Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
When I was in third grade, I borrowed a book called “How Your Body Works” from my school library in Jackson Heights, NY. I was blown away!!! How awesome to learn about our wonderful bodies, and how they respond to challenges, and can often heal themselves. I was hooked. And as the daughter of a much-loved kindergarten teacher, perhaps I was destined to work in pediatrics. Years of babysitting and camp counseling strengthened that love of working with children and getting to know their families.
While in college as a biology major at Cornell, as I juggled options including med school and research, I discovered nurse practitioners (NPs) while volunteering at a local clinic. NPs do much of what doctors do, but the training is a little different, combining the “caring” focus of nursing with the “curing” focus of medicine. It’s been a great fit.
After getting my Master’s and NP training at Yale, I worked in Boston for a couple of years before moving “out west” to Amherst back in 1980. Here I discovered the joys of combining part-time Pediatrics with raising a family. Wonderful part-time gigs in public health, caring for children with special needs, practicing college health at U Mass, and providing urgent care broadened my skills. When my girls got older, I returned to my first love, primary care of children and adolescents. Prior to joining NAP in 2007, I worked as a PNP at Medical West/Riverbend in Chicopee and later at Sumner Pediatrics in Springfield. I’ve also taught Pediatrics in the U Mass graduate NP program.
I love the challenges of a daily variety of our patients’ ages, joys and concerns, and doing my best to help families! I have a deep respect for the hard job that parents do every day (and night). I know how stressful it can be to respond to various illnesses, and the ups and downs of growing children and adolescents in this ever-changing world, and feel privileged to be allowed to support and get to know NAP’s wonderful patients and families.
I live in Hadley with my husband, Bill. When not working, Bill and I love spending time with our families, especially our four wonderful grandsons!
Education
- Undergraduate: Cornell University, Bachelor of Arts in Biology, 1974
- Graduate: Yale University, Master of Science in Nursing, 1978
Memberships and Certifications:
- ANCC Board Certified
Interests
- Travel, skiing, paddling and local live music
- Conversational Spanish