Bob and Mabelle Pizzutiello have found joy and purpose in supporting collaborative programs at the University of Rochester.

As a musician for the Eastman Performing Arts Medicine Center (EPAM), Bob Pizzutiello ’77, ’78 (MS) plays the Chapman Stick in the lobby of Strong Memorial Hospital.

“Most human beings are not monolithic,” says Bob Pizzutiello ’77, ’78 (MS), “They enjoy different perspectives.” He and his wife Mabelle Pizzutiello ’63N, P’89 support many programs at the University of Rochester, with their interests spanning the arts, sciences, and healthcare, as well as those focused on equity, diversity, and inclusion, but the is one of the most unique.

Finding intersections between music and science comes naturally for Bob who pursued a degree in electrical engineering but also made time to study the physics of music. His education at the University of Rochester allowed him to explore the interconnection between his broad interests. When he first came to Rochester in 1973, a teenage Bob had the impression that he would be done learning at the end of college. Instead, those years launched a lifelong career of discovery.

Bob recognizes the valuable life skills that he gained at Rochester—how to think and solve problems. As a Joseph C. Wilson Scholar, Bob had the opportunity to take any course across the University, and he made the most of it. In addition to his undergraduate workload, he took classes in the School of Medicine and Dentistry, which were foundational for him and his future work.

He credits his full scholarship for not only making it possible to pursue his education, but to find a career. At the age of 23, he completed a master’s degree, and he started his first real job at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

Bob spent his career working in community hospitals as a medical physicist, while also bringing his learnings about physics and technology into the national discussion, as an advisor to the Food and Drug Administration. He founded and led Upstate Medical Physics, a regional practice, and was the senior vice president of Landauer Medical Physics, a national organization, collaborating with medical physicists to deliver services to individual health care facilities and larger integrated delivery networks. He is also a past president of the New York State Radiological Society.

Nicholas Wodo ’14N, ’19N (MS) is answering the call.

Nicholas Wodo ’14N, ’19N (MS)

Almost 60 years ago, the University of Rochester School of Nursing’s founding dean Loretta Ford and pediatrician Henry Silver pioneered the nurse practitioner (NP) role. There are now more than 355,000 NPs improving the health and lives of millions of patients across the U.S.

For almost a decade, Nicholas Wodo, ’14N, ’19N (MS) has been caring for the Rochester community as a nurse at the University of Rochester Medical Center. After earning his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry at Canisius College, Wodo applied for UR Nursing’s accelerated bachelor’s in nursing program to utilize his science background in health care.

Wodo pursued his master’s in the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner specialty to make a difference in children’s lives, and to “help them grow and live the healthiest life possible.” Working in the pediatric emergency department at Golisano Children’s Hospital has helped Wodo achieve that goal.

Learn more about what drives Wodo—in his own words.

What makes you passionate about your specialty area?

I currently work in the Pediatric Emergency Department and love the wide variety and ever-changing nature of this environment. It brings a measure of uncertainty not knowing what you might see next, but this is also exhilarating. I enjoy being able to care for the most vulnerable of our population and be able to provide comfort and care to a family on one of their worst days.

How did the School of Nursing prepare you for your career goals?

My UR Nursing education gave me with the background to pursue any field of nursing I wanted to work in. It provided me the experience of doing my capstone in the Pediatric Emergency Department and additional opportunities to experience endocrine and diabetes management which is my other passion.

Tell us about a faculty member or preceptor who has shaped your educational journey.

I have had numerous people shape me into the provider I am today. As a provider, my previous colleagues Elizabeth Vaczy ’88 (MS), ’93N (MS) and Christa Ward taught me the skills of being a provider in pediatric endocrine. That said, the most influential person in my career in emergency medicine was my previous nurse manager Marcy Noble. Marcy took a chance on an inexperienced nurse who had a passion to learn pediatric emergency medicine and management and for this, I will be forever grateful.

What kind of support helped you balance work and life commitments with school?

My family and friends were a great support as I went back to school for my master’s degree. I worked weekends for four years and missed many family gatherings over the years, but everyone was so understanding that this was my passion and the career I wanted for myself.

During school, while working as a nurse, I also officiated semi-professional soccer, which helped me get outside and get much-needed exercise while still making money.

What is a day in your current role like?

