Ruth O'Brien
Q. Where did you grow up and where do you live now?
A. I grew up in Lyndhurst, NJ which is a small community about 9 miles from NYC
Q. Where did you obtain your education?
A. BSN from University of Pennsylvania, MSN from FPB School of Nursing with specialty in public health nursing, PhD in Nursing from New York University
Q. What was the highlight of your career?
A. Teaching and mentoring great students in nursing at all levels – BSN, MSN, DNP, PhD
Q. Who would you consider your closet friend or family member?
My closest family member is my brother who lives with his wife in Odenton, MD; my closest friend of 47 years lives in Chagrin Falls, OH (we met while teaching at FPB).
Q. Do you have a favorite hobby?
A. Bridge, Reading, Hiking/Walking
Q. What is something you feel passionate about personally or professionally - or both?
A. Helping others to reach their potential.
Q. What are you most proud of?
A. Research colleague and partner with David Olds in development of Nurse-Family Partnership which is an evidence-based home visiting program for low income first-time parents and their infants/toddlers; program is currently available in 38 states through federal funding from Maternal Child Health Bureau.
Helen Hurst
Q. Where did you grow up and where do you live now?
A. I grew up in Norton, England and now live in Youngsville, Louisiana.
Q. Where did you obtain your education?
A. University of Louisiana at Lafayette (BS and BSN), Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing (certificate in nurse-midwifery), Case (MSN and DNP)
Q. What was the highlight of your career?
A. Obtaining my DNP
Q. Who would you consider your closet friend or family member?
Family – my husband of 30 years, Mike. Friend – my best friend who is still in England, Suzanne.
Q. Do you have a favorite hobby?
A. Gourmet cooking and travel!
Q. What is something you feel passionate about personally or professionally - or both?
A. Advancing evidence-based maternity care and midwifery in the US.
Q. What are you most proud of?
A. My daughters and also seeing former students who have chosen to become CNMs in a state that does not have many of them.
George Peraza-Smith
Q. Where did you grow up and where do you live now?
A. Grew up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I live in Tampa, Florida
Q. Where did you obtain your education?
A. BSN/MSN at University of Texas | Post Graduate Certificate in Gerontological Nurse Practitioner from University of South Florida | DNP from CWRU | Post Doctorate in Adult/Gero Primary Care NP from Brandman University in California.
Q. What was the highlight of your career?
A. Obtaining my DNP from CWRU and now a dream job as an Associate Dean for United States University College of Nursing.
Q. Who would you consider your closet friend or family member?
My husband, Adriel. He is one of the most kindest persons I know and is a joy to be around. He is the complete opposite of myself.
Q. Do you have a favorite hobby?
A. Swimming with my kids and jack russell not much of a hobby but a lot of fun. We enjoy road trips.
Q. What is something you feel passionate about personally or professionally - or both?
A. I have two passions. I love working with older oldest adults and their families. Older oldest adults have a rich history and experience that span from engaged, active individuals to frail older adults with complex medical and social issues. I particularly enjoy peeling away the layers of complexity to discover the causes of the complex medical presentations and implementing an unique plan of care tailored to the older person's current living situation. My second passion is teaching DNP students to become clinical scholars. I enjoy working with students in their educational journeys to become unique thinkers.
Q. What are you most proud of?
A. My new family, we have adopted two children from foster care. Avah, age 7, is sweet and enjoys being artistic and creating things. Avan, age 3, is independent and enjoys all things trains.
Blaze Hirsch
Q. Where did you grow up and where do you live now?
A. Grew up in Akron and went to Firestone High School, currently live in Shaker Heights, OH and relocating to Columbus in June, 2016
Q. Where did you obtain your education?
A. BSN '10 and currently enrolled at grand Canyon University for MSN with a focus in clinical leadership
Q. What was the highlight of your career?
A. Nominated for Clinical Nurse Excellence Award in 2015, and promoted to Assistant Nurse Manager January 2016
Q. Who would you consider your closet friend or family member?
My wife Heather, met at University Hospital on the elevator
Q. Do you have a favorite hobby?
A. Working out, going to sporting events, and playing fantasy sports
Q. What is something you feel passionate about personally or professionally - or both?
A. Preventing falls and pain management. Current unit has gone over 60 days with no falls!
Q. What are you most proud of?
A. I would not be where I am today without the education I received at FPB. Yes I have only been a nurse for 5 years, but getting in and working with patients first semester freshman year has me working at the bedside with patients for almost 10 years. It's that crucial time when training for the profession to have those early interactions with patients and being able to see where your studies fit into practice.
