State Liaison Candidate
Campaign Message
As a nurse practitioner, educator, and leader, I am committed to advancing our profession through advocacy, education, and service. My work has focused on expanding NP practice opportunities, strengthening workforce development, and addressing health inequities through policy and innovation. If elected as Pennsylvania State Liaison, I will actively engage members, foster collaboration across specialties, and champion policies that protect and expand our scope of practice. I will ensure your voice is heard by promoting transparent communication, listening to member concerns, and representing our shared priorities at the national level. Together, we can build a strong, united NP community that drives innovation, advances health equity, and ensures every patient has access to high-quality, compassionate care. I am honored to seek your support in this important role.
Bio Sketch
Maya N. Clark-Cutaia, PhD, ACNP-BC, is the Inaugural Evelyn Lauder Associate Dean for Nurse Practitioner Programs at the Hunter Bellevue School of Nursing, City University of New York. She leads the Evelyn Lauder Community Care NP Fellowship and advances justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion across NP curricula, clinical partnerships, and workforce pipelines. Her scholarship centers on health equity, acute and chronic illness, and disparities in clinical outcomes, translating evidence into policy and practice. She forges strategic partnerships with the Penn Medicine, NYC Health + Hospitals and other health systems to expand placements and create fellowship-to-employment pathways that serve high-need communities. She chairs the Eastern Nursing Research Society (ENRS) Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Committee and is a Betty Irene Moore Fellow for Nurse Leaders and Innovators. A board-certified Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, she brings a track record of outcome-focused program design, coalition building, and data-driven evaluation aligning education, advocacy, research, and leadership to improve access and quality for diverse populations. She holds a BSN and MSN from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and PhD from the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. She maintains active in clinical, academic, and policy engagement.
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?
The greatest challenge facing NPs over the next decade is the persistence of restrictive scope-of-practice laws, reimbursement inequities, and fragmented care delivery barriers that disproportionately impact underresourced communities. Without change, these constraints will limit NP effectiveness and worsen health outcome inequities. AANP should lead by advancing national advocacy for full practice authority, driving equitable reimbursement reform, and investing in NP diverse leadership and workforce development. Expanding research to demonstrate NP impact and forging community partnerships will strengthen our role in delivering accessible, high-quality, equity-focused care. These actions will enable NPs to practice to their full potential and better serve diverse populations.
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.
I bring a record of strategic leadership, policy advocacy, and program development, grounded in a deep commitment to health equity. As Evelyn Lauder Associate Dean for NP Programs, I have led large-scale initiatives integrating justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion into curriculum, clinical partnerships, and workforce pipelines. My collaborative leadership style fosters cross-sector partnerships, while my operational expertise ensures measurable outcomes. For example, I developed a structured NP fellowship-to-employment pathway with NYC Health + Hospitals, increasing post-graduation job placement and service in high-need areas. These skills vision-setting, coalition building, and outcome-driven program design will directly advance AANP s mission and the populations we serve.
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?
One potential challenge is balancing the significant commitment of this role with my existing academic leadership, clinical, and research responsibilities. To manage this, I will leverage my strong organizational skills, strategic delegation, and established support infrastructure within my current role. I have a proven ability to manage complex portfolios by prioritizing high-impact activities, setting clear timelines, and engaging capable team members to maintain momentum. I will also integrate AANP responsibilities into my professional workflow, ensuring alignment with my ongoing work in policy, education, and health equity. This intentional approach will allow me to contribute fully and effectively to the position.
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 will advance AANP s mission by championing policies that remove practice barriers, expand equitable reimbursement, and strengthen NP representation in decision-making spaces. I will leverage my experience in academic leadership, health equity research, and clinical workforce development to promote evidence-based strategies that improve access and outcomes for diverse communities. Priorities will include expanding leadership pipelines for underrepresented NPs, fostering interdisciplinary partnerships, and driving research dissemination to influence policy and practice. By aligning advocacy, education, and research with AANP s strategic goals, I will help ensure NPs are empowered to deliver accessible, person-centered, high-quality care nationwide.