNHS), I want to thankyou for the honor and privilege of serv-ing as your dean. The UMass BostonCollege of Nursing and Sciences isindeed a wonderful place. Everyonewhom I have met within the college anduniversity—faculty, staff, students, andadministrators—is hardworking, com-mitted to the urban mission, and dedi-cated to moving our college and univer-sity to the next level.

CNHS is moving toward greatness. Our2004–2005 accomplishments in teach-ing, research, and community service(described on the following pages) areimpressive by any standard and providea solid foundation for our efforts toquickly become nationally known inselected areas. The enthusiasm andexcitement are palpable as we go for-ward in our quest this 2004–2005 aca-demic year.

Our mutual goal is to ensure that thisvery good college becomes truly great.How will we move toward greatness?Borrowing from Jim Collins’s book,Good to Great, which I gave to eachfull-time faculty and staff member, wewill proceed through six phases:

Harbor ReflectionsHarbor Reflections

U n i v e r s i t y o f M a s s a c h u s e t t s B o s t o n

Volume 1 � Number 1 � May 2005

A Publication of the

COLLEGE OF NURSING AND HEALTH SCIENCES (CNHS)

A PUBLICATION OF THE COLLEGE OF NURSING AND HEALTH SCIENCES (CNHS) � UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON

inding a profession that trulyfeels right may lead a person totry to “reinvent“ himself.Consider the career path of Spc.Seth Katz, a resident of Duxbury,Massachusetts.

“I gave up a successful career in high tech topursue a lifelong interest in medicine,“ Katzsays. Soon after he enrolled in UMassBoston’s College of Nursing and HealthSciences (CNHS), his passion for medicine ledhim to enlist as a medic with the Massachu-setts Army National Guard’s A Company118th Medical ASMB (Area Support MedicalBattalion) in Concord. “I wanted to becomea part of the Guard because I believe itstraining and mission overlap with my interestin emergency medicine,“ Katz explains.“Also, the Guard strongly promotes and supports education.“

Katz proudly served our nation in a vital rolewith Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was a mem-ber of an aid station at a coalition camp nearBaghdad, assisting with the day-to-day med-ical treatment of soldiers and staff. “Most ofwhat we did there involved giving inocula-tions, treating minor illnesses, and assistingwith any type of medicalcrisis,“ he says.

In April, Katz, a memberof Sigma Theta Tau(Theta Alpha Chapter)—a prestigious, academicinternational honor soci-ety for nursing—receiveda surprising e-mail fromthe chapter's outgoingpresident, StephanieDevik, stating that hehad been named the2004 recipient of thechapter's covetedMargaret AndersonAward. “I am honoredand humbled to receive

the Margaret Anderson Award,“ Katz saidupon hearing of the honor. He is the onlyMassachusetts National Guard member everto receive the award.

First conferred twenty years ago, the awardis renowned at CNHS because Anderson wasa respected and well-liked professor there.According to Richard Ruel, Theta Alpha’sincoming president, “Anderson was thelifeblood of the College of Nursing. She pos-sessed an incredible amount of energy andenthusiasm for nursing and her students.“Katz is a worthy recipient of the AndersonAward: He used his experience in high techto develop computer applications for nurs-ing—including a teaching tool that allowsstudents to document their clinical assign-ments online.

Spc. Katz plans to continue pursuing hisinterest in medical applications of technologyas he completes his final semester of studytoward a B.S. degree in nursing. Once he hasthe degree, he says, he will decide whereand in what capacity he will further his nurs-ing career—keeping in mind both the needsof the National Guard and his own profes-sional ambitions.

CNHS Student Finds His Niche While Serving asa Massachusetts Army National Guard Medic

Continued on page 3

From the Dean

F

R

College of Nursing and Health Sciences100 Morrissey Blvd.Boston, MA 02125-3393

CONTRIBUTE TO

UMASSBOSTON’SCNHS!

Our Vision is to improve thehealth-related quality of life of

diverse urban populationsthrough the integration ofteaching, targeted research,service, practice, and health

policy in partnership with others.

We are proud to be the onlypublicly supported Phd NursingProgram in the greater Boston

area and to graduate the highest number of racially andethnically diverse baccalaureate-

prepared nurses inMassachusetts.

Honor a Nurse or Health Fitness Professional

in your life!

