The Above and Beyond Award is awarded to a member or members who have gone above and beyond for the organization and the profession. This year I would like to recognize Dr. Tracy Hicks.

Dr. Tracy Hicks is the inaugural PMHNP Program Coordinator at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, where she also serves as an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Co-chair and the Diversity Champion Faculty fellow. She is the Owner of C-Trilogy Comprehensive Clinical Care and is affiliated with a Ryan White funded FQHC in Longview, Texas.

Dr Hicks received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas and Master of Science in Nursing degrees as both a Family Nurse Practitioner and a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner from the University of Texas at Arlington. She earned her Doctor of Nursing practice degree from Frontier Nursing University in Versailles, Kentucky. She is currently an Executive MBA program candidate at Texas Christian University class of 2023.

Dr Hicks is an experienced speaker with several appearances and presentations across the country, primarily in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB), Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), Emotional Intelligence (EI), Leadership, and substance use disorder treatment. She also serves as an advisor, consultant, and speaker for two pharmaceutical companies.

Moreover, she is certified in addiction nursing, and has been inducted into the Fellows of the International Academy of Addiction Nurses in 2019 and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners in 2021. She also received the Texas Nurse Practitioners Above and Beyond Award in 2020.

Dr Hicks is an active member of several professional organizations, including the Association of Clinical Research Professionals, Texas Nurse Practitioners, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, the National Black Nurse Practitioner Association, Nurses Care Hub, the American Academy of HIV Medicine, the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, and the International Nursing Society on Addiction where she holds leadership positions and is actively serving with the goal of improving health equity, integration of DEIB, SDOH into curriculum, and improving workplace and academics setting by disseminating the importance of DEIB.

She was also invited to serve as a member on the Texas Health and Human Services Behavioral Health Advisory Committee (BHAC) representing an independent community behavioral health service provider in 2021.

“Dr. Hicks believes that restricted NP practice anywhere is restricted access to care everywhere” TLH