In the Pediatric Emergency Department, I see a range of children. I can see a child in one room with a common cold and leave that room to see a child with new onset cancer in another. We see a huge variety of people and situations that usually bring families in on one of their worst days, and the goal when seeing each person is to provide them passionate patient and family care no matter the outcome.

How does your work as a nurse practitioner make an impact?

The work of myself and my colleagues helps to make the children of our community healthier, with the goal of living long, healthy lives.

What are some of your proudest moments as a nurse?

My proudest moments as a Nurse Practitioner are when I can settle the nervousness on a parent’s face, given the concern for their child, by caring for, reassuring, and safely discharging that child home—with a smile on their face.

Through nursing, Thaw Htoo ’23N supports Rochester refugees

Thaw Htoo ’23N

Thaw Htoo ’23N felt emotional when he visited the Children’s School of Rochester No. 15 early in the fall semester for the community health rotation of his clinical experience.

By a total coincidence, he’d been placed at his own elementary school. It holds a special place in his heart: Htoo came to the in 2008 as a refugee, having spent the first 11 years of his life at a camp on the border of Myanmar and Thailand.

After leaving Myanmar with his parents for an unknown future, Htoo recalled the Children’s School feeling like a safe haven. The school, a longtime partner of the University of Rochester School of Nursing, is known for its robust refugee community and English-language learning support. Its student population represents nearly 40 countries and languages.

Years later, as an adult, Htoo joined two of his colleagues from the , to spend a morning delivering a presentation on healthy communication for sixth-graders, leading activities such as “emotion charades” and a question game with a multi-color beach ball focused on listening skills.

It was a perfect opportunity to give back to the community that once helped him find a sense of belonging in a brand-new country.

“It was really hard, because I remember when I first came to the United States, I did not know any English, but I was able to learn and catch up,” he recalled. “It was through hard work, dedication, and support that I got through the program.”

Nursing students have been working with the Children’s School as part of their community health clinical experiences since 2010. The relationship started when Assistant Professor Leann Patel, MSN, RN, and sixth-grade teacher Telesta Rice collaborated to create a program that helps refugee parents understand American health care systems. Eventually, the pair also noticed a need to expand the health education curriculum for students, and Patel pitched a program in which nursing students could fill the gap by teaching kids about topics such as hygiene, nutrition, and disease prevention.

Spending time in the community, in settings such as schools, senior living facilities, and prisons, helps nursing students see the day-to-day lives of the people they’ll soon be caring for, Patel said. Experiences like that of Htoo and his colleagues at the Children’s School exemplify her vision for community health clinicals brought to life.

Visits from the School of Nursing offer a window into what opportunities might be available to Children’s School students in the future, said Principal Jay Piper.

Colleagues from the accelerated bachelor’s program join Dean Lisa Kitko, Assistant Professor Leann Patel, and Thaw Htoo at the Children’s School

“The nursing students are the vision we want for our students,” he said.

Piper had vivid memories of Htoo as a student, and held onto a copy of Htoo’s 2011 class photo to show him when he visited.

A fast learner, Htoo quickly grasped the English language, and wasted no time utilizing his new language skills to help others. He translated for parents and other new students from Myanmar’s Karen community, volunteered to help younger students onto their buses at dismissal, and became one of the school’s “fuss busters”—an older student who helps the younger ones work through problems and conflicts.

“He was a real leader who would embrace the younger kids and take them under his wing,” Piper said. “Looking back, it makes sense to me that he would take the path of nursing. He’s so nurturing. It’s a great honor to see him follow that path. It was meant to be.”

Htoo would agree—but it took a while for him to realize nursing was his calling.

“I had always wanted to work in the health field, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” said Htoo, who earned his first bachelor’s degree in biology from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

He worked in labs and pharmacies and spent the past three years working as a hair transplant technician at the nearby Quatela Center for Plastic Surgery. He felt a craving to do more, and remembered wishing he could perform injections like the nurses and physicians he worked with. Htoo began to realize that nursing would offer him a way to make a meaningful impact.

Htoo discovered interests in nephrology and pediatric nursing during his time at the University Rochester, but his overall goal, however, is to pay it forward.

The City of Rochester has been helping refugees resettle since the 1980s. In the past two decades, the city has welcomed more than 8,000 refugees, including nearly 1,500 from Htoo’s home country.

Leading by his gentle, humble example, Htoo wants to show what is possible for those who resettle in Rochester.

