Leigh Simpkins, CRNP
Candidate - Representative, House of Delegates
Candidate Bio
My name is Leigh Simpkins. I am an acute care nurse practitioner by training and started my career as a nurse practitioner working with a busy cardiothoracic surgery service in Philadelphia. When I left the hospital and started working in the post-acute setting 12 years ago, I had no idea what I was getting into. I had no prior experience with this setting of care and no idea of how unique and specialized it was.
Since then, the care of patients in nursing facilities has truly become my passion. We care for an underserved community and need to have an understanding of the medical needs of our patients, and how their social needs and regulatory demands impact care. Because of this, I completed my doctorate in clinical nursing along with a certificate in healthcare policy from George Washington University in 2021.
Improving care delivery in the post-acute and long-term care setting has become a top priority for me. I joined the Pennsylvania chapter of PALTC and served as a board member for the last two years and hope to continue to learn from my colleagues in PALTMed and support the mission of our organization through continued service on the board.
Candidate Statement
I would like to become a member of the board of PALTmed in order to support our industry at a national level.
I started my career in acute care and while working in that setting had no appreciation of the complexity of care and need for skilled and compassionate providers in the nursing home setting. My passion for care delivery in this setting has only grown since I first changed my career 12 years ago. I received my DNP, which was focused on healthcare policy and clinical quality improvement in skilled nursing facilities and in my current job, I support the practice of Nurse Practitioners and Physician’s Assistants working in facilities in multiple states.
My ultimate desire is to be able to contribute to improved care delivery for the patients we serve and improved working conditions for care delivery staff at all levels.
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