The College of Nursing and Health Sciences at UMass Boston welcomes and is grateful for donations from alumni, non-alumni, and funding organizations alike. All contributionsare tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Checks should be made payable to theUniversity of Massachusetts Boston with notation specifying “CNHS” and mailed to:University of Massachusetts Boston, Alumni/Development Office, 100 Morrissey Blvd.,Administration Building, Boston, MA 02125

Harbor Reflections

Story and Photo By 1LT Anthony Falvey, Ambulance Platoon Leader, Baghdad, Iraq

Non-ProfitOrganizationU.S. PostagePAIDBoston, MAPermit No. 52094

Dean Greer Glazer

To meet the nursing shortage demand, we arereaching and teaching future nurse educatorsthrough cyberspace! Due to the overwhelmingstressors already on RNs, furthering their edu-cation was in many cases placed on the backburner, reducing enrollment in our traditionalRN program. Thanks to the RN-to-BS TaskForce, BS Nursing Program Committee, BS pro-gram director Sherry Merrow, RN-to-BS coordi-nator Kathleen Polley, and the CNHS Senate, anew curriculum was developed, approved, andinitiated. The online format is intended to max-imize accessibility and convenience for highlymotivated, independent professionals. The pro-gram, which is designed to meet the needs ofexperienced RNs, is clearly generating interest.Three full cohorts are in progress and there aremore students ready to begin—a steady

Online RN-to-BS Program—Tell a colleagueabout our new online RN-to-BS Program!

increase in applications clearly demon-strates the need for the program.Although most course activities are com-pleted online, in the students’ place ofemployment, or in the community, stu-dents attend an on-campus orientationand meet occasionally on campus. Currentonline RN-to-BS students are enthusiasticabout the flexibility and freedom the pro-gram offers, as well as the innovative syn-chronized online verbal chat. For furtherinformation about the curriculum or onlineeducation, contact Kathleen Polley, RN,MS, at (617)287-7532 or at (617)287-7500. She can also be reached via e-mailat Kathleen.polley@umb.edu, or go tohttp://www.ccde.umb.edu/certificates/rn_bs/index.html

Health Science (HS)Offers an individualized program of study for stu-dents intending to pursue careers in healthcaresuch as physical or occupational therapy, physi-cian assistant, nursing, public health, nutrition,and other health professions.

Fitness Instruction and Management (FIM)Provides a program of study for careers in well-ness center management, fitness instruction, per-sonal training, strength and conditioning, or

New and NOTEWORTHY EventsDepartment of Exercise and Health Sciences: A New Name and Refined Focus

� Prof. Kyle McInnis continued to bepopular with the news media thisyear, with interviews in a number ofmedia outlets, including the NewYork Times, Washington Post,Chicago Tribune, Men’s Health,Prevention magazine, USA SundayMagazine, and local TV news stations.

� CNHS’s Bringing the Best to Nursingprogram, which helps to create oppor-tunities for minority and underrepre-sented populations to enter and suc-ceed in nursing careers, was recentlyprofiled in a feature article in On Callmagazine, a Boston Globe supple-ment. The article was written by CNHSassociate professor Linda Dumas.

� CNHS has been selected as one of27 sites selected nationally to partici-pate in the NIOSH funded, ANAsponsored Pilot Project funded toevaluate a safe patient handling cur-riculum module. Congratulations toJudy Walsh, Leslie Sullivan,Marion Winfrey and DianaNewman for their hard work inpreparing the proposal for submis-sion to the ANA.

� U.S. News & World Report hasranked UMass Boston’s College ofNursing & Health Sciences in the top9% nationally out of 682 nursinguniversities and colleges surveyed.

� Associate Dean Marion E. Winfreyand Dean Greer Glazer’s grant,Alliance for Success, was funded bythe Massachusetts Board of HigherEducation, Retention Initiative. Dr. Winfrey will examine issuesexpressed by newly admitted under-graduate generic nursing studentswho foresee competing family/schoolobligations as a stressor whileattending nursing school, and theconcerns of students who are chal-lenged because English is not theirnative language. Grant activitiesinclude: best practice literaturesearch, focus groups, strategies toimprove retention reporting. Resultsof these activities will be the basis of an implementation grant to be submitted this summer.

worksite health promotion and includes col-laborative course offerings in the College ofManagement.

Exercise Science (ES)Offers a sound scientific program of studyfor students seeking careers in clinical exer-cise physiology or chronic disease preventionand rehabilitation as well as exceptionalopportunities in physical activity research.

