Celebrating Our Advanced Practice Providers

September 24-29 is National APP Week, a special time to celebrate the vital role nurse practitioners, physician assistants, certified registered nurse anesthetists, clinical nurse specialists, and certified anesthesiology assistants play in providing exceptional patient care.

We are deeply grateful to our APPs, the nurse practitioners and physician assistants who are practicing at the top of their licenses to provide exceptional and essential patient- and family-centered care every day. Thank you. We are better because of you.

The Emory Healthcare Office of Advanced Practice Providers, established in 2018, and the APP Council created the APP Unsung Hero Award to honor and thank APPs who go above and beyond every day. We are thrilled the first two honorees are members of the Emory Radiology IR APP team. Congratulations Gail Walls and Erin Curlette!

Erin's nominators said . . .

“One exceptional example of Erin's dedication is her instrumental role in initiating and  managing a specialized clinic for patients diagnosed with spontaneous intracranial  hypotension. Despite the condition and management of these patients falling beyond the scope of her regular responsibilities, Erin recognized the need and personally undertook the initiative to ensure these patients received comprehensive care.”

–Sumir S. Patel, MD, MBA, Director, Division of Community Radiology Specialists

“Her dedication and unwavering care warmed my heart. I am eternally grateful for Erin because I know that this is the care that all our patients get. I feel so fortunate to be on a team with her.” 

–Sean Z. Goodin MD, Assistant Professor of Radiology and Imaging Sciences

“Erin is a natural leader and team player. She consistently contributes to a positive work environment, fostering collaboration and teamwork among colleagues. Her willingness to share knowledge with the clinical team is a testament to her passion to always ensure the patient gets the best and most appropriate care.” 

–Bela Bhatia, MD, Assistant Professor of Radiology and Imaging Sciences

“Most recently, Erin chaired a committee for the Radiology APP Retreat.  She created a full day of extraordinary speakers, training, and discussion to benefit the IR APP team.  Erin also serves the APP and radiology communities nationally as a member of the Society for Interventional Radiology Membership Committee, which is a significantly underrepresented group, both for APPs and women in interventional radiology.” 

–Stephanie Hawkins, PA-C, Associate Chief- Interventional Radiology

Gail's nominators said . . .

“Gail has completed multiple quality initiatives for Emory Healthcare over her years of service, which she has presented at local and national conferences. She was a pioneer in presenting APP utilization data at physician-driven national conferences, where she accelerated the movement of advanced practice providers into procedural spaces, demonstrating safe and effective patient outcomes." 

–Stephanie Hawkins, PA-C Associate Chief- Interventional Radiology

“Gail piloted a “first case start time” project in procedural imaging to improve our ability to start the first case on time, thereby improving the efficiency for all cases to follow. This project required data collection, stakeholder by-in, dynamic coordination, and plan-study-do-act thinking. Gail and her teammates took this A3 project, and its resulting success, and presented it at a national interventional radiology conference, where it was awarded a top prize.”

–Shane Arrington, MHA, CNMT, Director of Imaging Services Emory University Hospital Midtown and Winship Cancer Institute at Emory Midtown

“Gail’s primary role is performing cross-sectional CT- and ultrasound-guided procedures service at Emory University Hospital Midtown/Winship Cancer Institute at Emory Midtown so that our patients can be accurately diagnosed when faced with a possible cancer diagnosis. She is known by our referrers and within the department as the “go to” person to get your biopsy done safely and thoughtfully. She knows when to ask for help and knows when to proceed. I would trust her completely with my own or my family member’s health care treatment.” 

–Sadhna Nandwana MD, Chief of Radiology, Emory University Hospital Midtown

“I had the pleasure of meeting Gail when I started at Emory University Hospital Midtown. It was clear at that time (and ever since) that Gail is sought out for her expertise, her experience, her diligence in the management of patients, and her eye towards patient experience.”

–Zachary L. Bercu, MD, RPVI, Program Director (interim), Interventional Radiology Integrated and Independent Residencies, Emory University School of Medicine