Class notes

Agnes Oblas, BSN ’69, came out of retirement to serve as a board certified adult primary care nurse practitioner two years after retiring from New Paths to Healthcare, her business that she owned and operated in Ahwatukee, Arizona.

Steve Anderson, BSN ’83, retired after 36 years as a nurse, 27 of those as a CRNA with Anesthetists Inc of Wisconsin.

Robin Madsen, MS ’88, was nominated for the March of Dimes Heroes in Action: Celebrating Nurses and Maternal and Infant Health Providers award.

Tamara J Nissen-Omosowon, BSN ’95, received the National CHAI award citing her intense patient acuity and for assisting staff who saved a patient. Nissen-Omosowon serves at the VA Hospital in Minneapolis in the Telemedicine Intensive Care Unit.

Linda Wick, MS ’95, was appointed president of the American Association of Heart Failure Nurses. Wick is the associate chief nursing executive (ACNE) for M Health Fairview, which includes 11 hospitals, 56 clinics and over 34,000 employees. In addition to her role as ACNE, Wick was also the interim chief nursing officer for the University of Minnesota Medical Center and University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital in 2020. She also served as co-commander of the COVID-19 Incident Command Center, leading the system’s response to the pandemic. 

Annie Lumbar Bendson, MS ’00, was named director of health services for Minnetonka Public Schools.

Beth Nelson, MS ’00, BSN ’95, was nominated for the March of Dimes Heroes in Action: Celebrating Nurses and Maternal and Infant Health Providers award.

Reed Hiltner, MS ’04, BSN ’00, was nominated for the March of Dimes Heroes in Action: Celebrating Nurses and Maternal and Infant Health Providers award.

Catherine Osborne Harrison, BSN ’07, is a public health clinical response planner with the University of Minnesota Health Emergency Response Office (HERO).

Lori Ranney, MSN ’07, received the Dianne Fochtman New Author Award from the Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses.

Avis Johnson-Smith, DNP ’08, is a professor in the family nurse practitioner program at Angelo State University in Texas. She is also the owner of Healthy Kids and Families Wellness Center in Albany, Georgia. She serves on the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Facilities diversity and inclusion committee, the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners diversity, equity and inclusion committee and the Institute of Pediatric Nursing standing committee for pediatric nursing certification board.

Danilo Lovinaria, DNP ’08, was inducted to the inaugural class of Fellows of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology. He is the only CRNA from Minnesota selected for this honor this year. He currently practices full-time at M Health Clinic and Surgery Center and the Minneapolis VA.

Kelly Suzan, MS ’08, was appointed to serve as vice president of strategy for the Neighborhood Health Center in Buffalo, New York.

Anne LaFlamme, DNP ’13; was nominated for the March of Dimes Heroes in Action: Celebrating Nurses and Maternal and Infant Health Providers award.

Justine Wells, BSN ’13, is serving as a captain with the US Air Force. She is a labor and delivery nurse for the US Air Force, stationed at Misawa Air Base in Japan. Previously, she was stationed at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida and Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

Karla McCall, DNP ‘16, joined the Essentia Health-Duluth Clinic as an advanced practice registered nurse and certified nurse practitioner to its neurology team.

Lynsi Espe Romportl, DNP ’16, is a nurse practitioner traveling with Mayo Clinic Health System’s recently launched mobile health clinic, a large commercial vehicle featuring two exam rooms, an on-site laboratory and pharmacy services, and telemedicine capabilities. She joined Mayo Clinic Health System in 2009.

Jason Fratzke, PhD ’19, MS ’02, was appointed vice chair of nursing-ambulatory at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Fratzke previously served as regional chief nursing officer of Mayo Clinic Health System’s Southwest Wisconsin region since 2017 and was chief nursing informatics officer of the Mayo Clinic enterprise prior to 2017.

Rachel Kerr, DNP ’19, is a registered nurse with a specialty in environmental health and currently serves as the environmental health nurse program manager for the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments. An article she wrote, In the midst of a wildfire smoke crisis, Minnesota needs coordinated disaster preparedness and response, was recently published in MinnPost.

Emma Butzer, DNP ’20, BSN ’14, is a public health lead nurse at the University of Minnesota’s Boynton Health.

Nicole Greene, DNP ’20, is an oncology clinical nurse specialist, supporting nursing practice in M Health Fairview cancer and infusion centers.

Katelyn Kemmetmueller, BSN ’20, made the Big Ten softball all-conference second team. 

Erin Mahoney, DNP ’20, joined the Essentia Health-Duluth Clinic as an advanced practice registered nurse and certified nurse practitioner specializing in pediatrics.

Cheryl Mosisa, DNP ’20, joined the St. Catherine University nursing faculty as an adjunct clinical faculty member. Prior to her faculty appointment, Mosisa was a NICU nurse for 25 years.

Abbigayle Schultz, BSN ’20, was nominated for the March of Dimes Heroes in Action: Celebrating Nurses and Maternal and Infant Health Providers award.

Jessica Thompson, MN ’20, is serving as a labor and delivery nurse in Washington state.

Madeline Fedorowicz, BSN ’21, is serving as a nurse in the emergency department at Fairview Ridges Hospital in Burnsville.

AnneMarie Wells, BSN ’21, joined the US Air Force and is a labor and delivery nurse.

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