Alumni Awards

Mrs. Deaton is a graduate of St. John’s Hospital School of Nursing, class of 1963. She spent most of her professional life at St. Francis Hospital in Litchfield, Ill. She held multiple positions from staff nurse to chief nursing officer. While working in this rural hospital, she had state, national and world-wide nursing experiences that furthered our profession.

She was an early champion of RN-BSN as well as MSN programs. Obtaining her BSN from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (SIU-E) in 1986 and her MSN from SIU-E in 1995. Throughout her career, Bev was a mentor to others, encouraging them with formal education, as well as the pursuit of specialty certifications.

Bev promoted education for nurses and physicians alike. As a member of NAACOG and then AWHONN, she was an instructor, as well as instructor trainer, for electronic fetal monitoring. She also taught neonatal resuscitation. For new and expectant parents, she taught childbirth preparation and lactation courses. Because of her expertise, Bev also had the opportunity to serve as an expert witness in malpractice cases, assisting in the defense of claims against nurses.

Throughout her career, Bev strove for excellence in the care of mothers, infants and their families. It does not matter the size or location of the health care institution, excellence in care to all patients matters. When the federal government introduced the Critical Access Hospital initiative, she worked with the St. Francis Hospital Board of Directors to apply for and gain this designation. This provides reimbursement for Medicare dollars at an increased rate, assisting rural hospitals to remain open and able to care for the citizens of their communities.

Bev has served on multiple committees and boards, including the St. John’s Alumni Board. She also served on AWHONN boards at local, state and national levels. As the national president of AWHONN, she was able to participate in a cultural nursing exchange to Asia. I may have the quote incorrect, but she said of that trip, “While the conditions are not what we are used to by USA standards, they really are doing the best they can with their available resources. It is important to encourage other health care professionals as they care for people especially mothers and infants worldwide.”

Throughout her career she has been a mentor to others.

Bev officially retired from nursing in 2011. However, her lifelong passion of nursing remains part of who she is, a St. John’s College alumnus who has made significant contributions to nursing.

St. John’s College of Nursing Alumni Association has selected Dr. H. Catherine Miller as the recipient of the 2020 Distinguished Alumna Award.

Dr. Miller is a 1970 graduate of St. John’s School of Nursing. She received a BS degree from Sangamon State University in 1981, a Master’s degree from SIU, Edwardsville in 1986, and completed her doctoral degree in Educational Organizations & Leadership, Higher Education Administration in 2009. Catherine was nominated by Ruth Nonneman, Gail Petro, Marsha McFall and Cindy Trainor.

This group of colleagues taught together at St. John’s School/College of Nursing. They accomplished their master’s degrees together and have remained friends ever since. A lifelong learner, Catherine continues to develop by attending current conferences (2019), presenting on varied topics that enhance excellence in nursing practice. Catherine has helped many communities through presentations and consulting.

As a faculty member Catherine was committed to teaching excellence in nursing through research-base theory and interventions. She always emphasized a caring approach that treated the patient as whole, with mind, body and spiritual needs.

Catherine served as the Assistant Director of St. John’s Hospital School of Nursing  from 1988 to 1990. Catherine emulates all the characteristics we hold dear when you look at the St. John’s Nursing pin and think excellence in all aspects of nursing.  has worked diligently through her career as a steward of quality nursing practice.

 Gail Petro worked with Catherine at St. John’s School/College of nursing and Illinois State University/Mennonite College of Nursing. In Catherine’s role as Associate Dean for Academics and Interim Dean, Gail always found Catherine to  be prepared for meetings able to answer all questions. Her sense of duty was foremost when she provided support for the curriculum, faculty and students. Review of the pre-licensure program course content, objectives, student progress and needs of the faculty were the underpinnings that guided Catherine each time they met. Catherine’s knowledge, guidance and strong work ethic is much appreciated. Her communication skills and ability to listen along with her passion for teaching were always evident when meeting.  

Most appreciated was Catherine’s knowledge of education and her lived  experiences with committee work at the university level and outside the university, that provided a strong base for us to make correct that supported the nursing program’s philosophy. Catherine was most supportive in talking with students  experiencing  difficulties in their education. She worked with diversity students through her development of a diversity grant to help them achieve their best in nursing.

Catherine’s love for history and her strong work ethic led her to create the 100th anniversary book of the history of Mennonite College of Nursing. Catherine is a great example of St. John’s core values for nursing, care, respect, competence and joy. Therefore, we nominate Dr. Catherine Miller as the 2020 Distinguished Alumni.  

Dr. Jill Engel serves as the Associate Vice President for Heart Services for Nursing, Operations & Patient Care Services and Interim Vice President (VP) and Service Line Executive of Heart & Vascular Services for Duke University Health System. Since starting her career at Duke, Jill has held a variety of clinical and administrative positions including Clinical Operations Director for Advanced Practice and Associate Chief Nursing Office for Heart Services. In addition to her leadership roles, Jill has maintained her bedside practice as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (NP) in the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit at Duke University Hospital where she staffs per diem.

Dr. Engel serves as a reviewer for The Journal of Nurse Practitioners and has published and presented nationally and internationally on a variety of clinical, operational and leadership topics, including Enhanced Recovery after Cardiac Surgery, Cardiac Surgery Advanced Life Support, advanced practice provider models of care.  Dr. Engel is a member of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, Sigma Theta Tau, the American College of Cardiology and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons where she serves on the Multidisciplinary Membership Committee. Dr. Engel is certified as a NP in Acute Care, Family and Adult specialties, and maintains her Critical Care RN (CCRN) and CCRN Cardiac Surgery Specialist certifications as well as her Nurse Executive Advanced Certification. Dr. Engel was inducted as a fellow into the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners in 2011 and completed the GE Health Management Academy Nurse Executive Fellows Program in 2018.

Dr. Engel received a Diploma in Nursing from St. John’s Hospital School of Nursing in 1985 and completed a BSN, MSN and Post-Masters’ NP Certificate from the University of Illinois in Chicago. Dr. Engel completed a Doctor of Nursing Practice and became a Post Doctorate Quality Implementation Scholar at Duke University School of Nursing in Durham, NC where she also serves as Clinical Associate Faculty. Jill lives in Morrisville, North Carolina with her husband Samuel who is the Associate Dean of Education at Campbell University.  

Kelly graduated from St. John's School of Nursing in 1991 and initially followed her passion for labor and delivery. She states that Mrs. Vann was instrumental in her first career choice of delivering babies! She met her husband, a Springfield native and they both moved to Ohio in 2003.  Kelly continued her career as being a labor and delivery nurse while her and her husband started a family.

At the age of 35, Kelly was diagnosed with stage 2b breast cancer. A devastating diagnosis for happily married mother of two boys (ages 3 and 6).  After healing from treatment, Kelly wished to return to school to further her education so that she might make a difference in the lives of nursing students, her community and other cancer survivors. She is very involved in breast cancer survivor-ship. Especially, the long-term effects of treatment and how to assess and manage them.  She has an article that will be published next month in the Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing entitled: Improving Lymphedema Screening and Treatment for At Risk Breast Cancer Survivors.

Her Curriculum Vitae is impressive for all her recent accomplishments while raising two, now, teenage boys, keeping a husband happy, remaining a 10 plus year cancer survivor, working in the community and working full time educating nursing students the core values of what our nursing education provided for us back in 1991. Her life experience offers a unique perspective not only to her students but to her colleagues and patients.

Kelly truly demonstrates our core values: innovation, leadership, competence, life-long learning, justice, mutual respect, stewardship and wholism inclusive of caring, joy and spiritual growth.