Dr. Susan Patton is a Board Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and co-proprietor of East Arkansas Children’s Clinic, in Forrest City, where she has lived for the past 35 years. In addition, Dr. Patton’s teaching career has spanned three decades. She is currently a Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Dr. Patton received her BSN from University of Memphis; Masters of Nursing in Maternal Child Health from University of Arkansas, Medical Sciences; postgraduate certificate for Family Nurse Practitioner and Doctor of Nursing Science from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the National Academies of Practice.

Dr. Patton served as President of the Forensic Nurse Certification Board and Content Expert Reviewer for the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Her involvement with the Arkansas Nurses Association has included positions such as District President, Convention Chair, APN Council Chair, and a number of political ad hoc committees.

Dr. Patton has received a number of awards in her career including the Arkansas Advance Practice Nurse of the Year 1996 and 2011, a Special Recognition from the Arkansas General Assembly for her service to Arkansas, Dr. John Runyan Award for Community Health Nursing, the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care Innovator’s Award, the Arkansas Nurses Distinguished Service Award, and the AANP State Award of Excellence.