As the architects of nursing strategy, CNOs take on some of healthcare’s toughest challenges: easing staffing shortages, managing complex nursing budgets, and building the professional development pathways that will bring the next generation of nurses into the profession and keep them there.
Their influence reaches well beyond the nursing department. These executives lead the initiatives that raise care quality and strengthen clinical excellence across their organizations, drawing on a rare combination of hands-on clinical experience and executive-level leadership.
Each day, CNOs advocate for the nurses who deliver care, and in doing so, they advance healthcare for everyone.
Note: Becker’s Healthcare developed this list based on nominations and editorial research. Leaders do not pay and cannot pay for inclusion on this list. This list is not exhaustive, nor is it an endorsement of the leaders or organizations mentioned. We extend a special thank you to Rhoda Weiss for her contributions to this list. Leaders are presented in alphabetical order.
Contact Anna Falvey at afalvey@beckershealthcare.com with questions or comments.
Paula Agosto, RN. Senior Vice President and System CNO at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. As system CNO at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Ms. Agosto leads more than 7,000 nurses and clinical care professionals across one of the nation’s premier pediatric health systems. Her visionary leadership has strengthened the system’s nursing workforce through the creation of a robust professional governance structure and an innovative professional advancement program that has enhanced recruitment, improved retention and significantly reduced first-year turnover. By investing in nurses early in their careers and reinforcing the value of their contributions, she has helped position Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as a destination for nursing excellence. Ms. Agosto’s commitment to innovation extends beyond the system through strategic partnerships with academic institutions, statewide colleagues and national partners. Her initiatives in advanced preceptorship, formal nurse educator development and advanced critical care education have expanded opportunities for professional growth while helping build the next generation of nursing leaders.
Debra Albert. CNO, Senior Vice President for Patient Care Services and Lerner Director of Health Promotion at NYU Langone Health (New York City). Dr. Albert leads more than 10,500 nurses and patient care staff across NYU Langone Health’s seven inpatient hospitals and more than 330 ambulatory sites. Under Dr. Albert, NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn (N.Y.) earned its first Magnet designation, becoming the first Magnet hospital in Brooklyn and making NYU Langone the only health system in New York State with Magnet designation across all eligible inpatient hospitals. Dr. Albert is now leading NYU Langone Hospital-Suffolk in Patchogue, N.Y. toward its first Magnet designation. NYU Langone maintains a registered nurse vacancy rate of 3.8% and turnover of 1.5%, and in fiscal 2025 reduced hospital-acquired pressure injuries 15.6% and patient falls 15.7%. Dr. Albert led creation of the health system’s first enterprisewide “Nursing Professional Practice Model,” developed over two years, and unified five nurse residency programs into a single program accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Dr. Albert serves on the American Hospital Association board of trustees, chairs its “Hospital Against Violence” committee and serves on the New York Academy of Medicine board of trustees. Dr. Albert previously served as senior vice president of patient care services and CNO at UChicago Medicine and as CNO at MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, Ill. and Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital.
Jennifer J. Albert, RN. CNO of Northern Maine Medical Center (Fort Kent). Ms. Albert serves as CNO at Northern Maine Medical Center, where she provides executive leadership for all nursing and clinical services in a rural healthcare environment. Having advanced through the organization from bedside nurse to CNO, she brings a rare depth of firsthand experience to strategic decision-making. She has previously served as director of medical practices, director of quality and director of nursing, roles in which she strengthened regulatory compliance, patient safety and operational performance at every level. As CNO, she champions evidence-based practice, professional development and interdisciplinary collaboration to improve quality, safety and patient satisfaction. Her leadership blends strategic foresight with hands-on engagement, ensuring nursing services remain both innovative and community-centered. Under her guidance, the medical center has continued to earn recognition as one of Newsweek’s “Best-in-State” hospitals from 2023 through 2026.
Dawn Alexander. CNO for DCH Health System (Tuscaloosa, Ala.). Ms. Alexander is the system CNO at DCH Health System, a nonprofit spanning three medical centers. She manages nursing staff members and a large nursing budget, providing leadership for critical departments like ICU, neonatal ICU and emergency services. As DCH’s first African American female executive in its 100-year history, Ms. Alexander brings more than three decades of leadership experience. Since joining, she has reduced nurse-to-patient ratios and improved RN turnover rates, while significantly boosting employee engagement and patient experience. She also initiated DCH’s first community health fair, which serves over 800 attendees annually. She has been honored with the University of Alabama’s “Janet Awtrey Leadership Award” for her contributions to nursing excellence.
Jim Allard, DNP, RN. Vice President and CNO for Advocate Christ Medical Center (Oaklawn, Ill.). Dr. Allard serves as vice president and CNO for Advocate Christ Medical Center, a nonprofit teaching institution that is one of the major referral hospitals in the Midwest for specialties like cancer care, cardiovascular services, heart and kidney transplantation, neurosciences, orthopedics and women’s health. He took on the role in March 2025 following nearly three years in the CNO role at Medical City Arlington (Texas). Prior, he spent another two and a half years as CNO for Women & Children’s-Medical City Dallas. In his current role, he oversees a team of dedicated nursing professionals and creates a positive nursing environment, utilizing evidence-based practices and initiatives that enhance patient experience and outcomes. He also aims to advance the nursing workforce through a focus on mentorship, education and professional development opportunities.
Kim Alleman, BSN, RN. CNO for UTHealth Houston and UT Physicians (Houston). Ms. Alleman serves as CNO for UT Physicians, the outpatient practice of UTHealth Houston’s McGovern Medical School. There, she provides enterprisewide oversight of nursing practice and clinical staff across a complex ambulatory environment. She leads clinical education, infection prevention, the float pool and the process improvement team, ensuring high standards of care, safety and operational efficiency. Ms. Alleman played a critical leadership role during the Covid-19 pandemic, guiding clinical teams through unprecedented challenges while maintaining patient and staff safety. She is recognized for integrating EHR-based scenarios into simulation training, strengthening clinical readiness and real-world performance. A strong advocate for shared governance, she established an advanced practice provider council and sponsors monthly nursing leadership forums to develop future leaders. Her mentorship, focus on workforce satisfaction, and innovations such as a clinical productivity dashboard have meaningfully improved engagement, efficiency and care delivery across the enterprise.
Peta-Ann Anderson, DNP, RN. Vice President and CNO at Jackson Memorial Hospital Campus (Miami). Dr. Anderson took on the role of vice president and CNO for Jackson Memorial Hospital in October 2026, furthering her career within Miami-based Jackson Health System. Prior, she was CNO at Jackson North Medical Center in North Miami Beach, Fla., where she oversaw nursing operations for a 382-bed hospital, leading more than 600 nurses across multiple specialties. She is known for driving improvements in patient safety, care coordination and workforce sustainability, including reductions in hospital-acquired conditions, nursing overtime and emergency department flow challenges. In her previous roles, she implemented a culture of accountability and continuous learning, supported by a comprehensive leadership development program that strengthened the nursing pipeline and improved patient experience. Her tenure within the Jackson Health System has been marked by regulatory readiness, operational stability and a strong professional practice environment that empowers nurses and advances quality outcomes.
Sharmane Andrews, MSN, RN. CNO at Holtz Children’s Hospital and The Women’s Hospital (Miami). Ms. Andrews leads nursing operations for one of the largest women’s and children’s hospitals in the southeastern U.S., overseeing care delivery across general pediatrics, a neonatal ICU, pediatric ICU, step-down units. The Holtz Children’s Hospital boasts a level 4 NICU, the largest in Florida. Since assuming the CNO role in 2024, Ms. Andrews launched the organizations’ Magnet journey, engaging frontline teams and strengthening professional pride across women’s and children’s services. She spearheaded a redesign of the obstetric emergency department to improve triage efficiency and patient safety and implemented a maternal- and pediatric-specific behavioral emergency response team, strengthening staff readiness and reducing workplace violence risk. With more than 25 years in women’s and children’s services, Ms. Andrews is recognized for advancing safety, empowering teams and driving innovation across complex pediatric and maternal care environments.
