Nurse Practitioner Week celebrated Nov. 8-14

As the president of Southwest Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners, I am proud to announce Nov. 8-14 as Nurse Practitioner week. Our state organization will celebrate its 36th birthday in 2010 with more than 1,400 members. Southwest became members of the Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners in 1997 and we now have more than 50 members. The purpose of the council is to increase the awareness of nurse practitioners as a health care provider option.
Nurse practitioners have been providing excellent primary care for several decades.
We are able to diagnose and treat acute and chronic illness in children and adults. The nurse practitioner is an important factor in helping our nation improve health care outcomes and lower our health care costs.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank our patients who have ranked us as among the most highly trusted health care practitioners.
Our goal is to continue to be an integral component of quality health care for years to come.

Linda A. Davidson
Bristol, Va.

Davidson is a family nurse practitioner and president of the Southwest Council of Nurse Practitioners.