Dr. Kate Moore
Q. Where did you grow up and where do you live now?
A. I grew up in Lawrenceburg, TN and I now live in Atlanta, GA
Q. Where did you obtain your education?
A. I completed my BS in Health and Physical Education at Middle Tennessee State University, MS in Health and Kinesiology at MTSU, MEd in curriculum and instruction at MTSU, AAS Nursing at Columbia State Community College, BSN Tennessee State University, MSN Vanderbilt University, DNP CWRU and will graduate in May with PhD in nursing from University of Kentucky. I will begin a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Simulation at the University of San Francisco this fall.
Q. What was the highlight of your career?
A. My combat deployment to Iraq, where by the way, I finished writing my DNP thesis!
Q. Who would you consider your closet friend or family member?
My partner, soon to be my wife, Lois Finch
Q. Do you have a favorite hobby?
A. White water kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding
Q. What is something you feel passionate about personally or professionally - or both?
A. Informed end-of-life decisions and care. No one lives for ever
Q. What are you most proud of?
A. My military service; I have six wonderful grandchildren and 4 fantastic step children; I’m a professor at Emory University and love the work I do with simulation and research.
Dr. Tiffany Love
Deputy Associate Director for Patient Care Services
Overton Brooks Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Dr. Tiffany Love, APRN, PhD CHE GNP ANP-BC CCA grew up in Cleveland Ohio and currently lives in Shreveport, LA. She is a board certified healthcare executive by the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) with over 23 years of healthcare experience. She was appointed Deputy Associate Director for Patient Care Services at Overton Brooks Veterans Affairs Medical Center October 2013. Her career includes experiences in acute care and long-term care settings as a Primary Care Provider, supervisor and senior healthcare executive civil servant. Her expertise is program development, project management, teaching graduate level education and research. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) Frances Payne Bolton Alumni Association, a state level founding member of the Louisiana National Healthcare Diversity Council, and as an active member of the American Organization of Nurse Executives & Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.
Dr. Love completed her BSN at Cleveland State University in 1998 and continued her career at University Hospitals Case Medical Center (UHCMC). In 2003 she was awarded the John Hartford Scholar Fellowship and completed a dual degree as an Adult Nurse Practitioner (ANP) and Gerontological Nurse Practitioner (GNP). She is board certified as an Adult Nurse Practitioner. While working as a Cardiology NP, she received the Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAAN) Fellowship, and completed her Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) course work at CWRU. Her career goal as a health care executive is to promote diversity in the healthcare workforce to be more reflective of the population it serves.
The highlight of doctor Love’s career was her detail assignment to Veterans Affairs Central Office as the National Program Manager Purchased Home and Community Based Services. It was a wonderful opportunity to have national oversight of services provided to Veterans in their home, attend hearings on Capitol Hill, and a national town hall with congress members and Veterans Affairs leadership. Her best friend is Shenika Todd BSN, BA, RN, Cleveland Clinic 2011 Hall of Fame Recipient. Her favorite hobbies are traveling and shopping. She is passionate about diversity in the healthcare workforce and believes the healthcare workforce should be representative of the population it serves. She is most proud of becoming a board certified healthcare executive through the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Attending CWRU was a life changing experience for Dr. Love. She reports the faculty supported and loved me in such a way that she began to feel she could accomplish anything. Her experiences at CWRU made a positive impact on how she viewed herself in the world and she is honored to have the opportunity to serve on the board.
Sarah Stover
Q. Where did you grow up and where do you live now?
A. I grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and now I live in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.
