BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Sandra Ryan, vice president of Walmart Care Clinics, has received the Loretta C. Ford Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Nurse Practitioner Symposium. Ford is cofounder of the first nurse practitioner program.

Sandra Ryan with the Ford Lifetime Achievement Award.

Ryan is considered a visionary leader with more than 25 years of health care experience in various clinical, management and leadership settings. She was recognized by the symposium for her demonstration of integrity, professional achievement and advocacy in advanced practice nursing on a national level.

Ryan was previously chief nurse practitioner for Walgreens’ Take Care clinics, overseeing clinical and business operations for 400 in-store clinics. She provided leadership to more than 1,300 nurse practitioners across the country.

Ford, who is a mentor to Ryan, congratulated the recipient and recognized Ryan for her contributions to the nurse practitioner profession.

“She is essentially a pioneer, innovator and inspiring leader of this particular movement,” commented Ford, who started the pediatric nurse practitioner program at the University of Colorado in 1965. “There is no one I know who has made more contributions and deserves more credit and recognition than Sandra Ryan.”

Ryan assumed her present position with Walmart Care Clinics last year. The clinics offer diagnosis and treatment of chronic and acute illnesses as well as such preventive services as immunizations, physicals and additional health ­screenings. Ryan joined Walmart from CareCam Health Systems, where she spent two years as chief clinical officer.

Walmart opened its first Care Clinic in 2014 and currently operates 18 of the facilities in Georgia, South Carolina and Texas.