County Commissioners Honor Nurse Practitioners
As president of the Nurse Practitioner Council of Miami-Dade, Jessica MacIntyre, M.S.N., ARNP, director of clinical operations at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, accepted a proclamation from the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners and the Office of the Mayor honoring all of the county’s nurse practitioners and declaring Nov. 12-18 Nurse Practitioner Week in Miami-Dade County.
From left, Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava; Jacinto Garrido, the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners’ state representative; Dalissa Tejera, ARNP at Sylvester; Pamela Dudkiewicz, ARNP at Sylvester; Jessica MacIntyre, M.S.N., ARNP, with proclamation; Marie Jeannette Charles, lung cancer screening ARNP; Adrienne Vazquez, survivorship ARNP; Maritza Alencar, co-leader for the nurse practitioner fellowship program; second from right, back row, Nicholas Ramos, program coordinator in the School of Nursing and Health Studies; and right, Johis Ortega, associate professor in the School of Nursing.
The week was celebrated nationally, and MacIntyre was surrounded by fellow nurse practitioners from the University of Miami Health System, the UM School of Nursing and Health Studies, and Jackson Health System for the Nov. 21 ceremony at county hall.
“There are more than 250,000 licensed nurse practitioners in the United States, with over 22,000 ARNP’s licensed by the state of Florida, providing high-quality, cost-effective, patient-centered personalized health care,” says the proclamation presented by Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava. “In addition to providing clinical services, nurse practitioners focus on health promotion, disease prevention, health education, and counseling to guide patients to make smarter health and lifestyle choices, which makes them true partners in the health care of their patients.”
Nurse practitioners have been taking on more and more responsibility to help improve patient care. From coordination of care after the first appointment, to follow-up, to support services, to providing referrals to other physicians or practices, nurse practitioners spend a great deal of time with patients and so contribute immeasurably to the patient experience.
They also prescribe medications and run clinics for primary care, including all the new UHealth Clinics at Walgreens. Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center nurse practitioners are leading Florida’s first oncology nurse practitioner fellowship program.
“Nurse practitioners provide health care to people of all ages in diverse health care settings such as private office practices, hospitals, long-term care facilities, schools, state and local health departments, managed care facilities, and retail-based clinics,” the proclamation says. “Miami-Dade County is proud to recognize all those who devote themselves to the nursing profession and to salute all nurse practitioners for their contributions to our residents’ well-being and health.”
MacIntyre addressed the commission as she accepted the proclamation. “Thank you, Commissioner Levine Cava, for your support in promoting advancements in nursing and for championing this proclamation,” she said. “Miami-Dade County has the highest number of nurse practitioners in the State of Florida, and we are very proud to represent this group and the important part we play in our community as providers in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
“There is a quote by Mother Theresa that encompasses our compassion to our profession: ‘It is not how much you do, but how much love you put into the doing that matters.’
“Thank you for all you do for our community and for this honor.”
Tags: Jessica MacIntyre, Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners, nurse practitioners, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Health System