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’45
Joan Mundus Wildermann has lived in Campbell, CA for 50 years and is a member of the group known as “The Raging Grannies.” This group tries to make a difference in their communities by publicly proclaiming their views on important matters through song. She also volunteers her time for a domestic violence awareness effort known as “The Clothesline Project.”
’46
Class Reporter—Laura Brautigan June, P.O. Box 655, Joshua Tree, CA 92252, (760) 366-8181, [email protected]. June Cutts McLean wrote from her West Linn, OR, home that the deer devastated her husband’s garden and that the coyotes keep them from letting their dog run free. They are still traveling–sailed around the island from Antigua and although non-birders, enjoyed going with a dedicated group to see AZ birds. They celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary with a trip around the Isle of Mull in Scotland and a visit to the McLean Castle. Dottie McGuire Bailey from Lawrence, NJ, reminds us to re-read the 2006 fall/winter edition of Johns Hopkins Nursing page 54 (Church Notes) about the oldest living female survivor of Pearl Harbor. Winnie Wyncoop Carter called from Huntington Beach, CA, and said she is slowly recovering from internal shingles. Georgia Rauch Athens writes from Salt Lake City that she plays a lot of bridge and just enjoys life. Her husband Jack gardens, hunts ducks and skis. They vacationed at Wallaway Lake, OR. Their daughter Jody also lives in Salt Lake City. Mary (Dede) Boyle Morrow wrote that she and Margaret Hawkins Abbott attended the Isabel Hampton Robb dinner the night before Homecoming. In July Dede fell down the steps and cracked her pelvis but needed no surgery, just six weeks of rehab. She and husband Rowland spent Thanksgiving with a daughter and her family in Chapel Hill. This daughter is a PhD at the U of NC. Their Christmas was at home with their other daughter and her family. Letty Grigsby Baxter from Rochester, NY, plays duplicate bridge every day, and she is a proud great grandmother. Her Christmas letter said there was four inches of snow on her deck. Astrid Johnsen Reiley now lives at Lake Ronkonkoma, NY, nearer her two daughters (both named after JHH classmates). She’s been hospitalized twice this past summer but with no after effects. Luella (Budgie or Lu) Dickerson Preston and her husband took a computer class, which by Frank’s 3 page letter, is a great help. They suffered a minor traffic accident (not their fault) which totaled their car but nobody was injured. Budgie reads a couple of books a week and works crossword puzzles most every day. Their doctor son is still in Guam and his son is going to college there. His daughter is contemplating school at a mainland university. The son of their daughter Lisa is in junior college and his sister is in a veterinarian course at the equine center at the U of CA at Davis. She helps foal colts and was queen of the local rodeo. Pat Vicinus Cote in Ashland, MA, had recent hip surgery after a trip to Munich and Berlin. Bunny Davis Faulconer in Norfolk, VA, recalls the differences in our training days from the present ones. We mourn the death of classmate Betty Miller Edwards in Bowie, MD.
’50
Class Reporter—Betty B. Scher, 7235 Brookfalls Terrace, Baltimore, MD 21209, (410) 653-4024, [email protected]. First of all, happy news: Mildred (Bunny) Barnard has been found well, at the same address, and a bit confused about the commotion. Thanks for this discovery goes to Marion Bee and her enterprising niece. Unfortunately, Marion reported no news of herself, so we assume all goes well with her and her animals–and family. Also, Bunny did send me a holiday note and–except for her calling her N.Y. state area “Alaska,” she is doing pretty well! Next, the sad news: Helen Wheeler Wetzel passed away on November 28, 2007. Her daughter let me know, and I am sure Carolyn would appreciate notes from any of you. All of us must remember Helen’s fantastic sense of humor…remember when she imitated Miss Moore at our “End of Pre-Clin Party”? Contact me for Carolyn’s address. G’bye, Dahlink! Mary Agnes Hull Stewart called me way before the holidays-I think she wanted to check on how my move to an apartment and reduced living area were going. She lives in a small home on the property of one of her twin sons, close to the other twin, also close to daughter Maureen. She sounded absolutely great! When the floods hit the Seattle area several months ago, I checked and Cora Lawrence was “dry and high”-that is, no flood in her area because she is up in the mountains. I have not heard from her yet with her holiday letter of the year’s activities, but she sounded great over the phone. Cora also wrote in September to wish me good luck in my new home. Also spoke with Lolita Beidelman before the holidays; she will be spending December in New Zealand visiting her niece and nephew who have settled there. We heard from Annette Theriault Preston for my birthday in September and at Christmas. She reports that she and Ted are doing fine, even though they have “slowed down.” In September, their granddaughter, Jessica, went to Iraq with the Army. Terrie wrote that Jessica does get to call home sometimes, but misses “Grandma’s molasses cookies…” And Terrie, of course, just wants Jessica safe and preferably home. Jane Shutts Pinkerton sends greetings and the news that she is doing well “recuperating” just as Pinky is “recuperating” from his surgery. While she awaits the birth of two more great grandchildren, she is knitting and also battling the learning of her brand new laptop computer. Jo McDavid Hubbard and Stan report all are doing fine and really enjoying retirement! Doris Benjamin Carroll writes that she and Dick stay pretty close to home but still enjoy nearby concerts, family get-togethers, and other activities. She also