Meet Our Outstanding MSN Faculty

Jane Savage RN, PHD, CNE, LCCE, FACCE Jane S. Savage, Associate Professor and Coordinator, has a clinical background in mental health nursing and nursing care of childbearing women. In addition, her lifelong work in nursing education and childbirth education led her to receive a PhD from the University of New Orleans in Curriculum and Instruction. Jane has been a Lamaze certified childbirth educator for over twenty-five years. Her program of research concerns women's health, during the childbearing years. Currently she serves as a co-investigator of a NIH RO3 funded study examining models of prenatal care, stress reduction, and the experience of disaster recovery.

"The work of a nurse educator is lifelong, I chose to become a part of the nurse educator community at Loyola University, New Orleans. The School of Nursing has an international reputation as center of excellence for nursing education. This accomplishment is a tribute to the hard work of an accomplished nursing faculty and a visionary leader."

Barbara A. Bihm RN, DNS Barbara has been a nursing educator for approximately 35 years. She has taught in generic baccalaureate programs as well as diploma school of nursing. Loyola University has been her home for about 20 of those 35 years. Currently, she teaches courses in both RN-to-BSN Program and in the Master's Program.

Most of Barbara's clinical experience has been in medical-surgical nursing, however over the years gerontological nursing has been an area of concentration. Her bachelor of science degree in nursing is from the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now University of Louisiana at Lafayette) and she holds a Master's in Nursing from Boston College; She received a Doctorate in Nursing Science from Louisiana State University-Medical Center (now Louisiana State University-Health Sciences Center) here in New Orleans.

Barbara's research focus has been on issues surrounding the care of the elderly. The use of restraints in acute care setting and mechanisms to avoid falls, and the relationship between using sitters and the incidence and severity of fall are her latest investigations.

Kim Barrilleaux Brannagan, RN, PhD., MBA, MSN, BS Ed. An Assistant Professor of Nursing at Loyola University New Orleans, Dr. Kim Brannagan's educational background began with the completion of a bachelor's in Business Education, minor in marketing, from Nicholls State University, Thibodaux, LA in 1986.

After teaching for three years, she decided to further her education, completing a bachelor's in nursing and an MBA in May 1993 from Nicholls State University. She began her professional nursing career in the neonatal intensive care step-down unit with Woman's Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She then moved into a position in the education department of a hospital in Houma, Louisiana. After serving two years as a nurse educator, Dr. Brannagan moved into the position of Marketing Director for the same hospital serving on several administrative and planning committees, conducting marketing research, and assisting nursing units with organizational design through management engineering methods.

After deciding to return to school to complete a master's in Community/Public Health Nursing, she accepted a position as Director of University Health Services at a local university. She completed her masters in nursing from Louisiana State University in May 2000. During this time she taught several courses as an adjunct faculty member in the college of business (management and marketing courses) and freshmen studies while serving as Health Services Director for 7 years.

She began a doctorate program in nursing and moved into a full time faculty position in the College of Education teaching courses in health promotion and wellness. She completed her PhD in nursing in May 2006 and joined the Loyola faculty in July 2007. Her areas of research interest include health promotion, physical fitness, and mentoring among nurses.

Heidi Landry, RN, DNS is an Associate Professor of Nursing. Her Doctorate of Nursing Science and MSN degrees are from Louisiana State University Medical Center. Dr. Landry has extensive experience in administration, education and home health. Her research, grants and publications are in the area of home health nursing.

Mary Oriol, RN, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Nursing. She holds a Master of Science degree with a major in mental health nursing from University of Southern Mississippi and a DrPH in health systems management from Tulane University School of Public Health. She has extensive experience in leadership positions in health care organizations and in nursing education. Her research interests and publications include quality management, patient safety, and health systems.

Gail Tumulty, RN, PhD is a Professor of Nursing in the Health Care Systems Management Program. She teaches nursing leadership, health policy, and research. She received her master's and bachelor's degrees from Saint Louis University and her Ph.D. in nursing from the University of Texas at Austin. She is certified in nursing administration, advanced, and is noted for her international work to improve the profession of nursing, particularly with developing countries in the Middle East. Her research interest is health care system and work redesign and she has numerous publications on this topic, presenting both nationally and internationally.

