HPD Perspectives Magazine Summer/Fall 2019

16 | DR. PALLAVI PATEL COLLEGE OF HEALTH CARE SCIENCES In 2013, Morrow Nelson spearheaded another novel enterprise called the Interprofessional Diabetes Education and Awareness (IDEA) initiative, which has become a resounding success. “I started the IDEA initiative after being asked to create a diabetes walk team. We had the capacity to do much more than just a walk,” she explained. The American Diabetes Association shared that there was a huge need for diabetes education in Broward County, so Morrow Nelson created facul- ty-led student interprofessional teams to develop diabetes prevention and management workshops for the community. “Today, we have 14 different profes- sions involved and average about 9 faculty-led teams of 7 or 8 students each,” Morrow Nelson said. “We collect data each year using our Institutional Review Board- approved research protocol and have disseminated the information at more than 10 professional conferences.” TRIALS AND TRIUMPHS SHAPE OUTLOOK For most of her adult life, Morrow Nelson focused on pursuing educational goals and achieving career success in the academic arena. In 2013, however, she met the love of her life, Brian Nelson, an NSU University School teacher, whom she married on March 15, 2014. A few years later, the Nelson family expanded with the birth of daughter Emily on May 24, 2016, and son Caleb on November 2, 2017. “I had my first child at 41 and my second child at 43,” said Morrow Nelson. “Becoming a mother has been the most amazing experience and a true blessing. I had three miscarriages prior to Emily being born, so when I got pregnant with her, there were several factors that made my doctor quite surprised it was possible. She was clearly a gift from God.” Despite the joys that come with being a new mom, Morrow Nelson is the first to admit that juggling two toddlers and a demanding leadership role at the PCHCS can be challenging. “It definitely keeps me on my toes. I am naturally intentional about how I spend my time and energy, and having children has caused me to be even more focused,” she admitted. “Each day, I ask myself how I can use the gifts I’ve been given to serve those around me and be a good steward of those gifts,” she added. “Sometimes, I make the decision to take an afternoon off and spend quality time with my kids. Other times, I must work late and try to make it home in time to put my little ones to bed. I know they will not always be little, so I have made it a priority to spend as much quality time with them as possible.” INNOVATION AND POSSIBILITIES Because she innately takes the time to savor life and assist others, Morrow Nelson is always seeking ways to maximize her commitments. “What drives and energizes me is the opportunity to be innovative— to build opportunities, infrastructure, and initiatives to address unmet needs or to improve the quality of an organization, initiative, or individual life,” she explained. “I can usually see potential or possibili- ties, and I enjoy creating collaborative part- nerships to achieve collective potential,” Morrow Nelson and her animal-assisted therapy dog, Katie, interact with attendees during a Health Professions Division stress relief event. PLANNING TO MORROW continued from page 15