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We'd love to be able to update your fellow alumni, or even just to get your latest contact information so you stay connected to your alma mater. Please send your news to the Office of Alumni Relations at alumni@rush.edu, by phone at (312) 942-2569, or by mail at 1700 W. Van Buren St., Suite 250, Chicago, IL 60612.
St. Luke’s
HELEN GIANUTSO ROBERTSON, 1946B, has written a brief account of her experiences with St. Luke's Hospital School of Nursing. Complete with historical photos and details about the curriculum and social life at the school, Robertson's memoir also includes details about her life after St. Luke's. Please download the PDF here.
RUTH SCHULZE MAXIM, 1949B, and her husband, Bill, are enjoying retirement in Oswego, Ill. She retired from Provena Mercy Medical Center in Aurora, Ill., after 25 years as a staff RN and supervisor there. The couple raised three daughters and have two granddaughters.
NANCY WIEBE STOLTZ, 1950B, writes that though she is now a widow, she is “in the process of starting a new way of life — an ever-changing life.” Stoltz lives in Valparaiso, Ind.
MARION WEINGARTEN BOYLE, 1955, retired in 2007 after many years working in a nursing home in her hometown of Hayward, Wis. Prior to that, Boyle was a head nurse at Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Hospital. She keeps in touch with fellow alumnae M. JEAN MEREDITH FOYE (PRES. 1957), LOIS EISNER (ST. LUKE’S 1955), and DAGMARA VEINBERGS NYMAN (ST. LUKE’S 1956) and looks forward to her 55th reunion.
IRENE MARTIN HELLAND, 1958, received her BSN from the University of Illinois at Chicago and her MSN from Boston University. After teaching at the University of Minnesota College of Nursing and practicing in psychiatry, obstetrics, pediatrics and public health, Helland retired in 2002. She continues to work occasionally as a nursing consultant and licensed school nurse. Her son, Steven, and his wife recently welcomed their first child, and her daughter, Linda, is an international peace activist and public health educator at Mendocino Public Health Department in California.
DOROTHY JOHNSTONE GYTE, 1959, of Grosvenor Dale, Conn., works in a flower shop and looks forward to her 50-year class reunion in 2009.
Presbyterian ROSE NEMECEK YAUK, 1944, of Westmont, Ill., has been retired since 1985. Prior to that, she worked as a school nurse for 20 years and served as a lieutenant in the Army Nurse Corps during World War II.
GWENDOLYN ELROD CARLSON, 1946F, of Richfield, Minn., is in her 10th year as coordinator of her senior building’s interdenominational church services. The residence, Village Shores, has been Carlson’s home since 1987.
BETTY PFLITTNER HANCOCK, 1947, reports that she has shared a CD about student life at Presbyterian with Rush archivist Heather J. Stecklein. Hancock met Stecklein at last October’s Homecoming celebration — Hancock’s 60th class reunion — and volunteered to share some of her memories of her school and Presbyterian Hospital’s surrounding neighborhood at that time. Class of 1947 classmates JANE PENNINGTON AGNINI and MARY JANE (“SUNNY”) SACKETT ALBERTI also shared memories for the CD.
DONNA LANGE DOMAGALA, 1953, of Fountain Hills, Ariz., and her husband, Ray, recently helped her former roommate, EUNICE FRICK BEHNKEN (1953), and husband, Ken, celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary at their home in Reno, Nev. Donna has also visited classmate JO ANN YOUNG (1953) at her home in Nokomis, Fla., and frequently sees her sister DOROTHY LANGE ABBUHL (PRES.-ST. LUKE’S 1960) and friend ELEANOR JOHNSON ERICKSON (PRES. 1954). Donna writes that all send their best wishes to classmates.
JEAN SWENSON ERICKSON, 1955F, of Wausaw, Wis., and her husband, Ron, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in August. She and Ron dated when she was studying nursing at Presbyterian, a period in her life that she remembers fondly. During her nursing career, Erickson worked at Presbyterian Hospital; University of Wisconson Hospital, Madison; and Quisling Clinic in Madison.
MIRIAM BIXEL FICKENWORTH WATERMAN, 1956, uses her RN license at the Women’s Pregnancy Centers in Tuscon, Ariz., where she conducts pregnancy tests and helps connect patients with state aid.
Presbyterian-St. Luke’s JUDY BONNET CIECKA, 1961, of Covington, Ind., is retired from the V.A. and works part-time as an instructor at Danville Area Community College. She also volunteers as a parish nurse at her church.
LINDA OYLER RUDER, 1961, of Willowbrook, Ill., is a field nurse in continuous care and hospice at Family Home Health, Inc.
DOROTHY WALES PATINKA, 1963, of Oak Park, Ill., writes that she reunited with 1963classmate BONNIE MacCULLAM JOHNSON in July. Bonnie and her husband, Fred, hosted Dorothy and her husband, Norm, at their home in Fairbanks, Alaska. Bonnie is retired after working as a public health nurse with the state of Alaska, and Dorothy is retired from hospital and office nursing.
