GAPNA’s latest Rising Star is Casey V. Fowler, DNP, MSN, NP-C, ARNP of the Seattle Chapter in Washington

Casey became a member of GAPNA in 2013 via Optum’s Corporate Membership program. He currently serves as the National Web Editor as part of the Communications Committee and the Webmaster for his chapter. Casey won first place for his research poster at the GAPNA 2016 Annual Conference.

Casey graduated cum laude from Northwest University with his BSN, and then from Gonzaga University with his MSN and DNP. In 2014, he earned the Promise of Nursing for Washington Regional Faculty Fellowship. Casey currently works as a Clinical Advisor for Optum.

“I have always identified with older generations better than my own,” said Fowler. “So naturally, I enjoy caring for these patients. I also enjoy working with the complexity of this population as it presents new and varying challenges on a daily basis. The most fulfilling part about my job is having the ability to make a positive impact in the lives of my patients, coworkers, and the nursing home staff.”

Casey carries a half caseload of 40 patients in one skilled nursing facility while spending the other half of his time onboarding new hires, helping to roll out new initiatives, providing in-services for current Nurse Practitioners, and supporting the Clinical Services Manager. Additionally, he has been working on several special projects at both the state and national levels to improve processes related to laboratory testing, market penetration, and new Nurse Practitioner training processes.

When asked how he sees the field of geriatrics evolving in the future, Casey said, “I expect to see further expansion to Nurse Practitioner scope of practice. With the current provider shortage, we can ill afford to continue working under the same restrictions. Nurse Practitioners are expected to outnumber physicians in primary care by 2025, and as the bulk of patients seeking primary care will be older adults, I expect to see Nurse Practitioners taking the lead to provide high quality and cost-effective care to our seniors.”

Casey’s favorite activity is spending quality time with his family – his wife Casey (they have the same name!) and their son Jeremiah. He also enjoys attending church where he helps care for toddlers in the nursery once per month, and he attends a family Bible study once per week. Additionally, he enjoys watching basketball, camping, fishing, and writing.

“I got involved in GAPNA as a volunteer as a way to give back to my profession,” said Fowler. “The work of this organization would not be possible without hard work from our faithful volunteers, and I am grateful to everyone currently serving in a GAPNA position. I would like to say a word of thanks to GAPNA’s leadership for choosing me for this award. It was truly unexpected, and I am grateful for the recognition. I would also like to thank God for blessing me with the ability to excel in my profession.”

https://www.gapna.org/article/gapna’s-latest-rising-star-announced