TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing recently presented alumna Kimberly Ingram, associate commissioner for mental illness of the Alabama Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, with its Janet S. Awtrey Distinguished Nursing Leader Award.

A 1982 graduate of UA’s Capstone College of Nursing, Ingram has oversight of seven psychiatric hospitals, a psychiatric nursing home serving more than 5,000 people annually, and contracts with 24 mental health centers serving more than 100,000 seriously mentally ill individuals.

“Commissioner Ingram is an outstanding example of what one can accomplish and how one can give back,” said Dr. Sara Barger, dean of UA’s Capstone College of Nursing, in presenting the award.

“Last summer when I realized we had more qualified students wanting to begin nursing courses than we had space to accommodate, I called Commissioner Ingram and asked for help,” Barger said. “Within a week, and with the help of Mr. David Gay, the director of Bryce, she had located space for class, a 26-bed skills lab, and even found hospital beds to put in it.”

In accepting the award, Ingram addressed UA’s nursing students, telling them that when she was in school the faculty in UA’s nursing college “always told me that learning should be life long.

“Just like you, I was sure that if I ever got out of here I wouldn’t ever set foot in class again, but in three years I was back in graduate school and learning new things about nursing and leadership,” Ingram said. “I also began to look for ways to get involved in my profession and give something back.

“There are always others watching your practice. Whether it is the nursing assistant on the floor, the younger relative, the LPN you work with, or someone in your neighborhood, you constantly have the opportunity to influence others to consider nursing as a career.”

The College’s award, named after Dean Emeritus Janet Awtrey, recognizes leaders in clinical practice or education for contributions made specifically to the Capstone College of Nursing and to nursing as a profession. Criteria include vision and creativity in nursing practice, unselfish caring and commitment to excellence in nursing.

Ingram began her career as a staff nurse at DCH Regional Medical Center and later became assistant head nurse in the Intensive/Critical Care Unit. She went on to serve as infection control coordinator for the University of South Alabama Medical Center.

Her career shifted following a move to Thomasville, and she became affiliated with the Thomasville Mental Health Rehabilitation Center. She rose through the ranks there, becoming director of the center in 1993. She has served in her present position for the past five years.

The Capstone College of Nursing, founded in 1976, graduates approximately 100 nurses a year from its baccalaureate program. Its graduate program for nurse case managers is one of the most innovative in the country. Partnerships with many of Alabama’s community colleges make obtaining a bachelor’s or master’s in nursing a realistic goal for registered nurses. With nearly 800 students and 28 faculty, the College supplies RNs and nurse case managers to many Alabama health care facilities and others throughout the United States. The College also runs a primary care clinic in rural Alabama to provide care for rural patients and rural learning experiences for students.