Education Congress surpasses expectations
ORLANDO, Fla. Retail Clinician, a publication of the Drug Store News Group, in conjunction with the Convenient Care Association, hit a major milestone in August as it held here the Inaugural Retail Clinician Education Congress—a highly successful event that marked the first and only educational conference specifically focused on the retail clinician.—
Attendance for the event surpassed expectations as more than 300 nurse practitioners from around the nation gathered for the event held Aug. 11 to 13 at the Gaylord Palms Resort.
Amid the backdrop of an overburdened U.S. healthcare system and rising healthcare costs, the role that these clinics play grows increasingly vital. There are about 1,000 clinics in operation, and it is estimated that by the end of 2008, some 1,500 clinics will be in operation nationwide.
In addition to a robust lineup of speakers and education sessions, the event recognized several key players who are helping to shape the industry through the first-ever presentation of the Clinician Awards for Retail Excellence (C.A.R.E.), which honored in-store practitioners for amazing examples of patient care.
Winners of the C.A.R.E. “unsung hero” awards, which honored retail clinicians for making a difference in patient’s lives, included:
Anita Wilson-Powell, RN, BSN, MSN, ANP-C, FNP-C, of Take Care Health Systems in St. Louis. Wilson-Powell helped save a child’s life by referring him to a physician who discovered the boy was suffering from meningitis.
Louise Berndt, FNP-C, of Bellin Health Fast Care in Green Bay, Wis. Berndt was recognized for her love of the profession and her work in diagnosing a patient with diabetes.
Dixie Childers-Bowman, CNP, of MinuteClinic in Columbus. Childers-Bowman was recognized for her work in establishing the MinuteClinic Fit Club, a wellness/fitness regimen for employees.
Wendy Wright, FNP, of Take Care Health Systems in Tampa, Fla. Wright, who has passed away, was honored and remembered as someone who loved being a nurse practitoner and touching patient’s lives.
Sandy Ryan, chief nurse practitioner officer of Take Care Health Systems, received the C.A.R.E. Leadership Award for her trailblazing efforts in the convenient care industry.
Receiving the C.A.R.E. Lifetime Achievement Award was Loretta Ford, who helped revolutionize the nursing profession 40 years ago with her work in co-founding the nation’s first pediatric nurse practitioner program.
In addition, the Convenient Care Association honored Retail Clinician editor-in-chief Rob Eder for his support of the retail clinic movement.