Fun, Festivities, Special Tributes and Unique Honors Celebrate 100 Years of Fabulous
AUSTIN, TEXAS — Nurse practitioners (NPs) across the country celebrated Dr. Loretta Ford’s 100th birthday with special events, multitudes of tributes and prestigious awards and honors.
An event in Florida on December 27, hosted by the Florida Nurse Practitioner Network and sponsored by American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) Fellow Dr. Ed Neuzil, featured a parade of decorated golf carts and other forms of transportation parading in front of Dr. Ford’s home, horns blazing and flags waving in celebration of the auspicious occasion. A highlight of the event was the awarding of the U.S. Surgeon General’s Medallion to Dr. Ford. The Medallion is the highest honor given to a civilian by the Public Health Service and the U. S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps for actions of exceptional achievement to the cause of public health and medicine. Surgeon General of the United States, Vice Admiral Jerome M. Adams, and his Chief of Staff, AANP Fellow Captain Joel Dulaigh, provided a video presentation of the award, and AANP President Sophia Thomas presented the medal to Dr. Ford in person. Also announced at the celebration was the creation of the AANP Loretta Ford Centennial Scholarship that will award five $10,000 educational grants to AANP members who are registered nurses (RNs) currently enrolled in an accredited Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program.
On January 9, following the 2021 AANP Fellows Winter Meeting, more than 1,000 NPs, family and friends gathered together (virtually) to honor Dr. Ford at the 100th Birthday Bash and to share special thoughts and wishes with her. AANP Fellow Dr. Jacinto Garrido performed a special birthday song that he wrote to honor her, and AANP Fellow Dr. Cindy Cooke led the assembled well-wishers in singing the traditional birthday song. Additionally, in commemoration of Dr. Ford’s 100th birthday, on December 28 (her actual birthday) a flag was flown over the U.S. Capitol in her honor. That flag has been delivered to Dr. Ford.
If you were in attendance (either in person or virtually) at one of the events and want to relive the festivities or want to see what all of the excitement was about, please take time to view the birthday video.
Please enjoy the recording of AANP's 100th birthday tribute to Dr. Loretta Ford.
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The American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) is the largest professional membership organization for nurse practitioners (NPs) of all specialties. It represents the interests of the more than 290,000 licensed NPs in the U.S. AANP provides legislative leadership at the local, state and national levels, advancing health policy; promoting excellence in practice, education and research; and establishing standards that best serve NPs' patients and other health care consumers. As The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner®, AANP represents the interests of NPs as providers of high-quality, cost-effective, comprehensive, patient-centered health care. To locate an NP in your community, visit npfinder.org. For more information about NPs, visit aanp.org and WeChooseNPs.org. For COVID-19 information from AANP, visit aanp.org/COVID19.