Fall 2023 | Alumni Updates
Learn about the exciting achievements of our Gator Nursing alumni.
Melanie Brown-Woofter (BSN 1987) was appointed president and chief executive officer of the Florida Council for Community Mental Health by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. She is the immediate past president of the Tallahassee Kiwanis Club and a current member of the National Council for Behavioral Health.
Barb Schreiner, PhD, RN, CDCES, BC-ADM, (MN 1979), was the recipient of the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award. Schreiner has worked for more than 40 years in diabetes as a nurse specialist, educator and consultant.
Jayne Willis (MSN 1997) was selected as the recipient for the Florida Nurses Association Icon Award.
Andrea Hefner (DNP 2023) was named the Northwest Region Director for the Florida Nurses Association. In this role on the board of directors, she will play a critical role in guiding the organization’s strategic direction, overseeing its financial health and ensuring it effectively serves the needs and interests of the members and the nursing community at large.
Heather Augustyniak (DNP 2022) is president of the Advanced Practice Provider Council at Baptist Health MD Anderson Cancer Center in Jacksonville. As president, she was instrumental in implementing the inaugural symposium for the council in October. Heather also presented a poster of her DNP project, titled “Improving Patient Compliance with Vaginal Dilator Therapy by Implementation of Sexual Health Consult in Gynecologic Malignancies After Radiation Therapy,”at the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology meeting in San Diego in October.
Monica Barfield’s (DNP 2022) clinic New Horizon Primary Care was chosen by Guide to Florida as the “Best of Florida Winner in the Physician Practices Category.” New Horizon Primary Care is located in Port St. Joe, Florida.
Keri Southall (DNP 2021) launched Mother Goose Wellness, a telehealth practice in Branford, Florida. The practice offers mental health assessments, diagnosis and treatment.
Marian Newton (BSN 1967, MN 1972) was inducted as a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, which recognizes nursing leaders in education, management, practice and research.