Mabel Ankrah, DNP, MSN, RN. Vice President and CNO at Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center (Gaithersburg, Md.). Ms. Ankrah was appointed vice president and CNO in 2021 and oversees medical-surgical, critical care, cardiovascular stepdown, intermediate care, emergency, inpatient rehabilitation, respiratory care, wound care and professional development services. Under her leadership, the hospital reduced patient falls with injury by 61% between 2022 and 2024, and Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems scores improved by more than 5 percentage points across domains. Maryland’s Health Services Cost Review Commission recognized the medical center for the greatest statewide improvement in emergency department length of stay, a 29% decrease in 2025. The hospital also opened a 30-bed medical-surgical and observation unit, increasing patient capacity by 15%, and developed a “Code Bronze” alert that brings an executive leader to the bedside to help de-escalate verbally aggressive or combative patients. Ms. Ankrah leads the hospital’s virtual nursing program and earlier implemented a comprehensive unit-based safety program that helped an ICU sustain 24 months without a central line-associated bloodstream infection. Ms. Ankrah has 30 years of acute care nursing experience, including roles as director of nursing for critical care, intermediate care and observation at White Oak and as director of nursing for neuro medical-surgical intensive and intermediate care units.
Vi-Anne Antrum, DNP, RN. CNO for Cone Health (Greensboro, N.C.). Dr. Antrum leads systemwide nursing strategy and practice for Cone Health, overseeing nearly 5,000 team members and additional patient care services including rehabilitation, post-acute care, behavioral health, spiritual care, respiratory therapy and nutrition services. Since assuming the role in 2022, she has delivered measurable financial and operational results, including a supply improvement strategy that generated $3.4 million in savings in five months, $6 million in cost avoidance through insourcing inpatient dialysis and a $14 million asset sale tied to skilled nursing facility divestitures. She serves as executive sponsor for emergency department throughput and capacity initiatives, reducing left-without-completing-care rates by 60% year-over-year while improving access and generating $800,000 in incremental revenue. Dr. Antrum also led three systemwide nursing retention initiatives that cut turnover by 60% and drove significant gains in nurse satisfaction and employee net promoter scores, supported by a 79% survey response rate. A nationally recognized leader, she serves as a regent and fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and as North Carolina regent, advancing gender equity and leadership development while speaking at national forums.
Chika Anueyiagu. CNO at Cooley Dickinson Hospital (Northampton, Mass.). Dr. Anueyiagu leads nursing and patient care services at Cooley Dickinson Hospital, a member of Boston-based Mass General Brigham. Her oversight spans inpatient nursing, emergency, perioperative, critical care, maternal-child health, behavioral health, visiting nurse services, hospice and care management. Since joining the hospital, Dr. Anueyiagu has led the development of a three-year nursing strategic plan, reestablished professional governance across all nursing units, introduced a professional practice model and launched the Charge Nurse Academy. Under her leadership, Cooley Dickinson has sustained zero catheter-associated urinary tract infections, achieved top-quartile performance in hospital-acquired pressure injury prevention and central line-associated bloodstream infections, and earned primary stroke center certification. Previously at Yale New Haven (Conn.) Health, Dr. Anueyiagu led a multidisciplinary conservation initiative during a national intravenous fluid shortage that reduced intravenous fluid use by about 40% within two weeks across hospitals, ambulatory practices and infusion centers. The initiative was selected for a podium presentation at the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s National Magnet and Pathway Conference. Dr. Anueyiagu served on the American Organization for Nursing Leadership nominations committee from 2022 to 2024 and as a content expert for the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s nurse executive board certification from 2019 to 2023. With more than 20 years of nursing leadership experience, including as director of patient services at Yale New Haven Hospital, Dr. Anueyiagu also serves on the nursing advisory board of Norwalk Community College.
Katrina “Kat” Ascencio-Holmes, BSN, RN. Vice President and CNO at Sutter Health (Sacramento, Calif.). Ms. Ascencio-Holmes leads nearly 18,000 nurses across Sutter Health, a nonprofit integrated health system that cares for about 3.6 million patients annually. Ms. Ascencio-Holmes oversees systemwide nursing strategy across education, workforce development, research and care delivery, and serves on Sutter’s senior leadership team in a dyad partnership with the chief medical and quality officer. Under her leadership, the system has kept nursing turnover below 10% and achieved an 83% favorable nursing engagement score. Ms. Ascencio-Holmes championed a nurse-led documentation optimization initiative that is saving more than 80,000 nursing hours annually. Since 2024, seven Sutter Health hospitals have earned “Pathway to Excellence” designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Ms. Ascencio-Holmes has also expanded leadership development through new transition to charge nurse and nurse manager programs. Her background spans perioperative, hospital and executive leadership roles.
Jacqueline Attlesey-Pries. Vice President of Operations and CNO at Boulder (Colo.) Community Health. Ms. Attlesey-Pries is a leader in providing high-quality healthcare services to the Boulder community. She sets standards of care, supports the nursing staff and care teams, creates policies with departmental leaders and supports the overall patient and team-centered care at the health system. Along with the system’s CMO, she is currently leading an initiative that will strengthen care for women during midlife changes, supported by a new grant from the BCH Foundation. She first joined the system in 2011. In 2021, she earned the Boulder Chamber’s “Women Who Light the Community” award for her contributions to the community.
Tommye Austin, PhD, RN. Senior Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive for the East Region at BJC Health (St. Louis). Dr. Austin oversees patient and integrated care management strategies, patient safety platforms and clinical care management systems for BJC Health’s East Region, supporting the development of 8,000 nursing and allied health professionals. Since joining BJC HealthCare in 2022, Dr. Austin has launched the BJC CNO Academy, a leadership development program for high-potential nurse leaders, and created a standardized registered nurse career ladder. Under her leadership, BJC launched a Patient Care Technician Academy that graduated 47 students with a 92% retention rate in its first year and 170 graduates the following year. Dr. Austin also led development of “BJC Flex,” a scheduling platform through which 1 million open-shift hours were filled across the East Region in 2025, and helped launch virtual inpatient nursing and telemetry services that support hundreds of patients daily. Through her leadership with the Batz Patient Safety Foundation, Dr. Austin exercised fiduciary oversight of more than $3 million in funding for patient safety initiatives in five countries, and the foundation distributed more than 40,000 “Batz Guides for Bedside Advocacy.” Before joining BJC, Dr. Austin was senior vice president and chief nursing executive for University Health in San Antonio, Texas and held executive nursing roles with various other hospitals and health systems. Dr. Austin was named a 2026 fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.
Renee Axtman, BSN, RN. Chief Operations and Nursing Officer for the Bemidji (Minn.) Region at Sanford Health. Ms. Axtman oversees more than 480 nurses as chief operations and nursing officer for Sanford Health’s Bemidji region, with oversight of nursing practice, clinical operations and performance across Sanford Bemidji Medical Center and the surrounding region. Under her leadership, about 74% of nurses appointed to local leadership positions were promoted from within, and the nurse employee net promoter score rose from -4 in 2023 to 13 in 2025. More than 56% of nurses have stayed with the organization for five years or longer, and nursing turnover is 9.38% lower than the national average. Ms. Axtman helped guide the development and expansion of the Sanford Bemidji Crisis Center, including the region’s only “EmPATH” unit, and helped establish local patient and family advisory councils. Ms. Axtman also built partnerships with Bemidji State University, Northwest Technical College and Bemidji High School, including helping establish a certified nursing assistant training lab at the high school so students can complete certification requirements on-site. Previously, Ms. Axtman was operations executive director at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center, overseeing emergency and trauma, telemetry, observation, medical-surgical and behavioral health services, and earlier served as director of its emergency department. Ms. Axtman, who has more than 30 years of healthcare experience, received Sanford Bemidji Medical Center’s peer-nominated “Florence Nightingale Professional Nurse Award” in 2026.