3rd Annual Career Fair: April 20, 2005Our 3rd Annual Career Fair was held April 20, with representatives from local top hospitalsand sports agencies coming to recruit our future graduates for prospective careers. BethanyMarcello (Class of 2001) traveled from Washington, DC, to recruit our students forGeorgetown University Hospital, where she was recently named "Nurse of the Year 2005for Nurse Recruitment." The career fair, a vital opportunity for our students to network withprospective employers, is coordinated by Monique Austin, Internship Coordinator & ExternalAffairs. The funds generated for the fairare used for hiring clinical faculty, schol-arships, and professional development.

Annual Faculty Diversity workshop: March 30, 2005Dr. Linda Dumas’ HRSA-funded Workforce Diversity Grant, Bringing the Best to Boston,held its 2nd Annual Diversity Faculty Workshop on March 30, 2005. The well-attendedworkshop addressed the issues and challenges of working with English as a SecondLanguage students in the clinical setting. A distinguished panel presented a range of per-spectives on the topic, such as mentoring from a multicultural perspective and the impor-tance of helping staff nurses and clients be more accepting of students who speak Englishwith an accent. An analysis and discussion of clinical cases in the latter half of the pro-gram prompted an in-depth discussion about strategies for working with ESL students clin-ically. Attendees expressed the need for more dialogue and ongoing faculty training toaugment the retention and graduation rates of ethno-racial minorities, speakers of Englishas a second language, and educationally disadvantaged students.

Welcome Day: April 2, 2005Welcome Day was held on April 2 to greet recently admitted students to the university.Despite soggy skies, the event had a tremendous turnout, especially in the CNHS! The col-lege-hosted welcome for our students was an enormous success: A standing-room-onlyaudience of newly admitted students listened intently to Dean Glazer’s welcome andemphatic message about the wise career choice they have made and the impact each ofthem can make on the future of healthcare

1.The first phase, First Who, Then What,involves using our human resources wisely.Collins uses the metaphor of a bus todescribe an institution that aspires to great-ness. The bus (in our case the college) is aconveyance for great people who havegreat ideas that lead to great accomplish-ments. First Who, Then What requires usto get the right people on the bus beforefiguring out where we will drive it. It isimportant to determine if people are in thewrong seats before concluding that wehave the wrong people on the bus. Oncethe right people are in the right seats, wewill figure out where to drive the bus.

2.Next, we’ll Confront the Brutal Facts whilenever losing faith that we will ultimatelyachieve greatness. My goal is to create aclimate where the truth is heard and thebrutal facts are confronted, no matter howdifficult that is. This will be done by engag-ing in dialogue and debate, dealing with allinformation rather than ignoring unflatter-ing, negative information, and examiningmistakes post facto without blaming peopleor circumstances.

3.In the third phase we’ll find our HedgehogConcept, a term Collins uses to describehow institutions identify areas in which theycan be the best in the world. Hedgehogsare described as “knowing one big thing“as opposed to foxes, who “know manythings.“ Applied to CNHS, this means thatrather than spending our resources doingtoo many things in an adequate or goodmanner, we will use them in a way that willhave maximum impact. At our Octoberretreat, we considered what we, as an aca-demic community, care deeply about. Basedon our most passionately held values, we’veidentified areas in which CNHS can be notjust successful, but the best in the world.That will be our “hedgehog concept,“ andit will determine where we drive the bus.

4.CNHS will do all of the above within aCulture of Discipline that involves an entre-preneurial ethic leading to superior per-formance. We will be disciplined, rigorous,determined, systematic, consistent, andfocused in fulfilling our responsibilities forteaching, research, and service.

5.Technology will be a supporting rather than aprimary factor in the transition from good togreat. We’ll develop and embrace only tech-nology that supports our hedgehog concept.

From the Dean(Continued from Page 1)

2 Harbor Reflections � May 2005 Harbor Reflections � May 2005 3

Continued on page 7

The curriculum changes are the result of implementation of the College’s strategic plan and anexternal review process that identified an opportunity for the Department to significantly con-tribute toward directions the University is clearly moving. For instance, by focusing facultyresources in a defined area of strength, the Department has begun to build capacity to enhancethe University’s undertaking to address health disparities. While it will be necessary for theDepartment to inactivate the Physical Education undergraduate and graduate programs, theDepartment has identified exciting opportunities to provide continuing education programs forphysical education teachers in Massachusetts. In addition, the Department will continue to be aleading advocate for the need for quality physical education in schools and to develop externallyfunded programs of research that focus on physical activity and healthy lifestyles for youth.

