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HMR 1007

TO REMEMBER LORETTA FORD, COFOUNDER OF THE FIRST ACADEMIC PROGRAM FOR NURSE PRACTITIONERS AND "MOTHER" OF THE NURSE PRACTITIONER FIELD.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Mary Bentley

Arkansas House memorializes Loretta Ford, cofounder of the first academic NP program and mother of the NP field, honoring her legacy with no policy or funding changes.

READ AND ADOPTED.
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Bill Summary · HMR 1007

Summary of HMR 1007 (Arkansas)

Overview

  • Bill Type: House Memorial Resolution (HMR)
  • Bill Number: HMR 1007
  • Title: TO REMEMBER LORETTA FORD, COFOUNDER OF THE FIRST ACADEMIC PROGRAM FOR NURSE PRACTITIONERS AND "MOTHER" OF THE NURSE PRACTITIONER FIELD.
  • Jurisdiction: State of Arkansas, 95th General Assembly, Regular Session, 2025
  • Sponsor: Representative Bentley
  • Status: Read and Adopted
  • Introduced: March 6, 2025

What the bill does

  • HMR 1007 is a commemorative memorial resolution recognizing and remembering Loretta Cecilia Ford for her pivotal contributions to nursing and the nurse practitioner (NP) field.
  • The resolution acknowledges Ford as the cofounder of the first academic program for nurse practitioners and as the “mother” of the NP field.
  • It memorializes her life, career, and impact on public health nursing and NP education, and it states the House’s intent to remember her legacy.

Key provisions and content

  • The measure provides a narrative of Loretta Ford’s life, including:
    • Birth: December 28, 1920 (New York City, NY)
    • Death: January 22, 2025 (age 104)
    • Education and early career: nursing diploma (1941); U.S. Army Air Forces service; BS in Nursing (1949); MPH (1951); Doctorate in Education (1961)
    • Professional milestones: assistant professor and later full professor at the University of Colorado School of Nursing; cofounding the pediatric NP program at the University of Colorado in 1965 (the first academic NP program in U.S. history) with Dr. Henry Silver
    • Later role: founding dean of the University of Rochester School of Nursing (1972) and development of the Holistic Unification Model of Nursing; lifelong recognition and awards
    • Recognitions: multiple awards from major public health and nursing organizations; inductions into the National Women’s Hall of Fame and Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame
  • There are no operative or policy changes, mandates, or funding directives contained in the memorial. It is strictly commemorative, exhorting the House to remember Ford’s contributions.

Legislative history and timeline

  • Filed: March 6, 2025
  • Read the first time, rules suspended, and referred to the Committee on House Management: March 6, 2025
  • Returned by Committee with Do Pass: March 10, 2025
  • Read and Adopted by the House: March 11, 2025

Who is affected

  • The resolution primarily honors Loretta Ford and acknowledges her contributions to nursing and NP education. It does not create new duties, funding, or regulatory changes affecting agencies or individuals beyond formal recognition by the Arkansas House.

Potential impact

  • Symbolic and educational value for Arkansas, highlighting the importance of nurse practitioner education and the nursing profession.
  • May inspire attention to nursing education programs and recognition of veterans and pioneers in public health nursing within the state.
  • No fiscal impact or regulatory change is anticipated from adoption of this memorial.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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