School of Nursing DNP Alum on Why Giving Matters
Dr. Tammy Porter, DNP’20, MLS, RN-BSN, CCM, CPHQ, now a nurse leader with over 30 years of experience, cited her time as a student at Duke University School of Nursing as one of the biggest influences on her nursing career and a deciding factor in her choice to financially support the School and current students.
“My experience within the DNP program challenged me to expand my knowledge of implementation science and nursing education,” Porter said. “After graduation, I was well prepared for the complexities of research and writing, publishing and teaching. After 30 years of nursing, I found myself beginning anew and energized for the next 20 years!”
Porter currently serves as the CEO and Founder of MyHealth/MyAdvocate, a Palm Desert, CA-based business that helps both patients and caregivers navigate complicated healthcare decisions, insurance issues, and access to services. She has previously served as the Executive Director of Quality for a health system in Southeast Missouri and as Director of Case Management in California, Kentucky, and Missouri. In addition to an extensive background in clinical obstetrics and ICU care, Porter serves as a Consulting Associate with the School of Nursing.
Porter’s education at Duke prepared her for her continued success as a nurse leader. “My time at Duke was transformative,” she said, “and equipped me with new knowledge and skills. By contributing financially, I aim to help ensure that future generations of nursing students, new and experienced, have access to the same exceptional resources that I did.”
Her contributions not only help the School support scholarships for future nurse leaders, but also play a vital role in supporting new technology and nursing research in the rapidly evolving healthcare environment, something Porter said was very important to her.
“A nursing education from a university such as Duke is an honor and a privilege,” Porter insisted. “I feel so proud when I am asked where my DNP degree was obtained. I am so proud of Duke’s legacy of nursing leaders who have built the School of Nursing into the excellent institution it is today, and this pride shapes my contributions.”
Porter has a message for other School of Nursing graduates who are considering giving back: “Consider the investment you are making in the future of nursing and the countless lives you will touch through the hands of the nurses who emerge from Duke. It is a gift that keeps on giving.”
To learn more about how you can support future generations of Duke Nurse Leaders, visit