Scholarships & Awards

Nurse Practitioner Healthcare Foundation/Alpharma Pain Management Award Recipients 2008-2009

Lisa Stone Spiegel, RN, BSN

Lisa Stone Spiegel, RN, BSN—is currently working on her Master of Science in Nursing degree in the Family Nurse Practitioner Program at the University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida. Ms. Spiegel received a community health award for her work with the Boys and Girls' club, which is among her many volunteer services. Her career as an RN has included the areas of hospice care, home health care, pediatrics, geriatrics and state health department. She currently works in home health care. The NPHF/Alpharma Pain Management Award will be used to identify barriers to and promote effective pain management in non-English speaking patients and to provide health care providers sound information to help provide effective pain management for this population.


Katherine A. Kelly, RN, DNP(c), FNP-C, CEN

Katherine A. Kelly, RN, DNP(c), FNP-C, CEN—is currently finishing her studies for the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree in family practice at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado. Ms. Kelly works as a nurse practitioner in a Northern California emergency department (ED) and is a full-time faculty member at California State University, Sacramento, teaching advanced medical-surgical and critical care nursing. Ms. Kelly is a gifted lecturer who was pivotal in developing the Simulation Learning Center at the university. The NPHF/Alpharma Pain Management Award will be used to study the volume and characteristics of chronic pain patients who seek relief from the emergency department and the impact on ED resources.


David E. Grant, MSN, RN

David E. Grant, MSN, RN—is currently studying for his Post-Master's degree as a family and palliative nurse practitioner at the University of Alabama, Birmingham School of Nursing in Birmingham, Alabama. Mr. Grant works full-time as a nursing instructor for Jefferson Community and Technical College in Louisville, Kentucky. Mr. Grant has worked as a palliative care nurse and continues to volunteer with Hospice and Palliative Care of Louisville. Mr. Grant developed the program "Building up Nurses" targeted at encouraging nurses in long-term facilities. He also started the Writing Group at his college to encourage nurse professors to write research and opinion articles. The NPHF/Alpharma Pain Management Award will be used to produce educational media to help train healthcare professionals in assessing and managing pain in patients who are cognitively impaired and palliative/end-of-life care.

Carrie Smith, RN, BSN, CHPN, WCC

Carrie Smith, RN, BSN, CHPN, WCC—is currently completing her studies for her Master of Science in Nursing in family nurse practitioner at Western Carolina University in Chandler, North Carolina. Ms. Smith currently works as the Director of Pain Management and Director of Wound Care for The Hospice and Palliative Care Center of Mitchell County. She is requested by local physicians for her expertise to complete palliative care consults for their patients who are not yet ready for hospice care. The NPHF/Alpharma Pain Management Award will be used to evaluate methadone's role in pain management and to find an effective protocol for methadone's use as a cost-effective treatment for geriatric hospice patients.