Originally published in Johns Hopkins Magazine, November 2008  A decade ago, Geraldine "Gerry" Peterson '64 wasn't even active in any alumni groups.
Then, someone asked if she would be interested in attending a Washington, D.C., alumni chapter event. She did, and she was hooked. Johns Hopkins had always been important to her, and she soon took leadership roles, serving as the chapter's secretary, vice president, and president, as well as heading several committees. That led to becoming second vice president, and later first VP, of the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association's Alumni Council, the 100-member governing board of the Alumni Association. In October, she was elected president of the council, succeeding Jim Miller, A&S '64. "It's very difficult for me to sit on the sidelines," Peterson says. "If I'm involved in something, I really want to be involved." She rarely jumps into projects halfway, but admits she's given friends stationery that says "Stop me before I volunteer again!" Multi-tasking, however, is a skill she perfected as a nurse. Empowering alumni from the Johns Hopkins campuses beyond Homewood is one of Peterson's core goals. "As a graduate of the School of Nursing, I recognize that there are a lot of Hopkins graduates who feel disconnected from the university," Peterson says. "My goal is to work hard to bring alumni from these schools into the fold, to make them feel connected." Peterson also wants to make full use of the resources of alumni chapters throughout the country. "We are looking at ways to keep chapter presidents and committee members more aware of what's going on," she says. Peterson is excited by the possibilities of her presidency. "I'm not an 18-year-old, and I rarely text anybody, but the technology that the university is providing is just terrific," she says, and developing it over the next few years will "keep people connected in multiple ways." For example, young members of the Alumni Council are spearheading a drive to disseminate information through social networking and podcasts. Peterson says she realized just how important such a push was when a 70-year-old Peabody alumnus "encouraged me to move forward with technology!" --Kristen A. Graham  Becoming the first dean of a university's school of nursing carries a certain prestige and undoubtedly leaves a mark on history. Isabel Harris '37 became the inaugural dean of the University of Minnesota School of Nursing in 1969 and her presence helped shape the school into what it has become today. She passed away on March 2 at the age of 93.
As a young woman, Harris received her bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan. She then moved to Baltimore and attended the Johns Hopkins Hospital School of Nursing, completing the program in 1937. World War II followed shortly after her graduation, and she served in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps in Australia from 1942-1946. Harris first came to the University of Minnesota in 1947 at the behest of Katherine Densford, a professor at the School, who asked her to help establish a program in psychiatric nursing. Shortly thereafter, Harris was one of the first dozen people to earn a PhD in nursing from the University of Minnesota. She spent the next several years working her way up the ranks of faculty, all while encouraging the university to recognize the value of a nursing school separate from the existing medical school, according to her nephew Mark Harris. "She really left an impression there," he says. From 1969-1975, Harris served as dean of the school of nursing. "She got a lot done, just by being her gracious self," remarked Sandra Edwardson, professor and former dean of the Minnesota School of Nursing. Shortly after beginning her new role, Harris learned that she was earning less money than her male counterparts. Taking a stand for equal pay, she sued the University of Minnesota and subsequently received a salary increase. Harris returned to teaching after stepping down as dean, and finally retired in 1981. An avid traveler at home and abroad, Harris visited South America, South Africa, Madagascar, Europe, and Minnesota's Gunflint Trail. She served as docent at the Weisman Art Museum (located on the University's Twin Cities campus) and kept active with bicycling and swimming. She was also a fervent University of Minnesota Gophers football fan, attending games even in the bitter cold, after which she'd join her fellow nursing fans for a post-game party bringing a poppy seed cake to share. Harris will be remembered by family and colleagues alike as a strong, quiet force of change, who was passionate about nursing, and wanted to see the School of Nursing thrive for generations to come. "She loved her family," said Harris' niece, Megan Harris, "but I think she especially cherished being around the younger generation." --Jonathan Eichberger  I've learned there are no cutting corners in this line of work," says family nurse practitioner (FNP) Christen Sanchez, MSN '06. "If we are going to care for patients, we better know what we are doing and always be prepared."
