The Nurse Practitioners of Oregon (NPO) inducted two new members into the NPO Hall of Fame during the 42nd Annual NPO Education Conference Friday, Oct. 18, 2019 in Eugene. Tracy Klein,, PhD, FNP, FAANP, FRE, FAAN (right) and Mary Fey, FNP (left) were honored by their peers for their extraordinary achievements advancing the role of nurse practitioners throughout North America and developing the next generation of outstanding NPs.

“Tracy Klein and Mary Fey changed the course of advanced nursing practice in Oregon and internationally,” said NPO Chair Roger Fogg, FNP. “They are beacons of hope for anyone who wants to make a positive change in their profession and leave a meaningful legacy. Their direct and indirect contributions have changed the lives of thousands of health care providers and countless patients. NPO is proud to recognize their accomplishments and we congratulate them on joining the NPO Hall of Fame.”

Tracy Klein, PhD, FNP, FAANP, FRE, FAAN is an associate professor at Washington State University's College of Nursing where she specializes in health policy analysis and pharmacology. Klein previously worked as an advanced practice consultant at the Oregon State Board of Nursing where she helped shape Oregon’s prescription drug rules for NPs and addressed licensing and practice issues.

Throughout her career, Klein has maintained a robust clinical practice and distinguished herself internationally by promoting NP licensure and certification in British Columbia. Klein helped develop regulations to define the new NP role in British Columbia, served as an examiner for the OSCE test, and worked as a consultant, along with pharmacist Parkash Ragsdale, to expand prescriptive authority for British Columbia’s NPs while maintaining strong safety standards.
Klein is a past receipt of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners’ (AANP) prestigious NP State Award for Excellence for Oregon and the AANP’s Oregon Advocate of the Year awards. She is a fellow in AANP, the American Academy of Nurses and the Institute for Regulatory Excellence. She currently promotes NPs role in practice and education by serving on the AANP board of directors, representing Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Idaho (AANP Region X).

Mary Fey, MSN, FNP is the only health care provider at a rural health clinic in Dexter, Oregon where she welcomes and mentors NP students from across the state. Renowned for her clinical practice, Fey regularly presents workshops on suturing and other primary care topics at conferences including the NPO Education Conference. Along with Klein, Fey was part of a group of Oregon NPs who helped promote and expand NP licensure in British Columbia. Fey and Klein also produced and disseminated preceptor education videos for Oregon NPs who wanted to offer learning experiences to NP students.

An experienced entrepreneur, Fey opened her Dexter clinic as an NP and clinic administrator in 1985. She eventually sold the clinic to PeaceHealth in 2010 and stayed on to continue serving as the only primary care provider in her community.
Fey is a two-time recipient of the AANP’s State Award for Excellence in Oregon and is active in NPO and a local Lane County nurse practitioner group.

The NPO Hall of Fame was established in 2015 to commemorate NPs and advocates who have made significant contributions to advanced nursing practice in Oregon. Previous inductees include Oregon’s first nurse practitioner, former leaders of NPO and the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA), NP teachers, mentors and physician advocates. Nominations are considered annually.

• Click here to learn more about the NPO Hall of Fame Award and past inductees