Paplham named fellow of American Academy of Nursing

Pamela Paplham, clinical professor and assistant dean for MS/DNP programs at the School of Nursing, has been named a fellow of the American Academy of Nurses, an honor that is among the most prestigious milestones in a nurse leader’s career.

Paplham and the other members of the AAN’s 2021 Class of Fellows will be recognized for their contributions to health care at the AAN’s annual Health Policy Conference Oct. 7-9.

Paplham is nationally recognized for her leadership and expertise on improving care for bone marrow transplant patients and integrating telehealth into health care settings and advanced practice education.

In addition to her UB faculty position, she serves as adjunct clinical associate professor of oncology and an oncology care provider at Roswell Park Comprehensive Care Center, where she has established and sustained a bone marrow transplant survivorship clinic that provides comprehensive care to identify risk factors of secondary cancer and guidance on long-term health maintenance for patients.

A leader in advanced practice nursing education and policy, Paplham advocates for and has led implementation of telehealth education in advanced nursing practice and curriculum. Through two Health Resources and Services Administration grants, she provided advanced practice nursing students with training in using telehealth to address unmet needs in rural and Native American communities.

Paplham’s work in telehealth is particularly important as the COVID-19 pandemic has made this technology a necessity for health care professionals to provide safe, quality care accessible to vulnerable populations. She also transformed her bone marrow transplant survivorship clinic into a virtual clinic to continue to serve her patients throughout the pandemic.

As the assistant dean for the master’s and doctor of nursing practice programs at the School of Nursing, Paplham has served as a mentor to faculty and students, ensuring current and future advanced practice providers gain the valuable interdisciplinary educational experiences necessary to provide patients with the highest quality of care.

“Dr. Paplham’s leadership in the University at Buffalo School of Nursing has been invaluable to the growth and enhancement of our advanced practice nursing education programs,” says Dean Marsha Lewis. “Her dedication to our students, especially throughout the pandemic, is a great service to the community as we continue to educate and train globally minded, empathetic advanced practice nurses that improve the health and wellness of our community members and vulnerable populations across the nation.”

Paplham is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Clinical Scholarship; UB School of Nursing’s Award for Excellence in Mentorship; Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse of the Year Award from the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation; the NP/PA Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation; and the March of Dimes Western New York Nurse of the Year for Oncology, Palliative Care, Hospice.

Paplham is also a fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.