BOONTON, N.J. – December 14, 2022 – Today, POCN, the largest nurse practitioner (NP) and physician associate (PA) network in the United States, announces it has established the HIV Center of Excellence, a central portal to support excellence in clinical practice for patients with or at risk for HIV. The portal is a first-of-its-kind resource curated by practicing HIV/AIDS NP and PA specialists, designed to educate their peers outside of the practice area. The portal is free and aims to give NPs and PAs the latest news and best practices in the HIV specialty to better support their patients.
In honor of HIV/AIDS Awareness Month in December, POCN has announced Ribo as the winner of its 2022 POCN NP/PA Educator of Distinction (HIV). Along with his work as faculty advisor of the Center of Excellence, Ribo is the Associate Medical Director at Outreach Community Care Network, a primary care, substance use, psychiatric, and mental health services provider in Daytona Beach, Fla. The award recognizes Ribo’s over 25-year commitment to advancing care for people with HIV/AIDS and his work in providing education and leadership to fellow NP and PA providers as a POCN Ambassador.
“I am honored to be named as the 2022 Educator of Distinction for HIV,” said Ribo. “I have served this community for over 25 years educating them on healthier practices and empowering them to make healthier lifestyle decisions. I humbly accept this on behalf of our team at Outreach Community Care Network who together help to make an incredible difference in our patient’s lives. I also want to include and accept this award on behalf of our many NP/PA colleagues who labor every day in obscurity and too often without any appreciation for the work they perform on behalf of the most marginalized and forgotten in our community.”
In celebration of Ribo and in recognition of HIV Awareness Month, POCN is donating to the Outreach Community Care Network for its continued work to provide support and care for underrepresented groups in the Daytona, Fla community.
“The POCN HIV Center of Excellence will play an invaluable role in the continued education for NPs and PAs across the country,” says Richard Zwickel, Founder and CEO of POCN. “Healthcare providers like Angel and the Center of Excellence faculty advisors are central to advancing care in specialties like infectious disease and HIV/AIDs. We look forward to what this Center of Excellence and its dedicated advisors will accomplish.”
POCN’s mission is to bring PAs and NPs together to network, share ideas, and create a strong foundation of providers. To learn more about POCN and its programs, visit: https://www.pocn.com.
To visit the HIV Center of Excellence, click here.
About POCN
POCN, the largest network of PAs and NPs, is a trusted source for over 400,000 PAs/NPs who utilize POCN to connect with their peers, support and shape PA/NP education, stay up to date on the latest healthcare news, find earning opportunities including their next jobs, and access resources to improve patient outcomes. Traditionally, the physician community has received the majority of funding and resourcing, resulting in an underappreciation of the PA/NP community. POCN recognizes the need to advocate, support, and educate PAs and NPs. The organization does this through data and support services. For more information, visit www.pocn.com.