reports that Bonnie, Bud and Jack returned to New Guinea for their missionary work after their year back in the U.S. Of course, I always get greetings from Anna Clair Junkin with whom I will have enjoyed lunch before you read this! Finally, among the classmates, Ruth Stilz Whitmore and Marv, who moved back to Baltimore last year, remain at basically the same address but have moved to a new two-bedroom apartment at the retirement community in Catonsville. Lunch again with them also will come about before you receive this issue of the magazine. Of course, we heard from Charlie Royer who has had a very limiting and trying year after he fell off a neighbor’s steps and really damaged his leg. Currently he wears a full-leg brace that allows very little bending, uses a cane (better than his previous walker), and cannot drive. His long “Holiday Letter” shows he is not thrilled with these limitations, as well as the limitations brought on by increasing years. Also, of course, greetings came from Ernie Del Signore who still lives up near Pittsburgh and still would like to play host for a visit. Once again, this year, I heard from Harriet Stech Sloan ’42 out in New Mexico enjoying being “relatively well considering age and some problems.” However, she still works with her daughter at their Heirloom Shop, and she enjoys writing about her grandchildren either on their own or about to graduate from this or that! Finally, I heard from Joanne Calhoun Flannery ’53, who has pulled a reverse on the rest of us “aging” people by moving from a retirement apartment to buying another home. She sent a photo of it, and it looks really nice. She still works at the airport for the information booth. She has one or two health problems, but she has not lost (a) her memory or (b) her sense of humor-as she recalled that she “should have married” my father to “have a matzo ball or gelfilte fish.” Actually, her memory surpasses mine because I do not remember that clearly at all! (But, Daddy certainly would have enjoyed her a whole lot!!) Until the next issue: enjoy 2008, have fun, and try to stay well.
’51
Class Reporter–Catherine Morton Bork, 15039 Harrison Ave., Allen Park, MI 48101, (313) 381-9396, or email or call Rosie Ghysels at [email protected] or (616) 475-4677. Class Rosie Ghysels spent Christmas week with her niece and family. She and I spent a day or so together in the fall at a nursing seminar in Kalamazoo on the relationship of stress and emotions to physical disease-the way in which they affect physical illnesses. I had just finished a biography of Jane Austen, who is thought to have died of Addison’s disease. In her letters to family members, she noted that her physical symptoms were exacerbated when she was under emotional stress. Jane Boice Turnbull joined us for dinner and an overnight at the motel following the seminar. Though our homes are easy drives from Kalamazoo, none of us likes night driving! Plans are afoot for the three of us to meet at a central location for lunch and the day. Jane is still in the family home, which is charming. She’s been doing and/or having done some maintenance work on the house. It is not a seller’s market today. Rosie has plans for a couple of weeks in FL in Feb. and two weeks in CA in March. Nancy Brooks Lacy has been so faithful in her gifts of time and work in the building of houses in Mexico with a group from her church. It began with just her going–now a daughter and grandchildren are going also. This year, she says, they will all need passports to enter Mexico. Pris Gray Teeter wrote after returning from her Russian tour. She included some pictures of a magnificent domed structure. She was looking forward to a three-day women’s retreat in western MD, near where she and Fred lived for 10 years. Her written words convey all the pep and enthusiasm of her spoken words. Anne Wright Marooney writes that life is slower or at least our moving through life now takes longer. She spends some time at the senior center and making new friends in her new neighborhood in Glen Burnie, MD. She has one son living nearby and another in State College, PA. He is the father of Anne’s four grandchildren. A daughter-in-law is a nurse practitioner at Johns Hopkins Hospital in the neonatal unit. She keeps in touch with Penny Watson, who lives in a retirement home in OR. Betsy Lawrence Sherman’s daughter Jane sent me a letter with much about her mom, Betsy, who died April 1, 2007, and about Jack. My three sons remember Betsy’s six children well. We would get together once in a while when their family lived in Crystal Lake, and my family would come to be with Fred’s folks near Chicago. When I remember such occasions, I feel as though I entered a time capsule when the sons were little and was hurled fast forward into their middle age. Adele Sparks Birx’s lovely Christmas greeting included the hand-written words which Jesus Christ said of the meaning of the incarnation. “I am come that they might have life … and have it more abundantly.” John 10:106. This is the gift of which our gifts at Christmas are merely symbols. Matilda Snelling Smith writes that she is well and enjoying her retirement community. She still plays tennis!! She writes that she “had a sweet friendship with another doctor, a widower, who lived here for several years.” He recently died and Til spoke of the loneliness upon the death of someone who has been an important person in your life. She also wrote, “I feel fortunate to have had two such wonderful men in my life.” She mentioned the nostalgia she feels when she hears some of the old songs she, Mary Brekke Parran, and I used to sing those many long years ago in Hampton House and occasionally in a public setting. I spoke with Jacquie Fosdick Bronson in early January, and she sounds just as I remember her. She is enjoying what she does. She is still active in her women’s organization.