“Even though you might not know the language, or you’re introduced to a new culture, once you are adapted to the culture, the beliefs, and everyday living, you’ll be able to learn so many new things,” he said. “If you put in the hard work, you’ll be able to move forward.”

Natalie Lewis ’22N and Evelyn Santos ’23N (MS) are nursing champions for their communities.

Natalie Lewis ’22N

Nurses have always been at the forefront of addressing health disparities and that’s a role Natalie Lewis ’22N and Evelyn C. Santos ’23N (MS), RN, PMHN-BC have never shied away from. They’ve both committed to making a difference as nurses by caring for the mental health and well-being of their communities.

Since finishing her bachelor’s degree in 2022, Lewis has been passionate about contributing to her community through psychiatric and mental health nursing—it’s her way of staying connected to her city. In addition to her studies, she is a per-diem member of the City of Rochester’s Person in Crisis Team, a group who accompanies police on mental health calls. She also previously worked as a nurse at the Monroe County Children’s Detention Center.

Lewis spends most of her week either at school or her two jobs as a nurse and emergency response social worker. Recently, she returned to the University of Rochester Medical Center as part of the .

Natalie Lewis ’22N

“It’s always been mental health for me. That’s my niche,” said Lewis, who is currently pursuing her master’s degree in the family psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner specialty. “It’s so important, especially for African American families. Most people will tell you— ‘you’re not depressed,’ or ‘you’re not stressed.’”

Growing up, Lewis said she experienced “old-school” beliefs about mental health in the Black community, but she has also seen attitudes start to shift. Her interest in mental health, combined with a natural gift for math and science, led Lewis to pursue her first bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University at Buffalo.

Afterward, Lewis knew she would need an advanced degree if she wanted to work in a clinical setting. She had considered pursuing a master’s in mental health counseling, but she also felt drawn to nursing. A job as a crisis specialist at Strong Memorial Hospital, where Lewis worked alongside the various members of a behavioral health team, helped confirm her interest in psychiatric nursing.

That has also been one of the most rewarding parts of her work as a nurse so far, at both the Monroe County Children’s Detention Center and the hospital. “I’m able to make an impact on the youth and have conversations with them about their current situation and how they can make changes in the future,” she said.

Continuing her education is one of Lewis’ proudest achievements. She is the youngest of six siblings, and the first to go to college. She is grateful not only for the chance to build a better future for herself, but to make her family proud as well.

“Seeing my mom happy and proud is the most important thing to me,” Lewis said. “I want to make her life easier and be able to take care of her. I like knowing she doesn’t have to worry about me.”

Evelyn C. Santos ’23N (MS), RN, PMHN-BC

When Santos joined the School of Nursing’s (LHCS) master’s program, she had already built a reputation at the University of Rochester Medical Center as a fierce advocate for underserved populations.

Her years of experience in psychiatric and mental health nursing have inspired her work. Santos is the former lead nurse of , Upstate New York’s only bilingual outpatient mental health clinic. It’s a role that she developed and implemented herself, leveraging the ability of nurses to build strong ties with the communities they serve.

“Working with the Latino community was personally important to me. I knew my work made a significant impact on patient outcomes,” Santos said.

Rochester’s Latino population has more than tripled since the 1980s, . Nationally, Hispanic and Latino communities in the U.S. to mental health care, such as a lack of cultural competence among providers, immigration status, stigma, or language barriers.

Her LHCS capstone project focused on optimizing depression screenings among the local Latino community.

“The most rewarding part of the role is being an advocate for cultural awareness and providing equitable health care services,” she added. “I completed a needs assessment through a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens and implemented the utilization of iPads at my working site to capture depression screens electronically in Spanish,” she explained.

“This project provided an opportunity to improve depression screening rates among our Latino patient population, and also helped improve our collaborative decision-making strategies within the program I support.”

Santos’ graduate capstone is the latest highlight of a career defined by breaking barriers for this growing population. In addition to her role at the Lazos Fuertes Clinic, she served as a consultant to help expand UR Medicine’s Spanish-language neurology clinic, and created a guide dedicated to helping English-speaking nurses overcome language barriers that often interfere with care.

During her time at the School of Nursing, Santos was honored with the Paul J. Burgett Nursing Student Life Award, which recognizes a graduating student who enriches the School’s environment and serves as a positive catalyst for change.