As part of new and improved curriculum offerings, the Department of Exercise and HealthSciences (formerly known as Exercise Science and Physical Education) has created an exciting newcurriculum. Beginning fall 2005, students can choose from three outstanding undergraduateareas of specialization as follows:

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Current Student News

NEWS OF OUR STUDENTS’ (BOTH PAST AND PRESENT) ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Barbara L. DiTullio, RN, BSNClass of 1997 Assistant Nurse Manager,Operating Room, Brigham & Women’sHospital, Boston

Working in a level 1 trauma facility in alarge metropolitan teaching hospital hasgiven me tremendous professional expe-rience in a challenging, fast-paced, andcomplex patient care environment. Ipresently cover the Neurosurgery,Orthopedic, and Plastic/Reconstructive services and I am part of a dynamic andcohesive leadership team that coordinates the nursing care for approximately27,000 cases per year. UMass Boston provides what I believe to be excellent prepa-ration for a career in nursing. We have just established a collaborative relationshipwith UMass to encourage students interested in perioperative nursing to completetheir senior elective in our operating rooms. In this reciprocal relationship, repre-sentatives from our nursing team will provide instruction to nursing students atUMass regarding the perioperative role and opportunities for careers in this setting.

I am presently pursuing a graduate degree in Critical & Creative Thinking at UMassas well. I plan to use my coursework in Dialogue to improve working relationships andcommunication among team members in the surgical setting. The pilot program willbegin midfall in the ortho trauma service and will be directed at facilitating positivepatient outcomes, reducing stress for team members, and improved efficiency of surgi-cal cases in this area. The operating room had been a goal of mine since nursingschool, and I feel fortunate to be living the career I envisioned.

AlumniProfile

� Ed Campanaro, RN, BSN (class of 1982)Arbeit, R. D., Maki, D., Tally, F. P.,Campanaro, E., & Eisenstein, B. I.(2004). “The Safety and Efficacy ofDaptomycin for the Treatment ofComplicated Skin and Skin-StructureInfections,“ Clinical Infectious Disease38, 1673–1681.

� Dr. Richard E. LeBlanc: After leavingUMass Boston in 1983, Ric went to CalState University for the MSN andPediatric Nurse Practitioner Programs.He earned certification as a case man-ager and in 1994 earned a PhD with amajor in health care administrationfrom Pacific Western University LosAngeles. Ric now lives in Las Vegas,Nevada, where he is a charge nurse andnursing educator with a pediatric hos-pice focus at Nathan Adelson Hospice.In 1996, he was appointed to theDisability Committee by the NevadaState Board of Nursing. Dr. LeBlanc canbe contacted at RCMRR@aol.com

Rachael Sargent has been chosen to be aBoston Schweitzer Fellow. Rachael runs ahealth clinic for migrant workers at theRockingham Park horse racing track inSalem, New Hampshire. She plans toexpand the project by providing health carescreening and preventative care more wide-ly. When Boston Fellows have completed ayear of service, they join a network of morethan 1,200 Schweitzer “Fellows for Life“across the United States and abroad, sup-porting and inspiring one another through asustained commitment to lives of service.

Senior Nursing Masters student SusanFrazier published “Implications of theGOLD Report for Chronic Obstructive LungDisease for the Home Care Clinician“ inHome Healthcare Nurse 23:2 (Feb 2005).

Linda Samia, RN, MS, presented a posterat the Eastern Nursing Research Society(ENRS) in New York on April 8, 2005, andco-presented with Dr. Carol Ellenbecker at two conferences in May. Linda recentlyreceived recognition for “OutstandingStudent Leadership“ at UMass Boston.

PhD candidate Patricia A. Poirier is a recip-ient of the Award for Academic Excellencein Nursing. Patricia, who attained the high-est grade point average (3.94) of all 2005graduates of the PhD in Nursing program, isdeserving of the award for that and manyother accomplishments. Read more abouther nursing career in the next edition of ournewsletter.

Faculty, Research & Grants

CNHS Alumni,Save the Date!