In her work at QueensCare Family clinics in Los Angeles, California, Sanchez provides primary care to a largely Hispanic population. Although the FNP program at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing was intense, she says, it helped prepare her for clinical practice. She is constantly applying what she learned at Hopkins in her everyday work. As a first generation Mexican-American, Sanchez has a "great rapport" with her patients. "I understand many simple things about them," she says. "I grew up eating, and still eat, the same Mexican foods, [so] it's easy for me to understand why it can be so difficult for most patients to modify a diet they have been accustomed to their whole lives." Although Sanchez worked predominantly with African-American patients while attending Hopkins in Baltimore, she has discovered many similarities providing care for the Hispanic population of L.A. The two groups face similar challenges to their health: chronic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, as well as acute illnesses, such as coughs, injuries, or skin problems. Sanchez also sees women for their annual women wellness exams, performing breast exams, PAP smears, and ordering mammograms for women 40 years and older. "I [also] perform laser tattoo removal one time per week," Sanchez adds. For individuals who see their tattoos as negative or undesirable, the removal process can be a momentous event. "I see patients who are former gang members looking to change their lives by removing the most visible signs of their past." But the most challenging part of her practice, according to Sanchez, is coping with the barriers that prevent uninsured patients from receiving the care they need. "It gets extremely frustrating when a patient needs to see a specialist, and it can take six months to a year to obtain an appointment at a county facility," she says. "It's difficult knowing that there are better drugs out there to treat chronic diseases, but we can only prescribe generic drugs, because most of our patients are not insured." In the future, Sanchez would ultimately like to return to school, pursue a PhD or DNP, and become a nurse educator. "I really love clinical practice, but I have enjoyed teaching as well," she says of the time she spent as a teaching assistant for the accelerated nursing program at Hopkins. In the meanwhile, Sanchez takes pride in sharing her knowledge and talents with the L.A. community. "I find that I can truly be a nurse and share my compassion with [my patients]," she says. "I do not feel that I had to leave my nursing roots behind...while I practice more 'medicine' in a primary care setting. Every day is interesting and challenging." --JE
 |  |  | Sue Appling | M. Louise Fitzpatrick | Diane Demarest Becker |
At the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing (JHUSON) walls are built with plaster, curriculum is built by faculty, and a legacy is built through alumni. This year three alumni were recognized by the Johns Hopkins University Alumni Association for their continuing excellence in the field of nursing. Drs. M. Louise Fitzpatrick '63 and Diane Demarest Becker '64 received the Distinguished Alumna Award, which honors alumni who have typified the Hopkins tradition of excellence. Susan Appling '73 received the Heritage Award, which honors alumni and friends of Johns Hopkins who have contributed outstanding service over an extended period to the progress of the University or the activities of the Alumni Association. "My experience as a nursing student at Hopkins was both an education and an inspiration," says Fitzpatrick, who has served as Dean and Professor of Nursing at Villanova University College of Nursing for 27 years, longer than any other nursing school dean in the U.S. "It provided a foundation for a fulfilling and exciting career by emphasizing the intellectual concerns of nursing, as well as clinical practice. It was inspirational because it motivated me to continue my education and to invest in advancing the profession in the tradition of the many nursing leaders that Hopkins has produced over the decades. I value what Hopkins has given to me and to the profession." Becker, Director of the Center for Health Promotion at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHUSOM), began her 47-year career at Hopkins with a nursing diploma. Today, she is the first nurse to be appointed as a Professor in the Division of Internal Medicine. Interested in heart disease and conditions and behaviors contributing to heart disease, Becker developed The Heart, Body & Soul program, which increased the trust and appreciation in the value of such research in the African-American community. "In my starchy blue uniform and brown oxfords, I learned to never do anything less than my very best," says Becker. Appling, a nurse practitioner at the Mercy Medical Center, served as a faculty member at the School of Nursing for 20 years and has been an active member of the Hopkins Nurses' Alumni Association. "I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the opportunities I have been given to work with alumni association members and faculty at the school of nursing at Hopkins," says Appling. "It has been a privilege to give back to the institution that provided me with such a strong foundation for my professional growth and instilled an appreciation for the history of excellence that is Johns Hopkins. That history has been my constant inspiration." --David Biglari
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