’54
MJ Reynolds was hospitalized with an unexplained life-threatening illness in May and a blood stream infection over Thanksgiving, canceling the annual trip to England for the first time in 17 years. Their daughter will now be able to come to the States each year under the new policy set by her convent. Dick has been an excellent caregiver, in addition to working at the Boca Raton community hospital as it plans to transform into a teaching hospital. All my correspondents have mentioned how wonderful it is to have family help cope with the aging process, and with all the holiday news, I haven’t the space to tell what all members are doing. Our young ones are keeping us connected, and pampering us significantly, in addition to fulfilling occupations in their various communities. The future seems in good hands.
’55
Class Reporter—Margie Barber Trever, 29504 Hawkes Hill Rd., Easton, MD 21601-8646, 410-822-0479. Sachiko Fukuhara has been to a family reunion and announces that her sister’s triplet grandsons, now 2, are as cute as ever, but quite a handful! Laura Lyman Brecher’s Art will speak at a symposium in Germany on the effect of alcohol on the blood clotting mechanism Factor XIII. We’ll be waiting for details of the trip. A fifth grandchild is due in March. Char Lee Williams and Bruce went on a marvelous seven-week cruise in the spring, taking in islands in the Caribbean, W. and N. Africa, Greece, the Azores, and Bermuda et al, and in September, to their daughter’s promotion to Lt. Col. in the Air Force. Helen Burdick Sloat is still working long hours as Supervisor of Nurses at a mental health center, and John continues his website, hearing from all parts of the world. Thanks to one of their twin granddaughters, they are now great-grandparents. Carol Straub Guilbert’s time is being consumed by the transition of her church, with considerable understaffing, but she is physically well, and fulfilled. Ditto for Dick. Sandy Harvey Steinberg toured Italy with her daughter in March, and attended her 55th high school reunion later in the year, marveling that so many of her classmates are still on the go. Kay Smith Burr developed a hole in her hard palate and required a couple of surgeries to mend the difficulty with eating. She was hoping to be in shape for Christmas. Your reporter, Margie Trever, attended her 60th reunion in SD in September, accompanied by Bob and youngest daughter, who kept him occupied during the festivities. (I agree with Sandy.) Thanks to the 2.5 mile walk almost daily on our local Rails-to-Trails (up to 11,000 steps by pedometer throughout the day), Bob’s Parkinson’s, though a nuisance as to long-distance travel, has not kept him from learning computer skills, starting with the keyboard–he didn’t take typing in high school. Our progeny have driven us to Civil War battle sites and other places nearby. Thanks for all these wonderful young ones. Aren’t we blessed! Do hope to hear from more of you later.
’56
Jean Barton Champness and family members celebrated an early 50th anniversary visiting their daughter’s family in the Philippines. A couple of days snorkeling and for the more hardy, scuba-diving, highlighted the trip.
’58
50th REUNION! That’s right, 50 years since brown shoes and blue uniforms, the tunnel, the buzzers in the rooms to call you to the phone, running down Hampton House hallways in towels on those hot summer Baltimore nights, working in Brady and Halsted…so many memories and so many good friends. Plan now to be at Hopkins on September 26 and 27 for the Class of 1958’s 50th reunion. Don’t miss this special celebration.
’59
Class Reporter—Meredith Fawcett Kooyman, 209 Harvard Road, San Mateo, CA 94402, (650)348-7918, [email protected]. Where is the news from the Class of 1959! Please let me know how you are and what you’re doing. Our 50th Reunion will be next year. Let’s all start saving for a trip to Baltimore.