1st ANNUAL CNHS ALUMNIRECEPTION

FRIDAY JULY 8! Your presence is requested by Dean Greer Glazer and thefaculty and staff of CNHS—wewould like to honor your hardwork, success, and contributionto health care! Please join us,your classmates, and friends inour new Campus Center, Friday,July 8, 2005. Invitations to RSVPwill be sent soon.

Coming soon: CNHS AlumniAssociation!

Alumni: we want to hear fromyou! Please email elizabeth.garcia@umb.edu withdetails for future issues.

4 Harbor Reflections � May 2005 Harbor Reflections � May 2005 5

Nursing ChairCindy Aberreports: This hasbeen a productiveyear for the faculty in the NursingDepartment—withinour walls andbeyond! In additionto their commitmentto teaching tomor-

row’s nurses and the accompanying clinicalresponsibilities, our colleagues have been veryattentive to their research and scholarly activities. Our faculty continue to distinguishthemselves at all levels—local, regional,national, and international! The following arehighlights of some of their contributions andprojects of interest:

Prof. Joan Garity continues to be a majorplayer in Alzheimer Disease/Caregiverresearch. She is an active participant in TheAlzheimer’s Partnership with severalMassachusetts Counties, an alliance ofhealthcare, human service providers, as wellas other concerned professionals advocatingfor individuals with dementia and their fami-lies. The interdisciplinary team offers confer-ences to enable the caregiver or healthcareprofessional to identify strategies to deal withethical choices in the care of individuals withAlzheimer’s disease and related disorders.

Prof. Karen Dick has assumed the leader-ship role of Graduate Program Director and is completing her co-authored book ClinicalManagement of Patients in Sub-acute andLong-Term Care Settings. Other activitiesinclude giving the keynote address, workingas a Gerontological Nurse Practitioner forOrchard Cove Continuing Care RetirementCommunity of HRCA, and being an Associateat the Institute for Nursing Health CareLeadership.

Prof. Katie Kafel, one of our own alums,continues to develop and grow in her role asteacher, mentor, and facilitator, and her ener-gy inspires us and students alike. She is theCoordinator of the Adult Health 1 course andreceived the Excellence in Nursing PracticeMaureen OhEigeartaigh Award for ThetaAlpha Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau. Sheassisted in the development and organizationof a “fun fitness“ camp for elementary-school kids, enabling them to learn concepts of health, fitness, and overall well-being at an early age.

Prof. Diana Newman’s perseverance is evi-dent, as she has cleared a major hurdle in herresearch agenda, obtaining IRB clearance to

begin collecting data on her study at theChildren’s Hospital Medical Center. This effortencompassed a two-year struggle for IRBapproval for this study. Diana is an AssociateResearch Scientist at Dana-Farber Cancer Centerand continues data collection.

Prof. Margherite Matteis, Coordinator ofthe Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing coursein the CNHS, is an active member of theFamily Loss Project, a group of specialists inbereavement focused on providing educationto lay and professional audiences on bereave-ment. The group co-sponsors with theMassachusetts School of ProfessionalPsychology yearly educational programs onbereavement. Online Peer EducationProgram, Peer Reviewer for Sigma Theta TauInternational, she reviews case studies relatedto fluid intoxication in psychiatric patients andchildhood sexual abuse.

Prof. Deborah Mahony serves as FacultyCoordinator of the BBN Grant, PediatricNursing (BSN), and Primary Care of the Familypracticum (MSN) courses. Debbie is commit-ted to her role as a Pediatric NursePractitioner at the MGH Chelsea HealthCenter Pediatric Clinic. Her research activityincludes a study called “Children WitnessingDomestic Violence: Primary Care HealthProvider’s Perspective,“ using the Taguccimethod for evaluation funded by a smallgrant from Pediatric Nursing, JanettiCorporation. She presented at the EasternNursing Research Society in April.

Prof. Laurel E. Radwin, continuing her work as Principal Investigator of a majorKO8 grant study, has published“Development and Pilot Testing of FourDesired Health Outcome Scales“ inOncology Nursing Forum, the official journal of the Oncology Nursing Society.Coauthors include Michelle Washko, doctoral candidate in the Department ofGerontology, and Kathryn A. Suchy, RN,and Kerri Tyman, RN, who worked with Dr.Radwin as CNHS undergraduate students.

