Amanda Edmonds (left) and Dr. Jennifer Dwyer (right)
Akron Children’s is proud to announce the 2026 recipients of the APP awards, honoring outstanding advanced practice providers (APPs) for their dedication, leadership and exceptional contributions to patient care. This year, Amanda Edmonds, APRN-CNP, Orthopedics, received the award for Excellence in Practice. Jennifer Dwyer, MD, FAAP, pediatrician at Akron Children’s Pediatrics in Barberton was named Outstanding Physician for APP Advocacy.
APP Excellence in Practice: Amanda Edmonds
As an orthopedic nurse practitioner at Akron Children’s, Amanda turns innovative ideas into meaningful improvements for patients, families and care teams.
“Receiving the Excellence in Practice award is incredibly meaningful personally and professionally,” said Amanda. “Personally, it represents my commitment to providing the highest-quality care to every patient and family I have the privilege of serving,” she added.
Amanda shares how this award reflects the continuous effort she’s invested throughout her career to learn, grow and improve. “It validates the time and energy I’ve devoted to advancing patient care, improving quality, supporting my colleagues and helping move this profession forward.”
Amanda has become a driving force behind quality initiatives within Orthopedics, where she serves as the department’s quality officer. “She consistently looks for ways to improve how we care for patients,” said nominator Aaron Wickham.
Amanda’s achievements
A significant accomplishment was helping establish the inpatient APP role within Orthopedics. Amanda developed workflows and clarified responsibilities for the position, improving care coordination, reducing delays in patient evaluation and creating an efficient inpatient experience. The success of the role has earned positive feedback from physicians and nurses.
In addition, she co-developed a standardized forearm fracture algorithm that reduced variation in treatment and improved the consistency and timeliness of care for patients with one of the most common orthopedic injuries.
Supporting the next generation of APPs
Beyond her quality work, Amanda is passionate about sharing knowledge and supporting the next generation of providers. She serves as a preceptor for the Case Western Reserve University Nurse Practitioner program, helping students build clinical skills, critical thinking abilities and confidence in evidence-based practice.
“One of the most rewarding parts of my career is helping develop the next generation of advanced practice providers,” said Amanda. “I still remember the impacts my own preceptors had on me not only in teaching clinical skills but in building my confidence as I transitioned into practice. Their encouragement shaped the provider I am today.”
Amanda has presented her work locally and nationally, including her inpatient APP quality improvement project at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, where it received honorable mention.
Advocacy in action
Currently, Amanda plays a key role in the Emergency Department/Orthopedics redirect project, helping ensure patients are seen in the most appropriate setting. The initiative is improving access to care, reducing unnecessary emergency visits and helping decrease wait times for patients.
Advocacy is another cornerstone of Amanda’s work. In her inpatient role, she helps patients secure the durable medical equipment and supplies needed for a safe and timely discharge. She also participates in scoliosis screenings, connecting children and families with early evaluation and treatment when needed.
For Amanda, the most rewarding part of her work is creating positive change that benefits both patients and the teams who care for them.
“Many of us, like myself, enter our careers believing our greatest contribution will always be the direct care we provide. While that is meaningful, I’ve come to realize that improving quality, developing evidence-based practices, mentoring future APPs and advocating for better systems allows us to extend our impact far beyond the patients we see each day,” said Amanda.
Outstanding Physician for APP Advocacy Award: Dr. Jennifer Dwyer
For more than three decades, Dr. Jennifer Dwyer has been a steadfast advocate, mentor and collaborator for APPs. In recognition of her commitment to supporting and advancing team-based care, Dr. Dwyer received the 2026 Outstanding Physician for APP Advocacy award.
Through her unwavering support, commitment to professional development and dedication to fostering meaningful partnerships, Dr. Dwyer has strengthened both the APP profession and the care provided to children and families throughout Akron Children’s.
“I am truly honored to be recognized by such an extraordinary group of professionals,” said Dr. Dwyer. “Our organization holds a very special place in my heart. I have spent the past 30 years of my career here and have had the privilege of guiding the growth of our pediatric offices in my role as Medical Director. Throughout that time, I have seen firsthand the invaluable impact APPs have on our patients and our practices,” she said.
Integrating APPs
Early in her leadership tenure, Dr. Dwyer was instrumental in integrating APPs into the primary care leadership team. This established a culture that recognized APPs as key contributors. Her influence helped shift language and mindset to emphasize a collective team of “providers” rather than focusing solely on physicians.
She has advocated for fair compensation, benefits and representation on hospital committees, including quality improvement, peer review and clinical management, pediatric chair search committees and the Akron Children’s Health Collaborative Board.
Dr. Dwyer also championed the creation of regional APP lead roles, expanding leadership pathways and increasing APP visibility across the organization. She played a key role in supporting the initiative focused on strengthening onboarding for novice APP graduates and helped secure stipends for APP preceptors. Those efforts contributed to the successful onboarding of 26 APPs in 2025, including 12 new graduates.
“During my time at Akron Children’s, the number of medical students choosing primary care as a career has decreased while the interest in moving to rural areas to provide that care has also decreased,” explains Dr. Dwyer. “Our APPs have closed the gap without compromising care. They provide access and high-quality care in areas that would otherwise be underserved.”
As a preceptor herself, Dr. Dwyer remains actively involved, providing guidance, creative solutions to training challenges and a reliable source of support for new clinicians entering practice. In addition, she serves as a collaborating physician for APPs in online care and float roles.
Sharon Juszli, Katelyn McElhaney, Kieyra Thrush, Denise Holmes and Brian Dinger, who nominated Dr. Dwyer for the award, described her as a trusted mentor, powerful advocate and collaborative leader whose influence has helped shape countless APP careers.