Kelley Baas. Chief Nurse Executive Officer for the North State (Calif.) Market at Dignity Health. Ms. Baas leads nursing for Dignity Health’s North State Market, part of Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health. The market comprises three acute care hospitals, one critical access hospital, nine rural health clinics, three emergency ambulance service lines and home health care. Ms. Baas also serves as vice president of patient care services at St. Elizabeth Community Hospital in Red Bluff, Calif., which has earned its ninth Leapfrog “A” grade and was named a Leapfrog “Top Rural Hospital” in 2022 and 2024. St. Elizabeth improved its CMS star rating from three to four stars and has maintained that rating, and the North State Market met CommonSpirit Health patient experience goals in fiscal years 2025 and 2026. Ms. Baas partnered with regional and market nursing leaders to establish a North State Market nurse residency program using a hub-and-spoke model with a shared site coordinator to support smaller rural hospitals, and the market is pursuing accreditation for the program. Ms. Baas also developed a tele-speech program, and the market served as a pilot site for a virtual discharge nurse initiative. Ms. Baas serves on the executive board of CommonSpirit Health’s women’s and infants service line and on the boards of the Red Bluff-Tehama County Chamber of Commerce and Mercy Oaks. Ms. Baas began her career as an emergency room technician before joining San Francisco-based Dignity Health as an emergency department registered nurse, later serving as director of maternal child services and house supervisor.
Trish Baise, DNP, RN. Chief Nurse Executive for ECU Health (Greenville, N.C.). In 2023, Dr. Baise was appointed chief nursing executive at ECU Health, an academic healthcare system serving over a million residents. She brings over 30 years of experience in both urban and rural nursing environments. Her role entails guiding a system of nurses spanning nine hospitals and over 100 clinics. She has spearheaded the advancing nursing practice and excellence initiative, aimed at enhancing nursing practices and culture across the organization. Dr. Baise advances nurse recruitment and retention in her role and is a staunch advocate for the non-traditional path to careers in nursing. Her own career began as a fire department dispatcher, then paramedic, then flight paramedic, then flight nurse, and she worked in the emergency department and ICU before becoming the director of the flight program and then ultimately progressing to higher nurse leadership roles.
Deborah Baker, DNP. Senior Vice President for Nursing and Chief Nurse Executive at Johns Hopkins Health System (Baltimore). Ms. Baker is the first senior vice president for nursing at Johns Hopkins Health System, partnering with CNOs across the system’s hospitals and outpatient settings to integrate services and align nursing with the system’s strategic goals. Ms. Baker also shares oversight of advanced practice providers across the health system. Ms. Baker has championed a systemwide nursing professional governance structure, with councils on professional practice, quality, nursing inquiry and professional development, that supports nursing across the system’s six Magnet-designated hospitals and Dhahran, Saudi Arabia-based Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare. Ms. Baker joined The Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1992 as a clinical nurse in the department of surgery and spent most of her clinical career as a nurse practitioner caring for adult trauma and surgical oncology patients. After serving as director of nursing for surgery, Wilmer Ophthalmology and the comprehensive acute care rehabilitation unit, Ms. Baker was named to her health system role in 2016 and also served as vice president of nursing and patient care services for The Johns Hopkins Hospital until 2025. Ms. Baker is associate dean for health systems partnership and innovation at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. Ms. Baker was appointed to the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation in Nursing Continuing Professional Development for 2025-28.
Kathy Baker, PhD, RN. CNO at UVA Health (Charlottesville, Va.). Dr. Baker leads nursing at UVA Health, where her priorities include advancing new nursing care models and supporting the recruitment, retention and mentorship of nurses. Dr. Baker partnered with the dean of the UVA School of Nursing to create a shared governance model in which the two serve as a dyad leadership team, aligning nursing education and practice while adding career ladder options for nurses. Dr. Baker has also led, along with emergency department leadership, an ongoing transformation initiative aimed at reducing patient wait times and increasing patient satisfaction. Before joining UVA Health, Dr. Baker spent 30 years at Richmond, Va.-based VCU Health, including more than 20 years as nursing director for emergency services and resource management and, beginning in 2018, as associate CNO. At VCU Health, Dr. Baker led the implementation of strategic staffing models and a benchmarking system in patient care services, the redesign of emergency services and the expansion of critical care air and ground transport. Dr. Baker was inducted as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in November 2024 and serves as 2025-26 president of the Virginia Nurses Foundation and co-lead of the Virginia State Health Facilities Task Force. Dr. Baker chairs the Emergency Nurses Association National Quality Council’s work on nurse-sensitive quality indicators for emergency nurses and has co-authored peer-reviewed research, including a 2025 study on the impact of bachelor’s-level nursing education on new graduate nurses’ intent to leave.
James Ballinghoff, DNP, RN. Chief Nurse Executive at Penn Medicine (Philadelphia). Dr. Ballinghoff serves as the chief nurse executive for Penn Medicine, providing strategic leadership for a nursing workforce exceeding 12,000 professionals across hospitals, multispecialty centers, outpatient clinics and an extensive home care network. A distinguished thought leader in academic health system nursing, he has led significant advancements in clinical processes and outcomes, patient and family experience, quality performance metrics and professional nursing development. Under Dr. Ballinghoff’s leadership, Penn Medicine has achieved greater system standardization and operational alignment, resulting in improved efficiencies and meaningful cost reductions. He has also overseen the implementation of forward-looking care delivery models that integrate advanced technologies. He has supported workforce sustainability through robust pipeline development, as well as innovative recruitment and retention strategies. His influence extends across inpatient and ambulatory operations, clinical informatics, advanced practice nursing, professional development and community-based care initiatives. Prior to assuming his current role in 2022, Dr. Ballinghoff served as CNO and associate executive director at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia. In recognition of his leadership and contributions to the profession, Dr. Ballinghoff has received numerous accolades, including the “Philadelphia Tri-State Nursing Excellence Award for Advancing and Leading the Profession” given by Nursing Spectrum magazine in 2012.
Julie Balluck, DNP, RN. Chief Nursing Executive at Texas Health Resources (Arlington, Texas). Ms. Balluck oversees nursing practice across Texas Health Resources, which serves more than 1.7 million patients annually through more than 420 access points, including 29 hospital locations, and has 30,000 employees. 17 Texas Health hospitals earned a 4- or 5-star CMS overall hospital star rating in 2025. Under her leadership, Texas Health launched acute telepresence with virtual nursing at two innovation units in 2025, completing more than 20,000 virtual nursing tasks while decreasing call-light frequency per patient and fall rates. Ms. Balluck also guided the rollout of new clinical learning resources, including tools for competency management and just-in-time education, and the placement of on-site educators at wholly owned hospitals. Ms. Balluck began her Texas Health career as a registered nurse at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas in 1999 and held roles there including nurse manager, director of surgical services and associate CNO. Ms. Balluck served as CNO of Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford from 2020 to 2025, including a stint as interim hospital president in 2024. Ms. Balluck is a 2026 nursing fellow with The Health Management Academy and has served as a clinical instructor at the University of Texas at Arlington.
Jeremiah Bame, RN. CNO at Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center (Atlanta). Mr. Bame oversees nursing operations at Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center, a 430-bed regional referral center and tertiary care hospital serving northeast Georgia. Mr. Bame’s responsibilities include quality improvement, accreditation readiness, regulatory compliance, patient experience and workforce engagement. Mr. Bame leads nurse recruitment and development efforts, with the hospital graduating 60 nurse residents from its yearlong residency program and welcoming 28 nurse externs within the past year. Under Mr. Bame’s leadership, the hospital earned its 12th consecutive “A” hospital safety grade from Leapfrog and was named to Newsweek’s “World’s Best Hospitals” 2026 list, including distinction for infection prevention. The hospital also earned reaccreditation as a DNV cardiac center of excellence, accreditation from the Pulmonary Hypertension Association as an adult regional clinical program and the 2026 “Mission: Lifeline Systems of Care Regional Award.” Mr. Bame’s clinical education teams hosted a “Learning and Innovation Day” focused on career advancement, and nursing, trauma and community education teams provided “Stop the Bleed” training, injury prevention education and maternal health programming across the region.