Evelyn C. Santos ’23N (MS), RN, PMHN-BC

Just a few months after finishing the LHCS degree, Santos accepted a promotion within the Department of Psychiatry to a new role as a quality and education nurse. She looks forward to utilizing her nurse educator role to bring diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, trauma-informed care, and the impact of adverse childhood events (ACEs) to the forefront of the department’s educational curriculum.

Both Lewis and Santos knew they were in the right place at the University of Rochester School of Nursing.

Eager to widen her scope of practice as a nurse, Lewis already felt a strong sense of belonging during her time as an accelerated bachelor’s student. Santos knew she could advance her work as an advocate for health equity.

“I enjoy the community within the school,” Lewis said. “I have developed friendships in nursing school that I feel I will have for a lifetime.

“What stood out to me as I explored opportunities for my master’s degree was the UR School of Nursing’s mission to be an inclusive environment,” Santos recalled. “The School of Nursing makes diversity, equity and inclusion efforts a priority. As a minority student, this was important to me.”

Meet Strong and Simon community member Farrell Cooke ’14, ’19N

Share a bit about yourself! What are you up to now?

Since graduating in 2014, I decided one bachelor’s degree from the University of Rochester was not enough. I came back to Rochester from NYC in 2018 to go to the University of Rochester School of Nursing.�� Currently, I am an assistant nurse manager in the surgical ICU at Strong Memorial Hospital and am also a part-time student at Simon Business School, finishing my MBA this May!

While much of my time is spent at the medical center or on the River Campus – I live in Fairport with my fiancé, Tyler (also a University alumnus), with our dog, Eastman.

What are your most cherished memories from the University of Rochester?

Too many to count! The original Danforth and getting late-night paninis in Sue B are some of the most notable, but there are even more memories that are still relived when all our alumni friends get together.

From memories with the swim team, waking up for practice, trudging through the snow to get to Goergen (where we were once asked to bring a shovel with us to classes after a snowstorm), or the Sunday morning pancake breakfasts on the DG floor.

Of all these memories, what I am most grateful for are the relationships I’ve made during my years at the University of Rochester because I still get to create new memories all the time with the friends I’ve made.

How did campus life and any co-curricular involvement (clubs, organizations, teams, etc.) impact your personal and professional growth?

The involvement I had within athletics, various organizations, and my academic major were all huge reasons as to why I am who I am today. I owe so much of my personal and professional growth to the people who supported me through my time on campus.

What was most impactful has to be my four years on the swim team. Being a part of a team where your performance affects the larger group motivates you to aim higher and work harder – in the pool and the classroom. I learned to balance my practice schedule with an academic workload and how to make that work. You learn to surround yourself with people who encourage you, and my teammates and coaches were some of the best support systems I could have.

How did your experience at the University of Rochester influence your life?

My time at the University of Rochester helped me come into my own as a friend, teammate, co-worker, and all around become the best version of myself.�� To this day, my closest friends are the people that I have met while at school or while volunteering for the University.

Each aspect of my academic career has also led me to new educational experiences – from undergraduate degree to nursing school then business school. Every step of the way, I have gained not only more knowledge, but also increased my networking, critical thinking, and became aware of opportunities that I would not have known about otherwise. I can’t thank my mentors, coaches, and friends enough for the countless hours they spent helping me achieve my goals.

What sparked your initial interest in volunteering with the University? What role(s) have you held?

After graduating, I knew the University hosted events in New York City. I really enjoy getting to meet new people, especially when there are so many common areas of interest. I can’t remember my initial reasoning for getting involved but after almost 10 years of being a volunteer within the University, I am so happy that I chose to get involved! I have been a member of the Young Alumni Council (YAC) in two cities, a regional point of contact for NYC, and have also been the national co-chair for the YAC which allowed me an opportunity to be a member of the Alumni Board. I have also been able to volunteer with Simon being a member of the Part Time Advisory Council!

What advice do you have for fellow alumni and friends who may be interested in taking a more active role in our alumni and friends’ community?

It’s an amazing opportunity to do something a little different. What you get out of volunteering or participating is so much more than you think it could be. I have made so many friendships, created memories, and taken part in experiences that I would not have had otherwise. I think in a world post-Covid, looking for shared experiences and opportunities to socialize are more common. Becoming an active participant within the University community, I think would satisfy that need for a lot of people!

