Dean of the School of Health Dr. Margaret Hattori-Uchima this summer was awarded the 2016 American Association of Nurse Practitioners Advocate State Award for Excellence at the AANP National Conference in San Antonio, Texas.

The award recognizes the efforts of those who have made significant contributions toward increasing awareness and acceptance of nurse practitioners.

“As the Dean of the UOG School of Health, I feel it is my duty to advocate for advanced education in nursing which leads to an improvement in the quality of health care,” Hattori-Uchima said. “Many UOG BSN graduates have gone on to obtain advanced degrees and are now nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse midwives, and other advanced practice registered nurses (APRN). I am proud to advocate for our APRN alumni and colleagues. They truly provide quality care and fill gaps in our health care system.”

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) is the largest professional membership organization for nurse practitioners of all specialties.  It represents the interests of more than 205,000 nurse practitioners, including approximately 65,000 members and 200 organizations, providing a unified networking platform and advocating for their role as providers of high-quality, cost-effective, comprehensive, patient-centered and personalized health care.  The organization 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 nurse practitioner patients and other health care consumers.