Advanced Practice Provider of the Year Award
This honor is awarded to the advanced practice provider who consistently achieves high standards in the practice of medicine and is looked upon as a road map for his or her peers.
Chrissie Ladd, P.A.-C.
Physician Assistant, Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital
Chrissie Ladd was one of the first physician assistants to practice in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s pediatric emergency center. Her exceptional clinical and leadership skills led to her being named manager for advanced practice providers (APPs) in the emergency center, pediatric intensive care unit and palliative care program. Ladd also played a pivotal role in building an APP-driven hospitalist service that set a new standard for collaboration and APP-led inpatient care. Through her vision and dedication to patient-centered care, she continues to manage these programs and strengthen the role of APPs across the organization.
In addition, Ladd demonstrated versatility and innovation by leading the launch of the first APP-run urgent care center at a Johns Hopkins All Children’s facility. She personally led recruitment, onboarding, clinical training and protocol development while implementing the first Epic urgent care electronic medical record in the Johns Hopkins Health System.
Ladd’s ability to balance visionary program development with hands-on clinical experience is a paradigm for what an APP can contribute to an academic pediatric health system.
Kimberly Nelson, C.R.N.P.
Adult Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
Post-Acute Critical Care Team
Post-Acute COVID-19 Team (PACT)
Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
Kimberly Nelson began her career at Johns Hopkins Bayview in 2015 as an advanced practice provider in addiction medicine, internal medicine and pulmonology. In 2022, she transitioned to the ambulatory setting and helped grow the Johns Hopkins Post-Acute Care Team (PACT) clinic, which serves patients experiencing post-intensive care syndrome and post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Nelson’s years of experience caring for patients with acute pulmonary complications has enabled her to provide the highest quality of holistic care to patients at the PACT clinic. She cares for each patient as if they are a member of her own family, and goes the extra mile to connect them with resources that may be helpful. This is evidenced by her advocacy for patients who are discharged from the ICU and experience multifaceted barriers to care as they transition home. Kim goes above and beyond to coordinate their care, ensuring they have access to affordable medications, home health equipment and rehabilitation services.
Noted a colleague, “Nothing ever seems to fall through the cracks with Kim. I can reach out to her any time with a request or concern about a patient, and she will do anything she can to help.”
Ruby Panju-Merali, D.N.P., M.S.N., F.N.P.-C.
Neuroscience Nurse Practitioner, Sibley Memorial Hospital
Johns Hopkins Community Physicians
Ruby Panju-Merali is an integral member of the Johns Hopkins Community Physicians neurology team at Sibley Memorial Hospital. She often plays a key role in coordinating care for complex cases, and on many occasions has demonstrated great flexibility in ensuring continuity of care during the post-discharge transition period. Her interpersonal and communication skills are truly outstanding. Panju-Merali’s colleagues and patients consistently speak highly of her. One colleague says, “Her clinical acumen and dedication to her patients are second to none.”
Panju-Merali consistently goes above and beyond in her clinical responsibilities. Her documentation is exceptionally detailed, ensuring seamless continuity of care when patients are referred. She proactively follows up with her patients, offering valuable guidance to help them navigate a complex medical system. Additionally, she regularly contributes to stroke education initiatives. Panju-Merali is beloved and highly respected by patients and colleagues alike.
Lora Lee Clawson, C.R.N.P., M.S.N.
The Johns Hopkins Hospital
Lora Lee Clawson has transformed ALS care at Johns Hopkins over the past 40 years, establishing a world-class multidisciplinary clinic that now serves more than 500 patients annually. Since founding the clinic in 1999, she has built a program where compassionate, comprehensive care is seamlessly integrated with cutting-edge research. As director of ALS Clinical Services and an associate professor of neurology, Clawson elevates ALS care through clinical excellence, research leadership and dedicated mentorship.
Clawson’s commitment to patients goes far beyond clinical duties — she personally retrieves equipment from grieving families, purchases nutritional formula when insurance falls short, and delivers essential devices to patients’ homes to ensure comfort and safety. She has coordinated more than 25 research studies, co-authored over 30 publications, presented more than 40 abstracts, and served on multiple national advisory committees. Clawson’s work exemplifies the Johns Hopkins Medicine mission to improve health, advance discovery and educate future health care leaders, all while demonstrating that clinical excellence is inseparable from compassion.
Matthew Ross, C.R.N.P.
Director of Healthcare Innovations
Co-Chair of the Emergency Medicine Flow Team
Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center
Matthew Ross is a strategic and compassionate leader in emergency medicine at Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center. As director of clinical innovation, chair of the Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Steering Committee for the health system and a founding member of the Emergency Medicine APP Advisory Council, he helps shape APP practice and operational strategy across Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Ross co-founded and co-chairs the emergency department flow improvement team, leading multidisciplinary initiatives that reduce length of stay and strengthen throughput. In partnership with fellow Johns Hopkins institutions and the APP Steering Committee, he launched the inaugural systemwide APP Week to celebrate advanced practice providers. In partnership with the emergency medicine chair and medical director at Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center, he has successfully implemented annual Difficult Airway Response Team (DART) and emergency medicine simulation lab procedural training programs in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins Medicine Simulation Center.
“His contributions this year have been transformative and enduring,” says a colleague. “He elevates everyone around him.”
Ashley Smith, M.S.N., F.N.P.-C.
Advanced Practice Provider Manager and Gynecologic Oncology Nurse Practitioner
Sibley Memorial Hospital
As the advanced practice provider (APP) manager and clinical provider in gynecologic oncology (Gyn Onc), Ashley Smith demonstrates outstanding leadership through her integrity, empathy and mentorship. She provides oversight and support for approximately 30 APPs across 12 departments, going above and beyond to support her team. She plays an integral part in leading the Gyn Onc surgical subspecialty, and is often regarded as the backbone of her clinical team, inspiring others and fostering collaboration. She spearheads ongoing professional development by organizing monthly lunch-and-learns within the department and leading a four-part, hospital-wide radiology education series for all APPs.
In addition, Smith is an active contributor to the Surgical Site Infection Committee, APP Council and PRIME Program, volunteers as a RISE peer responder and mentors high school students interested in health care careers. A respected leader among her peers and in the community, Smith approaches every challenge with confidence, determination and a consistently positive attitude.
Judy Tran, C.R.N.P.
Hospital Medicine
Suburban Hospital
Judy Tran is recognized for her transformative leadership in Suburban Hospital’s clinical decision unit (CDU), displaying a rare combination of clinical excellence, operational insight and infectious energy. Since joining the hospitalist team in 2021, Tran has played a key role in establishing workflows, protocols and communication processes that have enhanced care for even the most complex patients.
“Her ability to see both the big picture and the smallest operational details has helped us achieve performance metrics that were previously out of reach,” a colleague wrote. “Under her guidance, we’ve seen dramatic improvements in length of stay, throughput, discharge efficiency and patient satisfaction — all while maintaining a culture of compassion and teamwork.”
Guided by an unwavering focus on her patients’ best interests, Tran blends dedication to continuous improvement and a penchant for creative problem-solving with kindness, positivity and a passion for mentoring others. She fosters a collaborative environment where everyone on the CDU team feels supported and empowered to contribute. “Judy’s true distinction lies in her impact on people,” another colleague writes. “She is not just a highly skilled clinician; she is a leader, a mentor and a catalyst for better care.”