Michael Landry, RN, DNS, is an Associate Professor of Nursing, having completed both a Doctorate of Nursing Science and a Masters in Nursing Science from Louisiana State University Medical Center, with a specialization in Nursing Administration. He is currently working on a post-doctoral certificate in Nursing Informatics, and completion of an MBA degree.

Dr. Landry has extensive experience in nursing leadership and management in a variety of heath care organizations. His clinical experience as a nurse includes ICU, mental health, and home care nursing. Dr. Landry has more than 11 years of nursing education experience; and currently teaches the finance, legal and ethical issues, theory, and practicum courses in the Loyola University Health Care Systems Management program. He is a successful grant writer, having received over $4.6 million in grant awards while on nursing faculty.

Dr. Landry's research and publications are in the area of mental health, home health nursing, nursing management, health care finance, and nursing ethical and legal issues. Current research interests are nurses and obesity, nursing informatics, health care finance, web-based nursing education, and roles for distance nursing faculty.

Beverly A. Anderson, RN, Assistant Professor, has more than 30 years of experience as an educator. Ms. Anderson holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biology from Dillard University and a Master of Science in Nursing from Texas Woman's University. She completed requirements for Family Nurse Practitioner at Louisiana State University Health Science Center and is currently a doctoral student at the University of New Orleans, College of Education in a Collaborative Doctoral Program, Curriculum and Instruction /Human Performance Health Promotion.

Ms. Anderson is actively involved in community partnership building. She has published and has been a speaker and presenter at several national conferences.

Lisa J. Linville, RN, JD, MSN, Assistant Professor, holds a Juris Doctor from Loyola University New Orleans and a Master of Nursing from Louisiana State University. She has held administrative roles in the hospital, home health, hospice and insurance industry venue. She has served as a legal nurse consultant in malpractice, employment and products liability litigation. She has held leadership roles as a compliance officer, risk manager, and performance improvement coordinator. She has been a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association since 1992 and is also a member of the hospice and palliative care nurses association.

Mary C. Foley, RN, MSN, Instructor, is a 2006 MSN graduate of Loyola's HCSM's program. Mary has her BSN from Loyola University, and ASN from Louisiana State University Health Care Science Center. Ms. Foley has years of experience in Community Health in the Home Health and Hospice arena. She has experience as a staff nurse as well as in management in home health and hospice. Ms. Foley also has experience in gerontological nursing and has been a supervisor in several nursing homes. Ms. Foley is the Parish Nurse at Christ the King Catholic Church, in Terrytown, La. Ms. Foley has been a member of Sigma Theta Tau since 1997 and member of the American Nurses Association. She is enrolled in a doctor of nursing program.

Ann H. Cary, RN, Ph. D., MPH, Professor and Director for the School of Nursing, has been in the field of higher education for 25 years as a champion for professional nursing, higher education, public health nursing and interprofessional practice. Currently, she is Director and Professor of the School of Nursing at Loyola University New Orleans and a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Executive Nurse Fellow for 2008-2011.

Cary is a program builder and initiator of new ventures, programs, and products. She has led doctoral programs in nursing as well as masters programs in nursing and in public health; and nonprofit ventures in consultation, research and education. She received her BSN from LSU in New Orleans, MPH from Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and PhD from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. She also earned a certificate in Leadership for the 21st Century from the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Public Policy and is a 2010 graduate of the Bryn Mawr Summer Institute for Women Leaders in Higher Education.

Cary has authored more than 70 publications and speaks frequently on leadership, public health and nursing, environmental health, case management, ethics and credentialing; federal and private grants for new programming to expand graduate education; and web-based professional development products. She provides consultation to higher education for curriculum development, credentialing, new program expansion, distance learning and grantsmanship, is a visiting faculty member for courses in public health and leadership. and provides international consultation. She was awarded a primary care policy fellowship in the US Department of Health and Human Services, and remains an active leader in interprofessional organizations as well as nursing. She was awarded the Phi Kappa Phi Recognition award in 2006, Outstanding Public Health Nurse Educator for Virginia and Great 100 Virginia Nurses in 1999.

