Melissa A. Vance, MSN, FNP-BC, DCNP
About Melissa
Melissa attained her undergraduate degree at Ursuline College in which she graduated with honors. She was the recipient of the Who’s Who Among American Colleges and Universities in 2000, and the recipient of the St. Catherine Medal in 1999. She was also inducted into Sigma Theta Tau, the nursing honor society. While in her senior year, she was a missionary to El Salvador and served as an international observer in El Salvador’s first democratic election.
After Graduation, Melissa worked at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center as a surgical intensive care unit nurse and completed her Master’s of Science in Nursing in 2003 at Case Western Reserve University. She graduated with honors and was awarded a fellowship from the Center for Excellence in Population Based Pediatric Nursing.
Melissa started her career as a Nurse Practitioner at a rural health medical clinic working in pediatrics in Florida. Her varied career includes working in family practice and dermatology over the years. She has worked in private practice and was extensively trained at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. She was able to participate in resident lectures and training while she was employed at CCF. During her time at CCF, she worked extensively with many of the dermatological specialists in their clinics. She has worked and trained under Dr. Wilma F. Bergfeld, MD, to learn how to aggressively treat hair loss. She has also trained with Douglas Kress, MD, in pediatric dermatology. While at CCF, Melissa attained the status of a Certified Dermatology Nurse Practitioner on 5/4/2013. More recently, Melissa has worked in private practice and has become an expert in skin of color while working with Oscar Saffold, MD. She has previously served as adjunct faculty at Case Western Reserve University for the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing from 2017-2018. She is excited to begin her journey with Apex to expand and improve access for dermatological care. She loves to treat acne, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, hidradenitis suppurativa and many more dermatological conditions!
Education
- Ursuline College-BSN
- Case Western Reserve University-MSN
Board Certification
- ANCC-Family Practice Certification
- DNCB-Dermatology Nurse Practitioner Certification
Professional Organizations
- Dermatology Nurses Association
- Society of Dermatology Nurse Practitioners
- Sigma Theta Tau International