Susan Trippet, APRN-CNP at Beaver County Memorial Hospital, received the “Rural Health Practitioner of the Year” award from the Rural Health Association of Oklahoma (RHAO) on Tuesday. The award was presented at an awards lunch at the Oklahoma Rural Health Conference in Edmond.
In her acceptance speech, Trippet said she “never knew what people meant when they said they were truly honored by something,” going on to make a joke that she would keep the award nomination, written by Alissa Schlessman, for her obituary.
The award is presented to a “physician/practitioner who goes above and beyond for patients. The nominee serves a rural community and understands the unique complexities of the environment, working tirelessly to address the needs of the patients and communities served,” according to the RHAO.
Jana Castleberry, President of the Rural Health Association of Oklahoma’s board of directors, read the nomination and presented the award.
In the nomination, Schlessman, who is the Administrator/CEO at Beaver County Memorial Hospital, wrote in her nomination Susan has dedicated her career to the citizens of Beaver County. She has made a lifetime commitment to rural healthcare and to providing exemplary patient care to every life she encounters.”
Schlessman went on to say, “[Trippet] is the poster child of hard working and caring. Her patients love her as a provider and she cares deeply about each and every one of them. She not only knows each individual’s medical history, she also knows each patient’s family tree and the history of their illnesses.”
Trippet started her nursing career as a nurse aid at the Beaver County Memorial Hospital (BCMH) in 1984 shortly after she graduated from high school. She attended NWOSU in Alva, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1987. She returned to BCMH in 1988. She went on to continue her education receiving her nurse practitioner certification 1993 and returned to work as the first nurse practitioner to ever be employed by BCMH.
Other Rural Health Association of Oklahoma award recipients this year are: “Rural Health Advocate of the Year,” Adrienne Elder, Handle with Care Oklahoma; “Rural Health Leader of the Year,” Melinda Laird, CEO and CNO at Cordell Memorial Hospital; “Rural Health Educator of the Year,” Maye Durant, Nursing Educator in Southeastern Oklahoma; “Rural Health Lifetime Achievement,” Ted Rowland, M.D., Hugo Medical Clinic; and “Rural Health HERO of the Year,” Angela Smith, RN, McAlester Regional Health Center.
The Rural Health Association of Oklahoma’s mission is “serving as a united voice for rural health in Oklahoma.” For information about joining the Rural Health Association of Oklahoma, or for conference information, contact Allison Seigars, 580/213-3177, agseigars@nwosu.edu or visit www.rhao.org.