Purpose

Founded in 2015, the NPO Hall of Fame is meant to recognize and honor the lifetime achievements of NPO members, and other nursing advocates, who have made significant contributions to the nursing profession and the practice of nursing in Oregon.

Qualifications for the Inductees

Inductees into the NPO Hall of Fame must demonstrate excellence in the areas of patient care, education, leadership, public service, policy, advocacy, or practice innovation.

Their actions and contributions must demonstrate dedication and excellence. Inductees’ achievements must positively impact their community and advanced nursing practice. These achievements must result in lasting contributions that extend beyond their lifetime.

Nominees will be judged on the following criteria:

• Demonstration of significant contribution to NP practice (clinical, education, policy, other)
• Demonstration of leadership qualities
• Community service
• Demonstration of innovation
• Evidence that contributions are sustainable or “live on past the individuals lifetime”

Selection of Inductees

The NPO executive committee will oversee the review process. The committee, or a commission it appoints, will review nominees’ application forms and validate nominees’ credentials and qualifications.

Nominations will be accepted annually.

Individual must receive approval from at least 75% of NPO’s executive committee or the appointed Hall of Fame commission to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

New inductees will be announced annually at NPO’s Education Conference.

Nomination Process

Anyone may nominate an individual to the NPO Hall of Fame. Nominees must meet the Hall of Fame’s eligibility qualifications to be considered.

Nominations are open through Aug. 15, 2025.

Click here to complete an NPO Hall of Fame Nomination Form

Questions?

If you have any questions, please contact us at NPO@oregonrn.org.

Hall of Fame Inductees

Class of 2024

Dr. Patricia (Patty) Cox, DNP, MPH, FNP-BC

Dr. Patricia (Patty) Cox has had an amazing nursing career spanning five decades. She is a retired nurse practitioner now, but her experiences have been vast. She began her career as an Army nurse and retired after 30 years in 2002. She continued to work as a nurse practitioner both in public health and HIV care, as well as teaching in multiple university nursing programs. Her leadership skills have been demonstrated through her work with NPOs on the Education Committee and the Standards of Practice Committee and as a presenter at many of the NPO conferences. Additionally, she held many leadership positions in the military and her academic career. 

Nancy Ronan, FNP, DNP

As an NP, Nancy has tirelessly provided primary care for countless patients. Additionally, she served in and retired from the US Air Force as a Staff Development Officer and Chief Nursing Officer. Nancy has served on the NPO leadership team for the last 15 years. In particular, she has led the Education Committee in planning conferences and helped develop CE and professional development opportunities for NPs across the country. 

Class of 2023

Jayne Mitchell, ANP-BC, CHFN

Jayne created the OHSU Heart Failure program, an innovative partnership with patients, their families and their providers. With over 43 years of heart failure care she exemplifies leadership, dedication, compassion and expertise in practice. Sought out by professional agencies throughout Oregon, Jayne has provided hours of countless education to primary care providers, staff nurses and residents in training as well as insurers to detail the importance of the nurse practitioner role in providing care to the patient. She also is credited with excellence in her profession as a member of the American College of Cardiology Council. Though Jayne is retiring at the end of 2023, she will leave lasting impressions, innovations in care, and demonstrates that despite being at the top of her field educating those that come after her matters. She is an exceptional pioneer in the Nurse Practitioner landscape.

Rachel Prusak, MSN, APRN, FNP

As an NP, Rachel Prusak has championed care for the medically fragile in our communities. Rachel Prusak has been described by her colleagues as a great team member, dedicated, compassionate, and a person with a heart of gold who believes fiercely in advocating for those who can’t advocate for themselves. 
 
Rachel realized that in order to advocate for quality patient care in a broader way she would need to be able to have an impact on health policy. So, in 2018 she won her election to the Oregon house of representatives for District 37. Rachel served 2 terms in that role and during that time chaired the committee on Behavioral Health and Healthcare. During her tenure, Rachel led the way in passing legislation that uplifted patient care, health care and nursing issues. Among these were the bill to declare racism a public health crisis, language to add NPs to the list of providers authorized to sign medical marijuana cards, development of the nurse intern role, as well as make telehealth guidelines and reimbursement one of 10 states to remain the same post pandemic. She has done an extreme amount of work on improving working conditions for nurses. Rachel has moved on from her legislative role in 2023 and into the Executive Director position of the Oregon State Board of Nursing where we know she will continue to advocate for patient safety and the nursing profession. 

