Elizabeth Inez Parks Pruitt (born 1962) is a physician assistant from

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. She was named one of the

Virginia Women in History Virginia Women in History was an annual program sponsored by the Library of Virginia that honored Virginia women, living and dead, for their contributions to their community, region, state, and nation. The program began in 2000 under the aegis of th ...

for 2013. Pruitt, a native of

Tangier Island Tangier is a town in Accomack County, Virginia, United States, on Tangier Island in Chesapeake Bay. The population was 727 at the 2010 census. Since 1850, the island's landmass has been reduced by 67%. Under the mid-range sea level rise scena ...

in the

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the Eastern Shore of Maryland / ...

who can trace her lineage back several generations in the community, dropped out of high school in her youth. She was early intrigued by the medical profession when a doctor, visiting the island from the Eastern Shore, stayed with her family. In 1984 she became a

dental assistant Dental assistants are members of the dental team. They support a dental operator (such as a dentist or other treating dental auxiliary) in providing more efficient dental treatment. ''Dental assistants'' are distinguished from other groups of de ...

, and in 1987 began working with David Nichols, the long-time

primary care physician A primary care physician (PCP) is a physician who provides both the first contact for a person with an undiagnosed health concern as well as continuing care of varied medical conditions, not limited by cause, organ system, or diagnosis. The term ...

who would visit the island weekly. In 2001 she entered the physician assistant program at the

University of Maryland Eastern Shore University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) is a public historically black land-grant research university in Princess Anne, Maryland. It is part of the University System of Maryland. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High ...

, commuting daily by boat at first; eventually she moved to the mainland to complete her degree, which she received in 2006. Upon the death of Dr. Nichols in 2010 Pruitt became the primary health care provider for the community, where she runs the state-of-the-art health center whose construction Nichols spearheaded and which opened four months before his death. Pruitt is married and has two daughters, Anna and Irene, with her husband Jerry.

References

1962 births Living people 21st-century American physicians People from Accomack County, Virginia Physicians from Virginia University of Maryland Eastern Shore alumni 21st-century American women physicians {{US-physician-stub