Take Care Health Systems' Sandra Ryan Honored with American College of Nurse Practitioners' Nancy Sharp Cutting Edge Award

Sandra F. Ryan, RN, MSN, CPNP, Take Care Health Systems’ Chief Nurse Practitioner Officer, was recognized as the 2007 Nancy Sharp Cutting Edge Award recipient at the American College of Nurse Practitioners National Clinical Conference in San Antonio this past weekend. The award, initiated in 1996 in honor of the ACNP’s first Executive Vice President, Nancy Sharp, is presented to an individual Nurse Practitioner (NP), nurse or lay person who has demonstrated extraordinary belief in NPs and contributed to the efforts to improve the image and visibility of the profession. The award is the most prestigious honor given each year by the ACNP. "The award’s selection committee and the ACNP Board of Directors enthusiastically agree that Sandra’s contributions to the Nurse Practitioner role and the convenient care industry are indeed worthy of this honor,” said Susan Apold, PhD, ANP, President of the ACNP who presented the award to Ryan at the weekend’s conference. "In recognition of many years of outstanding service and on behalf of and for nurse practitioners and their patients nationwide, the ACNP is proud to bestow this award upon Sandra.” The recipient is recognized for improving the awareness of NPs through various contributions, including demonstrating effective efforts "above and beyond" the ordinary role responsibilities called for in their position and on behalf of the nurse practitioner community. "Sandra’s leadership within the emerging convenient care industry has helped to place nurse practitioners at the forefront of delivering accessible patient care,” said Nancy Sharp, MSN, RN, FAAN, Senior Nurse Consultant, ACNP. "Sandra has helped to demonstrate how valuable NPs are within our healthcare system.” As Chief Nurse Practitioner Officer for Take Care Health Systems, one of the largest managers of convenient care clinics and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walgreens, the nation’s largest drugstore chain, Ryan is one of six founding officers of Take Care Health Systems, and is the first Chief Nurse Practitioner Officer in the convenient care industry, paving the way for nursing leadership in this new model of healthcare. Ryan is the direct line of leadership for the hundreds of NPs at the company, spearheading many initiatives, including: strategic direction for clinical operations; quality assurance programs and clinical protocol development; patient safety standards and guidelines; and implementation of the NP bonus program measuring critical items of success. Ryan was instrumental in the development of a proprietary electronic medical record system, ensuring its creation from the NP’s point of view. Ryan has over 24 years of nursing experience, ranging from pediatrics to geriatrics. She has worked in multiple clinical settings, from charge nurse to director of ambulatory services to pediatric nurse practitioner. A highly decorated veteran, Ryan proudly served 16 years in the United States Air Force as a nurse corps officer and as a stellar Air Force leader in diversified clinical settings. Ryan has been recognized as a proactive champion for children, a supporter of preventative health care practices, and a driving force within the U.S. military health system towards a more customer-driven environment. Ryan is co-chair of the Convenient Care Association’s Clinical Advisory Board and was instrumental in the development of the association’s Ten Quality and Safety Standards for the convenient care industry. "We are incredibly proud of Sandra’s leadership and accomplishments,” said Peter Miller, Take Care Health Systems President and CEO. "As one of the founding officers of our company, the first Chief Nurse Practitioner Officer in the industry, and a CCA Board member, Sandra is a phenomenal individual and a true visionary for NPs across our company and throughout the industry.” "Sandra’s passion for the NP profession has always been at the forefront of her mind. Her advocacy for NPs is profound and her impact has been tremendous,” said Hal F. Rosenbluth, Chairman of Take Care Health Systems, Sr. Strategy Consultant for Walgreens and Immediate Past President of the Convenient Care Association. About Take Care Health SystemsSM Take Care Health SystemsSM (www.takecarehealth.com), one of the largest managers of convenient care clinics, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walgreen Co. (NYSE, NASDAQ: WAG), the nation’s largest drugstore chain. Convenient care clinics managed by Take Care Health Systems combine best practices in medicine and the expertise and personal care of Take Care Health ProvidersSM in providing high-quality, accessible and affordable health care to all individuals. The company manages 83 health care clinics across eight markets. Take Care Health Systems uses nationally recognized clinical guidelines, industry standards set forth by the Convenient Care Association (www.convenientcareassociation.org) and an electronic medical record system to ensure the highest quality care. The company maintains a detailed quality assurance program including collaborating physician review to ensure quality care, patient safety and state scope of practice compliance. Patient care is provided by Take Care Health ServicesSM, an independently owned state professional corporation established in each market. About American College of Nurse Practitioners (ACNP) The American College of Nurse Practitioners (www.acnpweb.org) has been on the leading edge of representing all nurse practitioners (NPs) on federal and national policy, as well as professional and practice issues for more than a decade. ACNP’s mission is to ensure a solid policy and regulatory foundation for NP practice which promotes accessible, high-quality healthcare. ACNP’s unique membership includes individual nurse practitioners, as well as affiliate memberships for state and national nurse practitioner groups. ACNP represents the interests of over 30,000 nurse practitioners nationwide.