Fall 2025 Alumni Service Award

 

Inspired by her grandmother, a certified caregiver, Pamela Jones, BSN ’93, MSN ’07, decided on a career in nursing while in seventh grade. The influence from her grandmother never faded, prompting Jones to become a two-time College of Nursing alumna.

 

After completing her bachelor’s degree, she began her nursing trajectory as a staff nurse on the optical medical-surgical unit. Interested in taking on leadership roles, she became a unit manager in a long-term care facility for a few  years before shifting gears into radiation oncology at then-Beaumont Hospital, which is now part of Corewell Health.

 

Jones returned to MSU to pursue her family nurse practitioner MSN. Upon graduation in 2007, Beaumont Hospital created a nurse practitioner position specifically for her. In her new role, Jones participated in a community outreach initiative where providers for common cancers and chronic diseases offered free screenings in the community to underserved populations in Detroit.

 

While in her master’s program, Jones had a clinical at the Michigan Institute of Urology (MIU) in Troy, MI, which she enjoyed. When a nurse practitioner role opened at the clinic, she sprang at the opportunity to return and has remained there since.

 

At MIU, Jones guides advanced prostate cancer patients through their treatment plans. Although not always easy, she finds it rewarding to see her patients experience a better quality of life and longer life expectancies through treatment.

 

Jones’ service to the others does not end with her role at MIU. She serves on the health ministry of New Providence Baptist Church in Detroit. Jones has previously co-led initiatives such as back-to-school immunization events and community health panels, which often focused on health concerns that disproportionately impact Black communities. Jones has also participated in  panels as a prostate cancer specialist.

 

Since college, she has been a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (AKA), an international organization founded over a 100 years ago by college-educated Black women with the mission to encourage unity, community service, and the pursuit of higher education. Jones helped establish the Farmington Hills chapter of AKA in December 2024. Their initiatives have included mentoring middle school girls to grow their confidence and self-esteem and adopting a school to provide meals for students facing food insecurity to take home over the weekends.

 

According to Jones, service is a part of who she is. She believes everyone has a responsibility to contribute to their community in some way. Jones' dedication to serving her patients and community perfectly encapsulates the Spartan Nurse spirit.