Rishi Mistry, MSN, ARNP, CPNP-PC grew up in the small town of Sevierville, Tennessee, known as the birth place of Dolly Parton. He received a Bachelor’s degree in psychology and neuroscience at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, then worked in psychoneuroimmunology and pediatric obesity research for several years, which stimulated a strong interest in the effects of early life experiences on development. Mistry earned a Master’s degree in nursing in pediatric primary care at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.
Mistry has been in practice as a pediatric nurse practitioner at Yakima Pediatrics for three years and currently serves as the medical director in addition to providing patient care. He serves on the Medical Advisory Committee at Children’s Village in Yakima and is the second opinion contributor to the local parenting magazine, Yakima Playdate. Mistry is also a member of the Yakima Valley Nurse Practitioners Association and Washington NAPNAP.
“I’m interested in how early-life experiences shape our lives,” says Mistry. “I think that preventative medicine is powerful, which is why I love working in pediatric primary care.” Mistry sees his job as identifying the particular needs of a child to promote their growth and development and also to advocate for children to have equal and limitless access to resources that maximize their ability to thrive.
“I value WCAAP’s advocacy efforts and the opportunities it provides its members to support children in our communities,” says Mistry. “The weekly legislative updates keep me informed on what’s happening at the state and federal level.” As a nurse practitioner, Mistry also appreciates the collegiality of the AAP and WCAAP. “When it comes to promoting the safety and wellbeing of children, there are no differences between advanced practice clinicians and physicians, so I appreciate the inclusiveness of WCAAP and AAP.”
When he’s not taking care of kids, you are likely to find Mistry in the kitchen at the home he shares in Yakima with his partner and their pet dachshund, or traveling. “I love cooking! It’s my favorite stress reliever/coping mechanism,” he says.