Kay Lahdenpera RN, MPH is a legend in nursing in Alaska with a 45-year career in public health. She was the manager for the Region X, Title X Family Planning Clinic. During her 35 years at the Health Department, Kay was instrumental in implementing the Region X, Title X Women’s Health program and establishing the clinic as a training program for the first women’s health nurse practitioners (NPs) in Alaska. As a result of this training program, NPs were, for the first time, able to perform colposcopies and prescribe medication within their scope of practice. The clinic is a training ground for healthcare professionals, including medical students. Local physicians saw the value of NPs and began to hire them.

Pioneers in Holistic Health: Nurse Leaders Set the Stage