Who's Who

PRESS RELEASE

Rhode Island Nurse Practitioners name Allison Jedson the 2007 Nurse Practitioner of the Year

North Smithfield, RI, July 20, 2007 – Allison M. Jedson, MSN, RNP has been selected as the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) 2007 Rhode Island Nurse Practitioner of the Year. Ms. Jedson is one of only 51 such recipients of the AANP State Award for Excellence named annually, chosen from more than 115,000 Nurse Practitioners nationally.

This prestigious peer selected award is given to a nurse practitioner who demonstrates excellence in practice, research, NP education and community affairs; each of which Ms. Jedson has been actively involved in. A formal awards ceremony was held in June, in Indianapolis, Indiana at the AANP Annual National Conference and a state awards ceremony was held in September at the Rhode Island Nurse Practitioner Council’s annual dinner meeting.

Ms. Jedson has been a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner since 1997 and also holds board certification as an Occupational Health Nurse Specialist (COHN-S) from the American Board of Occupational Health Nurses. Ms. Jedson graduated magna cum laude from the University of Rhode Island for both her bachelors and masters degrees in nursing and she has been practicing in the fields of occupational medicine and urgent care for over 10 years.

Ms. Jedson’s primary practice is located at Landmark Hospital in the Occupational Medicine Department, North Smithfield, which serves northern RI and nearby Massachusetts. She also works in the emergency department at Kent Hospital, Warwick. She has recently been most instrumental in the federal government’s Kids into Health Careers initiative through the University of Rhode Island College of Nursing. Ms. Jedson has been establishing this program with the youth in some of Rhode Island’s high schools to encourage the pursuit of higher education in nursing.

Ms. Jedson is an adjunct professor in Nursing at the University of Rhode Island in both the undergraduate and graduate nursing programs. She is member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, Rhode Island State Nurses Association and the Rhode Island Nurse Practitioner Council where she serves as Chair of Public Relations. Ms. Jedson, who resides in West Greenwich, is married and has three children.

PRESS RELEASE

Peter Ginaitt Named 2007 Nurse Practitioner Advocate of the Year

Warwick, RI, – Peter Thaddeus Ginaitt has been awarded the distinguished Rhode Island State Award for Nurse Practitioner Advocate 2007 through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). This honor recognizes the effects of individuals, other than NPs, who have made a significant contribution toward increasing the awareness and acceptance of the nurse practitioner

Representative Ginaitt has been a Democratic member of the RI House of Representatives, District 22, Warwick, since his election in 1992. He is the Chairperson, Environment & Natural Resources and the Vice Chairperson, Health, Education & Welfare. In his role as state Representative, Rep. Ginaitt has been instrumental in supporting legislation for RI’s nurse practitioners as well as for all healthcare professionals and patients in our state.

Rep. Ginaitt graduated from the University of RI with a B.S. in resource development and went on to obtain an A.S. degree in Fire Science from CCRI in 1987. In 1995 he earned his Associate Degree in Nursing as an RN from CCRI. He is the Director of Emergency Preparedness at Rhode Island Hospital and a registered nurse, as well as a retired EMT and firefighter. He proudly makes his home in Warwick with his wife and two children.

Rep. Ginaitt has served on many committees in support of healthcare including the Traumatic Brain Injury Foundation, Long Term Coordinating Council, NCSC Forum on Healthcare, and the Warwick Cancer Council. He has been a long time advocate for stronger drunken driving laws and sponsored the legislation that lowered the legal blood alcohol limit to .08 in Rhode Island. I n the wake of the recent 2006-07 encephalitis cases, Rep. Ginaitt introduced a bill aiming to spot infectious trends before they become epidemics. Regrettably, Representative Ginaitt has recently submitted his resignation from the House of Representatives, but will continue his employment with Lifespan, and undoubtedly, his immeasurable support for healthcare in Rhode Island.