Space Conference Speaker

Dr. Paula Hill-Collins is a nurse practitioner, rural health leader, and internationally recognized advocate for health equity, serving as Vice President/Clinical Director of The Health Wagon, the nation’s oldest free mobile healthcare clinics. For over 20 years, she has advanced access to medical, dental, vision, and behavioral health services for underserved communities across Appalachia, reaching over 28,000 patient encounters annually. She leads innovative, nurse practitioner–driven models that bring care directly to marginalized populations, expanding women’s preventive services in geographically isolated regions. Under her leadership, The Health Wagon integrates mobile clinics, telecolposcopy, and satellite-enabled broadband to reduce disparities and improve outcomes. Following the tragic loss of her son, she transformed grief into advocacy—advancing grandparent rights, expanding nurse practitioner practice authority, and speaking globally to ensure no one is left behind.