’61
Class Reporter—Wendy Gehlbach, 1141 Nettles Boulevard, Jensen Beach, FL 34957-3386, (772) 229-0601, [email protected]. I had a long, newsy letter from Ginny Null Holst in Denmark. She and Ole are retired…sort of. Ginny is no longer mayor but still sits on the council and is chairman of the committee for health, welfare and the aged. To fill in their spare time, they started a perennial garden (350 plants!). Their son Christian has taken over the farm but continues with his engineering job as well. They will continue to live in the house. They are grateful the farm will remain in the family. Erik and wife Mette opened their school for brain-damaged children. Some of the kids come to Ginny and Ole’s pool for fun and therapy several days a week. Steven and his family are busy with work and children. Ole is hoping that future improvement in his spinal stenosis will allow for more travel in their future. I can personally vouch for their hospitality although we did not get to visit this year. Judy Rothman Pochop writes from FL about frequent visits to their daughters Laura in CA and Beth in CO. Judy and Hal are grandparents to six. They attended the annual Johns Hopkins Medical seminar and reception in Palm Beach, FL. Charlotte Kunkel Taylor lives in a suburb of St. Louis, MO. Her children and grandchildren flew in for her 70th birthday in October. She reports that they partied for three days! Our own Dancing with the Stars, Donna Stonesifer Hargett, continues to spend extra time and money ballroom dancing. She just passed her eight-year mark with Arthur Murray, has danced in several competitions (won one!), cruised with her dance group and, oh, just completed her first assignment as a magnet appraiser for the American Nurses Credentialing Center (told you she was spending her extra $$$ on dancing!). Son Gordon is doing well as is her daughter Kim and five granddaughters. Who is surprised? Lois Messler Gustafson is tooling around TN in a new Mustang GT convertible. Kurt attended his 50th high school reunion in TX. Son Kurt, Jr and family (3 children) live in VA; daughter Susan just completed her master’s and teaches kindergarten. Her oldest is preparing for college. Cathy Peters Jones and husband Bob center much of their life on children, grandchildren, work, church and hobbies. They particularly enjoy a week at the beach with the whole family. Bob is working on an NIH study involving 2100 patients. Rose Anne Rufener Taylor and I get together for lunch as time allows. She has found that retiring does not add as much spare time as she thought it would. Florence Smith Milliot, one of our instructors in Pre-Clin, joined us recently. Lois Ann Whipp Boor was happy that a light snow was falling as she wrote Christmas cards. “Now I’ll be ready to head for Florida!” Granddaughter Kate joined her dad Bill on a trip to Rome in ’07. They are grandparents to five others. Julia Gooden Bolton sends greetings from New England. One of our longest working classmates, Mary Ann Quink Slowick, retired January 5th but was still considering per diem. Jim is watching his diet in hopes of staving off dialysis. The children and grandchildren are doing well. She spent 10 days in Portugal, “a beautiful country but too many hills and steps for me.” Kathy Downs Cayward writes, “I had the attack on this past Labor Day. Not too many symptoms, I just didn’t ‘feel right’ for about a day and a half. I was going to call my doctor in the morning but all of a sudden, God was in my head saying I needed to go to the hospital so I did. I had a cardiac cath the next day, and they placed a stent. The doctor who did it told me I was ‘one lucky girl’ and that if I had waited another day, I would have had a major event. The LAD was 90 percent blocked and because they caught it, I didn’t have any damage. It still doesn’t seem real. I was able to go back to work part time in three weeks and usually work four days in the field and one at home. It’s too bad it takes something like that to make us do what we should have done all along. I’ve lost 30 lbs. and my cholesterol levels are way down. I feel very lucky to have been given a second chance.” And finally, your reporter Mariann (Wendy) Wendle Gehlbach sends greetings and a request for all of you to send me word of yourself and families. We made another trip to Europe this year but failed to connect with Ginny. We’re hoping to return their hospitality when Ole is more pain-free. We are enjoying our retirement in FL and enjoy even more trips north to Indy to see our son, his wife and twins. After waiting so many years, we are finally able to join in the chorus of other grandparents in extolling the virtues of grandkids. A reminder to all… our 50th is not that far off. Plan now to join us in 2011 for a whole lot of celebrating!
’62
Class Reporter—Beverly Eanes, 1009 Boom Court, Annapolis, MD 21401, 410-757-6212, [email protected]. Hi to my ’62 classmates. We had a wonderful reunion this year and hope to see even more of you at our 50th…can you believe it is coming up in five years? I am now the class reporter and look forward to receiving news from you. Send it to me any time by regular mail or email at the address above. I hope to hear from you soon.