Class of 2022

Larlene Dunsmuir, DNP, FNP, ANP-BC

Dr. Larlene Dunsmuir has been an NP longer than many of us have even thought of the nursing profession as our future. A long time advocate for change, Dr. Dunsmuir has been active with NPO/ONA for years and continues to help lead the profession. She has held various leadership roles from chair of the Education Committee, NPO Chair, director of practice for ONA, and serving on various ONA cabinets. She has long worked to bring NPs from around the state together for yearly conferences and legislative action.  

Class of 2019

Mary Fey, FNP

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.

Tracy Klein, PhD, FNP, FAANP, FRE, FAAN

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).

Class of 2018

Meg Portwood, FNP

Meg Portwood, FNP, is one of the original pioneer NPs in Oregon and was recognized for her many contributions to patient care, NP practice, and precepting numerous NP students throughout her 40-plus year career. We honor Meg for her extraordinary work and impact on our profession.

Class of 2017

Jane Harrison-Hohner, WHCNP

Jane worked as a WHCNP at OHSU in Portland for many years. She was an active member in NPO, throughout her career, serving on the education committee as well as the executive team. She was a respected and sought after speaker at multiple conferences on issues related to women’s health and. was a tireless advocate for women’s issues. She served as a preceptor for multiple students, and as a mentor to many NPs.

Kathy Puffenbarger, MSN, FNP

Kathy received her MSN and FNP from Yale University in 1974 and was truly one of the NP pioneers. Kathy has provided a valuable Nurse Practitioner presence in the Klamath Falls area since 1990. In 1994 she and a local MD saw a need for an urgent care clinic in Klamath Falls so folks would not have to utilize the local Emergency Room. In 1996, she became the owner of this urgent care clinic and has owned and managed it since. She has led the charge in many battles, to ensure independent practice for all NPs in Oregon. She has supported the role of rural NPs throughout her career. She has been a mentor, a preceptor, and an advocate and has been an NPO member for as long as she has been an NP in Oregon.

Class of 2016

Karla Jagow, ANP

Karla was the first NP licensed to practice in Oregon. She was part of a pioneering group of NPs that worked tirelessly to ensure that NP practice in our state led the country in setting standards. She worked closely with legislatures throughout the later 1970s to obtain independent practice authority, prescription privileges, and insurance reimbursement.

She was instrumental in the early NP formulary work, educating physicians and pharmacists about the NP role, our expertise, and why we should and could write prescriptions. Karla served as a preceptor for many NPs in practice throughout Oregon today. There are many NPs that feel that Karla was the NP who started it all here in Oregon.  

Marian Tews, FNP

Marian was another one of the first NPs in the state to practice independently, serve as an educator for other NPs, and worked hard to legislate for independent practice in Oregon.

She was a strong advocate for working with our physician colleagues to educate them on the valuable role the NP plays in health care and to open lines of communication between nursing and medicine.

Susan King, RN, MS, CEN, FAAN

Susan has been an influential presence in the Nurse Practitioner (NP) landscape for over three decades, working tirelessly in her many roles within the Oregon Nurses Association. She has been a champion for the role of the nurse, student nurse, and advanced practice nurse, especially nurse practitioners.

She served as the Oregon Nurses Association executive director starting in 2004 and retiring in 2017. Susan has served as a mentor to many NPs, and RNs, throughout her career, showing many NPs what it means to advocate for our profession.

Ruth Herbert, FNP

Ruth was an active early NPO (at the time called NPSIG) member and was chair during some of the early legislative sessions focused on NP practice. She was instrumental in some of the early work that resulted in the full scope of practice authority that NPs in Oregon have been fortunate enough to enjoy since the late 1970s.

Ruth maintained an independent practice in Redmond OR for many years while making the drive back and forth to Salem to provide testimony to the legislature in our many battles for privileges and practice rights, insurance reimbursement, and prescribing authority. Our scope of practice today is testament to the dedication Ruth showed to NP practice and NPO.

William A. Fisher, MD

Dr. William Fisher was a Family Practice physician who actively promoted the NP role during the 1970s. He was a true champion for NPs in our state often going up against his colleagues in the OMA to advocate for independent practice for NPs. He worked closely with Karla Jagow, Marian Tews, and Ruth Herbert to carry out the early work for NPs in Oregon. He practiced in Portland for many years and after his retirement worked in the OHSU residency clinic where he was promoting rural health practice and cooperation with NPs.