Section Chair – Kimberly Dishman, MSN, WHNP-BC, RNC-OB
Kim is an Advanced Practice Nurse with more than 11 years of clinical experience in women’s health nursing. She works with women through the lifespan to improve quality of life and health by promoting a healthy lifestyle, family planning, and treatment of minor illnesses or conditions. In her current role, she works for the Saint Luke’s Health System as the Clinical Education Specialist for Obstetrics nursing. She volunteers locally to improve the health of women and children in Kansas as the Secretary-Treasurer for AWHONN. Kim likes sleeping in late, caffeine, and she may be slightly dependent on Chipotle. She has been known to binge watch Netflix originals.
Treasurer & National Emerging Leader – Brianne Fallon BSN, RNC-OB, C-EFM
Bree started her career in 2004, in a tertiary care facility, providing high risk intrapartum and antepartum care. In 2010, she moved to Children’s Mercy, and helped open the Fetal Health Center. In 2013, Bree took the position of Clinical Educator for Perinatal Services at Shawnee Mission Medical Center. Bree loves teaching ACLS-OB and AWHONN Fetal Monitoring classes, and above all, running obstetric emergency simulations. This year, Bree was selected by AWHONN to the Emerging Leader Program. The Emerging Leaders Program engages nurses in a formal, year-long leadership train-ing program. Activities include guidance from mentors, networking events, meetings with Members of Congress, continuing education opportunities, and other experiential training to build confidence and leadership skills.
Section Legislative Co-coordinator – Heather Scruton MBA, MSN, RNC-OB, CEFM
Heather is currently with Children’s Mercy Hospital. She graduated from the University of Kansas School of Nursing with a BSN in 1997 and in 2014 received her master’s degrees in nursing administration and business Administration from the University of Mary.
She currently serves as the Coordinator of Perinatal Education for one of the country’s first Maternal/ Fetal Medicine programs located within a pediatric hospital and has presented nationally in the areas of nursing innovation in fetal medicine and the use of simulation competency validation. She has worked in high-risk obstetrics for over 15 years.
Section Legislative Co-coordinator – Susan Thrasher, DNP, APRN, RNC-OB, C-EFM
Susan is a nurse practitioner at Overland Park Regional Medical Center, a tertiary care hospital located in suburban Kansas City. She has more than 15 years of high-risk nursing maternal care experience and has taught AWHONN Intermediate Fetal Monitoring for six years.
She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at Wichita State University and her scholarly project is focused on prevention of heart disease in women with a history of preeclampsia.
Professional Development Coordinator – Heather Aylward, MSN, RN
Heather obtained her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Nursing in 1999 from Emporia State University and her Master’s of Science in Nursing, Organizational Leadership, from the University of Kansas in 2015. Since 2011, she has served as the Director of the Women’s Life Center at Newman Regional Health in Emporia, Kansas. The Women’s Life Center is the home to a level 2 nursery, post-partum, labor and delivery, and pediatrics. In 2013, Heather helped obtain the High 5 Award from the United Health Ministry Fund and made the hospital the 4th location in the state to obtain the award. Currently, she is active in the March of Dimes serving as site coordinator for the Lyon County Becoming a Mom program, Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait Advisory Committee Chair, and member of the MOD State Program Services Committee. She serves as the LATCH (Lactation Associates Teaching Community Health) committee chair and a member of the Kansas Organization of Nurse Leaders. Being from a rural hospital, AWHONN has played a major role in helping provide evidence-based practice at her facility and to her staff. She is looking forward to participating on the Kansas Section in the new role of Professional Development Coordinator.
Kansas City Metro Chapter Co-coordinator – Mallorie Suffield, MSN, RNC-OB, C-EFM
Mallorie began her career as a Labor and Delivery nurse in 2010 after graduating with a BSN from the University of Kansas School of Nursing. She just recently graduated from Fort Hays State University with a Master’s in Nursing Education in 2017. Mallorie currently works as a labor and delivery nurse at Overland Park Regional Medical Center and enjoys assisting with educational opportunities throughout the hospital and also works as clinical faculty at the University of Kansas School of Nursing. She holds certifications in Inpatient Obstetrics and Electronic Fetal Monitoring and is an NRP and AWHONN Intermediate Fetal Monitoring Instructor. She enjoys reading, spending time with her husband and two dogs, and drinking coffee while watching Netflix! Mallorie has been a member of AWHONN for many years and is excited to see what opportunities lie ahead!
South Central Kansas Chapter Coordinator – Taylor Troll, BSN, RN, C-EFM
Taylor obtained her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from the University of Saint Mary in 2018. She began her career as a labor and delivery nurse at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita where she provides family centered care for high-risk antepartum and intrapartum patients. She began her involvement with AWHONN as a nursing student and is now the Chapter Coordinator for South Central Kansas. She holds her C-EFM certification and is passionate about providing Spinning Babies interventions and education to her patients and their families. In her free time, Taylor enjoys spending time with her husband and fur-baby, Olivia Benson (a pit mix that they call Benny for short), taking spin classes, and finding new vegetarian recipes to try!
Communications Coordinator – Stacey Eason, MSN, APRN, CNM
Stacey graduated from Hesston College in 1997 with her associates of arts in nursing and Fort Hays State University in 2016 with her BSN. Most recently, she completed her MSN in midwifery at Frontier Nursing University. She has held several staff nurse positions working in labor and delivery since starting as a new grad in an LDRP unit. She also spent nine years working with home birth midwives, where she gained her passion for truly caring for women and supporting their birth choices. She currently works at Wesley BirthCare Suites in Wichita but is hoping to obtain a full scope certified nurse midwife position soon. She also intends to pursue a post graduate certificate to become a psych/mental health nurse practitioner so she can provide a much-needed service to pregnant and postpartum people who are suffering with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. All babies deserve healthy parents, and this includes mentally healthy!
KANSAS RURAL WEB BASED CHAPTER
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NEW MEMBER COORDINATOR
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