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State Award for Excellence Recipients Announced

2023 State Award

Media Contact: Bryan Black

Meet the nurse practitioners and advocates being honored for their remarkable contributions.

AUSTIN, TEXAS — The American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) is pleased to announce the recipients of the prestigious 2023 AANP State Award for Excellence. Presented annually to nurse practitioners (NPs) and those who work to increase patients’ access to the high-quality care NPs provide, one NP and one advocate from each state, district or territory will be honored at the 2023 AANP National Conference in New Orleans on June 20-25.

Established in 1991 to recognize outstanding clinical quality, the AANP NP State Award for Excellence honors NPs for the lifesaving care they provide to patients. Added in 1993, the AANP Advocate State Award for Excellence marks its 30th year of highlighting efforts to advance the NP role.

“It is an honor to recognize nurse practitioners for the outstanding clinical care they provide year-round to patients in nearly every community and health care setting,” said AANP President April Kapu, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC, FAANP, FCCM, FAAN. “We are especially grateful to each of the advocates being recognized this year for their work to ensure patients have full and direct access to the health care provider of their choice. I’m looking forward to meeting all the 2023 AANP State Award for Excellence recipients at the AANP national conference in June.”

  • 2023 AANP State Award for Excellence Recipients

    Alabama
    Nurse Practitioner: Carolyn Dolan
    Advocate: Salisia Valentine

    Alaska
    Nurse Practitioner: Karen Friedl
    Advocate: Dr. Megan Volkov

    Arizona
    Nurse Practitioner: Dr. Lisa Kiser
    Advocate: The Honorable Joanne Osborne

    Arkansas
    Nurse Practitioner: Dr. Michelle Boone
    Advocate: Dr. Emma Murray

    California
    Nurse Practitioner: Andrew Penn
    Advocate: The Honorable Young Kim

    Colorado
    Nurse Practitioner: Amber Kohler
    Advocate: Karen Zink

    Connecticut
    Nurse Practitioner: Lindsey Maloney
    Advocate: The Honorable Vincent Candelora

    Delaware
    Nurse Practitioner: Nadya Julien
    Advocate: Pamela Zickafoose

    District of Columbia
    Advocate: Cathy Hampton

    Florida
    Nurse Practitioner: Dr. Debra Hain
    Advocate: The Honorable Jason Shoaf

    Georgia
    Nurse Practitioner: Dr. Dwayne Hooks
    Advocate: Robin Pingeton

    Hawaii
    Nurse Practitioner: Kathleen Page
    Advocate: Laura Trinkle

    Idaho
    Nurse Practitioner: Dr. Kristy Crownhart
    Advocate: Dr. Caroline Merritt

    Illinois
    Nurse Practitioner: April Odom

    Indiana
    Nurse Practitioner: Dr. Julian Gallegos
    Advocate: Tai Morrell

    Iowa
    Nurse Practitioner: Catherine Durflinger

    Kansas
    Nurse Practitioner: Amy Siple

    Kentucky
    Nurse Practitioner: Karen Scheich

    Louisiana
    Nurse Practitioner: Dr. Elliot Myers
    Advocate: The Honorable Joseph Stagni

    Maine
    Nurse Practitioner: Natalia Iantsevych
    Advocate: Dr. Julie Jenkins

    Maryland
    Nurse Practitioner: Dr. Margaret Rajnic
    Advocate: Dr. Claire Bode

    Massachusetts
    Nurse Practitioner: Patricia Walker
    Advocate: Karen Spilka

    Michigan
    Nurse Practitioner: Dr. Beth Ammerman
    Advocate: Dr. Ann Sheehan

    Minnesota
    Nurse Practitioner: Dr. Jane Anderson
    Advocate: Dr. Julie Sabo

    Mississippi
    Nurse Practitioner: Dr. Christy Davis
    Advocate: Dr. Tina Highfill

    Missouri
    Nurse Practitioner: Dr. Carla Beckerle
    Advocate: Dr. Kathleen Haycraft

    Montana
    Nurse Practitioner: Heidi Hunsucker

    Nebraska
    Nurse Practitioner: Kristi Eggers
    Advocate: Terry Thomas

    Nevada
    Nurse Practitioner: Kelly Slaughter
    Advocate: Dr. Cindy Pitlock

    New Hampshire
    Nurse Practitioner: Debra Fournier
    Advocate: Marcy Ainslie

    New Jersey
    Nurse Practitioner: Dr. Jeffrey Kwong
    Advocate: Brenda Marshall

    New Mexico
    Nurse Practitioner: Michelle Peacock

    New York
    Nurse Practitioner: Dr. Aluem Tark
    Advocate: Dr. Allison Norful

    North Carolina
    Nurse Practitioner: Dr. Ludrena Rodriguez
    Advocate: The Honorable Philip Berger

    North Dakota
    Nurse Practitioner: Dr. Kate Banley
    Advocate: Dr. Allison Peltier

    Ohio
    Nurse Practitioner: Kimberly Brazee
    Advocate: Dr. Mary Maloney

    Oklahoma
    Nurse Practitioner: Dr. Gina Crawford
    Advocate: Dr. Patricia Farmer

    Oregon
    Nurse Practitioner: Ellen Iwasaki
    Advocate: Dr. Robin Virgin

    Pennsylvania
    Nurse Practitioner: Dr. Kathleen Hirthler
    Advocate: Dr. Mary Jo Cerepani

    Puerto Rico
    Nurse Practitioner: Lydia Soto
    Advocate: Gloria Ortiz

    Rhode Island
    Nurse Practitioner: Jeanette Thibault
    Advocate: Suzy Barcelos Winchester

    South Carolina
    Nurse Practitioner: Deana Freeman
    Advocate: Dr. Deborah Hopla

    South Dakota
    Nurse Practitioner: Chelsie Promes
    Advocate: Erin Tobin

    Tennessee
    Nurse Practitioner: Dr. Brenda Dexter
    Advocate: Dr. Pamela Jeffries

    Texas
    Nurse Practitioner: Dr. Robin Hardwicke
    Advocate: Ilaria Reyes

    U.S. Virgin Islands
    Nurse Practitioner: Naita Salmon
    Advocate: Rene Crawford

    Utah
    Nurse Practitioner: Dr. Melissa Hinton
    Advocate: The Honorable Carol Moss

    Vermont
    Nurse Practitioner: Maureen Boardman
    Advocate: The Honorable Peter Welch

    Virginia
    Nurse Practitioner: Dr. Katie Katz
    Advocate: Dr. Kimberly Bednar

    Washington
    Nurse Practitioner: Linda Van Hoff
    Advocate: Devon Connor-Green

    West Virginia
    Advocate: Dr. Joe Ellington

    Wisconsin
    Nurse Practitioner: Dr. Traci Snedden
    Advocate: Robert Welch

    Wyoming
    Nurse Practitioner: Dr. Kristen Johnson
    Advocate: Dr. Kenda Huseby


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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 355,000 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. To locate an NP in your community, visit npfinder.com. For more information about NPs, visit aanp.org.

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