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By Kenya Godette

On Nov. 2, two distinguished faculty in the Ellmer School of Nursing, part of Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at �һ�������Ƶ Dominion University, were inducted as Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) during a ceremony at the annual Health Policy Conference in Washington, D.C.

Associate Professors Tina Gustin, DNP and Kelli Garber, DNP, were recognized by peers within and beyond the nursing profession for their contributions to the advancement of public health – a significant milestone in their professions.

Dr. Gustin described her designation as the biggest honor she will have in her nursing career. For Dr. Garber, being inducted next to her “mentor and friend,” Gustin, made the achievement even more meaningful.

Drs. Gustin and Garber will join more than 3,000 Fellows who represent the nations most accomplished leaders in nursing academia, administration, research, practice and policy. Fellows contribute their expertise to the Academy through collaboration with national and global healthcare leaders to improve health outcomes and equity through advocacy and innovation.

“To be selected through the rigorous application process and be included in the company of so many incredible nurses from around the world is an achievement that I will always cherish,” Dr. Garber said.

Dr. Garber is a pediatric primary care nurse practitioner with more than 28 years of experience in private practice, school-based health and virtual care. She is an expert in telehealth and contributed to the statewide development and expansion of school-based telehealth in South Carolina. At �һ�������Ƶ, she is director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Advanced Practice Program and is leading efforts to develop school-based health in the �һ�������Ƶ Community Care Program – the University’s community health program that solves challenges faced by rural and underserved populations. She serves on many state and national boards and recently completed a gubernatorial appointment to the South Carolina Board of Nursing.

Dr. Gustin has more than 35 years of advanced practice nursing experience. She is the co-director of the Ellmer College of Nursing Center for Telehealth Innovation, Education, and Research (C-TIER) - a national telehealth learning hub and research center. She has served as the Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-PI for grants totaling more than $6 million aimed at populations served through Community Care initiatives and was at the helm of the development of its partnership with People in Need (PiN) Ministry, and most recently, the Virginia Beach Housing Resource Center aimed at providing free and charitable healthcare for the unhoused population in Virginia Beach. She is the clinical manager for the Pediatric Telehealth program at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters. She serves on several local, state and national boards and organizations. She served as the telehealth advisor for the Virginia Mental Health Access Program, is a community board member for PiN Ministry and is on the Center for Telehealth and eHealth Law advisory board. 

Drs. Gustin and Garber will join five FAANs at �һ�������Ƶ Dominion, bringing the University’s total to seven inductees:

• Jeffrey Doucette, DNP – Adjunct Instructional Faculty in the Ellmer School of Nursing
• Deborah Gray, DNP – Clinical Associate Professor in the Ellmer School of Nursing
• Janice Hawkins, Ph.D. – Assistant Professor in the Ellmer School of Nursing
• Robert Hawkins, DNP – Adjunct Instructional Faculty in the Ellmer School of Nursing
• Carolyn Rutledge, Ph.D. – Professor and Eminent Scholar in the Ellmer School of Nursing

This is just the latest accolade for the Ellmer School of Nursing, recently awarded the 2024 silver ranking for quality standards programs from the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics. These awards and the recognition of its faculty “add to the prestige of the school,” according to Gustin. Both Drs. Gustin and Garber thank their colleagues and leadership within the school for their continued support that enabled them to aim high and pursue achievements like this one.

The cohort of FAANs leverage their membership to advance nursing locally and globally, making changes through innovative practices, advanced research and expanded community health initiatives.