The American Health Council’s Nursing Board welcomes Lori O’Neal MSN, BSN, RN, APNP, WHNP as an affiliate.  A seasoned board-certified Nurse Practitioner, O’Neal has sharpened her clinical skills and developed reliable expertise in all fields of Women’s Health during her 35 years in the healthcare industry.

O’Neal has always been interested in the workings of the human mind and body. Drawn to the prospect of a fulfilling profession where she could further develop this interest, she earned a BSN from the University of Wisconsin Madison in 1981 and then acquired dynamic experience as a practicing nurse. Upon graduation, O’Neal started as an RN in Pediatrics in Madison, WI. She then expanded her nursing horizons by serving a diverse group of patient populations in Labor and Delivery departments in New Mexico, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin. Additionally, O’Neal spent some time as a Head Nurse in Pediatrics and Supervisor of a Women’s Health Pavilion in Pennsylvania. Deciding to focus on her longstanding passion and proficiency for Women’s Health, O’Neal transitioned from a hospital to an OB/GYN office setting in Madison, WI. During her time there, O’Neal started working in an advanced practice role and, intent on strengthening her academic foundation, completed her MSN as a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner in 1998 from her alma mater, University of Wisconsin Madison.

O’Neal has occupied her current role as a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner at Ministry/Ascension Health for the past 18 years. Ascension Health is committed to compassionate, personalized healthcare delivery to all. O’Neal delivers safe, evidence-based holistic healthcare using a patient-centered approach. Working in an OB/GYN office, O’Neal promotes wellness and provides education and care for women of all ages. She believes women excel in caring for everyone else first, often neglecting their own needs; and encourages women to take time for themselves to nurture their minds, bodies, and spirits.

O’Neal cares for women with a variety of health concerns as related to menses, contraception, STIs, breast problems, sexual health, peri/post-menopause, abnormal bleeding, urinary symptoms, and incontinence. Anxiety, depression, insomnia, migraines, and thyroid disease are a few of the more common problems. O’Neal has a special interest in female cancers and genetics. Additionally, she especially enjoys practicing obstetrics.

A genuine care for her patients defines O’Neal’s 35 years of experience in the healthcare industry. O’Neal takes the clients’ experience very seriously. She describes herself as obsessive when it comes to providing complete evidence-based care predicated on an individual’s unique needs, qualities, situation, and goals. O’Neal has, through her dynamic clinical experiences, gained a unique understanding of women’s emotional and physical health needs throughout their lives. She attributes her professional success to her genuine compassion for those she cares for, high ethical standards, and thoroughness.  O’Neal’s clinical values have led to distinguished professional honors, such as a Federal Women’s Health Traineeship that provided funding for graduate school and an association with the International Nursing Honor Society, Sigma Theta Tau.

Within the next few years of her professional future, O’Neal looks forward to positively impacting more lives and continuing her life-long learning process. She would like to improve her Spanish. She will regularly provide high-quality compassionate healthcare despite the challenges posed by computerized medical records and obstacles in today’s healthcare environment. Eager to share her valuable expertise and knowledge, O’Neal is delighted to have the opportunity to mentor students.

She especially wants to promote kindness, peace, and acceptance for all; independent of gender, color, religion, sexual orientation, age, or anything other “differences.”

A testament to nursing principles, she has always been active in screening for and assisting women in domestic violence situations and advocating for positive changes on a local (Women’s Crisis Shelter) and state level in Wisconsin.  O’Neal also provides domestic violence education to other providers. She offers psychosocial support to many women in her community and gives to several charities.

O’Neal is proud of her continued intellectual growth and development in the rapidly changing medical field. She recently celebrated 34 years of marriage to her husband Daniel, who is a fine artist. They have two children, now hard-working self-sufficient adults who are kind, generous human beings with an environmental and global consciousness. In her free time, O’Neal loves reading, traveling, going to museums and spending time with family and friends. She especially enjoys exercising outdoors walking, hiking and biking, and is an avid, though amateur gardener. The American Health Council recognizes O’Neal’s commitment to her profession and looks forward to having her insight on its Board of Nurses.