’63
Forty-Five Years Ago At Twenty (or so)…
Forty-Five years ago at twenty or so we knew we knew the way.
We left Mecca with heads held high and never missed a day.
Forty-Five years ago we left to set our mark on life.
We worked and learned and met and sighed and some became a wife.
Forty-Five years ago some pressed on to learn and lead.
We knew we were meant to speak and others meant to heed.
Forty-Five years ago this Fall we each made a date with fate.
We knew someday we’d be back at THE Johns tapping on the gate.
Forty-Five years ago……..Can you believe?
Will I see you Friend? Please mark the date.
September 26th–27th, 2008
Genie Lipa Wessel, Class of ‘63
’68
Remember the great times in Hampton House: water fight that flooded 5 North, starching nursing caps on the cafeteria trays, room inspections and pink slips, the huge snowstorm, the Reed Hall pool, putting bubbles in the fountain, the turtle derby, and Miss Farr! 40 years since those wonderful times. Mark September 26 and 27 on your calendar and plan to join your classmates to reminisce some more.
’70
Mary Ann Thompson, Lori Knaub Snyder and Linda Cade Haber had a mini reunion in London last summer. Linda and Lori were visiting a number of Linda’s relatives who live in England and Northern Ireland. Mary Ann and her husband were just doing their regular summer “thing” in England.
’71
Class Reporter—Joan Monchak Lorenz , 3323 South Manhattan Ave., Tampa, FL 33629, (813) 972-2000, [email protected]. What have you been up to? What’s happening with your career, your family, or your personal life? Send me news you want to share.
’73
Could it really be 35 years since making graduation uniforms, the turtle derby, the tunnel, the tears, the laughter, the life lessons and the enduring friendships? Don’t miss the Class of 1973 reunion on September 26-27. Mark your calendar and join in the fun.
’78
Class Reporter—Eileen Leahy, 110 Archwood Avenue, Annapolis, MD 21401, (410) 263-6077, [email protected]. Hey classmates! We missed our 25th reunion, so let’s make this one in September!!! Many of us keep in touch with classmates (Wynn and I are still buddies and I see Karen in Charleston), but it would be great to get more of us together again. Stella Shiber, Brenda Stone, Fran Keen and Maureen Maguire taught us well. We have a great class and we should celebrate. Please plan to come to our 30th reunion this year and share our successes and memories.
’88
Let’s get ready for our 20th reunion. Plan now to attend 2008 Homecoming Sept. 26 and 27. Put these dates on your calendar and get your friends together to reminisce what nursing school was like back then.
’93
This is the 15th reunion for both Accelerated and Traditional Classes of 1993. Mark your calendar for September 26 – 27 and come back to Hopkins. Catch up with classmates and find out what’s happening at JHUSON.
’95 Accelerated
Christine McCarthy was certified as a CCRN by the AACN in September ’06. This past year, she went to Banda Aceh, Indonesia, on a medical mission with Project Hope to help train nurses and doctors in the intensive care unit at Abidin Hospital, which was almost completely devastated by the tsunami.
’97
Susan Pinckernell Denecke writes that she worked part time after the birth of her son. She continued working in the PACU at Suburban Hospital until she was six months pregnant with her daughter. Now, she is a full-time stay-at-home mom with two great children, son, Derick 3 and daughter, Sydney 1. She loves being home with them. The pay and vacation/health benefits are poor, but the other perks are priceless! Michelle Barrella has been busy with graduate school and her new baby, Noah Alexander, born in Nov. 2007. Julie MacPhee is working full time as a forensic nurse consultant at a medical malpractice law firm in New Hampshire. When she is not doing forensic work, she teaches clinical at two different local hospitals for two different colleges/schools on medical-surgical floors to LPN/AD students. Julie says “that the years at JHUSON and working in Baltimore were some of the greatest moments of my life. Never have I learned so much in so little time, about myself, others and the world around us.” Some members of the Class of 1997 gathered at Mickey Allison’s house in Bolton Hill, MD, during Homecoming 2007. It was a beautiful night, and they dined outside in the courtyard under the stars. There was tons of talk about “whatever happened to … and has anyone heard from …” Seems like everyone has started a family; lots of baby talk. Many grads went back for advanced degrees, and everyone was still in nursing in some form (with the exception of one stay-at-home mom.) Lots of interesting takes on nursing–nursing and the law, corporate nursing, epidemiology studies, etc.
