Dr. Boisvert is a graduate of the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his rotating internship and Family Medicine Residency at the Lancaster Osteopathic Hospital in Lancaster, PA. He is board certified in Family Practice by the American Osteopathic Board of Family Practice.

He has been employed for the last 20 years by the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg, WV where he is presently Professor and Chair of Clinical Sciences. He is on the active Family Practice staff of the Robert C. Byrd Clinic in Lewisburg, WV and the Affiliate Staff of the Greenbrier Valley Medical Center in Ronceverte, WV. Dr. Boisvert has served as Medical Director for the White River Rural Health Center in Augusta, AR prior to coming to West Virginia.

Dr. Boisvert has been responsible for teaching basic suture techniques to the WVSOM students for twenty years.

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Ms. Cochran, MSN, RN-C, FNP currently works full-time in a busy pediatric clinic at the Robert C. Byrd Health Center in Lewisburg, West Virginia. She has a number of years of experience in treating the pediatric patient population, and has shared that knowledge with nursing and medical students around West Virginia. She has served as Adjunct faculty at Mountain State University in the graduate nursing program, and has served as a visiting lecturer for the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine and West Virginia University. She is currently enrolled in the PhD. Program at West Virginia University with a focus on the pediatric population. In addition, she has maintained additional certifications and training in care of the pediatric population to include, pediatric sexual abuse examiner education from the Children’s Hospital, Minneapolis, MN in April 2004 and a visiting clinician program of study through the WVU Pediatric Specialty Clinic in 2002-2003.

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Crystal Sheaves, APRN, FNP-BC is a faculty member of West Virginia University’s School of Nursing (WVUSON). In addition, she maintains a part-time clinical practice as a family nurse practitioner in a rural primary care clinic. Prior to working at WVUSON she worked several years as a part-time clinical skills trainer for the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine with a focus on extensive evaluation of the musculoskeletal and other body systems. Ms. Sheaves has presented on the state level at various women’s and children’s health care seminars. Nationally, she has presented a poster presentation on her current area of research at the Southern Nursing Research Societies Annual Conference in 2009. Ms. Sheaves earned her MSN from West Virginia University and is currently enrolled in the PhD nursing program at West Virginia University. Her current area of research involves women’s health care issues surrounding the experience of contracting a sexually transmitted disease.

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Crystal Sheaves, APRN, FNP-BC is a faculty member of West Virginia University’s School of Nursing (WVUSON). In addition, she maintains a part-time clinical practice as a family nurse practitioner in a rural primary care clinic. Prior to working at WVUSON she worked several years as a part-time clinical skills trainer for the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine with a focus on extensive evaluation of the musculoskeletal and other body systems. Ms. Sheaves has presented on the state level at various women’s and children’s health care seminars. Nationally, she has presented a poster presentation on her current area of research at the Southern Nursing Research Societies Annual Conference in 2009. Ms. Sheaves earned her MSN from West Virginia University and is currently enrolled in the PhD nursing program at West Virginia University. Her current area of research involves women’s health care issues surrounding the experience of contracting a sexually transmitted disease.

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Vera Barton-Caro RN, MSN, C-FNP is a fulltime nurse practitioner in a full service cardiology practice and Heart Failure Clinic in Wheeling, WV. She and her collaborating physician, Richard F. Terry MD, successfully opened the first free- standing outpatient heart failure clinic in the state.

Ms. Barton-Caro was awarded the West Virginia State Award of Excellence from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners in 2006 for her innovative work in heart failure. She is President-Elect of the American Association of Heart Failure Nurses having served on the Board of Directors for the two years prior. Vera served as President-Elect of The Advanced Practice Nurses of the Upper Ohio Valley and Co-Chair of the American Heart Association Heart Walk for Ohio County. She is actively involved with The Heart Failure Society of America and serves as preceptor for student nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

Ms. Barton-Caro is an active national consultant and speaker on the subject of heart failure. She earned both her Bachelor of Science and Masters of Science in nursing and family nurse practitioner credentials from Wheeling Jesuit University. She is currently pursuing her PhD in nursing through West Virginia University. Her research involves the decision-making process regarding device therapy in heart failure patients.