Q. Where did you obtain your education?
A. CWRU FPB 2003 with BSN; CWRU Law School 2011 with JD
Q. What was the highlight of your career?
A. My academic career — passing the Bar and for my current career — winning summary for a large pharmaceutical company on a case that lasted for nearly 9 years. This effectively ended the case and provided a great result for the client.
Q. Who would you consider your closet friend or family member?
My husband, Jeff Stover. Met at FPB when we were 18 years old!
Q. Do you have a favorite hobby?
A. Cooking and hiking, but I really spend most of my time chasing after my children.
Q. What is something you feel passionate about personally or professionally - or both?
A. Childbirth practices in the United States. I wrote my law school student note on the legal status of direct-entry midwives in the United States. Since spending the greater part of a year researching the issue, I have been interested in reading about and monitoring the current practices and trends in birthing.
Q. What are you most proud of?
A. My two sons.
Jenn Tucker
Q. Where did you grow up and where do you live now?
A. I grew up in Medina Ohio and when we first got married, we lived in Akron. Then, we bought our first house 21 years ago and have lived in Medina ever since!
Q. Where did you obtain your education?
A. have a BA in English from the university of Akron. I spent years in retail management, then stayed home with our kids when they were little. I worked as a receptionist for my kids' pediatrician and it was there that I decided I wanted to go back to school to become a nurse. I started the grad-entry DNP program in 2005 (now the MN program) and got my MSN in January 2009 from Case. I'm now taking DNP courses at Case. Crazy inbred degrees, but the DNP is now ranked 5th in the nation! (and as faculty, I do get a tuition discount!)D
Q. What was the highlight of your career?
A. I hope that it's yet to come! I was awarded the 2010 National Paragon Award at Minute Clinic — I was the #1 provider for the entire country.
Q. Who would you consider your closet friend or family member?
Oh! I don't know. My mom and I are very close. I've been married 22 years to my best friend. And, my "brother from another mother," Tim, is a graduate of Case who I was fortunate enough to meet when he was doing clinicals with me.
Q. Do you have a favorite hobby?
A. I love to read.
Q. What is something you feel passionate about personally or professionally - or both?
A. I love my trips to Guatemala. I first went as a student in 2008 and have been able to go back at least once a year since. It's an amazing experience — and since we are in established clinic/area, we are providing continuity of care. I love that I've transitioned into coordinator of the trips for Case. It's amazing.
Q. What are you most proud of?
A. My children!!! Joseph is 15, a sophomore in high school. He's an amazing, creative soul who has found his niche this year in the performing arts. Jillian, 18, is finishing her freshman year of nursing school at Case. It's been amazing to watch her fall in love with nursing.
Julia Golden
Q. Where did you grow up and where do you live now?
A. I grew up in Dayton, Ohio, lived in Chicago and Philadelphia and now my husband and 15 month old have settled in University Heights.
Q. Where did you obtain your education?
A. I obtained my BSN from FPB and my MSN with a focus in Pediatric Oncology from The University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
Q. What was the highlight of your career?
A. The Highlight of my career is being appointed as the solid tumor coordinator for Akron Children’s Hospital. It has allowed me to incorporate more research into my work and specialize within Oncology.
Q. Do you have a favorite hobby?
A. My hobby is playing violin for church, weddings, etc and doing yoga.
Q. What is something you feel passionate about personally or professionally - or both?
A. I feel passionate about the people in my life and maintaining friendships is so important to me.
Q. What are you most proud of?
A. I am most proud of how I’ve learned to become a wife and now a mother while balancing a full time job.
Lauren Patton
Q. Where did you grow up and where do you live now?
A. Grew up in Delaware, Ohio and now living in Mentor.
Q. Where did you obtain your education?
A. BSN at FPB School of Nursing, MSN-Nurse Educator at Benedictine University and now DNP at FPB.
Q. What was the highlight of your career?
A. Highlight of my career would be obtaining my current position as the simulation coordinator at Ursuline College.
Q. Do you have a favorite hobby?
A. Staying fit and going on destination marathon vacations!
Q. What is something you feel passionate about personally or professionally - or both?
A. I feel passionate about helping students be competent nurses.
Q. What are you most proud of?
A. Most proud of going back to school for my DNP.