’98
Class Reporter—Gwyn Price Reece, 6234 Manchester Way, Elkridge, MD 21075, (410) 796-7176, [email protected]. Hi classmates. Our 10-year reunion is this year-can you believe it??! Mark your calendar for September 26-27, 2008 for Homecoming! More information on its way-watch your mail. In addition, I am looking for your personal updates to share with everyone. Please email me. Happy New Year! I look forward to hearing from you all!
’98 Accelerated
Class Reporter—Penny Ackerman, 3656 Hickory Hill Road, Bethlehem, PA 18015, (610) 867-9606, [email protected]. It has been a while since I have heard from anyone. Please send along an email with some news when you get a chance. Our 10 year reunion is coming up this September. Ten years already! I hope you plan to attend? Let me know. I am still living in Bethlehem, PA, and I have been working at an inpatient hospice house for over two years now, and I love it. Work and the kids keep me plenty busy.
’99 Accelerated
Class Reporter—Alisa Linde, [email protected]. Happy New Year!! Here are the updates from our classmates: Kelly Pearson moved back to the east coast from CA. She lives in Asheville, NC now and will be starting a new job on a general medicine unit. She traveled to New Zealand in December. Bridget Roughneen wrote to me last spring (sorry for the delay in getting this in Bridget!) “Ah, to be back on the Big Island. I left in Feb and headed to DC to work in the ER at Children’s Nat Med Ctr. But I am thinking of traveling to Alaska–I was really interested to read about Tim and Jen because they are living in one area where I was offered an interview. I would love to get in touch with them and also, Hilkka, our favorite Alaskan native. I am thinking of making a move soon.” Hilkka is living in Anchorage and would love to have Bridget and any other classmates visit. She and her husband have a house near the airport with plenty of room for visitors. They have a two-year-old and a baby on the way. She is still working as an L&D nurse but has cut back her hours. Lori Grant welcomed Maya Crystal Lee to her family in June 2007. Congratulations Lori! Stacie Stender writes, “Mark and I have moved to Cape Town! No more rural life… so we’re both working-I’m clinical coordinator for a TB/HIV integration project. Let me update you on those with whom I keep in touch. Uta is a homeowner and enjoying her life in Asheville, NC. Cecilia is still in NY, but she’s getting married next year! Beth apparently had another little one-her third! (Cecilia stays in touch with her). Tim Struna and Jennifer Meyers continue their life in Bethel, Alaska. Marni is in NY getting her PhD in public health at Columbia.” Rachel Wooley moved with her husband to CO from NH in June 2006 and in January 2007 they had a beautiful baby boy named Henry. She has worked at The Children’s Hospital in Denver since the move. She is the nurse practitioner for their trauma service and mainly doing direct clinical care with the PICU trauma patients. Rebecca Paschall welcomed a second son, Sawyer in May 2007. She also has a three-year-old, Kenyan. She recently switched jobs and is now working at West Side Family Practice in Vero Beach, FL. Tarah Somers moved to the Boston area in June. She is still with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (which is a sister agency to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). The agency is co-located with the Environmental Protection Agency and works closely with them. She does work on environmental public health issues. She writes, “It is pretty interesting here in New England, and we deal with everything from concerned citizens whose wells are contaminated, to emergency response actions for mill fires, to assessments of superfund sites. You never know what work you will be doing from day to day. I got a promotion in October for the Commissioned Corps and now I’m a Lieutenant Commander.” Tarah and Ken also just had their second daughter, Adeline. She was born in August and is a very mellow baby. Her big sister, Isabelle, is super excited to have a baby in the house. Judy Kamara writes “We are doing great! We are still living in Vilseck, Germany. I just started a new job with New Parents Education and Support Program at Army Community Services. I work as a home visitor and educator. All that community health training at JHUSON is coming in quite handy. My husband is deployed to Iraq with the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment. We get to speak often by phone and can email almost every day. Our three children Sali, Nick and Zak are taking in all that Europe has to offer. We have had some wonderful trips to France, Austria, and the Czech Republic. Anyone who would like to visit, come see us! We have lots of space.” Katy Mendoza and family are still living in San Diego. Twins (Brandon and Mia) turned 5 in January. Ava turned 2 in September. Katy is a stay-at-home mom during the week and works in Labor and Delivery at UCSD on the weekends. Laura Sperry had a son in June. He arrived five weeks early but is doing great and sleeping through the night! Yeah! She went back to work in January but has really enjoyed the six months off! I, Alisa, moved cross-country yet again (hopefully for the last time for a LONG time). I moved to join a great practice called Doylestown Midwifery in Doylestown, PA. It is a private, midwife-owned practice and I LOVE practicing again. Keep in touch with your updates.