Debra Copeland, RN, Ph. D., Associate Professor, received her Doctorate of Nursing Science and a Masters in Nursing from Louisiana State University Medical Center. Her MSN includes a specialization in parent-child nursing and she is NLN certified as a Nurse Educator. Dr. Copeland has extensive experience in nursing education and obstetrical nursing. Her research and publications are in the area of parenting issues of women with infants and maternal well-being. She is a member in the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses, Sigma Theta Tau International, and Southern Nursing Research Society.

Gwendolyn S. George, RN, DNP, FNP-BC, is an Assistant Professor of Nursing and coordinator of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program. She holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice from University of Tennessee Health Science Center (2008). She received her MSN from Northwestern State University (1996) and a BSN from Loyola University New Orleans (1991). The focus of her doctoral and masters education has been family nurse practitioner. Her role at Loyola's School of Nursing is as coordinator of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program and faculty member. Her teaching responsibilities have been in Advanced Health Assessment, Theoretical Perspectives in Nursing, Health Care Systems, Primary Care theory and Practicum in the Master's Program.

Prior to working in New Orleans, Dr. George was a clinical Instructor at Louisiana State University Medical School, in Shreveport, La., working at the HIV clinic in Monroe, La. Other positions included developing Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Care Centers. Her practice interest includes access and health policy issues and promoting the role of nurse practitioner in all health care settings.

Maritza Salgado, RN, DNP, FNP-BC, is an Assistant Professor of Nursing and is certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She is currently completing her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from The University of Tennessee Health Science Center and holds an MSN from Loyola University New Orleans. She received her ADN from Charity School of Nursing and her BS in Cell and Molecular Biology and Psychology from Tulane University. Ms. Salgado practices as a Family Nurse Practitioner at a local community health clinic and is actively involved in providing access to health care to the large Spanish-speaking community in New Orleans.

Cynthia Collins, DNS, MSN, BSN received both her Master of Science in Nursing and her Doctorate in Nursing Science (1999) from the Catholic University of America, in Washington D.C.; her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree was obtained from Niagara University New York. She is a certified Adult and Gerontological Nurse practitioner since 1983, and has practiced as a Nurse Educator, Nurse Practitioner and Nursing Administrator for over 30 years.

Currently Dr Collins is the Program Coordinator for Loyola School of Nursing Master’s level Nurse Practitioner program. She has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses in the following Universities: American University, The Catholic University of America, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, The University of Connecticut and Marymount University. She is a nationally recognized speaker on Advanced Physical Assessment of the Adult and Geriatric patient, and has authored several chapters in Nurse Practitioner review texts. Dr Collins served a five-year term as a content expert on the American Nurse Credentialing Center Board of Examiners (2005).

As a Nurse Practitioner she has practiced in a variety of settings, including: occupational health, student health, and varied community health centers serving the need of underserved populations in Connecticut and Texas.

In addition to experience as an educator, author and advanced practice nurse, Dr Collins has held executive positions as a Director of Nursing Education in a major Medical Center, Program Administrator and Supervisory Consultant for Health Care Services for the FBI, nurse grant consultant at the Division of Nursing (HHS), and as a nurse officer in the United States Air Force, where she was awarded the Air Force Commendation medal for establishment of a community workforce wellness program.

Dr Collins’ scholarly interests lie in the area of family and community support services for the aging and underserved populations at risk.

Laurie Anne Ferguson DNP, MSN, BSN has practiced as a Nurse Practitioner for 30 years. She is certified as an Adult, Family and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and has practiced in a variety settings in the NP role including ER, Occupational Health and Primary Care. She has been a nursing educator for 15 years and joined Loyola University in 2010. She maintains an active clinical practice in family practice rural Louisiana caring for patients of all ages.

Dr. Ferguson received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of San Francisco, her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and her Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston.

Her research and translational practice interest is in Health Literacy and its impact on health outcomes. Specifically her interest is on using video technology in the office setting to enhance patient education and understanding in managing health care and navigating the health care system. She is interested in health policy and has been active on the Louisiana Association of Nurse Practitioners Public Policy Committee.