Jacob “Tanner” Barb. CNO of Community Hospital Corporation (Plano, Texas). Mr. Barb serves as CNO at Community Hospital Corporation, providing operational and clinical leadership for inpatient nursing services with a focus on patient safety, quality outcomes, regulatory readiness and nurse engagement. He is known for a hands-on leadership style, with high visibility rounding, direct communication and real-time problem-solving. He aims to build a culture grounded in accountability, collaboration and compassion. Mr. Barb became one of the youngest associate CNOs in the U.S. at age 25 and advanced to CNO at 26. His practice is anchored in patient-centered care and staff advocacy, contributing to stronger morale, improved patient experience feedback and operational stability during periods of change, including staffing shortages and public health challenges. He is also a “DAISY Award” recipient for compassionate care and has helped elevate organizational recognition with triple Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality center of excellence designations across nursing, respiratory therapy and long term acute care hospital categories.
Rosenda M. Barrera. CNO and COO at Saint Francis Hospital (Ontario, Calif.). Ms. Barrera has served as CNO of Saint Francis Hospital since 2020 and was recently promoted to the combined role of CNO and COO. Ms. Barrera oversees more than 500 nurses and 300 healthcare professionals across clinical, operations and support services. Her scope includes surgical services, emergency care, critical care, behavioral health, respiratory care, physical therapies, case management, laboratory, diagnostic services, facilities management, environmental services, and quality and risk management. Under Ms. Barrera’s leadership, Saint Francis Hospital earned Magnet with distinction designation for nursing excellence in October 2025. Ms. Barrera has advanced through roles at the organization including registered nurse, charge nurse, nurse manager, surgical services director and interim CEO.
Vivian Barreto, BSN, RN. CNO at Jackson West Medical Center (Doral, Fla.). Ms. Barreto serves as CNO at Jackson West Medical Center, leading clinical staff and overseeing nursing strategy, operations and regulatory readiness at the Jackson Health System’s newest hospital. She directs planning, execution and evaluation of nursing priorities to ensure consistent standards, continuous improvement, and adherence to applicable accreditation and regulatory requirements. Drawing on three decades of experience across medical-surgical, oncology, telemetry and emergency medicine, Ms. Barreto reinforces best practices in care delivery and service performance across the hospital’s inpatient and emergency settings. Since the hospital opened in 2021, the inpatient units under her oversight recorded zero healthcare-associated infections for three consecutive years. In 2024, she helped launch Jackson West’s ST elevation myocardial infarction program, positioning the hospital as the first certified facility in west Miami-Dade to treat severe heart attacks.
Rhonda Beane. CNO for Mercy Health–Springfield (Ohio) Market. Ms. Beane has served as CNO for Mercy Health–Springfield since 2019, where she leads nursing teams across a regional acute care facility and a rural critical access hospital. She takes a hands-on leadership style, regularly rounding on units and connecting with staff, providers and patients. Ms. Beane emphasizes servant leadership, building a team that reflects Mercy’s core values and consistently pushing for quality improvements and better patient outcomes. She is tasked with overseeing nurses and nurse managers, guiding the design and delivery of patient care, implementing strategic ways to enhance services, and more. She also promotes educational opportunities to help staff reach their full potential and frequently recognizes excellent clinical work. Prior to joining Mercy Health, Ms. Beane held leadership roles at St. Louis University Hospital and University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison, overseeing surgical services and patient care.
Stefanie Beavers, DNP, RN. Chief Nurse Executive at OU Health (Oklahoma City). Since becoming chief nurse executive in 2023, Dr. Beavers has established the office of the chief nurse executive and launched the “OU Health Nursing Professional Practice Model.” In fiscal year 2026, OU Health hired more than 400 net new registered nurses and converted more than 100 contract nurses to core team members, contributing to a $6 million reduction in nursing contract labor spending. More than 80% of OU Health’s employed nursing students remain with the system after graduation. In 2026, Dr. Beavers launched a nursing career advancement program, which recognized 216 nurses across three achievement levels in its first year, and introduced nursing professional governance for OU Health, with more than 30 nurses selected for core councils. As assistant dean of clinical practice for the University of Oklahoma Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing, Dr. Beavers helped double nursing student clinical placements from 2023 to 2026. Dr. Beavers serves as practice director for the Oklahoma Nurses Association, which presented her with its “Excellence in Nursing Administration Award” in 2025. Dr. Beavers previously served as associate CNO at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford.
Crystal Beckford. CNO and Vice President of Patient Care Services for Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center (Lanham, Md.). Ms. Beckford is the CNO and vice president of patient care services at Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center, where she leads nursing strategy, workforce transformation, patient safety and financial stewardship. With more than 30 years of healthcare experience, she is widely respected for her inclusive leadership style, deep clinical expertise and passion for nursing excellence. Under her leadership, the organization achieved “Pathway to Excellence” designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2024, a first in the hospital’s history. Ms. Beckford has also expanded academic partnerships, created a dedicated education unit with the University of Maryland School of Nursing, and championed pipeline programs to attract and develop future nurses. She led the implementation of the hospital’s first virtual nursing program, contributing to a nearly 25% reduction in nursing turnover. Beyond the hospital, Ms. Beckford is a committed community advocate and serves as president-elect of District 5 of the Maryland Nurses Association.
Beth Beckman, DNS, RN, APRN. CNO at Valleywise Health (Phoenix). Ms. Beckman oversees nursing practice across Valleywise Health, Arizona’s public teaching hospital and safety-net system, which includes the newly opened Valleywise Health Medical Center, the Diane & Bruce Halle Arizona Burn Center, a level 1 trauma center, three behavioral health hospitals and 11 federally qualified health centers. After a Vizient benchmarking analysis of 134 safety-net hospitals showed 122 peers outperforming Valleywise on hospital-acquired pressure injuries, Ms. Beckman rolled out a “4 Eyes On” skin-assessment protocol systemwide. Ms. Beckman also targeted catheter-associated urinary tract infections and central line-associated bloodstream infections and introduced a specimen-labeling policy with forced double-identification checks. Valleywise’s inpatient Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems “Rate Hospital” score ranks in the 96th percentile among safety-net hospital peers nationally. To address $13.5 million in annual registered nurse turnover costs and roughly $33 million a year in travel-nurse spending, Ms. Beckman is right-sizing core staffing, bringing nursing salaries to market and building pipeline programs, including a behavioral health technician academy, an operating room scrub tech program and an expanded new-graduate residency with Vizient. Ms. Beckman previously served as system chief nurse executive at Yale New Haven (Conn.) Health, held CNO roles at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in Houston, Texas and Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville, Va., and spent more than a decade at Baylor Scott & White Health System in Dallas. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and has been a Magnet appraiser for the American Nurses Credentialing Center for 23 years.
Carol Biggs, DHSc, RN. Executive Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive at Jackson Health System (Miami). Dr. Biggs leads the strategic and financial development of nursing across Jackson Health System, a large public healthcare network encompassing hospitals, long-term care nursing facilities, urgent care centers, and primary and specialty care sites. She sets systemwide priorities for nursing practice, standards of care, continuous improvement, and regulatory and accreditation alignment, partnering closely with medical staff to embed best practices in care delivery across the enterprise. Since joining the system in 2017, she has guided operational and strategic planning to ensure consistent nursing policies and high-quality practice across diverse settings. Beyond her executive responsibilities, Dr. Biggs supports workforce and professional development through academic and community engagement, serving as adjunct faculty at the University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies and at Florida International University’s Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences. She is active in national professional organizations including the American Organization for Nursing Leadership and the American College of Healthcare Executives, and she was recognized with a lifetime achievement award from The Nurses Magazine in 2025.
