Deborah L Hopla DNP, APRN-BC, FAANP, FAAN
Dr. Deborah Hopla was the Inaugural Director of the MSN/FNP/ and DNP Programs and remained for 13 years as the Director. Now Professor Emeritus at Francis Marion University, and a Family Nurse Practitioner at Hope Health (FQHC) in Florence, South Carolina. Dr. Hopla has been active and successful in state legislation to advance nurse practitioners for prescriptive authority and now working of Full Practice Authority. Her work with creating a tax credit for clinical preceptors in the South Carolina Senate was passed and renewed. She was also successful in creating the first doctoral NP program at a liberal arts university. Awards include: NONPF Outstanding Policy Award and the South Carolina Palmetto Gold Top 100 Nurses Recognition. Dr. Hopla serves on several coalitions and is past President of the SC Nurses Foundation. Dr. Hopla also serves as a BOT member at the Felician Center, in Williamsburg County in SC. Dr. Hopla is a Fellow in the Amy V. Cockcroft Leadership Progrm from the University of South Carolina, a Fellow in AANP and in FAAN.