What’s the most rewarding part of staying connected with your alma mater?

I have created so many friendships volunteering with the University and participating in events that I would not have otherwise. I think as an undergraduate student, you do not always get to see the scope of impact that the University can have not only for you but for the community.�� Being able to see all aspects of how the University seeks to engage opportunities for prospective, current, and past students is really rewarding.�� When speaking to students, I get to share these insights and also help them understand the value that they can get from this institution.

The �����Թ� School of Nursing will always be a place Jane Tuttle calls home.

Jane Tuttle, PhD, ’79N, ’84N (MS)

In choosing a career, Jane Tuttle, PhD, ’79N, ’84N (MS) thought about how she loves people and she loves science, so nursing was the perfect fit. That’s been reinforced again and again, and she believes the University of Rochester School of Nursing has shaped her career enormously.

Considering herself a lifelong learner, Tuttle has appreciated that a nursing education can be completed in stages and can be adapted to a distinctive path like hers. Throughout her career, she found the flexibility and support she needed at Rochester and has used that foundation to become an advocate for other nurse practitioners as they join the field.

She arrived at the school already a practicing nurse, and as an adult learner was able to complete a tailored program that maximized learning right from the beginning. After she completed her BS in 1979, she moved to Washington, DC to take a position working with Georgetown University’s community health plan, and her UR education was noted by the person who hired her as a major factor. Then, after moving back and completing her master’s as a family nurse practitioner at Rochester, she went on to take a faculty position at the Yale School of Nursing. Once again, her UR education set her apart. During her eight years in New Haven, she completed her PhD at the University of Connecticut and then returned to Rochester, this time to take a faculty position in the family nurse practitioner program, which she later directed for more than 20 years.

Tuttle shares, “What is unique about Rochester is the mentoring, the reputation, the way we work in an interdisciplinary way across the University and Medical Center. That’s not true everywhere. I enjoy the balance I’ve had with patient care, research, writing, and of course teaching. I feel very fortunate to have had a long career in teaching.”

There was already a separate division of adolescent health at the University of Rochester, and that was a huge draw for Tuttle who studied pediatrics and chose to focus her work on adolescents when her own son was becoming a teenager. “Those years are such an important time for families, when the child is going through separation and individuation, and I consider adolescents to be underserved in health care,” she explains.

Tuttle has directed her giving toward scholarships because she has a special place in her heart for students. “As a faculty member, students are what it’s all about,” she says. “That’s why we do what we do. They need the support, especially those who don’t have family to fall back on. When I started out, I was a young single mom and didn’t have a lot of resources.” Now, Tuttle and her husband value being members of the Wilson Society, staying connected with alumni, and contributing to the future of the school.

Tuttle says, “I knew I wanted to recognize the University of Rochester in my will in memory of my dear friend Eleanor Hall who was instrumental in founding the School of Nursing here. When she died, I became a member of the bequest society in her honor.” The society, formerly named the Eleanor Hall Bequest Society, has been incorporated into the University’s Wilson Society; however, Hall, chair of the Department of Nursing of the School of Medicine and Dentistry from 1957 to 1971, is still remembered profoundly. Tuttle often walks by the portrait of Hall at the school and feels she can hear her mentor’s voice, guiding her in her practice.

When she thinks about why other alumni should join her as a donor, Tuttle says, “we all benefited from the resources, and now we can help others take advantage of that. The �����Թ� is always on the cutting edge. I am so proud of how highly regarded we are.”

“I feel lucky that I found nursing and that the University of Rochester has been a real home to me over all these years,” Tuttle reflects.

A Hand to Hold in Tough Times

Stephen Romas ’20N came to the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) as a lung biology researcher seven years ago after earning his bachelor’s at Mercyhurst University.

Following a calling to make a difference at the bedside, he earned his second bachelor’s through the accelerated program in 2020 and became a MICU nurse at Strong Memorial Hospital.

His experiences in the URMC community have affirmed his choice to pursue a new career in nursing.

“I love that nurses are the backbone and the heartbeat of the health care industry in this and many other countries,” Romas said. “We are the advocates at the bedside for the patient and their families. We spend the most time with them. We know them best behind their family members and grow to feel responsible for them. I love those responsibilities and bonding that I am able to do with those patients as a bedside nurse.”

Romas is now continuing his education as a graduate student in the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program.

