Fall 2026

NAPNAP Board

2026-2027

President:

Lindsey Clark

Past President:

April Meras

President Elect:

Kenda Rogers

Treasurer:

Melissa Rowles

Secretary:

Alison Harker

Continuing Education Chair:

Renee Flippo

Communications Chair:

Quanica Darden

Legislative Chair:

Cathy Lux

Membership Chair:

Van Nguyen

Newsletter Chair:

Lindsey Clar

Public Relations Chair:

Terry Willey

Nominations Chair:

April Meras

Texas Tech Student Rep:

Jen Buys

Baylor Student Rep:

Sammie Smith

The 2026-2027 board met over the Summer for a day of getting to know our new board members and planning for the upcoming year. We have some great things in store for our chapter and we can't wait to see the impact we can make with this amazing group of leaders. If serving on this board is something you are interested in, please be watching for nominations in the spring.

Upcoming Dates:

August 25

Meeting cancelled

September 22

Virtual board meeting

October 27

Neurofibromatosis (NF1)

Alexion Pharmaceuticals

Location To Be Announced closer to date.

December 1

Toy Drive

January 26

Rett Syndrome

Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Location To Be Announced closer to date.

February

Virtual Board Meeting

March 24

Nationals Sacremento, CA

A Word From the President

My Name is Lindsey Clark and I just wanted to take a moment to tell you a little about myself. I have been a nurse for over 20 years and have been a PNP since 2020. I moved to Texas in 2022 and joined a nurse practitioner owned practice where we care for many of the children in our rural community of Paris, TX. I have two boys who keep me as busy as possible trying out every sport, activity, and club possible as well as showing livestock through our schools FFA.

I cannot stress enough how much this position means to me this year. I joined NAPNAP because not only was I a new APRN, but I was also a new Texan. I wanted to make friends and meet local colleagues within the profession. This will be my 4th year to serve as the newsletter chair. I stepped into the president elect position last year under the guidance of April Meras and now I will be taking on the role of president for the 26-27 term.

My mission as president of the Greater Texas NAPNAP Chapter is to not only promote the profession, engage the community, and unite the Chapter, but to also inspire future providers. Our chapter can accomplish this mission by continuing to advocate for our great profession on a local and national level through conferences and legislation. I plan to continue our service to the community through our projects such as the SWIM program and our annual toy drive. I am hoping to continue to unite the chapter by the promotion of both educational and social events so that we get more face to face time with our peers. Lastly, I want to encourage and inspire our future provides by bringing in students and giving them leadership roles as student representatives on the board as well as giving them a platform to present their educational projects.

I look forward to working with each of you this year and would love to hear any feedback you may have regarding our chapters mission. My prayers are with each of you as you continue to give your time and talents to the next generation ensuring that they have the very best health care available. "Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap the harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9

Allen, TX 75013

Contact info:

Main: 469-421-9656
E-Fax: 469-663-5510
contact@bloomcenterformotherhood.com

Hours of Operation:

Monday - Friday
Virtual Program: M, W, F |
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

HOT TOPIC:PPD AND PPP

As a mother and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, I can whole heartedly say moms continue to care for their own children even when they themselves are not getting the care they need. While going to an appointment may be something a mother does not have the strength or mental capacity to do, they often do not skip out on getting routine care for their children. This is where our role is so important. We are another place that can be assessing moms for postpartum depression (PPD) and postpartum psychosis (PPP). They come to us because they trust us with their children, we have to provide holistic family centered care and make sure we are paying attention to our new moms. Blow are several resources to share if a mom in your practice is struggling with their mental health.

Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)

Postpartum Support International

National Crisis Hotline: Dial or Text #988

Have you been impacted by the new Executive Order about childhood vaccines?

Below you will find the summarized statement that is also a link to the full text from both NAPNAP and the AAP regarding childhood vaccines.

"NAPNAP Opposes Executive Order on Childhood Immunizations"

"The AAP's vaccine recommendations are widely supported by medical and public health specialists."

Sports Physicals

I know as pediatric providers, we have had about all we can take of sports physicals this time of year. As burned out as we can get of signing these forms and asking ALL the questions, there are a few things we need to keep in mind that have evolved in recent years. Remember there is a strong link between an athletes psychological well being and their risk for injury so a sports physical is an ideal time to incorporate routine mental health screenings. Another unfortunate trend that is becoming more common in younger kids is high intensity, single sport training before puberty. When we see this, it is important to remind parents of the risks of overuse injuries and burnout. Lastly, each year I see the local advertisements for free sports physicals in the community. It is so important as practitioners to be careful when volunteering for these opportunities no matter how well the intentions are. Research discourages mass physicals in open spaces and has shown the significant need for a private setting to accurately screen for depression, substance abuse or reproductive health.

Wanted: Student Reps

If you are interested in becoming a student rep or know of someone who is, click the link to give us a little information to get signed up. We offer a membership discount or even reimbursement along with opportunities to network, develop leadership skills, and a platform to present any scholarly work.

Become a Student Rep

Got any good news to share? A promotion, award, or just something you are excited to brag about? Send us an update so we can give you the shout out you deserve among your NAPNAP peers.

Keep Us Updated

For questions, comments, research, or other story ideas that you think would be great for our quarterly newsletter, please reach out to Lindsey Clark at lindsey.clark2207@gmail.com