MARY SIEMERS KUBIK BARTHOLME, 1966, and her husband of three years live in Romeoville, Ill. Mary retired after 25 years as a certified school nurse. She and her husband have 14 grandchildren and have become world travelers.
RAMSEY PEVSNER, 1967, of Hollywood, Fla., finished her psychiatry residency and is now in private practice.
SUSAN WILLIGER SIDELL, PSL 1967 and RUSH 1977, and her husband, Steven, live in Evanston, Ill. They have three children: Jason, Leah and Ellyn. Sidell is a full-time nurse case manager at Midwest Palliative and Hospice CareCenter and hopes to reconnect with former classmates.
ELAINE STRHARSKY WINKEL, 1968, of Verona, Wis., worked as a nurse for 19 years before graduating from Loyola University Medical School in 1987. She worked as an attending cardiologist in Rush’s heart failure and transplant program from 1994 to 2002. Winkel is now an associate professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in Madison, where she also works in the heart failure and transplant program. She and her husband, Jan, celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary in October, and she is interested in reconnecting with old classmates.
Rush R. (“RAY”) FRANCIS NARBONE, CRNA 1974, of Mokena, Ill., is director of O.R. services and chief nurse anesthetist at Rush University Medical Center.
MARGARET (“PEGGY”) S. HICKS GERARD, BSN 1976, DNSc 1993, is dean of Purdue University Calumet School of Nursing in Hammond, Ind. In July, the school received a more than $436,000 grant to develop and implement an online platform for its master’s degree program.
CINDY SMITH GREENBERG, BSN 1976, has been appointed chair of the Department of Nursing at California State University, Fullerton. She is also in the process of revising two of the pediatric nursing textbooks that she co-edits.
KATHLEEN DUNN, MSN 1982, is the clinical nurse specialist and rehabilitation case manager at the VA San Diego Spinal Cord Injury Center. She serves on the Steering Committee for the Consortium for Spinal Cord Medicine as the representative from the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses and is also serving on the Content Expert Panel for the collaborative development of a Core Clinical Nurse Specialist Certification exam through American Nurses Credentialing Center, representing the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists. This year she is also serving on the national VA task force helping to roll out the mandatory implementation of safe patient handling and movement programs throughout the VA health care system. This also marks her tenth year as a moderator for a Web site sponsored by Rutgers University for people with spinal cord injuries and their families (CareCure.org).
CATHERINE FERRARIO, MSN 1982, DNSc 2001, of Plainfield, Ill., is a faculty member at the University of St. Francis College of Nursing and Allied Health. A project for which she is a co-director, “Disseminating Successful Aging Innovations: From Curriculum to Community,” has been awarded a grant of more than $95,000 from the Retirement Research Foundation of Chicago. The project will develop online, evidence-based, “best practice” gerontology content modules for USF nursing faculty and community nurses, a resource that will inform curriculum in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs, as well as serve as the basis for educational community programs.
GERI NARSETE PREVO, BSN 1982, MSN 1997, works in labor and delivery at Rush University Medical Center. Prevo received a Patient Satisfaction Star award during Rush’s employee awards for the third quarter of fiscal year 2007.
SUSAN M. LESTON, BSN 1984, was nominated by her peers to receive the third annual Dr. Tom Williams Award for Leadership at Central DuPage Hospital. Leston was one of seven nurses recognized by peers for leadership, volunteerism or clinical excellence at a celebratory event concluding Nurses’ Week 2008. Leston is the assistant nurse manager for the neonatal intensive care unit at Central DuPage Hospital and volunteers for the March of Dimes and the DuPage County Women’s Shelter. A mother of three, she resides in Winfield with her husband, Dennis.
LISA HANSON, DNSc 1996, is an associate professor at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis. She recently celebrated her 21st year in midwifery practice at the Midwifery and Wellness Center, also in Milwaukee. In 2007, Hanson was made a fellow in the American College of Nurse-Midwives.
CAROL BURKHART, MSN 1988, is vice president of clinical healthcare consulting practice at Marsh, the world's leading insurance broker and risk advisor.
JEANNINE M. DAMEN FORREST, MSN 1988, is vice president of clinical services at Horizon Hospice & Palliative Care in Chicago and serves on the 2008-2009 board of the Illinois Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.
SANDRA E. GAYNOR, DNSc 1988, is executive director of the Council for Public Interest in Anesthesia and director of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists Wellness Program.
SUSAN PACTON, MSN 1992, is a case manager and certified hospice and palliative nurse with Hospice of Northeastern Illinois.
EILEEN GILLESPIE, ND 1993, has been appointed as the new vice president of nursing services at Advocate South Suburban Hospital in Hazel Crest, Ill. Gillespie most recently served as chief nursing officer at Vista Health System in Waukegan, Ill.
LORI R. ANDERSON, MSN 1997, is secretary of the Illinois Nurses Association.
DIANE DUDAS, ND 1997, a nurse practitioner at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.
