OKEECHOBEE – Nov. 12-18 is National Nurse Practitioner Week in Okeechobee County.

At the Nov. 9 meeting of the Okeechobee County Commission, a proclamation was presented to Terri Pinder, Southeast Region Director, and long-term active member of the Florida Nurses Association.

“Nurse Practitiones are leading the way providing high quality, affordable care,” said Pinder.

“Nurse Practitioners play a critical role as trusted providers of health care for patients in our community, while working to expand health care access in under-served communities, they promote health equity in care and improve health outcomes for all,” the proclamation states.

“Patients depend on the more than 355,000 licensed nurse practitioners in the United States, 21,000 in the State of Florida and nearly 1,800 on the Treasure Coast, to diagnose, manage and treat their chronic and acute health care conditions.

“Nurse Practitioners provide high-quality primary, acute and specialty health care services while emphasizing health promotion, disease prevention, health education and counseling, guiding patients to make smarter health and lifestyle choices every day.

“The confidence that patients have in Nurse Practitioners delivered health care is evidenced by the more than 1 billion visits made annually to nurse practitioners across the country; and with more than five decades of research demonstrates the high quality of care provided by Nurse Practitioners.

“Leading governmental and policy entities, including the National Academy of Medicine, National Council of State Boards of Nursing, National Governors Association and Federal Trade Commission, have taken notice of the benefits of providing patients full and direct access to NP-delivered care.

“Okeechobee County is proud to recognize and honor the countless contributions NPs have made over the past half century and will continue to make on behalf of the health and well-being of citizens in our county.”