Shawn Bishop, MSN, RN. Vice President and CNO at Wellstar Paulding Medical Center (Hiram, Ga.). Mr. Bishop oversees nursing operations at the 112-bed Wellstar Paulding Medical Center, part of Marietta, Ga.-based Wellstar Health System, where he leads a workforce of 800 people and is responsible for quality, safety, clinical outcomes and financial management. Mr. Bishop also leads nursing strategy for a two-phase expansion that will double the hospital’s capacity and nursing staffing by 2029, including planning new units in a new tower. Under his leadership, Wellstar Paulding achieved Magnet recognition with distinction from the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2026, placing it among 80 hospitals nationwide recognized at that level. Since Mr. Bishop joined in 2024, the hospital has earned “A” grades from the Leapfrog Group, including its seventh consecutive “A” in spring 2026, and four-star ratings from CMS. To improve access for a hospital that frequently operates above capacity, Mr. Bishop’s teams use telemedicine to ensure heart failure patients have a safe discharge and a follow-up appointment within two days. The hospital’s nurse residency and fellowship programs earned redesignation with distinction through the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s practice transition accreditation program, and the residency program has a 97% retention rate. Mr. Bishop previously served as assistant CNO and executive director of emergency services at Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based AdventHealth.
Marielle Blauvelt, RN, BSN. CNO of The Orthopedic Hospital of Lutheran Health Network (Fort Wayne, Ind.). Ms. Blauvelt’s comprehensive approach to safety culture, staff engagement and mentorship has been instrumental to enhancing patient care and strengthening the overall healthcare system. Under her leadership, the hospital achieved a 2024 RN staffing retention rate of 95.5%, as well as above industry average employee engagement scores for the last three years. It also earned Healthgrades’ 2025 “Patient Safety Excellence Award” and a zero rate for catheter-associated urinary tract infections, central line-associated bloodstream infections and methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus infections over the past three years. She is committed to leveraging the hospital’s clinical advancement program, as exemplified by her nurse mentoring, where she helps them identify areas of care that they are passionate about to achieve meaningful improvements. Areas of improvement include elimination of barriers to first case on-time starts, robust patient education programs and best-in-class patient-specific discharge instructions.
Monica Bologna. CNO at West Jefferson Medical Center (Marrero, La.). Ms. Bologna oversees the financial and operational management of nursing, support services and procedural departments, guiding strategic and day-to-day performance across inpatient and outpatient medical-surgical services. With more than two decades at the medical center, she brings deep institutional knowledge and a critical and cardiac care background to advancing evidence-based practice, safety and patient outcomes. She leads an expansive nursing workforce with an emphasis on mentorship, development, and creating supported career pathways that strengthen engagement and reduce burnout. Under her stewardship, the hospital’s cardio-pulmonary rehabilitation program earned re-accreditation from the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation for a second consecutive cycle. Ms. Bologna also extends nursing leadership into the community through active participation in professional organizations and volunteer service, supporting regional health and wellness initiatives.
Jennifer Bond, DNP, RN. Vice President and CNO of Springfield (Ill.) Memorial Hospital. Dr. Bond is the vice president and CNO at Springfield Memorial, an academic medical center known for its level 1 trauma and comprehensive stroke services. She oversees patient care services, nursing practice activities and acute behavioral health services while leading efforts to maintain the hospital’s Magnet designation. Dr. Bond has also expanded the role of licensed practical nurses in care teams and established a central staffing office, resulting in an increase in inpatient discharges and a decrease in length of stay.
Joshua Bourgeois. Executive Vice President of Hospital Operations and CNO for the Northern Market of Children’s Medical Center Plano (Texas). Mr. Bourgeois serves as executive vice president, hospital operations and CNO for Children’s Health Plano’s Northern Market, with direct responsibility for all nursing operations. He has been a pivotal leader for the Plano campus since its earliest days, helping open the hospital in 2008 and later returning to guide its license separation and expansion of specialized services. In addition to the CNO role, he leads hospital operations for the northern market, overseeing facilities, engineering and security, ancillary services and nursing. In 2023, under his leadership, Children’s Health earned its fourth consecutive Magnet Designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. In December 2024, he collaboratively led the design and opening of a 395,000-square-foot patient tower that tripled bed capacity and doubled the facility footprint, delivered on budget, ahead of schedule and without disrupting patient care. He also helped onboard more than 500 new team members ahead of the expansion while reducing patient harm during higher-than-normal volumes, and co-led implementation of smart pump interoperability in 2025 to enhance medication safety.
Melissa Box, RN. CNO of Wellstar Douglas Medical Center (Douglasville, Ga.). Ms. Box has directed the nursing team at the area’s only community hospital since 2011. Under her leadership, every inpatient nursing unit within the 108-bed nonprofit hospital has been recognized for the delivery of high-quality care. The critical care and labor and delivery units have received “Beacon Awards for Excellence,” and each acute care unit has achieved “PRISM” designation from the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses. In addition, the hospital’s multidisciplinary teams have received three Vizient “Brilliance Awards” in recognition of excellence in addressing hospital-acquired infections, patient communication and glycemic management. In 2020, Ms. Box played an instrumental role in Wellstar Douglas Medical Center becoming the first Wellstar hospital, and only the fourth hospital in Georgia, to attain
Pathway to Excellence” designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The hospital was redesignated in 2024, marking its second “Pathway to Excellence” designation, and is currently pursuing Magnet recognition. Ms. Box continues to lead initiatives focused on reducing hospital-acquired infections and improving health outcomes. Beyond clinical excellence, she exemplifies the personalized care of a locally owned nonprofit hospital by cultivating strong team member engagement, sustaining an 86% nurse retention rate, and contributing significantly to Wellstar’s recognition as a 2026 “Great Place to Work.”
Betsy Brakovich, DNP, RN. CNO of Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital (Marietta, Ga.). Dr. Brakovich has been the CNO of this 39-bed nonprofit long-term acute care hospital with medically complex patients since 2009. She is responsible for quality metrics and facility operations that include long term acute care, surgical services, nursing, respiratory, rehabilitation, safety and quality. Under her leadership, the hospital has been recognized with the American Nurses Credentialing Center “Pathway to Excellence” and, in 2026, received Magnet with distinction designation in its first application. The hospital also received two Joint Commission accreditations, for advanced total joint replacement and respiratory failure, and honored by the Joint Commission for two best practices for patient safety. A “Daisy Nurse Leader Award” winner, she established nursing education as part of the hospital’s core by writing a doctoral thesis on the transition of new graduates into practice, implementing a dedicated education unit in partnership with Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, and working closely with Kennesaw State University’s Wellstar School of Nursing to prepare new nurses for their careers. This mindset extends to her team members, who have access to specialized education and are encouraged to continue their professional development. Within her teams, Dr. Brakovich encourages a strong morale, collaboration and sense of cohesiveness as they care for each other and their patients.
Annabelle Duschane Braun, DNP, MSN, RN. CNO of MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center (Fountain Valley, Calif.). Ms. Braun is a results-driven CNO with more than 25 years of progressive leadership experience across acute care hospitals, academic medical centers and community health systems. She is passionate about elevating nursing practice, driving strategic innovation, and fostering cultures of safety, compassion and excellence. Throughout her journey, she has led initiatives that improved patient outcomes, reduced hospital-acquired infections, and enhanced nurse engagement and retention. She spearheaded multi-year nursing strategic plans, integrated Magnet principles to achieve nursing excellence and led systemwide staffing redesigns to optimize care delivery. Ms. Braun designed targeted recruitment campaigns that led to decreased nursing vacancy and turnover by 30%. She continues to develop and promote clinical ladder programs and leadership academies, empowering nurses to advance their careers and contribute to shared governance. Ms. Braun’s leadership of infection prevention task forces resulted in achieving double-digit reductions in central line-associated bloodstream infection and catheter associated urinary tract infection rates.