NANCY VAN FLEET WILENS, Cert. 1997, is a past president of the Chicago Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses organization. She also serves as an instructor at Rush University College of Nursing. Since 1997, she has mentored advanced practice nursing students in long-term care facilities. Wilens has published several articles on dementia and a chapter in a home safety book for older adults. She is a member of the National Conference of Gerontological Nurse Practitioners and Chicagoland Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurse Organizations.
KIRSTEN AMSTADT, BSN 1998, was part of a surgical team from Children’s Memorial Hospital to travel to Kathmandu, Nepal, for two weeks in September 2007. There, they performed surgery on a local child, Subarj, who had portal vein thrombosis, and others with similar conditions. The group also educated local medical professionals on these types of conditions.
CORINNA DAN, BSN 1998, is chief operating officer of Hepatitis Foundation International, a nonprofit organization based in Silver Spring, Md., that is aimed at providing information on prevention, diagnosis and treatment of viral hepatitis.
JACQUELINE O’BOYE SVARA, BSN 1998, ND 2004, joined a large internal medicine practice in Joliet, Ill., after passing the board exam to become a family nurse practitioner in 2004. Two years later, she joined the Center for Primary Care and Sports Medicine, where she takes a holistic approach to the treatment of acute illnesses and disease prevention in patients of all ages. Svara enjoys spending her free time with her husband and their two young children.
ANCY ZACHARIA, MSN 1999, Cert. 1999, was recently awarded the American Academy of Home Care Physcians’ House Call Clinician of the Year Award, the highest honor bestowed by the organization. Zachariah is a nurse practitioner with HomeCare Physicians, a Wheaton, Ill., home care practice of Central DuPage Physician Group.
DEBRA SIELA, DNSc 2000, was recently honored with a Circle of Excellence Award from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. The award recognizes nurse educators who have “facilitated the acquisition and advancement of the knowledge and skills required for competent practice and positive patient outcomes in the care of acutely and critically ill patients and their families.” Siela is an advanced practice nurse with Ball Memorial Hospital and an assistant professor with Ball State University School of Nursing.
BONNIE TOY, MSN 2000, is a pediatric nurse practitioner working in pediatric hematology oncology at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
DINAKAR KOTIYAN, ND 2001, is president and CEO of Mobile Medical and Nursing Inc., a health care company he founded in 2004 that specializes in the management of long- term care patients by a professional staff of nurse practitioners.
SUSAN O’CONNER-VON, DNSc 2001, is an assistant professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Minnesota. She has served as principal investigator on a number of funded studies on topics including interventions for pediatric pain and helping youth cope with cancer. She sits on the editorial board of Pain Management Nursing and has received several awards, most recently the 2007 Nurse Educator Award from the Minnesota Nurses Association.
JASON PALMATEER, MSN 2002, and JOYCE McMAHON PALMATEER, MSN 2003, live in Walkerton, Ind., with their 2-year-old son, Noah. Both are family nurse practitioners at Holm Medical Clinic.
KATHRYN WIRTZ RUGEN, DNSc 2002, is associate chief nurse for education and research at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago and clinical associate professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is also co-investigator of two studies, “Interactive colorectal cancer screening in primary care” and “Increasing colorectal cancer screening in primary care settings.”
HEATHER LYNN GREIN, MSN 2003, is a pediatric ICU nurse practitioner in pediatric trauma intensive care at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, Texas.
MICHELLE DENISE RILEY, ND 2003, has been appointed to the position of director of the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program/Medication Aide Certification Examinations (NNAAP™/MACE) Program. The NNAAP is the largest nurse aide certification examination program in the United States with more than 200,000 paper and practical examinations administered annually, and MACE is a new national medication aide certification examination.
JENNIFER BAXTER, MSN 2005, is working toward her PhD at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing and plans to incorporate Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner certification into her coursework.
SUZY HARRINGTON, DNP 2005, has served various nursing roles in the Air Force in six states and now in Stuttgart, Germany. She is married to Lt. Col. Sean Harrington, and they have three children, Michelle, Tommy and Laura.
DIANE M. TWEDELL, DNP 2005, is the director of education and professional development at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. She has extensive experience as an educator, administrator and staff RN in both the ICU and the emergency room. She is a director on the board of the American Organization of Nurse Executives.
CHERYL ANEMA, DNSc 2006, is an assistant professor of nursing at Purdue University Calumet in Hammond, Ind., and District 20 president in the Illinois Nurses Association.
CAROLE ELDRIDGE, DNP 2006, dean of Southwest Baptist University College of Nursing in Springfield, Mo., has a Web site (nerdnurse.com) with information about computers, software and APA style for nurses and nursing students. Eldridge's Web site (http://nerdnurse.com/) features information about computers, software, and APA style for nurses and nursing students
JOY SCHLOTON ELWELL, DNP 2006, has accepted an appointment as assistant professor in nursing at Concordia College in Bronxville, N.Y. She will continue to serve as director of Concordia's primary health care service.
RUTHANN BRINTNALL, PhD 2007, is an assistant professor in the Kirkhof School of Nursing at Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences in Grand Rapids, Mich.
ALLISON DUNCAN, MSN 2007, of Fox Point, Wis., works at Froedert Hospital in Milwaukee, Wis.
