Amy Williams is an Associate Professor in the Doctorate of Nursing Practice program at The Medical University of South Carolina. She received her BSN, MSN to become a pediatric nurse practitioner, and DNP from The Medical University of South Carolina. She is a certified pediatric nurse practitioner.
Dr. Williams has practiced pediatric nursing since beginning her career, first as a bedside nurse in an infant and toddler unit, then as a nurse practitioner both in pediatric pulmonology and pediatric primary care, where she still maintains an active practice. Dr. Williams is certified by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB). She currently provides primary care for pediatric patients at MUSC University Pediatrics- Northwoods in North Charleston, South Carolina. The clinic has a large Spanish-speaking population; Dr. Williams speaks Spanish in her practice. She is invested in health equity work. Dr. Williams serves on the board of PASOs, a statewide Latinx advocacy organization. She weaves her clinical and advocacy knowledge into her teaching in the DNP program.
Dr. Williams is known for being active in healthcare policy work at the national level through her professional organization, the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and at the state level, in early childhood care. She holds a Governor’s appointment as a trustee for South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness and the Early Childhood Advisory Council where she fills the only healthcare provider seat, working alongside members of the South Carolina General Assembly and state agency heads to ensure all of South Carolina’s children are as prepared for Kindergarten as possible through available, evidenced-based early childhood educational programs. She is the recipient of a Duke foundation grant to promote school preparedness in the Latinx community and the site Administrator for Zero to Three’s Healthy Steps initiative in her clinic.
She is interested in healthcare policy and advocacy, childhood obesity, childhood asthma, infant, child and adolescent development, health equity and promoting culturally effective healthcare. She is a recipient of the DAISY award for extraordinary nurses, the Palmetto Gold Award, an I am an MUSC Innovator Award and is a JONAS scholar.
Keywords: pediatrics, nurse practitioner, healthcare policy, advocacy, Latinx, school-preparedness