[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 106 (Thursday, June 17, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4620-S4621]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO DR. SOPHIA L. THOMAS

 Mr. KENNEDY. Madam President, it is with great pride that I 
recognize a constituent of mine, Sophia L. Thomas, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, 
PPCNP-BC,

[[Page S4621]]

FNAP, FAANP, of New Orleans, LA for her service over the last 2 years 
as president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, AANP.
  Dr. Thomas has an exemplary career of service as a certified family 
and pediatric nurse practitioner and has been providing health care for 
over 25 years to medically underserved populations in the greater New 
Orleans, LA, region. Dr. Thomas practices at a federally qualified 
health center in New Orleans and is a clinical preceptor. As a primary 
care provider, Dr. Thomas provides her patients with access to cost-
effective, patient-centered healthcare. Dr. Thomas has continued to 
work on the frontlines throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, including 
educating the public, diagnosing and treating patients, and going door 
to door to vaccinate residents in New Orleans.
  She holds a doctoral degree in nursing practice from Loyola 
University New Orleans, where she was honored with the Post-Master's 
DNP Nightingale Award, and she has a master's in nursing from Louisiana 
Sate University Health Sciences Center. She was inducted as fellow of 
the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners in 2012. In 2020, Dr. 
Thomas was chosen as one of Modern Healthcare's 100 Most Influential 
People in Healthcare.
  The American Association of Nurse Practitioners is the largest 
national professional membership organization for nurse practitioners. 
Under Dr. Thomas's tenure, AANP membership has grown to more than 
118,000 members. Dr. Thomas has helped lead nurse practitioners in 
transforming patient-centered healthcare and has made tremendous 
strides in ensuring that policymakers and the public understand the 
care that nurse practitioners provide to millions of Americans each 
year.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating Dr. Sophia L. 
Thomas on a successful term as president of the American Association of 
Nurse Practitioners and in thanking her for the excellent health care 
she has and continues to provide to her patients as well as her 
leadership to the nurse practitioner profession.

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