CLASS NOTES
CLASS NOTES
Message from the President
Reflections of a New Nurse
Paula Boling, B.H.S. ’00, A.B.S.N. ’22 and Margarita Espinal, A.B.S.N. ’22,
With the School of Nursing and Health Studies celebrating 75 Years of Excellence this year, it’s the perfect opportunity to build excitement around reconnecting with fellow alumni through our prestigious alma mater. As president of the SONHS Alumni Association, I hosted the inaugural SONHS Alumni Happy Hour of 2023 at the UHealth medical campus this past March. As we plan future activities like this terri c networking event, I look forward to getting to know more of our awesome grads. This is the time to get involved and have fun while helping to steer SONHS toward its next milestone. There are many ways to get involved and varying levels of commitment—from joining the SONHS Alumni Association board, to signing in for a virtual meeting, to attending in- person social gatherings like our latest Alumni Happy Hour. We health professionals know how important team communication is to successful outcomes, so I encourage your feedback! Please tell me how your SONHS Alumni Association can help raise engagement during this 75th year of educational excellence at SONHS! To get in touch, and stay in touch, please contact Jose F. Gonzalez, SONHS development coordinator, at j.gonzalez36@ miami.edu or 305-284-8593.
Go SONHS Grads, Go ’Canes! Renee Longini, B.S.N. ’09, D.N.P. ’16 C.R.N.A., Jackson Health System
Espinal and Boling
1960s Eleanor Lamb Malchus, B.S.N. ’62, shares memories of her time at SONHS in honor of its 75th anniversary. “I recall learning beginning nursing skills in the very hot shacks,” she writes. “My education at the “U” prepared me for my rst jobs as the R.N. in 10- and 35-bed hospitals in rural Georgia. From there, I worked in ICU, peds, and ER in Ohio, and combined that with being a clinical instructor for 18 years. Upon moving to Arizona, I worked at urgent care facilities, then a health resort, and nished my career as a substitute school nurse until retiring in 2020.” 1980s Janie Canty-Mitchell, M.S.N. ’88, Ph.D. ’93, has reported that she is the chair of the Physical and Mental Health Committee for the Wilmington, North Carolina Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
1990s Rick García, B.S.N. ’95, was named the new CEO of the Organization for Associate Degree Nursing (OADN), OADN announced in January. 2000s Elizabeth L. Vieito-Smith, M.S.N. ’09, D.N.P. ’12, was re-elected beginning March 29 to a two-year term on the Nursing Consortium of Florida’s Board of Directors by voting representatives of the Consortium’s member organizations. 2010s Todd Haner, D.N.P. ’13, was named chief nursing of cer (CNO) of HCA Florida Blake Hospital in Bradenton, Florida, HCA Florida Healthcare announced this past October. Before this role, Haner was CNO at HCA Florida Sarasota Doctors Hospital and was CNO at Lower Keys Medical Center in Key West.
career path: “Being a nurse is not only the knowledge you use to care for others, but the compassion and love you provide in caring for your patients. “The nursing profession carries a huge responsibility to provide safe and appropriate care in order to help your patients be at their optimal health.”
Her action inspired Espinal. “I’ve always wanted to study with my mom because she’s my best friend, and I have seen her dedication with anything she undertakes,” says Espinal. “She’s a hard worker with a brilliant mind! ” The experience was positive for both parent and child. “My perspective on the school has only intensi ed my love for the U!” says Boling, now a double ’Cane. “Completing nursing school with my daughter was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I was blessed with experiencing. We became stronger alongside each other with help from the best professors.” Since graduating, mother and daughter have both passed the national licensure examination for registered nurses (NCLEX-RN). As they interview at South Florida’s top hospitals, they re ect on their new
Over 20 years ago, Paula Boling earned her health science degree from the University of Miami, eagerly anticipating a nursing career, but as the wife of a soldier, life’s twists and turns led her in a different direction. That is, until 2022, when she returned to the U, enrolling in the competitive Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program (A.B.S.N.) at the School of Nursing and Health Studies. This time she had company—her daughter Margarita Espinal, A.B.S.N. ’22, was accepted into the program with her, and together they embarked on their dual dreams of joining the nursing profession. Boling was the rst in the family to enroll in the A.B.S.N. program. “After the pandemic, so much changed for so many people that I knew I had to go back to school to help others and make a difference,” says Boling.
Shakira Henderson, Ph.D. ’15, is the 2023 Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) president. A Daisy Nurse Leader Award Winner (2020), she was featured on Becker’s Healthcare Podcast in October 2022, discussing her research-related leadership roles at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health, health care trends she is following, and more. 2020s Kelsey Cook, B.S.N. ’21, took a position as an R.N. at Tufts Medical Center this year, relocating from Washington, D.C. to Boston. Kelsi Minnich, B.S.N. ’22, announced that she began work as an R.N. in the Family Birthplace at Sentara RMH Medical Center in Virginia.
with UM President Julio Frenk
Send us your exciting news to nursing_alumni@miami.edu
32 heart beat | SPRING 2023
SPRING 2023 | heart beat 33
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