Hello! I have been on faculty at University of Texas at Arlington, School of Nursing (UTASON) since 1980 (seems like yesterday). I have had major responsibility for teaching in the Nurse Practitioner program and have served as Principal Investigator on several large grants. Specifically, I teach the Advanced Role course and a major clinical course, Adult Management. I will also include a new assignment in the doctoral program focusing on clinical research.

Special Interests & Clinical Expertise

I have been a certified Family Nurse Practitioner since 1981 with an active clinical practice for most of those years. I have provided care in an independent NP practice model, in women's health, and family practice. I have directed several funded demonstration projects featuring an expanded clinical model known as Community Partnership Primary Care and new NP practice models.

Currently, I am in a family medicine practice where I see the gamut of patients but I have a primary clinical and research focus on clinical prevention of chronic illness (CVD & Diabetes primarily). Over the past few years our practice has been one of the few to use advanced lipid measures & emerging measures for CVD on a regular basis to guide aggressive medical management. We are also actively involved in innovative lifestyle change programs currently known as the TienaHealth Game of Health. We also have several programs for obese patients as we see this as a major risk reduction area in which primary care can assume a critical role.

Research Interests

My research has been associated with my clinical practice. The major topics include:

• Clinical practice models for primary prevention in primary care
• Specialty programs for CVD risk assessment and medical management including lifestyle change
• A comparison of advanced lipid measures with traditional measures & associated patient outcomes
• Innovative educational interventions that incorporate music & imagery in CVD risk factor reduction
• Specialty programs for overweight & obese individuals

• 1998, Amiga Award, Near Northside Partner's Council
• 1995, Fellowship in National Competition of 37 fellows, Health Care Forum San Francisco
• 1994, Statewide Award Partnership Action for Healthy Communities Project, Texas Depatrment of Health
• 1993, Fellowship in National Competition of 30 fellows, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Primary Care Policy Fellowship
• 1993, Outstanding Nurse Practitioner in the State of Texas, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
• 1991, First group of Great 100 Nurses Award, Texas Nurses Association

• N5305, Adult Management I
• N5331/5631, Clinical Preceptorship
• N5350 Advanced Nursing Role
• N5420, Adult Management II
• N5431, Family Nursing

• 1997 - Present, Associate Professor, University of Texas at Arlington
• 1996 - 1997, Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Arlington
• 1993 - 1996, Specialist, University of Texas at Arlington
• 1989 - 1993, Principal Investigator/Project Director for Community Partnership Primary Care, University of Texas at Arlington (50%) Texas College Osteopathic Medicine (50%)
• 1987 - 1989, Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Arlington

Education

• BSN    Texas Women's University, Denton, TX, 1971

• MSN   Texas Women's University, Denton, TX, 1974 (Cardiovascular CNS)   

            Thesis: Learning Needs for Open-Heart Surgery Patients as perceived by Patients, Families, and Nurses

• PhD    Texas Women's University, Denton, TX, 1979 (Nursing)

             Dissertation: Social Learning Theory and Recovery from Myocardial Infarction

• MS/Special Student, University of Texas at Arlington, (1981) (FNP)