MS. ALLISON SMITH, MSN, CRNP
JOINS THE STAFF OF THE
FREDERICK COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY

Frederick, Maryland: The Frederick Community Action Agency (FCAA) is pleased to announce that Allison Smith, MSN, CRNP-F has recently joined the staff of the agency as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Ms. Smith received her Master's in Nursing Science degree from Georgetown University's School of Nursing and subsequently obtained licensure as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She received her Bachelor's degree in Nursing Science from the State University of Pennsylvania and, for several years, worked as a Charge Nurse on the Organ Transplant Unit at the Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. As a native of Frederick, Ms. Smith is pleased to be addressing the needs of medically underserved populations in her hometown. She stated, "I look forward to working with the community in a collaborative effort to provide essential primary care services".

Ms. Smith joins Dr. Jan Towers, PhD, CRNP-F in practice at the FCAA's primary health care clinic. Dr. Towers has been practicing, on a part-time basis, at the FCAA since 1990. She is a Family Nurse Practitioner and received her Master's of Nursing Science degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and her Ph.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Towers is employed full-time as the Director of Health Policy for the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Several local doctors also volunteer on-site in the FCAA's primary health clinic; the volunteers includes Drs. Gene Ashe, M.D. (family practice); Alan Rohrer, M.D. (internal medicine); Susan Chaitovitz, M.D. (pediatrics); Janet Ciarkowski, M.D. (family practice); Diana Juliano, M.D. (family practice); Larry Costello, M.D. (psychiatry); David Levine, D.P.M. (podiatry); Bob Mannis, Ph.D. (psychology); and Ed Feher, Ph.D. (neuro-psychology). Their contributions have been invaluable in helping to deliver primary care to medically underserved populations in Frederick County. Other clinic staff members include: Janet Jones, Clinic Manager; Teresa Cevallos, R.N., B.S.N., Registered Nurse; and Margarita Menjivar, C.M.A., Medical Assistant.

Through a wide array of programs and services, the FCAA provides food, shelter, medical care, housing, transportation, and other forms of assistance to families and individuals who are low-income or homeless. The FCAA's primary health care clinic serves both adults and children who are homeless; are recipients of Maryland Medical Assistance; or are eligible for enrollment in the Maryland Primary Adult Care (PAC) Program. The enclosed fliers further describe eligibility for primary health care programs operated by the FCAA. Additional eligibility information is posted on the FCAA's website at www.cityoffrederick.com/fcaa.

The FCAA Primary Care Clinic will be holding an open house on Friday, April 27, 2007 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; the public and other health/human service providers are invited to stop by the FCAA, meet Ms. Smith and other clinic staff, learn about the FCAA's health care programs, and tour our remodeled clinic. For more information please contact Mike Spurrier, Director at 301-600-1506 or by email at mspurrier@cityoffrederick.com.