’99 MSN
Class Reporter—Eileen Tongson, 1016 NW 86th Terrace, Gainesville, FL 32606, (352)332-9603, [email protected]. Hello! Here is the latest news from members of our class…. Malini (Lakshminarayanan) Krishnan moved to Dallas, TX with her husband and 7-year-old son over a year and a half ago. She works for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services monitoring the technical and financial performance of federal contractors. Her family loves the access to libraries and book stores in Dallas, but misses the beauty and sense of adventure of life in Arizona on the reservation. Jody Carter has been working on the trauma service at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. The trauma service recently moved to a new facility called Intermountain Medical Center. It is a brand new, state of the art, level one trauma center. When Jody started with LDS Hospital, there was only one other P.A. working for the trauma service. He has been instrumental in increasing service to 24/7 coverage with two advanced practice clinicians (APCs). There are nine APCs in house every day who work with four core trauma surgeons. This service covers trauma patients from ED admission to ICU to Floor to Discharge and F/U in trauma clinic. The APCs are actively involved in trauma resuscitation and perform several procedures including central lines, chest tubes, suture repair etc. Jody said, “It is a fantastic opportunity for all of us and really makes the job fun and exciting.” At home, Jody and his wife keep busy with their four children-the oldest is 12 and youngest is 4. Beth (Lindblom) Henderson lives in Ellicott City. She recently left primary care for radiation oncology and is employed by the University of Maryland in its Howard County office. Her kids, ages 5 and 3, are adorable!! My family (Eileen Cordoba Tongson) moved to Gainesville, FL 3 years ago. I am working as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Florida College of Nursing. I’m involved with teaching in the BSN program and working on administrative projects primarily related to our NP clinic, Archer Family Health Care. My husband will be completing his anesthesia residency at Shands UF Hospital this summer. Our daughter, Isabel, is now 3 years old. We love taking weekend trips to Disney World and the beach together! Please send me your news for the next issue ([email protected])-I can’t wait to hear from you!
’02 Accelerated
Julie Bylund Smit is an NP on the Melanoma Interdisciplinary Team at the Huntsman Cancer Institute in UT. She went to Louisiana with a university medical team for 2 weeks following Hurricane Katrina. She and her husband traveled to Holland (where he was born) and Paris last September.
’03
Class Reporter—Colleen Herten Thornton, 113 [email protected]. Hi everyone. I hope you all are doing well. It’s our reunion this year. Mark your calendars for September 26th and 27th, 2008 and plan to come. We need to find out what everyone’s been doing. I have very little news. Please email me with any new news, old news, announcements, news about other classmates, etc. I have heard from Theresa Coker, who is currently working on a master’s degree to become an FNP. She is still living in Virginia Beach. Carina Sonberg Sterling lives in Santa Monica and is also working on her NP degree. Sam Badger finished nurse anesthesia school and passed his boards. He will be working as a CRNA at Sinai Hospital. He was married in March. I, Colleen Thornton am working as a nurse practitioner in the Spine Division of Johns Hopkins Orthopaedic Surgery.
’03 Accelerated
It’s been 5 years since you completed the Hopkins nursing program. Come to Homecoming September 26 and 27. Contact the Alumni office if you’d like to be involved with getting your class together. Katie Church is working in Denver for the Tri-County health Department in their Mother’s First program. It is similar to a Nurse-Family Partnership but more progressive and flexible.
’03 MSN
Class Reporter—Dawn Brown, 108 East 35th Street, Farmington, NM 87401-4110, (505) 325-4501, [email protected]. Mindy Crookham and Dave are still living in northern CA with 20-month-old Henry. She is now working part time with a physician in a private family practice who has had some of the same patients for over 25 years…talk about continuity of care! Mindy says he’s a great mentor and the past three months have been bliss. She is also teaching a course at the local junior college and is enjoying watching her students grow. She says this is the perfect professional/ personal balance. I (Dawn) am doing well and continue to work in an internal medicine office and make rounds at the local nursing homes. We live in Farmington, NM (Four Corners). Isabella and Emma are doing great. Please note my new email address.