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Jarena Kelly has a MSN in Nursing and is a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner. She is employed at the West Virginia University School of Nursing (WVUSON) as a Lecturer in the MSN program and maintains a clinical practice in a busy Internal Medicine Practice located in Charleston. Recently Ms. Kelly has enrolled in the Doctorate of Nursing Practice program at West Virginia University. Her current program of study involves a focus on diabetes and chronic kidney disease.

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Dr. Smith has a PhD in Nursing and is board certified as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She currently has a joint appointment with the WVU School of Nursing and the WVU School of Medicine, Department of Behavioral Medicine. In her clinical role as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner she provides individual therapy and psychopharmacology medical management for patients with various DSM- IV-TR diagnoses. She also provides consultation services and education seminars for psychiatric nurses, psychiatric residents and medical students. She maintains a program of practice based nursing research that have included the subjects of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, ECT, and elders’ loss of an adult child.

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Barbara L. Nunley, PhD, APRN, BC is an Associate Professor at the West Virginia University School of Nursing (WVUSON) in Charleston. She teaches in the Undergraduate degree programs, guides Masters students in successfully completing Capstone projects, and serves as a committee member on PhD student dissertations. She serves as a member of the West Virginia University/Charleston Area Medical Center (WVU/CAMC) Institutional Review Board and is a WVUSON faculty consultant to the Evidenced-Based Nursing Research Council at CAMC. As a consultant to this committee she assists them in research interpretation, development of recommendations for practice change based on research findings, and assists them in creating poster presentations for regional, state, and national conferences. Another service she performs for CAMC is to present research critiquing workshops several times a year for their registered nurses. These workshops are titled "Basic” and “Advanced” Nursing Research Critique Workshop”. Dr. Nunley maintains an active practice as an advanced practice nurse at the West Virginia University Physicians of Charleston Geriatric Assessment Clinic. Within this clinic Dr. Nunley has developed a program titled "Assessment and Educational Intervention for Caregivers of Frail Elders". This program is designed to assess, detect, and intervene with caregivers (a population that is overlooked in traditional service settings) that are having difficulty with their caregiver role. Dr. Nunley’s research and service work focus on the frail elderly and their families. She represents WVU School of Nursing in a variety of activities related to gerontologic nursing that includes being a faculty representative to the Southern Region Coalition sponsored by the Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence at the University of Arkansas and a WVU School of Nursing representative for the Geriatric Nursing Education Consortium (GNEC) sponsored by the John A. Hartford Foundation and the American Association of Colleges of Nurses. The goal of the Coalition is to design a strategic plan for implementing geriatric curricula in all baccalaureate nursing programs in the Southern Region of the nation. The goal of GNEC is to enhance gerontology content into senior level baccalaureate nursing courses. Dr. Nunley holds a BSN from West Virginia University, a MSN from The Ohio State University, and a PhD from the University of Kentucky.

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Dr. Stephens is a Clinical Assistant Professor and Co Coordinator of the DNP Program at West Virginia University’s School of Nursing. She earned her DNP with a focus on Palliative Care Nursing from the University of Kentucky. In addition she holds a MBA from Morehead State Universtiy, a MSN from Bellamine University, an ADN from Ashland Community College, and a BSW from Morehead State University.

She exhibits a diverse background including education and social work with graduate degrees in both business administration and nursing , which provides a focus on patient care with an eye to the business of health care. Twenty three years of oncology and hospice nursing experience, with thirteen years in the role of clinical oncology specialist, provides a firm basis for cancer care. A Doctorate of Nursing Practice with a focus in evidence-based palliative care creates a passion for improving the quality of patients’ lives with aggressive symptom management and the development of collaborative practices across professional boundaries.

Dr. Stephens is an active member in the Oncology Nursing Society/Ohio River Cities Chapter/The Bridge, Chapter Newsletter Editor; Hospice and Palliative Nurse Association; WV Nursing Association/American Nursing Association; American Organization of Nurse Executives; Sigma Theta Tau International, NU Alpha Chapter; and the Mountains of Hope, WV State Cancer Initiative/Vice-Chair, Quality of Life Sub-Committee.

