Nationwide — Joanne Patterson, DNP, MSN, PMHNP-BC, founder of Nurse Practitioners on Wheels®, has been named the recipient of the Nurse Innovator Award by The American Psychiatric Nurses Association, honoring her groundbreaking work bringing compassionate, innovative psychiatric-mental health care directly to women and children where they are. Born and raised in St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands, Dr. Patterson brings a deep commitment to equitable, community-centered care that reflects her Caribbean roots and passion for service.
Patterson’s “tiny house” mobile clinic, Nurse Practitioners on Wheels®, blends warm,
patient-centered care with data-informed practice to expand access to reproductive psychiatry and maternal mental health services across Georgia. Through telepsychiatry, she also serves patients in Maryland, Washington, DC, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“As nurses, we see a need and we fill it,” said Dr. Patterson. “I started as an OB nurse working with high-risk mothers and saw gaps in mental health services, especially postpartum, when anxiety, depression, and OCD can occur. I knew I wanted to be part of the solution, so I became a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner and built a model that meets patients where they are.”
Recognized for Impact at Scale
• In 2022, Patterson launched the Nurse Practitioners on Wheels® mobile clinic, a cozy, 200-square-foot tiny house redesigned as a mental health unit focused on reproductive and pediatric psychiatry.
• In 2023, she partnered with CareSource Medicaid of Georgia’s Wellness on Wheels (WOW) program, appearing at health fairs, schools, Boys & Girls Club locations, and clinics for the uninsured or underinsured. The CareSource Wellness On Wheels Initiative has seen over 15,000 patients.
• Media coverage of the clinic’s impact went viral, leading to an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, where BetterHelp online therapy surprised Patterson with a $10,000 donation to support her mission.
“The APNA Annual Awards celebrate psychiatric-mental health nurses who are breaking barriers, inspiring change, and transforming psychiatric-mental health care. From advancing clinical practice to pioneering research, designing innovative approaches, and mentoring future professionals, the 2025 APNA Annual Award recipients show the impact of passion, resilience, and resourcefulness in action,” said The American Psychiatric Nurses Association.
Informatics at the Core of Innovation
While earning her psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner board certification and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Patterson became a clinical informatics expert, serving as a super user trainer and Director of Nursing Informatics, implementing electronic health records for a large health system. She later served as an Assistant Professor in Health Care Informatics at the University of North Georgia.
Her DNP scholarly project, “Mobile Mental Health App Adoption Among Providers and Patients:
The Nursing Informatics Role,” laid the foundation for her care model, integrating evidence-based informatics with community-centered access. Dr. Patterson encourages upcoming nurse innovators to “stay passionate and innovative. Embrace your unique skills and perspective. Don’t be afraid to challenge traditional models of care, build strong collaborations, and remember that even small innovations can create a significant ripple effect.”
About
Nurse Practitioners on Wheels® is a tiny-house mobile clinic founded by Joanne Patterson, DNP, MSN, PMHNP-BC, originally from St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, delivering compassionate, evidence-based psychiatric care to women and children, with a focus on reproductive psychiatry and maternal mental health. The clinic travels across Georgia and leverages telepsychiatry to reach patients in multiple jurisdictions, expanding access to timely, stigma-reducing care. Learn more at her official website at DrJoannePsychiatryNP.com
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Nurse Practitioners on Wheels® is a registered trademark of its owner. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.