Additional faculty accomplishments:

Prof. Laurie Milliken of the Exercise HealthSciences Department has co-published“Exercise and Osteoporosis Prevention“ inMenopause Management (in press). She alsohas published (in press) “A CommunityNursing Center for Health Promotion ofSenior Citizens. Based on the NeumanSystems Model,“ Nursing EducationPerspectives.

Prof. Heidi Stanish recently co-published(2005) “Physical Activity Assessment Using

Pedometer and Questionnaire in Adults withMental Retardation,“ Adapted PhysicalActivity Quarterly, 22: 2, 136–145. In addi-tion, Dr. Stanish has had an article acceptedfor publication in Mental Retardation titled“Walking Habits of Adults with MentalRetardation.“ She will be presenting twice inJuly at the International Symposium ofAdapted Physical Activity in Verona, Italy.

Prof. Brooke Harrow has recently co-pub-lished “The Variation in Cost of InformalCaregiving and Formal Service Use for Peoplewith Alzheimer's Disease“ in AmericanJournal of Alzheimer’s Disease and OtherDementias 19: 5 (September/October 2004).

Prof. Kyle McInnis has published “PhysicalActivity Compared with Coronary Stenting inStable CAD,“ Am J Med Sports 2004(Nov/Dec), 219-220. He has also co-editedthe third edition of the textbook Health andFitness Facility Standards and Guidelines.This book is the most widely used resourceon this topic among health clubs,colleges/universities, and legal experts.

Prof. Carol Ellenbecker has recently co-pub-lished “Refinement and Psychometric Testingof the Home Healthcare Nurse Job SatisfactionScale“ in Journal of Advanced Nursing. Shehas also presented, with Linda Samia andMargaret Cushman, on “Exploring WorkEnvironment Characteristics That Make aDifference in Home Healthcare Nurses’ Level ofJob Satisfaction,“ at the 27th Annual NorthernNew England Home Care & HospiceConference and at the Home & Health CareAssociation of MA 2005 Annual SpringConference and Trade Show in May 2005.

Professors Kyle McInnis, Laurie Milliken,and Debra Wein received a grant from theMassachusetts Department of Public Health(MDPH) to develop and test an innovativebehavioral physical activity and healthy eatingprogram for middle-school-aged children infive Massachusetts cities. The project, whichconcludes June 2005, will serve as the basis fora larger statewide program to be developed inconjunction with the MDPH efforts aimed atcurbing the obesity epidemic in youth.

Appointments: Dr. Carol Ellenbecker has been appointedto the editorial board of the journal Policy,Politics & Nursing Practice. Dr. JacquelineFawcett has been appointed one of five edi-tors of the Journal of Advanced Nursing2005-2007. Dr. Susan Haussler wasappointed associate editor of The Journal ofContinuing Education in Nursing and editorof the journal’s “Resource Reviews“ column.

� Nursing UndergraduateProgram DirectorDr. Sherry Merrow:

NCLEX Results

The NCLEX-RNscores for 2004 arein: 92% of first-timeUMass Boston grad-uates passed! Thisscore is almost iden-tical to that of theprior year. We are

particularly proud of the fact that our CNHSgraduates maintained a 92% pass rate in2004 when the passing standard forNCLEX-RN was raised. As points of compar-ison, the pass rate among all BS programsin Massachusetts was 86%, and 81%among BS programs in the United States.Among nursing education programs in thestate, UMass Boston ranked 7th out of 38institutions. This achievement can be attrib-uted to the work of many—students whostudied diligently, classroom faculty whoensured appropriate levels of course rigor,clinical instructors who helped studentsmake connections between theory andpractice, the Student Affairs Committee,which made careful decisions about studentprogression, and the NCLEX task force,which recommended HESI Exit Exam testing.

Paired for Success!

Paired for Success! is an innovative peeroutreach and leadership program designedto recognize the unique support and guid-ance needs of first-time freshman studentswho are also new members of theDepartment of Nursing at the College ofNursing & Health Sciences (CNHS).Designed, developed, and implemented bystudent affairs specialist Valerie Miller, theprogram provides collegial outreach toCollege of Nursing and Health Sciences stu-dents by experienced upper classmateswithin the College. The program alsoserves to increase retention rates within theCollege by offering current students valu-able leadership and mentoring experience,and by initiating real contact with new stu-dents. We anticipate that more than 100students will be paired for success by thebeginning of the fall semester.