Kit Bredimus, DNP, MSN. CNO at Midland (Texas) Memorial Hospital and Midland Health. Dr. Bredimus oversees nursing at Midland Memorial Hospital, a 293-bed acute care hospital with level 3 trauma and level 2 neonatal designations, managing a $300 million budget and nearly 900 full-time employees. Under his leadership, the hospital has achieved four consecutive “Pathway to Excellence” designations and maintains dually accredited nurse residency and fellowship programs. Dr. Bredimus was promoted to CNO in late 2019 after serving as director of emergency services at Midland Memorial from 2013 to 2019, and as an emergency department staff nurse there from 2008 to 2013. As emergency department director, Dr. Bredimus moved patient satisfaction from the bottom 10th percentile to the 90th percentile in less than one year. Dr. Bredimus has published research on mental health preparedness, cultural transformation, workplace violence prevention and combating disinformation, and is a featured author in books including “Building a Culture of Ownership in Healthcare.” Dr. Bredimus is the 2026 president of the Texas Nurses Association and 2026 board chair of the United Way of Midland. Dr. Bredimus also teaches leadership through academic positions with Texas Tech University and the University of Texas Permian Basin.
Maria Brennan, DNP, RN. CNO at University Hospital (Newark, N.J.). Dr. Brennan provides leadership and direction for University Hospital’s nursing team, planning and directing the functions and activities of patient care across several different service lines. She also works to promote excellence in patient care services. She establishes strategic goals and objectives that align with hospital values and directs the development and implementation of new policies, ensuring compliance with all legal and regulatory environments. She also fosters personal growth among the nursing team, encouraging creativity and innovation while building an environment for nurses to thrive. She quickly implemented a program that empowers nurses to claim their voices and feel confident enacting changes at all levels of their organizations. She has also taken strides towards reinforcing the backbone of the hospital and ensuring a brighter and more compassionate future for the staff.
Noreen Brennan, PhD. CNO at Department of Veterans Affairs New York Harbor Healthcare System (New York City). Dr. Brennan has served as CNO of the Department of Veterans Affairs New York Harbor Healthcare System since 2025 and as CNO for Bronx, N.Y.-based VISN 2, which spans VA facilities serving veterans in New York, New Jersey and part of Pennsylvania, since 2024. Dr. Brennan oversees nursing operations, quality and patient safety, professional practice, staffing models and workforce development across the network. Dr. Brennan previously served as chief nurse executive at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center in the Bronx from 2022 to 2024, and as CNO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan in New York City, a 338-bed acute care hospital, from 2016 to 2022. At NYCH+H/Metropolitan, patient satisfaction rose from 10% to 75%, barcode medication compliance improved from 13% to 98%, agency spending fell 75% and Leapfrog safety grades improved from “C” to “A” or “B,” while her leadership generated $5 million in savings. Earlier in her career, Dr. Brennan developed a nurse-driven alcohol detoxification protocol that generated $1 million in savings and led a hospitalwide falls prevention initiative that reduced patient falls by 25%. Dr. Brennan holds academic appointments at Case Western Reserve University and Pace University, and is an executive board member of the New York Organization of Nurse Executives and Leaders.
Ruby Brewer. Chief Nursing and Quality Officer at East Jefferson General Hospital (Metairie, La.). Ms. Brewer leads nursing operations and hospitalwide clinical quality, providing strategic oversight across nursing, trauma, rehabilitation, laboratory, radiology and care management. She drives evidence-based improvement, performance metrics and regulatory compliance while aligning multidisciplinary departments around patient safety, efficiency and compassionate care. Under her leadership, East Jefferson General Hospital achieved five consecutive Magnet recognitions, reinforcing a culture of nursing excellence, collaboration and innovation. She is known for advancing professional development through mentorship and continuing education, strengthening engagement and resilience across the nursing workforce. Her leadership has also been recognized by peers statewide, including the Louisiana Nurses Foundation’s “Nursing Administrator of the Year” award. By integrating quality strategy with operational execution across multiple service lines, Ms. Brewer has sustained high standards of care delivery and reinforced the hospital’s position as a trusted regional provider.
Laural Brinkley, DNP, RN. Vice President of Clinical Services and CNO at CalvertHealth (Prince Frederick, Md.). Ms. Brinkley oversees clinical operations and hospital-based clinical service lines at CalvertHealth, including the emergency department, family birth center, surgical services and all nursing units. Ms. Brinkley provides strategic leadership for nursing practice, education, professional development, recruitment and retention. Under her leadership, CalvertHealth redesigned nursing education and professional development, bringing the nurse residency and nurse extern programs under nursing leadership and establishing a comprehensive nurse education and professional development model. CalvertHealth earned CMS 5-star ratings in 2025 and 2026, a Leapfrog “A” rating in 2026 and “Great Place to Work” certification in 2025. Ms. Brinkley serves on the board of directors of Pasadena, Md.-based Hospice of the Chesapeake. Ms. Brinkley previously served as director of professional practice at CalvertHealth.
Helen Brogan, MSN, RN. CNO at Banner Baywood Medical Center and Banner Heart Hospital (Phoenix). Ms. Brogan leads nursing operations and professional practice across two Banner facilities, overseeing more than 800 nurses while advancing quality, safety, workforce development and operational performance. Since stepping into the role in 2023, she has driven a sustained culture shift that reduced nursing turnover and has led professional practice innovations that achieved and maintained zero falls in the orthopedic population. In addition, she partnered with clinical informatics teams to reduce documentation burden, supporting nurse efficiency and engagement. Beyond the campus level, Ms. Brogan serves as the nurse executive for Banner’s cardiology clinical high reliability group, helping drive care and experience excellence across the system’s six-state footprint. She also leads Banner’s nurse executive council systems and infrastructure team and directs implementation of the IV pump interoperability project, a two-year, $50 million initiative designed to standardize technology and strengthen safety and workflow reliability across the enterprise.
Keri Brookshire-Heavin, BSN, RN. Senior Vice President, CNO and COO at Phelps Health (Rolla, Mo.). Ms. Brookshire-Heavin oversees all nursing services at Phelps Health and serves as the voice of nursing on the system’s executive leadership team, with responsibility for nursing budget planning, resource allocation and capital projects. Under her executive leadership, Phelps Health earned primary heart attack center certification and acute stroke ready hospital designation. Ms. Brookshire-Heavin helped build the health system’s bariatrics program, which recently earned accreditation as a comprehensive center through the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program. Ms. Brookshire-Heavin also led the transition of the clinic network from fee-for-service to value-based care models that reward quality, satisfaction and cost efficiency. In 2026, Ms. Brookshire-Heavin advocated for the creation of a dedicated staff wellness room on one of the hospital’s units in response to unit satisfaction findings. Ms. Brookshire-Heavin has also advanced Lean principles and revitalized the system’s quality and patient safety programs. Over a 30-year career, Ms. Brookshire-Heavin previously served as senior vice president and CNO of Phelps County Regional Medical Center in Rolla and held director roles at Salem (Mo.) Memorial District Hospital.
Alquietta Brown, PhD, BSN, RN. Vice President of Nursing for Inova Neuroscience and Inova Behavioral Health Services and Chief Nurse Executive for Inova Mount Vernon Hospital (Falls Church, Va.). Dr. Brown is responsible for overseeing the nursing practice with direct oversight of Inova Mount Vernon Hospital’s nursing and daily operations. Dr. Brown also works as a spokesperson for Inova’s nurses, representing the system’s mission, vision, values and strategic direction. She is experienced in operational execution and strategic planning and team development. She also excels at integrating and coordinating patient-centric nursing strategies to produce high quality, cost-effective healthcare. In 2023, she helped the system expand with a new 20-bed adult behavioral health unit and post-acute care hospital.
