PPOA Patient Care Champion – Lelia “Lee” Nichols
Lelia Nichols, Nurse Practitioner, North Dallas, TX –
Our employees are all patient care champions, but some go the extra mile and we want to give them the recognition they deserve. They embody the PPOA values known as S.I.T.E. – Safety, Integrity, Teamwork, Empathy – which informs our service to patients and the community through high quality health care.
Lelia “Lee” Nichols, RN, MSN, NP-C, has been a part of the Physician Partners of America family since 2017 and is known for her gentle way with the people who come to PPOA’s North Dallas clinic. “I love to spend time with patients, educate them, and get to know them,” Nichols says.
She is also devoted to her coworkers. “Your team is a big part of what keeps you happy and coming to work each day,” she adds.
Her peers return the sentiment.
“Lee is the most skilled nurse practitioner and advanced practice provider I’ve ever had the privilege to work with,” says Dr. Demaceo Howard, who worked at the North Dallas office with Nichols before his recent move to PPOA’s Frisco office.
Rhonda Boysen, PPOA Regional Director of Clinic Operations for Texas and California, says, “Lee is a true leader and patient champion, always focusing on quality patient care. She is also a leader amongst her colleagues and is always willing to assist in any area of clinical operations, including mentoring newly hired advanced practice providers.”
A native of Georgia, Nichols moved several times as a child but was reared mostly in Nashville and Houston. One thing did not change: even as a child, she knew where life would lead her. “I have always loved to take care of people,” she says. “I knew I wanted to be in the healthcare field even at a young age.” She volunteered at the nurse’s office in high school, and knew for certain what her path would be.
Nichols received her Bachelor of Nursing at Georgetown University in Washington, DC and worked as a nurse at Memorial Sloan Kettering and Mount Sinai in New York. She then obtained her MSN/Family Nurse Practitioner degree from Baylor University in Waco, TX. She also worked as an adjunct professor for clinicals at Baylor’s College of Nursing.
A mother of two, Lee enjoys reading, exercise and tennis in her spare time.
Her expertise and heart for both her team and patients make her our newest PPOA Patient Care Champion.