New Hanover Regional Hospitalists – NHRMC Physician Group welcome Jacqueline Higuera, ANP-BC, Pedrina Salinas, ANP-BC, Stephen B. Walker, FNP, and Alex M. Wignall, PA-C, to the practice. New Hanover Regional Hospitalists are board-certified internal and family medicine doctors who specialize in treating hospitalized patients.
Jacqueline Higuera received her Bachelor of Science in nursing from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Bogota, Colombia. She received her Master of Science in nursing from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Jacqueline has held various nursing jobs throughout her career. Fluent in both Spanish and English, Jacqueline has spent time as a nursing instructor in Colombia and the United States. Since 2012, she has worked as an Adult Nurse Practitioner at medical facilities across Michigan. Most recently, she practiced at Henry Ford Health System in their Occupational Medicine Department.
Pedrina Salinas received her Bachelor of Science in nursing from Bellamine University in Louisville, Kentucky. She earned her Master of Science in Adult Nurse Practitioner studies from East Carolina University in Greenville.
Pedrina began her career at NHRMC in 2004, serving patients as a registered nurse in the ICU, and continued her career as a case workers. Her duties included following patients throughout their hospital stay, setting up home health and more. During this time, she has also worked as a nurse practitioner in the field of neurosurgery and at Lower Cape Fear Hospice, where she had a variety of responsibilities that ranged from symptom management to supporting patients and families.
Stephen B. Walker received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Rice University in Houston, Texas. He earned his Master of Science in Nursing from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, and Post-Master’s Family Nurse Practitioner certification from University of North Carolina Wilmington.
For over two years, Stephen worked at New Hanover Regional Medical Center as a registered nurse in the cardiac medical-surgical telemetry floor. He then worked for over two years as a registered nurse at the NHRMC Behavioral Health Hospital. Most recently, he worked as a family nurse practitioner at Black River Health Services in Atkinson. There he provided primary healthcare needs ranging from acute illnesses to complex chronic conditions in a rural setting.
Alex M. Wignall received his Bachelor of Science in exercise science and Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa.
Alex has most recently been a hospitalist at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville, working predominantly with congestive heart failure and chest pain patients. There he gained experience in both observation and inpatient units with interdisciplinary team approaches.