State Liaison Candidate
Campaign Message
Greetings! And thank you for taking the time to read my campaign message. I am new to Rhode Island, but I am not new to organizing for positive change something I have done throughout my career in the Navy. As a member of the NP Alliance of Rhode Island, a collaborative space where NPs can discuss their practice environments, I directly hear the voice of the RI NP. As a state liaison, this is critical if NPs are to be successful in reaching AANP s strategic goals around NPs as providers of choice, around NPs as leaders in health care, and around equitable reimbursement for NPs. To reach these goals, I will not only listen, but will also clearly communicate the feedback and progress from our RI NPs to AANP. Energy + Action = Positive RESULTS. Vote for me as your Energetic Positive Change Catalyst!
Bio Sketch
Dr. Abigail Marter is a proud Navy veteran, and currently works as a family nurse practitioner based out of Naval Health Clinic New England, in Newport, RI. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Rochester in New York, and worked in Navy facilities in California and Japan. She graduated from Rush University in Chicago, IL with a Master of Science in Nursing in the Family Nurse Practitioner track, and led implementation of a patient-centered medical home in the Family Practice Clinic at Naval Hospital Portsmouth in Virginia. She later earned a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, exploring family health within a military context. Her doctoral dissertation study was entitled: "The Impact of Deployment on Navy Families: Mitigators, Mediators, and Moderators of Parenting Stress." Later research focused on military family health and readiness, the effects of circadian disruption on shiftwork, and military women s health. She held several executive level leadership roles in the Navy medical system, leading innovation through the COVID pandemic timeline. She is a recipient of various military and academic awards, and is an AANP Fellow.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing NPs in the delivery of health care over the next decade? How should AANP address this issue to support NPs and the populations they serve?
One of the biggest challenges facing NPs is the appropriate use of Artificial Intelligence in health care. According to the World Health Organization, the future of health care is digital but we cannot neglect the importance of human intelligence and human relationship in healing. The European Commission has endorsed strict compliance for AI medical systems in the following areas: high-quality data sets, clear user information and human oversight. AANP should engage in policy discussions with and among other health care professional organizations to provide guidance to state and federal governments on ensuring safe and reliable AI systems.
Describe, in detail, leadership and other professional skills that you will bring to AANP and provide at least one initiative or outcome that occurred because of these skills.
For the past 28 years I have been a Navy nurse, and now that I am in civilian clothes, I will use those leadership, organizing, and team-building skills that I have honed for AANP. As a new NP in 2007, I felt alone, but with persistence, I found 63 other NPs in our inpatient/outpatient setting. With the CNO s approval, I then organized an NP lunchtime meeting twice a month one a CEU opportunity, and one to connect on practice issues of concern. Our work directly led to lifting of insurance restrictions, allowing our NPs to independently order durable equipment.
Identify one major challenge that could impact your ability to fulfill the responsibilities of the position you are seeking. How do you plan to manage this challenge to be successful?
A challenge that I have overcome many times throughout my work and life thus far is time constraints and competing priorities. As a military service member I have had to move home and work location every 2-4 years, learning a new geography, exploring a new culture, understanding new work processes, and making new friends with each move. To adapt, I have pared away what is unnecessary, and have developed a system of organization to keep me reflecting on my goals, and to keep me aware of timelines. This has worked well for me for many years.
AANP’s mission is to empower all NPs to advance accessible, person-centered, equitable, high-quality health care for diverse communities through practice, education, advocacy, research, and leadership. If elected, how do you propose to advance AANP's mission and strategic plan?
If elected, I would be working to create collaborative spaces where NPs could discuss their practice environments and what works well in Rhode Island, and what needs to be improved. As a state liaison, it is critical to hear the voice of the NP, and to understand the varied scenarios affecting AANP s strategic goals around NPs as providers of choice, around NPs as leaders in health care, around equitable reimbursement for NPs, and around AANP being the leading resource for NPs. To reach these goals, I also need to communicate them to RI NPs, and communicate their feedback to AANP.