College of Nursing Featured Alumni

Certified Nurse Practitioner

What does ‘higher education’ mean? Is it personal achievement, or is it aspiring to contribute to a greater good? The University of Phoenix, Spirit of Education Award embodies the true spirit of higher education.

Gail Brown was awarded the honor in March 2009. She is a Nurse Practitioner promoting women’s wellness, which is her true passion.

“I was totally taken off guard,” she explains. “I feel like I’m just like everybody else—I wanted to further my career in nursing and do more in the field I love … [it] is such a fabulous honor.”

She works in the Obstetrics and Gynecology department, and the Cancer Center at St. Joseph’s hospital in Phoenix. She also sees patients at the St. Joseph’s women’s wellness center which provides cervical and breast exams for uninsured, low income women. The center sees 1,200 to 1,500 uninsured women, but the care doesn’t stop at screenings.

“Anywhere there’s an abnormal breast exam, we follow through — giving them the care they need,” Brown explains. That includes treating the cancer, even if the hospital must absorb the $25,000 - $75,000 in treatment costs. “We’ve never not taken on a patient, we just find a way.”

Master of Science in Nursing, 2008

Leigh Gressley had been working happily as a registered nurse (RN) at a private neurology practice. It wasn’t until she became friends with Susan, a new nurse practitioner and University of Phoenix alumna at her office, that she got the inspiration and confidence to pursue her education further.

Susan was Leigh’s driving force to earn her nurse practitioner degree and University of Phoenix was the vehicle that helped her accomplish her goals. Leigh was able to work at her job while attending school. In addition, she participated in the nursing bridge program, which gives RNs whose undergraduate degrees are in a discipline other than nursing, a way to pursue advanced degrees in nursing. Once the bridge courses are successfully completed, Leigh was able to begin to work toward her master’s degree.

After graduating, Leigh was hired by the neurology practice she worked for in Arizona. As a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner, her roles and responsibilities expanded as she is able to assess, diagnose and treat patients and write prescriptions. She also works as a sub-investigator of a chronic migraine treatment trial by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Leigh’s advanced nursing degree has opened doors to new, exciting challenges and she urges others like her to continue their education. “Once you’re a nurse for a significant amount of time, you become an expert in your area,” she asserts. “Going back to school exposes you to another set of skills you can master.”

Master of Science in Nursing, 2001

Dr. Linda Mundorff has dedicated her life to educating others about health care. After twelve years as a registered nurse, she became a board-certified traditional naturopath—an alternative medical practitioner who advocates for natural remedies over surgery and medication. Encouraged by her students, and in memory of her mother and sister who both died of complications from misdiagnosis and treatment, she authored “Take Control: A Guide to Holistic Living.”

The book promotes a natural lifestyle by sharing ways to protect your health and alternatives to traditional medicine. It also gives people an understanding of how the body works so you know how to take care of it and when to seek help. Linda warns people of the dangers of using the Internet to self diagnose or treat any illness.

“I feel strongly that knowledge of health and medicine shouldn’t lead to self diagnosis and treatment, but ways in which to interact and select a health care provider,” shares Linda.

Linda is also the author of “Medical Terminology: A Student Workbook” and “Memories of My Sister: Dealing with Sudden Death.” Passionate about self advocacy and health reform, she is also studying law. 

Bachelor of Science in Nursing, 2003

It’s no secret to David Skalka—or anyone who knows him—that he possessed an amazing entrepreneurial drive. It wasn’t long ago that he was raising a famliy, working a full-time job, going to school, all while fulfilling his dream of owning a business.

Skalka built Physicians Surgery Center in Utah in 2006. He learned from his University of Phoenix education that one of the keys to a successful business is being prepared. He armed himself with a thorough knowledge of government regulations before opening the center.

His advice to others who want to open a medical business is, “Research the government regulations thoroughly. Sometimes it is better to put pride aside and hire a consultant.”

Being a successful businessman hasn’t stopped Skalka from continuing his education. In addition to his RN, BSN degree, law degree and the honor of sitting on the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association’s board of directors, he is currently enrolled in the nurse practitioner program at University of Phoenix.

Skalka defines success as, “the ability to live autonomously - physically, spiritually and financially.”

Master of Science in Nursing, 2004

Suzy, a Board-Certified Wound Ostomy Continence Nurse, has dedicated much of her 30-year nursing career to bedsore prevention research.

Considered a “national expert” in the area of bedsores, also known as pressure ulcers, Suzy is trained to take care of patients with skin wounds, particularly surgical wounds, diabetic foot ulcers and pressure ulcers. 

The University of Phoenix graduate is a surgical quality improvement research liaison nurse at Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Memphis, Tennessee. Early in her career, Suzy noticed that some of the surgical patients from the intensive care units would have unexplained pressure injuries after lengthy surgeries. “In [1989] I started tracking pressure ulcers and what I noted was that we had more pressure ulcers in surgical patients than we did in long-term care or in medical patients. These are hospital-acquired ulcers.”

To help hospitals in their efforts to prevent bedsores—a condition that may afflict 23 percent of surgical patients nationwide¹—she developed the Perioperative Pressure Ulcer Prevention Program (PPUPP). “Prevention is far less expensive than the actual treatment or the risk of litigation and increased length of hospitalization,” Suzy says.

The PPUP program has been proven to save hospitals money, and it will soon be implemented by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in operating rooms nationwide. Suzy’s program was recognized by the American Academy of Nurses “Raise the Voice” campaign, which strives to inform the public about nurse-driven solutions for the ailing health care system.

Master of Science in Nursing, 2009

Diane Wilson dreamed of becoming president so she could make a difference for others. While her career hasn’t led her to the White House, she has impacted thousands of lives along the way by becoming the first female and first non-physician president of the American Association of Tissue Banks.

Diane began her nursing career 35 years ago with an associate’s degree. She worked as a labor and delivery nurse, open heart surgical nurse and at a community blood center. The blood center also had a small tissue bank that it wanted to expand and Diane was asked to become its director. She agreed temporarily until a permanent replacement was found.

What she thought was temporary soon became a lifelong passion for Diane. She realized that rather than being a dark, dreaded task, tissue donation helps save or improve the lives of tens of thousands of people who receive tissue grafts each year. Her persistence and hard work helped grow the bank from a single facility to the fifth-largest in the United States with more than 300 employees working in nine locations.

She worked her way up the ranks to chief operating officer — all with just her associate’s degree in nursing. She preferred to hire employees with bachelor’s degrees, but felt like a hypocrite for doing so. She decided to earn her bachelor’s degree with University of Phoenix because of the flexibility of online classes to meet her hectic travel and work schedule. She even went on to pursue a dual master’s degree in Nursing and Health Administration with University of Phoenix.

Diane’s education gave her the confidence to run for president of the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB), a post previously held only by male doctors. The AATB is a volunteer organization that sets quality standards for and accredits tissue banks in the United States and Canada. She was elected president of AATB and began her term in September 2009.

“I realized I didn’t have to be a doctor or a man to become president,” shares Diane. “Obtaining my degrees opened doorways for me and made them wider.”