NAPNAP Receives Grant from CDC for Nurse Practitioner Education and
Knowledge Assessment of Lyme Disease
Organization to create resources, disseminate information as part of federal project.
NEW YORK, Oct. 14, 2021 – Although most common in northern areas, Lyme disease has been reported in nearly every state and the incidence rate has nearly doubled in the last three decades. Without diagnosis and treatment, the disease can spread to joints, the heart and the nervous system. In response to this growing health concern, the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) is proud to announce its Nurse Practitioner Education and Knowledge Assessment for Lyme Disease initiative, made possible by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“This partnership with the CDC represents a new model of program development and dissemination for NAPNAP,” said NAPNAP Executive Director James H. Wendorf. “Under the Cooperative Agreement, our team will work closely with our colleagues at the CDC’s Division of Vector-borne Diseases. We are pleased to be selected by the CDC for this important opportunity to develop innovative solutions for the more than 325,000 nurse practitioners and the millions of people they care for each year.”
Under the grant, NAPNAP is planning a health care provider needs assessment of knowledge, attitudes and behaviors about the disease to guide resource development based on current CDC guidelines. Anticipated resources include a public-facing microsite to host pediatric-focused educational content and toolkit materials for providers and patient resources, continuing education about the disease at the organization’s national conference, and public outreach through a radio media tour targeted to key states and social media campaigns to increase public awareness.
“Due to the difficulty of diagnosing and long-term effects of Lyme disease, it’s important for health care providers and patient families to be aware of the early signs of the disease and to act quickly,” principal investigator Heather Keesing, MSN, RN, APRN, commented, “Children, especially those aged 5-9, are one of the most at-risk populations for the disease and NAPNAP hopes the resources we develop will help minimize the cases and improve outcomes in the future.”
NAPNAP was awarded funding for the campaign via the CDC’s Mobilizing Pediatric Provider Networks: An Education and Training Initiative to Prevent and Control Infectious Disease Threats federal award project. The project will run through the end of September 2024.
# # #
The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) is the nation’s only professional association for pediatric-focused advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) dedicated to improving the quality of health care for infants, children, adolescents and young adults. Representing more than 8,000 healthcare practitioners with 18 special interest groups and 53 chapters, NAPNAP has been advocating for children’s health since 1973 and was the first APRN society in the U.S. Our mission is to empower pediatric-focused advanced practice registered nurses and key partners to optimize child and family health. www.NAPNAP.org
