Donna Appell, RN

Donna Appell is Executive Director of the HPS Network. Appell is a member of the ATS Public Advisory Roundtable (PAR) and received The ATS Public Service Award. In 2007, she was appointed to a two-year term as the Chairperson of ATS PAR and upon completion; she received three awards including the “Presidential Commendation”. In 2015, she was presented with the “PAR Visionary Award”. In 2013, Appell and her daughter were chosen as one of 30 Heroes to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Orphan Drug Act by the Office of Orphan Product Development at the FDA. In 2014, Appell and the HPS Network received the inaugural recognition from ATS of “Innovations in Health Equality Award”. Continuing her work in Puerto Rico and with leaders in pulmonary medicine, Appell was instrumental in the opening of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Clinic in Mayaguez, PR: the first lung disease clinic in the Caribbean. Newly, she has been awarded the RARE IMPACT AWARD from the National Organization for Rare Disorders and will be presented this honor in June 2019.