“We need you now more than ever,” said David Brown, President of Academic Medical Centers at Mass General Brigham. “The skills and knowledge you gained here at the IHP – thanks to your hard work and with the steady support of the institute’s faculty, staff and employees — has provided you with the solid foundation needed to build a fulfilling future.”
Student speakers looked at how they ended up in the ballroom with the other graduates.
Kayla-Paige Flynn, a member of the Direct-Entry Master of Science in Nursing who was selected to give the Commencement address said, “In preparing this speech, I couldn’t help but reflect on how we got here. From a young age, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in psychiatry, though I wasn’t exactly sure what that would look like. Then I learned about the role of a psychiatric nurse practitioner, and everything clicked.”
The journey wasn’t always easy but when there were challenges, there were some benefits according to Akshaya Kannan, a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology graduate who was selected to give the Commencement address for the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and the School of Healthcare Leadership ceremony.
“Setbacks aren’t the end, they’re just steppingstones in our journey,” said Akshaya. “I know it seems like we should have everything figured out by now, but the truth is, this is just the beginning, and we should be proud of everything we’ve accomplished thus far.”
There were a few opportunities during the celebration to see what the future could hold. Dr. Kevin Whitney, a graduate of the MGH Institute Doctor of Nursing Practice program, who was named President and Chief Operating Officer of Cooley Dickinson Hospital in March, shared the words of the author Harvey Mackay during the School of Nursing Commencement: “A great accomplishment shouldn’t be the end of the road, just the starting point for the next leap forward.”
Two awards were given to alumni, including the Emerging Leader Alumni Award, which goes to an IHP alumnus who graduated within the past 10 years, and who has demonstrated outstanding leadership and made significant contributions to their professional discipline and/or health care in general. The recipient was Daniel J. Kahn, a triple degree holder from the MGH Institute. He received his BSN and MSN in 2016, and last year received the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). He practices at the Fenway Community Health Center, serves as preceptor, and is an adjunct assistant professor at Institute, teaching the next generation of clinicians.
The Bette Ann Harris Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest form of recognition awarded to a graduate of the Institute, named in honor of the Institute’s first master’s degree graduate, BA Harris, is given to an alumnus who has demonstrated exceptional leadership, achievement, and service in advancing health care. This year’s recipient is Elizabeth Harlow Hassan, who has been a nurse since 2009 and serves as the Director of Nursing Education and Professional Development for the University of Vermont Medical Center, the sole tertiary care facility in Vermont.
Several others were also honored during Commencement, including Peter Brown, a former TV news director, Partners HealthCare executive, and longtime public relations leader who has spent two decades giving back; he earned the ninth honorary doctoral degree in the Institute’s history. Three retiring faculty members also earned the title of professor emerita: Jeannette Ives Erickson bestowed the titles to the current interim dean for the School of Nursing, Dr. Patricia A. Reidy, Dr. Elaine Tagliareni, who served as Interim Dean of the School of Nursing from August 2019 until August 2021, and Dr. Diane Smith, Professor of Occupational Therapy and Doctoral Capstone Coordinator in the Department of Occupational Therapy,
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