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.”
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
###
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.