Sarah Brown, MSN, RN. Senior Vice President and CNO at UnityPoint Health (West Des Moines, Iowa). Ms. Brown oversees nursing for UnityPoint Health, which operates 20 regional hospitals, 19 community network hospitals, and more than 400 clinics and other facilities across Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin. Ms. Brown led development of the system’s virtual nursing strategy, which launched at a single hospital in 2022 and has since expanded systemwide, with virtual nurses handling admissions, discharges and patient education. In 2024, UnityPoint Health became one of the first health systems in the nation to credential nurses as certified acute-care virtual registered nurses through the Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Board. Ms. Brown also implemented daily “RESPECT” huddles across UnityPoint Health hospitals in 2022 to standardize how concerns are escalated and best practices are shared. During the 2024 national IV fluid shortage, Ms. Brown partnered with the system’s chief medical officer to implement systemwide conservation strategies that established long-term fluid stewardship practices. Ms. Brown visits every UnityPoint Health market at least twice a year and hosts a “Coffee and Scrubs” video newsletter for nurses. Ms. Brown previously served as vice president and chief nursing executive for UnityPoint Health-Waterloo (Iowa) and as regional ambulatory vice president for UnityPoint Clinic in Waterloo, and serves on the board of directors of Western Home Communities.
Sharon Brown, MSN, RN. Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and CNO at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (Colton, Calif.). Ms. Brown oversees nursing practice and patient care services at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, a 456-bed acute care hospital, level 1 trauma center, regional burn center, comprehensive stroke center and teaching hospital. Her portfolio includes specialized service lines such as behavioral health, surgical services, and emergency and trauma services, and she reports to the hospital’s CEO. During Ms. Brown’s tenure as CNO, the hospital earned accreditation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s practice transition accreditation program in 2026, reduced central line-associated bloodstream infections and catheter-associated urinary tract infections in its ICUs, and earned a “Gold Beacon Award for Excellence” from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. The hospital has also maintained a nurse turnover rate below 8% and has been named a “Best Maternity Hospital” by U.S. News & World Report. Ms. Brown has spent more than 20 years at the public safety-net hospital, advancing from emergency department nurse to trauma nurse program manager, clinical director of emergency and trauma services, and associate CNO. Ms. Brown is chapter president of the Association of California Nurse Leaders and a past chapter president of the Trauma Managers Association of California. Ms. Brown has also served as adjunct faculty in nursing programs, a preceptor for doctoral candidates, and an instructor for advanced trauma care and advanced life support courses.
Kevin P. Browne. CNO for Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital, Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital and Northwell Greenwich Village Hospital (N.Y.). Dr. Browne oversees nursing practice and patient care delivery at Northwell’s Manhattan campus, which includes Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital, Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital, and Northwell Greenwich Village. Since joining the organization in 2023, he has implemented strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing the visibility and influence of nurses in achieving clinical excellence and patient safety. Dr. Browne emphasizes a supportive work environment that encourages collaboration and empowers nursing professionals to participate in decision-making processes. His focus on mental health and professional fulfillment aims to restore joy in nursing, which in turn aids in staff retention and recruitment while enhancing patient care standards. Previously, Dr. Browne held senior roles at St. Joseph’s Health in Patterson, N.J. and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.
Deb Bryant, DNP, RN. CNO for Mercy Health–Toledo (Ohio). Dr. Bryant is the CNO for Mercy Health–Toledo, overseeing nursing practices across seven hospitals and a free-standing emergency department. In this role, she is responsible for key outcomes, including patient satisfaction, safety and quality metrics, while also managing workforce recruitment, retention and development. Under her leadership, the Toledo market has reduced its reliance on agency nurses and lowered turnover rates. Dr. Bryant also led the successful onboarding of over 400 staff following the closure of a major hospital in the region. In collaboration with Mercy College of Ohio, she pioneered a nurse immersion program to provide BSN students with compensated clinical hours, easing their financial burden and fostering a seamless transition to employment. She has also found success in team building across the Lexington market and succession planning in the nursing departments.
Amy Buckingham, DNP. Patient Care Executive or CNO for North Coast Service Area at Adventist Health (Roseville, Calif.). Dr. Buckingham oversees clinical operations across Adventist Health Mendocino Coast, Adventist Health Howard Memorial and Adventist Health Ukiah Valley, leading more than 450 nurses and clinical staff while driving improvements in access, patient throughput and interfacility collaboration. She has emphasized relationship-based leadership, aligned recruitment strategies and intentional onboarding practices that support lower turnover and strong engagement across rural teams. Her operational focus has also supported recognition including consecutive “A” Leapfrog safety grades for Adventist Health Ukiah Valley, zero catheter-associated urinary tract infection performance across multiple sites, and progress in geriatric emergency care accreditation. Raised in a rural Native American community, Dr. Buckingham brings a mission-driven commitment to improving care access and outcomes for remote populations and the communities she serves.
Marie Burdett, MSN, RN. CNO of East Georgia Regional Medical Center (Statesboro, Ga.). A nurse for 35 years, Ms. Burdett has been CNO at East Georgia Regional for the last decade. During this time, she has been credited for her work around decreasing nurse turnover from 31% to 11% while also improving patient safety, quality and patient satisfaction. Under her leadership, the East Georgia Regional has improved its CMS star rating. She has received the “DAISY Lifetime Achievement” award for her legacy of extraordinary, compassionate nursing care. Among the many other awards and accolades achieved during her tenure are an accredited chest pain center with primary percutaneous coronary intervention and primary stroke center certification.
Lauren Burgett, MSN, RN. CNO at Corewell Health Farmington Hills Hospital (Grand Rapids, Mich.). Ms. Burgett oversees nursing services, patient care operations, workforce strategy, quality, safety, patient experience and operational performance at Corewell Health Farmington Hills Hospital. Since becoming CNO in 2024, Ms. Burgett has led the opening of 42 additional inpatient beds and helped cut the emergency department left-without-being-seen rate from 1.9% to 0.96% over 12 months. During the same period, nursing culture scores improved and first-year nursing turnover decreased from 6.5%. Ms. Burgett serves on the Corewell Health East Quality & Safety Board, chairs the Corewell Health System Falls Clinical Quality Committee and co-chairs the Corewell Health East Regional Falls Committee. Ms. Burgett previously was senior director of clinical operations for oncology and neurosciences at Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., where her work included launching the first CAR-T therapy program within Corewell Health East. Earlier in her career, Ms. Burgett was director of nursing for heart and vascular services.
Stacie Call, MSN, RN. CNO for Mercy Health–Lorain (Ohio) Hospital and Mercy Health–Youngstown (Ohio) Hospital. Ms. Call serves as the cross-market CNO for Mercy Health–Lorain and Mercy Health–Youngstown, where she leads nursing operations across multiple facilities. She ensures high-quality patient care through standardized protocols, strategic planning and the integration of new technologies. Ms. Call’s leadership has significantly reduced nursing turnover and reliance on agency staff, all while fostering professional development through initiatives like the student nurse extern program. She played a key role in opening a 32-bed Covid-19 unit in 2020, overseeing staffing models and protective equipment protocols. She also sought to strengthen the hospitals’ health equity efforts by engaging minority communities in vaccine outreach. Ms. Call’s leadership also contributed to multiple successful Magnet designations.
Jessa Cardelli, BSN, RN. CNO for Riverview Regional Medical Center (Gadsden, Ala.). Ms. Cardelli plays a pivotal role in leading the nursing and ancillary departments at Riverview Regional Medical Center, ensuring high-quality patient care and resource management. She aligns strategic goals with the organization’s mission, fostering a positive work environment and implementing evidence-based practices to improve patient outcomes. Ms. Cardelli has significantly improved patient satisfaction by promoting leadership rounds and addressing concerns promptly, and she has led efforts to reduce nurse turnover and boost staff engagement. Ms. Cardelli is also a member of the Etowah County leadership board.
