An Unexpected Partner in the Feinstein Fellowships
Type: News
Focus Area: Workforce Development
When Regina Demasi, DNP, BSBA, APRN, FNP-BC, a family nurse practitioner in West Virginia and assistant professor of nursing at the University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community College, first came across the Feinstein Fellowships while finishing her doctorate, it felt like the right fit—not just professionally, but personally.
Having worked in primary care and hospice, her passion for end-of-life care runs deep. That passion has not only shaped her own path but also inspired a generation of international nursing students stepping into the complex world of American health care.
“I’ve always been drawn to death and dying,” Demasi shared. “I feel we don’t do a good job in America… we're missing the boat with some of the patients who should avail themselves to more of a hospice situation, but they don’t know, or they don’t think they have a choice.”
Benedictus Atsu Hlormenu, RN, Christiana Ocheche Johnson, RN, and McPeter Owusu, RN are 2025 Patient Safety Fellows from the University of Rio Grande.
Her experience is more than academic. During her participation in the Death & Dying Fellowship in 2023, her father fell gravely ill. She took family medical leave and moved six hours home to care for him, ultimately guiding his hospice journey and being by his side during his final days. That time only deepened her commitment.
Regina’s passion extends into the classroom. She actively mentors international graduate nursing students—many of whom are unfamiliar with American healthcare systems—and encourages them to embrace and consider participating in the JHF’s Patient Safety Fellowship.
“I always try to encourage the students to step out of their comfort zone. It’s a great opportunity for them to collaborate with other disciplines and start to think about patient safety,” Demasi said.
University of Rio Grande is located in Southeastern Ohio and led by Ryan Smith. Under his leadership, the University’s healthcare degree programs have been named among best in America. In the beginning of 2025, the University slashed tuition rates for Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees to address workforce shortages. Rio Grande is the nation’s only combined public community college and private university. This allows students to get an affordable education with offerings of certificates, associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees it offers.
The four-plus-hour drive to learn doesn’t deter them.
Over the past two years, JHF has accepted eight international students from the University of Rio Grande to its Patient Safety Fellowship, including Abednego Dovlo, Hadiza Lawal, Josna Ebi John, Lydia Namutebi Kakungulu, Oluwakemi (Alice) Ogundeji, Benedictus Atsu Hlormenu, Christiana Ochehe Johnson, and McPeter Owusu.
“As an internationally educated nurse and graduate student, this fellowship is vital to me because it’s a unique opportunity to understand the U.S. healthcare system, network with other students and established leaders in the healthcare industry to learn how they are implementing interventions to ensure patient safety. The fellowship has also broadened my understanding on areas where patients’ safety is being compromised and how to handle them,” 2025 Patient Safety Fellow Benedictus Atsu Hlormenu said.
The fellows echo Demasi in saying the fellowship is a perfect complement to the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) role many pursue as CNSs often work within hospital systems to identify breakdowns and develop evidence-based protocols that protect patients.
“As a Clinical Nurse Specialist student at the University of Rio Grande, currently taking courses like Healthcare Technology & Informatics, and a Registered Nurse at Clearvista Behavioral Health, I’ve seen how tools like ObserveSmart enhance patient safety in mental health care. The JHF fellowship expanded my understanding of how AI can build on these tools by predicting risks and supporting real-time clinical decisions. This experience is shaping how I plan to integrate both education and innovation into advanced nursing practice to improve outcomes,” said fellow Abednego Dovlo, BSN, RN.