� Nursing PhD ProgramDirectorDr. Carol Ellenbecker:

The PhD in HealthPolicy program hashad a record numberof applications and arecord number ofgraduating stu-dents—5 graduates.

The PhD programcompleted a formal

evaluation, the UMass Boston mandatedAcademic Quality Assessment andDevelopment (AQUAD). The AQUAD guide-lines call for 7-year cycles of planning,formative assessment, and modificationsthat culminate in summative self-assess-ment and review by external experts andadministrators. The Indicators of Quality inResearch-Focused Doctoral Programs inNursing (American Association of Collegesof Nursing [AACN], November 2001) wereused as a guide in preparation for the eval-uation. The review is an opportunity toexamine program strengths, identify pro-gram challenges, and set a course for thefuture.

The AQUAD reviewers, Dr. Ada SueHinshaw, Dean, University of MichiganSchool of Nursing, and Dr. CharleneHarrington, Director, UCSF Health Policy in Nursing Doctoral Nursing Program,University of California, San Francisco andinternal reviewers, Jeffrey Burr, Director,Gerontology PhD Program, and Paul Nestor,Associate Professor, Psychology Department,conducted their visit on April 26.

Preliminary results suggest that we are meet-ing many of the programs goals and provid-ing an excellent education for the preparationof doctorally prepared nurses in health policy.The program has many identified strengths,including the curriculum, the policy focus, thebalance of nursing and health policy, theinterdisciplinary offerings and extramuralactivities, and the enthusiasm and support ofstudents and faculty. Supported by review-ers’ recommendations, the program will con-tinue to develop and evolve.

Spring 2005 saw three PhD candidates suc-cessfully defend dissertations:

• Victoria Morrison, “A ContemporaryAnalysis of the Voluntary SmallpoxVaccination Program“

• Patricia Poirier, “The Relation of SickLeave Benefits, Employment Patterns, andIndividual Characteristics to RadiationTherapy-Related Fatigue“

• Anna Yoder, “Variation in ClinicalPractice: The Impact of Age and Genderon Prescribing Decisions for CoronaryHeart Disease“

In addition, two dissertation proposal hear-ings were held:

• Marie-Eileen Onieal, “Hospital Closures inMassachusetts: A Case Study of theWaltham Hospital Closure“

• Hong Tao, “Impact of SocialEnvironmental Factors on Re-hospitaliza-tion of Home Healthcare Elderly Patients“

� Nursing MS ProgramDirectorDr. Karen Dick:

The master’s pro-gram is graduating15 students in June2005, eight from the Family NursePractitioner tract, six from theAdult/GerontologicalTract, and one from the Acute

Care/Critical Care CNS tract. There areseven post-master’s students graduating aswell. This will be the first group of studentsgraduating in the revised curriculum, whichwas adopted two years ago. Interest andenrollments in all three tracts (FNP, A/GNP,CNS), as well as in the post-master’s certifi-cate program, continue to grow, and weare currently looking to enroll 15 studentsin each tract each year in our cohort model.We are also exploring the revival of theNurse Educator tract, and we are collectingdata that show interest and demand.

Our three tracks all in advanced-practicenursing: the Acute Care/Critical CareClinical Nurse Specialist, theAdult/Geronotological Nurse Practitioner,and the Family Nurse Practitioner are 48credits; they share a 24- credit core curricu-lum and have 24 credits in the specialtycontent. In addition, each advanced-practice nursing program includes 500 preceptored clinical hours. All programsprepare graduates to sit for the appropriatecertification examination.

N E W S F R O M D E PA R T M E N T C H A I R S A N D D I R E C T O R S

Our alumni are making waves! CathySanuik (December 2001), one of ourACC/CNS graduates, is teaching NURSNG614, the new united Pathophysiologycourse, in addition to her full-timeAdvanced Practice Nurse role at Brighamand Women’s Hospital. Mary Pennington(December 2002), another former CriticalCare Clinical Nurse Specialist student, wasselected as Nurse of the Year in 2003 atBrigham and Women’s Hospital.

The Graduate Nursing Organization hasbeen very active under the effective leader-ship of Susan Frazier. Susan was also select-ed to receive a scholarship from theAmerican Academy of Nurse Practitioners,the first UMass Boston student to be hon-ored this way. The presentation of theComprehensive Master’s Papers (CMP) atthe end of the school year, sponsored bythe GNO, was an event that highlightedscholarship for clinical effectiveness. Ourthanks to all students who presented theirCMPs.

