South University would like to congratulate Dr. Anna Jessup, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, Program Director of the Graduate Nursing Program and Assistant Professor at the Austin campus, for winning one of five Texas Nurse Practitioners’ (TNP) Year of the Nurse awards. Each year, TNP recognizes the outstanding achievements of one nurse practitioner and presents them with the annual TNP of the Year Award. However, in 2021, TNP decided to recognize five nurse practitioners for their excellence and contributions in the field as a result of their remarkable service to their communities throughout the pandemic. Dr. Jessup has worked with uninsured, vulnerable patients in her community for over 15 years, as well as working abroad in Peru and serving refugee patients. Her research focuses primarily on mental health screening in the refugee population. She also led an interdisciplinary team to develop a program to provide care to the Type II Diabetic patient providing holistic care of mind and body while reviewing their social determinates of health. The results of the project included improved social and moral support and a reduction in hemoglobin A1C’s by at least 3 points for patients who attended and completed the 12-week course supported by a grant from the St. David’s Foundation. This program has been approved for another round of funding in 2020 and 2021. Dr. Jessup serves as founder and president of the Williamson County Coalition for Advanced Practice, is on the Texas Nurse Practitioner Board, and is State Representative (South) for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Much of her work has been grassroots leadership and finding inventive ways to collaborate with teams as much as possible. Please join us in celebrating Dr. Jessup for her recent award and continuing contributions to her field in Texas and beyond.
