Congratulations to these outstanding champions of gender and health equity

Marita Kametas, MSN, APN, FNP-BC, CMSRN, COCNis a family nurse practitioner and ostomy specialist at UChicago Medicine, where she provides expert care to adults living with IBD. A nationally recognized leader in advanced practice provider (APP) education and program development, she serves as advanced practice provider program director for the UChicago IBD Center, director of the IBD APP Fellowship Program, and manager of Gastroenterology APP Services at the University of Chicago.

Marita is deeply committed to advancing health and gender equity through clinical care, education, and systems-level innovation. She is currently pursuing both a Doctor of Nursing Practice and a Master of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, with a focus on women's leadership, health equity, and food insecurity - key drivers of disparities in chronic disease outcomes.

As the founding director of ChatAPP: IBD Case Series by APPs for APPs, Marita has created a globally accessible, interactive case-based learning platform that democratizes high-quality IBD education for APPs across the globe. Through this initiative and her national mentorship work with the Crohn's and Colitis APP community, she is expanding access to specialized knowledge and empowering clinicians to deliver more equitable, patient-centered care.

Marita is a passionate advocate for advancing women in health care leadership and fostering inclusive, multidisciplinary care models that address the unique needs of underrepresented and underserved populations. Her work reflects a steadfast dedication to improving outcomes for patients with complex chronic conditions while elevating the role of APPs in transforming health care delivery.

She has been recognized with numerous honors, including Distinguished APP at the University of Chicago (2023, 2024), the National APP Week Rising Star Award (2024), Illinois Nurses Foundation 40 Under 40 (2025), and Outstanding APP Innovator at the University of Chicago (2025).