Judith Collins, R.N., M.S., WHNP-C, FAAN

Judith B. Collins, RN, MS, WHNP-C, FAAN. Associate Professor Emeritus, Schools of Nursing and Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia Campus (VCU/MCV), Richmond, Virginia. Ms. Collins retired after more than 30 years of service at the University. Ms. Collins earned her B.S.N. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill,; M.S. in Maternal-Child Health from Boston University,; and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate from VCU/MCV, Throughout her nursing career, she has held positions in nursing services, administration, and education. She served on the Hospital Ship HOPE in Nicaragua, Central America i. She was a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow in Washington, D.C. in 1982-83 serving in the Congressional Office of Congressman Richard A. Gephardt. Following the Fellowship, Ms. Collins initiated the VCU/MCV Health Policy Office in the Office of the Vice President for Health Sciences to focus on governmental relations and health policy issues and education. She was the Director of the Health Policy Office and worked with members of the Virginia General Assembly on a wide range of health issues. She was the Founding Director of the VCU Comprehensive Women’s Health Center that received designation as a Center of Excellence by the HHS Office of Women’s Health.

Throughout her career as a Nurse Practitioner, Ms. Collins as has been engaged in
practice, education, certification, regulation and professional organizations. She was appointed by the Governor to the Virginia Board of Nursing and the Joint Boards of Nursing and Medicine. In addition, she has served on multiple state and national task forces addressing advancement of Nurse Practitioner practice to the full extent of their education and training to meet the access to care needs for patients and their families.

Ms. Collins is a nationally known speaker, consultant and writer in the areas of women’s
health care, health policy, and nurse practitioner issues. She has served on multiple Boards and Task Forces focused on health policy issues including nursing and nurse practitioners, infant mortality, maternal-child health, indigent health care and health professional standards. She has held leadership positions in many community and professional organizations on the local, state, and national levels. She was the first Chair of the National Alliance of Nurse Practitioners that evolved into the America College of Nurse Practitioners, National Vice-President of NAACOG (now AWHONN), Vice President, The National Certification Corporation (NCC) for Obstetric, Gynecologic and Neonatal Nurses, Board Member, National Center for Certification, Preparation and Review (CCPR), Board Member, American College of Nurse Midwives Certification Council, Founding Board Member and Chair, Women’s Health Virginia, Chair, Virginia Capital Area March of Dimes, and Board Member,, YWCA of Richmond, Trustee, Children’s Hospital, Past Chair and Trustee, Richmond Memorial Health Foundation, Past Chair, Virginia Council on the Status of Women Board Centralized Credentialing Verification Service, Inc. of the Richmond Academy of Medicine, and Advisory Board to the Nurse Leadership Institute of Virginia., Past Chair, CrossOver Health Ministry Board; Trustee and MCV Foundation Chair; Professional Advisory Board VCU Institute of Women’s Health; Advisory Board, Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU; Ms. Collins volunteers as a NP at CrossOver Ministry Health Clinic and on Medical Mission trips to Brazil, Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation in the Dakotas, and Panama.

Ms. Collins’has received numerous local, state and national honors and awards throughout her career from community, professional, governmental and philanthropy
organizations , as well as academia. In honor of her retirement, The Collins Endowed Distinguished Professorship in Women’s Health was established at the VCU School of Nursing, now renamed the Collins-Teefey Endowed Distinguished Professorship.
In retirement, Ms. Collins has remained very active as a volunteer on many university, community, state and national boards and foundations. She and her husband, Joseph Teefey have enjoyed traveling and being involved with their children and 6 grandchildren including a set of triplets!