How did you know you wanted to become a nurse?

I had worked in lung biology research here at URMC after my first undergraduate degree. I knew I wanted to pursue some sort of clinical medicine but was unsure which track I wanted to pursue. I shadowed doctors, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and registered nurses, and fell in love with the RN role, with the idea that I would advance to become an NP in the near future. I wanted to make a difference at the bedside.

What’s the most rewarding part of being a nurse?

As a bedside ICU RN, I take pride in being there to help patients and families through some of the scariest and most emotionally fragile times in their lives and watching them build back up and move on from the ICU. Holding a patient’s hand during a procedure and providing comfort, education, and treatment to them in all other aspects to the best of my ability is what I take pride in most.

What was the best part of your School of Nursing experience?

I enjoy feeling like I am prepared to do my job and that what I am learning has meaning. I often find that topics or case studies discussed in my NP classes show up the next day in my clinical practice as an RN. I am gaining a true broad perspective of acute care from the RN role and now the provider role on a daily basis.

Where can you most likely be found if you’re not at work or school?

I am an avid golfer and lacrosse player. I played lacrosse in college and continue to play in men’s leagues, pickup games, and tournaments. I also officiate Section V lacrosse here in Monroe County at all levels from youth to varsity. I love giving back to a game that has meant so much throughout my life! I am also big into comedy and see many stand-up shows per year and listen to many comedy podcasts. Lastly, I enjoy spending time with my girlfriend, mother and her two cats. They are my wonderful support system.

What are your favorite features of Rochester?

I was born in Pittsburgh, PA and we moved to Pittsford, NY when I was in elementary school. I grew up in this area and came back after my first college degree and haven’t left since. I love spring and summer in Rochester, good golf, food, and beverage options in the area. I always recommend a garbage plate to anyone coming in from out of town!

UR Nursing helped this alumna change careers. Now, it’s part of her next chapter moving from Neurovirology researcher to wellness advocate.

Christina Mather ’17, ’18N found an interest in health care while at the University of Rochester. She earned her first bachelor’s degree in microbiology and immunology across the street at the School of Arts & Sciences, where she participated in neurovirology research studies as an undergraduate, but craved more personal connections in her daily work.

“I have always had an innate passion for healing others and wanted a hands-on job where I could do just that,” Mather said.

Mather, who is originally from Rhode Island, knew the School of Nursing would be an excellent fit: “they welcomed diverse students like me from many different career paths in their program.”

The accelerated bachelor’s program helped Mather successfully start a career in the Neuromedicine ICU at Strong Memorial Hospital after graduation.

As an alumna, Mather found a supportive environment at the School of Nursing once again when she transitioned to a new role as a project nurse at the Center for Employee Wellness, and just recently, started to pursue her master’s degree in the Family Nurse Practitioner specialty.

Being part of the Employee Wellness team has helped Christina channel her love for preventative medicine.

How did the School of Nursing prepare you for what you’re doing at your current job?

The biggest lesson I learned from the School of Nursing is that nurses, first and foremost, are their patients’ most prominent advocates. I aim to advocate and educate my patients in my everyday practice.

Why did you choose the University of Rochester Medical Center to start your nursing career?

My health assessment lab instructor, Jenna Gonillo-Davis ’15N (MS), encouraged me to pursue a career in critical care nursing in Strong Memorial Hospital’s Neuromedicine ICU, where she works as a nurse practitioner.

The Neuromedicine ICU welcomed me into my first nursing role and supported me through all the challenges that come with being a new bedside nurse. My preceptors, co-workers, and patients helped me foster strong critical thinking skills and inspired me to pursue a degree as an FNP in the future, hopefully specializing in neurological rehab.

Most importantly, URMC supported me after a severe car accident that shattered my right lower leg and left me physically unable to fulfill the role of a bedside ICU nurse. They provided me with both excellent medical care and job security, and connected me to new career opportunities when it became clear I could no longer work in the Neuromedicine ICU.

I never imagined that there could be so many different types of nursing careers out there. While grieving the loss of my identity as a bedside nurse, I wasn’t sure what jobs would be physically feasible for me to pursue. The School of Nursing’s Center for Employee Wellness helped reignite my passion for nursing and has supported me as I advance my education.

What do you find most rewarding about being a nurse?

