The IPN Committee welcomes the Emerging Leaders Fellow and three nursing experts who have demonstrated success in the child health policy, advocacy, and community health arena:
Avis Johnson-Smith, DNP, RN, CPNP-PC, PMHS, FNP-BC, CNS, FAANP is the founder and owner of Healthy Kids and Families Wellness Center, LLC, a nurse practitioner clinic that provides primary care, developmental, behavioral, and mental health services for patients from birth to 22 years of age. She is committed to serving her patients and their families and empowering them to reach their optimal physical and mental well-being. A pediatric advocate for the past 26 years, Avis has impacted child and adolescent health care in Southwest Georgia by creating trailblazing opportunities that provided nontraditional avenues for children/adolescents and their families to access and receive quality healthcare. Avis, who is also a Professor in the FNP Program at Angelo State University, enjoys sharing her knowledge and passion for pediatric/adolescent nursing with future nurse practitioners so they can excel as clinicians and nurse practitioner professionals. Avis is honored to be an AANP Fellow and recipient of the 2015 NONPF Outstanding Faculty Practice Award.
Jessica Peck, DNP, ARPN, CPNP-PC, CNE, CNL, FAANP, FAAN is an expert pediatric nurse practitioner, nursing professor, organizational leader and anti-trafficking advocate who provides innovative, visionary, and award-winning leadership to develop and lead inclusive and diverse interprofessional teams to provide outcomes of high-quality health care. Her honors include Texas Nurse Practitioner of the Year, the Sharp Cutting Edge Award from the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, University of Alabama Distinguished Alumni, University of Texas Medical Branch Nursing Hall of Fame, and Outstanding Policy Award from the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty. Jessica is a Clinical Professor of Nursing at Baylor University in Dallas, Texas and recently concluded her term as President of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Jessica is a recognized and published national and international expert on anti-trafficking. She is an accomplished author of clinical articles for peer-reviewed journals and a frequent guest on radio, television, and other media to promote the health of children.
Camilla Saheb-Nasab, BSN, RN, CPN has been selected as the IPN's new Emerging Leader Fellow. A registered nurse for four years, she currently works bedside at CHOC Children’s Hospital in Orange County, California as well as in the clinic setting at Kaiser Permanente. Prior to becoming an RN, she worked for four years as a pediatric Licensed Vocational Nurse in primary care. Camilla recently had the opportunity to serve on a temporary deployment representing CHOC and UCLA in helping to meet the medical needs of unaccompanied migrant children being cared for in Southern California. Camilla is currently working on her Masters in Nursing Leadership at Western Governors University where she has centered much of her work around issues affecting the pediatric population such as mental health and asthma management. Pediatric mental health is a growing passion of hers, and she plans to focus her upcoming capstone project around this important topic.
Danielle Altares Sarik, PhD, APRN, CPNP-PC is a pediatric nurse scientist with expertise in health services and outcomes research. She has cared for patients in China, Botswana, and Nicaragua in addition to the U.S. Danielle is an active member of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, where she serves on the Health Policy Committee. She is a Senior Fellow of the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and has held multiple visiting scholar and adjunct faculty positions. Her research focuses on the evaluation of healthcare, with a particular emphasis on factors impacting pediatric safety and health outcomes, healthcare delivery, and the nursing workforce. She has served as Primary Investigator or Co-Investigator on multiple studies, including those funded by the Agency for Healthcare Quality (AHRQ), American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