’05
A December note from Allison Katter who is serving with the Navy Nurses Corps in Afghanistan: Hope this email finds everyone at the school doing fantastic and safe! We have started the holidays here as well for the Muslim culture, and it is always a wonderful thing to see people in this area gather for something good. I just got back from a medical mission to the city which was completely successful! We helped to open a brand new clinic. The area where we went is in the middle of the city but from a nurse’s standpoint, a public health crisis. The basic things that we take for granted every day, they do not have. Fluoride in the water, basic vitamins, sanitary conditions…just a few of many things that are lacking. The people there did not have a clinic, and the hospital is too far away for some of them. Their health care system is nothing like ours and instead of having a clinic to go to in order to get basic medical care, they have to go to the hospital. Many cannot get there. However, they are working to correct this with the new clinic. With the opening of the clinic, we are not only providing a place for these people to go to be seen, we are also providing trust for these folks in their own health care system and providers, and providing referrals to the hospital. We saw close to 1,000 people-many were women and children, which is always wonderful. Due to the culture, many women do not speak of their healthcare concerns/problems with any male outside of their husband, so we were able to provide them with doctors from the hospital to talk to! How awesome is that?
’06 Accelerated
Class Reporter—Kimberly Kaczmarek, 2410 Boyer Avenue East, Apartment 207, Seattle, WA 98112, (206) 953-7847, [email protected]. Anne Bacon and her husband Peter had a baby girl, Imogene Claire Bacon, on Dec. 19. Anne plans to return to her job at JHH – Nelson 6, the Cardiac Progressive Care Unit, after her maternity leave, where she loves the work and her co-workers. Bryce Clark loves his new job at New York Presbyterian Hospital’s outpatient HIV/AIDS clinic where he is working as an ACRN (AIDS Certified Registered Nurse). Jeanne Hsu is a drug safety specialist at Gilead Sciences in the San Francisco Bay area. She writes medical narratives for adverse events for HIV and pulmonary hypertension drugs. Jeff McKinney moved from NY to San Francisco where he loves his work on the kidney/liver transplant unit at UCSF. He is also applying to the FNP program for this fall. Amanda Roesch has begun the MSN/MPH/FNP program full time and doing very well with hopes of moving to Alaska when finished with the program. Lisa Seaman completed the MSN/Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program at Johns Hopkins in December 2007 and is currently studying for her boards. She is planning to stay in Baltimore for at least a year. She still lives with Amanda Roesch in Charles Village. Maria Tsekouras wed Michael Sage on November 11, 2007, and they now live in San Francisco, CA. Maria is still working on the post-partum unit at Lucile Packard Children’s in Palo Alto, CA. Marta Lea and Travis Devolt are living in Baltimore with their dogs Max and Tux and cat Zhela. Travis is working in the ER at Bayview, and Marta is birthing babies at St. Agnes. They plan to marry and move across the country to Seattle where Marta will begin her master’s program in perinatal education.
’06 – 17 Months
Class Reporter-Lisa Kowal, 1006 South East Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21224, 410-732-3808, [email protected]. Meaghan Young attended the wedding of Kate Murphy in Taylor, MI in October 2007. She reports that Kate is working for the health department. Her patient population consists of pregnant women, new babies and caring for children suffering from lead poisoning. Kate has been considering graduate school. Meg, who is at UVA on a cardiac/thoracic postoperative unit, transferred to the cardiac/thoracic intensive care unit in February. She was also nominated for Beginning Practitioner of the Year at the UVA Medical Center. Congrats Meg. Kaitlin Haws has moved to Seattle and is working as an ER nurse. Cambia Fast and handsome hubby Kevin (Accel. ’05) are still in San Francisco but are contemplating volunteer work in Africa. Brian Hoyer and wife Cindy are expecting their first child in March 2008. Congrats to them. Brian worked at the Mt. Washington Pediatric Children’s Hospital and recently accepted a position within the Baltimore County Public Schools system as a school nurse. Brenda Blunt has been a little busy. While working full time in the fast paced NICU at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, she started her graduate studies last summer and plans to graduate June 2009 with a degree in Nursing Leadership and Management. She also chairs and coordinates the Neonatal Bereavement Committee. Also, she participates on the Resource and Practice Council. She was invited to be a guest speaker during the winter mini semester at JHUSON. OB/GYN clinical nursing instructor, Mary Terhaar taught a two-credit class called “A Science of Neonatal Nursing.” Brenda discussed the transition and challenges of being a new graduate within the NICU clinical setting and becoming a confident NICU nurse.
’06 Accelerated
Erin Wright graduated from the Georgetown University School of Nursing and Health Studies in December 2007, having earned a Master’s of Science degree with a concentration in Nurse-Midwifery. She will be joining the faculty midwifery practice at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, where she will provide full scope midwifery care to women, and where she will also be a visiting instructor at the University of Maryland SOM in the Department of OB/GYN. Her family is well and happy to have Erin back in their lives.
’07 Accelerated
Lauren Elder reports that she has started work at Duke University Hospital in the pediatric step-down unit and really loves it.