I love that I can go home every day and feel like I have accomplished at least one tangible thing, whether it is helping educate a client on their risk factors for cardiovascular disease or even providing vaccinations to various clients the Center for Employee Wellness serves.

Alumna Melisande Ploutz ’13N (MS) finds her niche as a national and local advocate in cleft and craniofacial care.

The first time Melisande Ploutz ’13N (MS) took care of a patient with cleft palate, she was working as a registered nurse in Golisano Children’s Hospital’s (GCH) pediatric surgical suite and pursuing her master’s as a pediatric nurse practitioner at the University of Rochester. She realized quickly that cleft and craniofacial care was a specialty area she wanted to stay in.

A decade after joining GCH’s Cleft and Craniofacial Center as its nurse practitioner and team leader, Ploutz is now being recognized at a national level for her leadership and expertise. At the beginning of 2023, she started a three-year term as the only nurse on the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association’s (ACPA) board of directors.

“This is a very big goal achieved for me,” said Ploutz, who had previously served as chair of the ACPA’s Care Coordination special interest group.

Ploutz has known since her first year as a bachelor’s of nursing student at Case Western Reserve University that working with children was her dream. Originally from Geneva, New York, she returned to the region after college to work at GCH, first in the pediatric intensive care unit, and later, the pediatric surgical suite.

Building relationships with patients and families affirmed Ploutz’s instinct to pursue a career in pediatric nursing. In her current role, she has a unique opportunity to be part of her patients’ lives both before they are born and throughout their childhoods. The first babies she treated as a nurse practitioner are now turning 10 and 11 years old.

“This is the type of specialty where the patients become family,” Ploutz said. “I meet moms and families when they’re expecting babies and get some abnormalities in the ultrasound. I provide that initial contact and reassurance that no matter what their child is born with, we are going to be able to take care of them, they are in great hands, and we know how to handle it.”

Children with cleft and craniofacial differences might see as many as nine specialists in a two- hour visit. Utilizing their combined expertise, the team comes together to conference on patients and create individualized treatment plans for each child they see. After earning her master’s degree from the University of Rochester, Ploutz said she gained the knowledge and confidence to practice autonomously and lead the interdisciplinary team of surgeons, dentists, psychologists, speech-language pathologists, and other specialists to provide the best care.

Throughout her career at GCH, Ploutz has been passionate about pursuing professional development opportunities. She often encourages newer colleagues to work with their administrators and attendings to set aside administrative time for joining organizations, getting involved in special interest groups, going to conferences, and pursuing continuing education opportunities.

Former Associate Dean of Education and Student Affairs Pamela A. Herendeen, ’09N (DNP), PNP-BC, a senior nurse practitioner at GCH, recognized Ploutz’s leadership skills and sense of curiosity early on in her graduate education.

“Mel is a strong patient and family advocate,” Herendeen said. “As a student, she was a curious, smart, and engaged learner who set high goals for herself.”

Ploutz’s eagerness to grow as a leader and continue her education has not only been beneficial to herself and her team, but to patients and families, too. In addition to her work with the ACPA, Ploutz completed a lactation counselor training course through the Healthy Children Project’s Center for Breastfeeding in 2021. A mother of two, she was interested in learning more about lactation support, and sought to incorporate it into her clinical practice.

“Any baby with a medical problem can benefit from breast milk and breastfeeding. In my specialty area, it’s tricky, because many babies with facial anomalies might not be able to feed at the breast,” she explained.

She offers counseling on pumping for parents when a baby’s facial anomalies prevent them from breastfeeding, and supports them in getting a breast pump, learning how to use it, and creating a schedule. She also supports parents’ transition to breastfeeding when babies are able to do so.

It’s an area of cleft and craniofacial care that is often overlooked, but Ploutz hopes to change that, and aims to inspire other nurses to pursue the certification she received. At the ACPA’s annual conference in May, she spoke at a session for nurses with the presentation “A Beginner’s Guide to Lactation Counseling: Educating and Empowering Families of Newborns with Clefts about the Benefits of Breast Milk.”

Since she became a certified lactation counselor, Ploutz said she has seen an uptick in breast milk production and breastfeeding among families the GCH Cleft and Craniofacial Center sees.

Her leadership experience has empowered her to step out of her daily clinical setting and into the world to advocate for individuals with cleft and craniofacial differences. She currently travels around the region to present to fellow nurses, pediatrician’s offices, and elementary school classes.

