Fall/Winter 2002 - School of Nursing - University of Minnesota

Zorada Hoge continued from page 16
(AAEM). The AAEM put her in touch with Dr. David Morris,
a La Crosse, Wisconsin, allergist. The rest is history.
Diagnosed with multi-chemical sensitivities, Hoge was
given sublingual drops containing inhalant, chemical and food
antigens, as well as critical information for lifestyle management.
Hoge cites the Human Ecology Action League (HEAL)
and the Chemical Injury Resource Association of Minnesota
(CIRA), as integral to her health maintenance.
Now an 87-year-old widow, Hoge is still on a mission.
The picture of health and vitality, she lives independently in
her stylish Maple Grove apartment, determined to take her
quest to a new level. A $10,000 gift to the School of Nursing
has established the Zorada Hoge Nursing Research Fund in
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS). Its purpose is to engage
graduate nursing students and/or faculty in aggressive research
to raise awareness about MCS.
A symbol of Hoge’s pioneering spirit, the seed money is
also a gesture of gratitude for her public health education.
“With the knowledge I obtained from the “U,” I was able to
overcome this disease. It equipped me to be an analytical
thinker.” She adds, “I may have coasted along like any other
patient and never have gotten to the bottom of my problem.”
The benefactor hopes that someday a course will be
offered to inform nurses about this complex disease. “I want
the information to get out,” Hoge says. “The nurse is the perfect
person. If she’s informed, she can educate her patients.”
General practitioners, Hoge believes, “have no background.
When I was sick, I had to do most of the work myself.” But
Hoge envisions a future where informed nurses will advocate
for their patients, involving both the medical and public health
communities.
In fact, she is confident that if a pioneer can be found to
walk on the moon, another can be found to tackle the challenging
health issues of MCS on our polluted Earth.
For more information about the Zorada Hoge Research Fund in
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, contact Laurel Mallon, Director, U of
M School of Nursing Foundation, 612.624.2490, or e-mail:
mallo001@maroon.tc.umn.edu
(Jane Ellen Nielsen is an R.N. and holds degrees in Communications
and Human Services Planning & Administration.)
Fagin Provides Insights
Claire Fagin, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., consulted
with faculty and staff during a May 7-8, 2002
visit, providing insights and recommendations
for strategically positioning the University of Minnesota
School of Nursing as a valued University,
national, and international leader in advancing nursing
research/scholarship. Fagin is the Director of the
John A. Hartford Foundation National Program
“Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity.”
Leadership Professor Emeritus and Dean Emeritus of
the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, she
was the first woman to serve a term as Interim President
of any Ivy League University (University of
Pennsylvania, 1993-4). Fagin has also served on three
corporate boards, has been in elected and appointed
positions with many professional organizations, and
has received numerous honors, including the Distinguished
Scholar Award presented by the American
Nurses Association. Author of 11 books and monographs
and more than 90 articles, she was named a
“Living Legend” by the American Academy of Nursing
in 1998.
Internationally known nursing leader Claire Fagin, third from left,
spoke with faculty and staff at the School of Nursing, May 7-8, 2002.
Pictured from left to right are: Kathleen Krichbaum, Ph.D., R.N.,
Hartford/Densford Clinical Scholar; Jean Wyman, Ph.D., R.N.,
F.A.A.N., Hartford grant Program Director; Claire Fagin, Ph.D., R.N.,
F.A.A.N., Director of the John A. Hartford Foundation National
Program “Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity;” Donna
Zimmaro Bliss, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., Professor in Long Term Care
of Elders; Christine Mueller, Ph.D., R.N., Hartford/Densford Clinical
Scholar; and Diane Holland, M.S., R.N., Hartford Geriatric Nursing
Predoctoral Scholar.
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