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Ms. Childers is certified through the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a family nurse practitioner. She is currently working as a lecturer at West Virginia University’s School of Nursing. In addition, she maintains clinical practice part-time as a Nurse Practitioner for the Ryan White Program, in behavioral health (medication management). In this capacity she assists in evaluating and treating the needs of persons afflicted with HIV/AIDS. Previous clinical experience as a nurse practitioner includes providing outpatient mental health care at the VA Medical Center in Huntington, family practice care for the US Naval Reserve and Village Medical Center, and in-patient mental health care at a psychiatric hospital. Other nursing experience includes working as a Registered Nurse in open heart recovery, post anesthesia care, and in a level one trauma center.

Ms. Childers obtained her Master’s and Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Marshall University, and is currently enrolled in the doctorate of philosophy in nursing at West Virginia University with expected graduation in 2013.

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Dr. Nathaniel is an Associate Professor at West Virginia University’s School of Nursing. She is coordinator of the Family Nurse Practitioner track in the Master’s of Science in Nursing program, with future plans to teach qualitative methods in the Doctorate of Philosophy in Nursing program.

Dr. Nathaniel obtained her PhD in nursing from West Virginia University in 2007. Prior to this she earned a Doctorate of Science in Nursing and a Masters of Science in Nursing from West Virginia University. In addition, she holds a Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Alderson-Broaddus College. Dr. Nathaniel’s research and teaching interest involve ethics in nursing, moral reckoning, and grounded theory. She is a current fellow of the Grounded Theory Institute, and a former member of the American Nurses Association Advisory Board for Ethics and Human Rights, the Kennedy Institute of Ethics, and Hastings Center for Biomedical Ethics. In addition she is a member of the Southern Nursing Research Society, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, the American Nurses Association, and West Virginia Nurses Association.

Her clinical area of specialization is as a Family Nurse Practitioner. In this role she holds the distinction of being a leader in establishing the role of the Nurse Practitioner in West Virginia’s first primary care free clinic for the indigent population. She was instrumental in coordinating a volunteer staffed clinic at West Virginia Health Right in Charleston in the 19980s and is the founding director of Mercer Health Right Inc. In 2007 she was the recipient of the Health Right Hero Award for her dedication and service to the organization. Currently she works very diligently, and has been instrumental in advancing recent prescriptive authority changes for practicing family nurse practitioners in West Virginia.

OBJECTIVES:

Ms. Childers is certified through the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a family nurse practitioner. She is currently working as a lecturer at West Virginia University’s School of Nursing. In addition, she maintains clinical practice part-time as a Nurse Practitioner for the Ryan White Program, in behavioral health (medication management). In this capacity she assists in evaluating and treating the needs of persons afflicted with HIV/AIDS. Previous clinical experience as a nurse practitioner includes providing outpatient mental health care at the VA Medical Center in Huntington, family practice care for the US Naval Reserve and Village Medical Center, and in-patient mental health care at a psychiatric hospital. Other nursing experience includes working as a Registered Nurse in open heart recovery, post anesthesia care, and in a level one trauma center.

Ms. Childers obtained her Master’s and Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Marshall University, and is currently enrolled in the doctorate of philosophy in nursing at West Virginia University with expected graduation in 2013.

OBJECTIVES:

Ms. Cochran, MSN, RN-C, FNP currently works full-time in a busy pediatric clinic at the Robert C. Byrd Health Center in Lewisburg, West Virginia. She has a number of years of experience in treating the pediatric patient population, and has shared that knowledge with nursing and medical students around West Virginia. She has served as Adjunct faculty at Mountain State University in the graduate nursing program, and has served as a visiting lecturer for the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine and West Virginia University. She is currently enrolled in the PhD. Program at West Virginia University with a focus on the pediatric population. In addition, she has maintained additional certifications and training in care of the pediatric population to include, pediatric sexual abuse examiner education from the Children’s Hospital, Minneapolis, MN in April 2004 and a visiting clinician program of study through the WVU Pediatric Specialty Clinic in 2002-2003.

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Patricia Holmes White, is the Executive Director of the West Virginia Health Right Clinic, and is a former WV House of Delegates member, and a former head of the national free clinic association. She was instrumental in helping to pass the first nursing legislation for prescriptive authority in West Virginia, and continues to be a proponent of nursing and health care issues.

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