NAPNAP Welcomes New President Raji Koppolu
One-year term begins July 1. Former president Dawn Garzon Maaks will step into immediate past president role
NEW YORK, July 1, 2019 – The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) is pleased to announce that Rajashree (Raji) Koppolu, RN, MSN, CPNP, MSL, has assumed the office of president of the association on July 1. She succeeds Dawn Garzon Maaks, PhD, CPNP-PC, PMHS, FAANP, who will step into the immediate past president role.
“Rapid changes in the healthcare environment require that we craft creative ways of providing care to meet the needs of our pediatric population,” said Ms. Koppolu. “During my presidency, I hope to highlight the powerful and distinctive voice of pediatric-focused advanced practice nurses in our efforts to support the health and wellbeing of infants, children, and adolescents. I look forward to working with fellow NAPNAP members to advocate for improved access to care and health outcomes for all children while advancing NAPNAP’s strategic focus on the future of pediatric health care.”
Ms. Koppolu has more than a decade of experience as a pediatric nurse practitioner. In addition to serving as the manager of advanced practice at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, she works with the general surgery service, providing direct clinical care to complex pediatric surgery patients in both inpatient and ambulatory settings. She holds a Bachelor of Science in biology from Tufts University, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. She completed her nursing master’s degree at the University of California – San Francisco and obtained her Master of Study in Law at the University of California – San Francisco Hastings College of the Law.
A member of NAPNAP since 2004, Ms. Koppolu has been actively involved in the organization since joining, holding multiple local and national volunteer positions in the organization. Ms. Koppolu has spoken across the nation on a variety of clinical and professional topics, including the value and benefits of incorporating NPs into pediatric specialty practices.
“Over the past decade, Ms. Koppolu has worked tirelessly to advocate for the advancement of the role of the nurse practitioner, including serving as NAPNAP’s Health Policy Chair and obtaining her Master of Study in Law to better understand the professional healthcare landscape through policy and regulation,” said NAPNAP Executive Director Cate Brennan, MBA, CAE. “Her unique experiences and background in both healthcare and law will help propel NAPNAP even further as a national leader in child health rights.”
Along with Ms. Koppolu, other members begin their term on NAPNAP’s Executive Board today, including: President-elect Jessica Peck, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC, CNE, CNL, FAANP, Secretary Jennifer Sonney, PhD, APRN, PPCNP-BC, Members-at-large Schnese Boddie-Williams, BSN, RN, CPNP-AC, Teri Woo, PhD, CPNP-PC, CNL, FAANP, Cathy Woodward, DNP, FNP, CPNP-AC and Nominations Committee member Daniel Crawford, DNP, RN, CPNP-PC, CNE.
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For Immediate Release
July 1, 2019
Contact:
Justin T. Worsley
917-746-8299 * [email protected]
The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) is the nation’s only professional association for pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs) and their fellow pediatric-focused advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who are dedicated to improving the quality of health care for infants, children, adolescents and young adults. Representing more than 9,000 healthcare practitioners with 20 special interest groups and 50 chapters, NAPNAP has been advocating for children’s health since 1973 and was the first NP society in the U.S. Our mission is to empower pediatric-focused PNPs and their interprofessional partners to enhance child and family health through leadership, advocacy, professional practice, education and research. NAPNAP.org