� Exercise and HealthSciences DepartmentChair Dr. Kyle McInnis:

“Physically activelifestyle improveschances of winningthe lottery—story at11.“

Well, maybe thatmight be an exag-geration, but scien-tific evidence contin-

ues to mount demonstrating that regularexercise provides just about every otherbenefit imaginable, so maybe improvingyour chances of winning the lottery maynot be that far-fetched. The problem is thatmany Americans—70%, to be specific—arenot heeding the advice of the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention and theAmerican College of Sports Medicine toincorporate even modest amounts of physi-cal activity into their lives. Unfortunately,our modern lifestyle is characterized bytechnological conveniences, hours behindthe wheel or on public transportation, andeating too much processed and energy-dense fast foods.

This, of course, is taking a hefty toll on thehealth of millions of Americans of all ages,from youth through older adulthood. Theburden is financial as well, with sedentarylifestyle, poor nutrition, and obesity drivingup unnecessary health care expenditures—estimated to be over $100 billion annually, acost that even exceeds the impact of cigarettesmoking. The problems of inactivity and itsimpact on health are being taken seriously by faculty and student researchers in theDepartment of Exercise and Health Sciences.Innovative research by our faculty has beenrecognized within our own profession andhas contributed to raising the level of recog-

nition and reputation of UMass Boston.

As our research paves the way for further-ing our mission of improving the health ofindividuals and communities, we continueto stay grounded in our core mission ofexcellence in teaching. We remain commit-ted to revising our curriculum to best reflectthe rapid advancements in exercise scienceand physical education research. I will lookforward to updating you on curriculumadvancements in future correspondence.

Before closing, I want to acknowledge theadmirable work that is being done by ourmany alumni working in schools, hospitals,community wellness programs, worksiteand public fitness centers, and many otherareas. We want to hear about the fantasticwork you are doing, and we are committedto establishing an effective means for com-municating with you.

On behalf of the current EHS faculty mem-bers, I want to pay tribute to those facultywho have built the foundation for currentand future success and have recently retired.In particular, we are grateful for the enor-mous contributions and lifelong dedication of Professors Carmen Bazzano, JacquelynHaslett, Alfred Roncarati, Gordon Webb,Margaret Musmon-Pappalardo—and, ofcourse, Professor Gail Arnold, who was chairof the Department for 25 years and retired inDecember 2003. There are very few peopleof whom the term “legend“ can be usedappropriately, but it certainly applies to Gail.We wish her all the very best for a happy andhealthy retirement.

Maybe winning the lottery will someday beadded to the growing list of why peopleshould exercise. In the meantime, you cancount on faculty, students, and alumni tocontinue their work to promote physicalactivity and health for youth, adults, fami-lies, and communities across Massachusettsand beyond for many years to come.

6 Harbor Reflections � May 2005 Harbor Reflections � May 2005 7

6. Finally, Collins’s concepts of The Fly Wheeland The Doom Loop indicate that our tran-sition to greatness will be a cumulativeprocess leading to sustained excellentresults. Just as a flywheel must be turnedmany times before it gathers nearly unstop-pable momentum, so CNHS will require thepersistent efforts of all members of ourcommunity to achieve greatness. We’llavoid the Doom Loop of failure that is theconsequence of failing to stay the course,rushing to join every academic fad or com-peting for every opportunity. The DoomLoop kicks in when institutions neglect theirhedgehog concepts. Rather than reacting towhat others are doing, CNHS will move for-ward by creating greatness in areas of ourown choosing and by measuring ourprogress against an absolute standard ofexcellence.

So let’s begin. The bus is rolling, and asan experienced passenger, you are vital to theprocess of helping us to confront the brutalfacts as we move toward greatness. If youwould like to be part of this exciting process,please e-mail your responses to the followingquestions to elizabeth.garcia@umb.edu

1. What are the CNHS strengths?

2. What are the CNHS weaknesses?

3. In what areas should CNHS aspire to bethe best in the world?

I’ll share your responses and we’ll considerthem together. They say that it takes a village

to raise a child. It is also true that it takes anentire academic community to make a greatCollege of Nursing and Health Sciences. Ilook forward to meeting all members of ourcommunity and working with you to makethe College of Nursing and Health Sciences anationally recognized leader in urban nursingand health sciences education.

From the Dean(Continued from Page 3)