A 2004 South Whidbey High School alumna, Ann Pedack, is one step closer to becoming a primary care nurse practitioner. Pedack has been awarded the University of Washington School of Nursing Comprehensive Geriatric Education Program Grant.

She is the daughter of Jeff and Mary Bakeman of Freeland.

The program supports students in the Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (A/G PCNP) track of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program with a special interest in working with the older adult population. The grant supports four students in the program.

Each full-time scholar received $30,000 to provide aid for their current academic year.

Pedack is in her second year of the program. She has worked as a registered nurse in the medical cardiac intensive care unit of Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for six years. She returned to school to become an A/G PCNP.

Pedack is interested in geriatric primary care, frail elder care, advance-care planning and expanding models for home-based primary care. She also received clinical training at the Seattle Veterans Administration Medical Center primary care clinic as an A/G PCNP student in their Center of Excellence in primary care program.