Hilary Fowler, MSN, PMHNP, CPNP

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Hilary Fowler’s career journey is marked by unique experiences and qualifications. She holds a BA in Psychology and a BSN in Nursing. After serving as an active-duty RN in the Air Force for 5 years, she specialized as a Neonatal & Pediatric RN for 8 years. Hilary then pursued her MSN as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner from Wayne State University. Over the past 4.5 years, she has gained extensive experience in inpatient trauma/surgery, outpatient primary care/private practice, and outpatient/inpatient adolescent mental health and eating disorder treatment.

Hilary received her postgraduate Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) certificate from Grand Valley State University and is a board-certified PMHNP. She has always had an interest in psych, but when she became a bedside RN, particularly working with pediatrics, the inclusion of the family/parents became imperative to patient care. As an NP at the Hough Center for Adolescent Health in Detroit (now Corewell), Hilary got her first taste of mental health, eating disorders, and the fulfillment of helping patients onto the road to recovery.

Hilary’s family has wanted to relocate to the Grand Rapids area for several years. Hilary initially found Sanford in 2021 when the eating disorder residential treatment facility was launched. At the time, her pediatric education and certification prohibited her from treating adults, and it galvanized her to obtain her PMHNP. Hilary says she is excited to join the clinical provider team for residential eating disorder patients. Her diverse background, working with varied populations, conditions, and families will serve patients well. Hilary is especially eager to help Sanford build its adolescent/pediatric eating disorder treatment, a major treatment gap in Michigan, into their programming.

In her free time, Hilary enjoys spending time with the family, taking their beagle for long walks, and listening to music and podcasts. She loves being active, particularly outdoors, which is what brings the family to the West Side!

 

Hilary says, “Being a part of anyone’s mental health journey is a privilege. It takes a tremendous amount of trust and vulnerability to truly engage with your clinical team, and as a provider I never take that for granted. I appreciate the patience, empathy, and compassion it takes to build rapport with my patients so that they can get the most from me, and I can best serve them, no matter where they are in their recovery.”