Answering the call to care

Kaitley Wozer ’18N

Since graduating from the University of Rochester (SON) in 2018, Kaitley Wozer ’18N has plunged into her career, moving back to serve her hometown community of Buffalo, New York as a labor and delivery nurse. While working, she’s also pursuing her doctor of nursing (DNP) practice degree.

As a student, Wozer was the recipient of the McLouth Scholarship, an award established in 2002 with a gift from the estate of School of Nursing supporter, Charles McLouth III, which provides scholarship assistance to nurses with high potential who need financial aid.

Scholarships are critical to attracting and retaining the best and the brightest students, ensuring that they not only can attend the SON, but that they can stay. Wozer’s story is just one of many that demonstrate scholarships can make all the difference to lift those who answer the call to care.

“I chose the University of Rochester’s School of Nursing because of its excellent reputation, overwhelmingly positive personal accounts from current and former students, and the ability to start my new career in nursing in such a short amount of time,” she says. “I appreciate every penny of my scholarship, and I can assure you that I will return that generosity in my own work.”

Here, Wozer gives an update and talks about her latest passions, pursuits, and personal growth.

How has your life changed since your graduation?

I graduated from the School of Nursing five years ago. That’s when I returned to my hometown to be with my family and started working at Buffalo General Medical Center on a med/surg/tele unit. I was there for two years, including the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic. My SON education prepared me well and made my transition to practice smooth.

Now, I work at the nearby John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital as a labor and delivery nurse, where I assess and treat high-risk laboring patients, perform operating room circulation for cesarean sections, work in the obstetrics triage center, and evaluate and treat medical complications in the peripartum period. In my nursing experience, I have also practiced as a nurse preceptor, oriented new nurses, and served as a charge nurse on my units.

In the last few years, I also got married and had my first baby, who is now 13 months old!��

In what ways have you continued learning?

In the fall of 2020, I went back to school to pursue my DNP degree at the University at Buffalo in the Family Nurse Practitioner program with the desire to provide care across the lifespan. I am halfway through my program and about to start my clinical rotations with expected graduation in May of 2025. I am in school part-time so that I can continue working at the job I love in the hospital while studying.

I have also really enjoyed my role as a graduate assistant, where I work with undergraduate nursing students to teach them clinical skills in the laboratory setting. I also assist with simulation exercises in med/surg, pediatrics, obstetrics, and end-of-life care by running scenarios and leading debriefing sessions. I love guiding the undergraduate nursing students, because it brings me back to my time at SON, where clinical simulation scenarios greatly enhanced my learning and our clinical skills labs set the foundation of my nursing skills that I use every day at the hospital. I feel privileged to contribute to the education of my future coworkers and people who will care for those in my community.

What is something you’ve learned in the last few years about yourself?

I have always known that I’m someone with too many interests for my own good—so I thought. When I switched from my former career path in virology research to nursing, I was nervous that I would just want to switch to follow some other passion in a few years.

What I have realized now in is that nursing is the perfect field for someone like me who has many interests and passions. If you discover an area that interests you, you can switch specialties without requiring another degree. If you want to increase your depth of knowledge within your specialty, you can go on and receive a nursing certification or attend continuing education seminars, which are in abundance. If you want to teach, you can do so at the bedside with your patients, you can precept new nurses, or earn another degree in nursing education. If you find you like to lead and manage, you can become a nurse manager, a charge nurse, or the head of a committee at your hospital. If you like research, you can conduct quality improvement research projects right on your unit without switching jobs or earning another degree or go back to school for your PhD or DNP in nursing. If you want to change the level at which you provide care, you can go back to school to become a nurse practitioner.

Where do you see yourself a year from now?

I plan to continue working as a labor and delivery nurse and continue teaching in the undergraduate nursing program. Once I graduate, I hope to work in an outpatient women’s health clinic. Eventually, I also want to teach in undergraduate and graduate-level nursing programs.

What do you find most rewarding about being a nurse?

I see nursing as the most rewarding profession there is. When you have the heart for it, nursing allows you to give every cell of your being to caring for others, which fills you with joy, fulfillment, and breathes life back into your tired body at the end of a shift. Nursing asks you to think critically, collaborate with other health care professionals to solve problems, and to be the eyes, ears, nose, and hands at the bedside.

— Emily Gillette, April 2023