Timothy Carrigan, PhD, RN. Regional CNO at Trinity Health Illinois/Indiana Region (Maywood, Ill.). As regional CNO for Loyola Medicine and Saint Joseph Health System, Dr. Carrigan oversees nursing operations across five hospitals in Illinois and Indiana, with responsibilities spanning nursing education and research, patient safety and clinical quality, regulatory readiness, Magnet recertifications, patient experience and employee health services. Dr. Carrigan led Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood to its fourth Magnet designation in 2024, and MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, Ill. earned Magnet with distinction that year as one of 49 hospitals in the nation to receive it. With Melrose Park, Ill.-based Gottlieb Memorial Hospital’s first Magnet designation in 2025, all three Loyola Medicine hospitals are now Magnet-designated. The three hospitals’ accredited nurse residency programs have graduated more than 30 cohorts of newly licensed registered nurses. At Saint Joseph Health System, Dr. Carrigan supported the launch of Trinity Health’s “TogetherTeam Virtual Connected Care” model, and the system is preparing to submit for Magnet designation. Dr. Carrigan is an assistant professor at the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing and a past president of the Illinois Organization of Nurse Leaders, which named him “Mentor of the Year” in 2023. With more than 25 years of experience, Dr. Carrigan previously served as CNO and vice president of patient care services at Loyola University Medical Center and as chief administrative officer of the cardiac service line at Chicago-based Rush University System for Health.
Linda Carroll, MSN, RN. Vice President of Patient Care Services and CNO at Saint Peter’s Healthcare System (New Brunswick, N.J.). Ms. Carroll leads nursing services, clinical quality, patient safety and strategic initiatives at Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, and has spent her entire 42-year nursing career at the organization. Ms. Carroll led Saint Peter’s to its seventh consecutive Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2025, its first with distinction, making it the first hospital in New Jersey and one of five in the world to reach that level. Nearly 73% of Saint Peter’s nurses hold national specialty certification, and 85.6% hold a BSN or higher degree, compared with a national benchmark of 72.9%. Ms. Carroll helped plan and develop a multimillion-dollar simulation learning lab, and Saint Peter’s launched a nursing certification academy this year. Ms. Carroll spearheaded the opening of the Mary V. O’Shea Birth Center in New Brunswick, N.J., the state’s first hospital-based, midwifery-led birth center accredited by the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers, and the launch of “TeamBirth” protocols. Ms. Carroll founded and chairs Saint Peter’s opioid task force, which brings together healthcare providers, community organizations and law enforcement. Ms. Carroll was named an NJBIZ “ICON” honoree and received the Philippine Nurses Association of New Jersey “Nursing Legacy Award” in 2025.
Chaudron Carter Short, PhD, EdD, MSN, RN. Executive Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive at Temple University Health System (Philadelphia). Dr. Carter Short leads nursing across Temple University Health System, including Temple University Hospital and its Jeanes, Episcopal and Northeastern campuses, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health-Chestnut Hill Hospital and Temple Women & Families Hospital. Dr. Carter Short oversees nursing strategy, clinical operations, workforce development, quality and patient safety, education, informatics and shared governance for the system. Dr. Carter Short led the development and opening of the nursing program at Temple Women & Families Hospital and integrated the nursing program at Chestnut Hill Hospital into the system. Temple University Hospital earned its second consecutive Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2024, and Fox Chase Cancer Center earned its sixth consecutive designation in 2023. Before taking on her current role, Dr. Carter Short served as the system’s senior vice president and associate chief nurse executive from 2022 to 2023, and as professor and chair of Temple University’s department of nursing. Earlier at Temple, Dr. Carter Short was CNO for the Episcopal and Northeastern campuses, and spent seven years as system associate vice president of nursing education, professional practice, Magnet and nursing outcomes. Dr. Carter Short serves on the boards of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Organization of Nurse Leaders and the Pennsylvania Organization of Nurse Leaders, chairs the 2026 Philadelphia Heart Walk and was named to City & State Pennsylvania‘s 2026 “Black Trailblazers” list.
Lindsey Casey, MSN, RN. Senior Vice President and CNO at Manning Family Children’s (New Orleans). Ms. Casey leads nursing practice across Manning Family Children’s and serves as executive leader for the organization’s Magnet pursuit, guiding multidisciplinary teams toward professional practice excellence. She also anchors operations for two major service lines, neonatology and the center for cancer and blood disorders, aligning care delivery, quality and safety standards with operational workflows to support consistent, family-centered outcomes. Over approximately 25 years at the organization, she advanced from a pediatric ICU nurse technician to system nursing executive, building deep experience through progressive leadership roles spanning pediatric ICU director, senior director of critical care and assistant vice president of hospital operations. She redesigned the hospital’s nurse tech program into a three-phase pipeline that onboarded nearly 350 nurse technicians over two years, strengthening retention, boosting hiring success and building sustainable workforce capacity for pediatric care. Ms. Casey is recognized for pairing strategic workforce frameworks with hands-on mentorship that helps nurses enter, grow and thrive in specialized pediatric settings.
Brandi Cassingham, MSN, RN. Vice President of Patient Care Services and CNO of MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center (Laguna Hills, Calif). Ms. Cassingham’s 23-year nursing career includes 18 years in management, with the last eight as CNO at Saddleback Medical Center. In addition to nursing services, she has assumed responsibility for cancer services, rehabilitation therapies, imaging and volunteer services. Her many accomplishments include multiple Leapfrog “A” ratings, Healthgrades “Patient Safety Awards,” consecutive Magnet nurse excellence designations, and growth in key clinical areas by spearheading a multi-unit, multi-service line reorganization. She developed and implemented an infrastructure to introduce licensed vocational nurses into the acute care team, reducing the use of premium labor and overtime. She started an upskilling program for non-clinical employees to train as patient care assistants, created a short-stay unit to improve patient throughput, and implemented multidisciplinary rounds in medical/surgical and telemetry areas to reduce length of stay. She is dean of a systemwide nurse leadership academy, developing early nurse leaders and creating a succession pipeline for nurse management roles. She consistently maintains top nursing engagement scores, outperforming national benchmarks. She serves on the Association of California Nurse Leaders board and chairs the Hospital Association of Southern California nursing advisory council. She was named Saddleback Medical Center “Nurse of the Year” for leading and promoting a culture of excellence, earned MemorialCare’s “Living Out Leadership Award,” and selected by a California state senator as “Woman of the Year.”
Shannon Castellano. CNO of Mt. San Rafael Hospital and Clinics (Trinidad, Colo.). Ms. Castellano is responsible for overseeing all hospital and clinic nursing departments and ensuring the highest standards of patient care. Her leadership encompasses daily operations, strategic planning, and the implementation of clinical practices that prioritize patient safety and quality care. Ms. Castellano has successfully driven innovation in nursing by integrating evidence-based practices and advanced technologies, including remote patient monitoring and telehealth services. Under her guidance, the hospital has experienced improved patient satisfaction scores, reduced readmission rates and high safety ratings due to her comprehensive overhaul of nursing protocols. She is also dedicated to talent management, fostering a supportive work environment that enhances staff engagement and reduces turnover. She actively promotes professional development through training and mentorship, preparing the nursing team for future healthcare challenges. In addition to her operational roles, she emphasizes community outreach and patient-centered care, ensuring that patient voices are heard.
Courtnay Caufield, DNP, RN. CNO at Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital (Long Beach, Calif.). Dr. Caufield has more than 20 years of leadership experience across children’s and women’s services, academic medical centers, community hospitals and integrated health systems. In her current role, she provides strategic oversight of nursing professional practice, clinical operations, quality and safety, workforce development and care-model optimization. Her leadership focuses on strengthening shared governance, developing future nurse leaders and advancing patient- and family-centered care. Nationally recognized in nursing informatics and innovation, and active publication review and author, she connects clinical priorities with workforce, operational and technology-enabled transformation. Prior leadership achievements include reducing RN turnover from 38% to 12% in six months, decreasing agency reliance from 89 to four full time employees and improving patient experience by 30% year-over-year. She also was instrumental in the launch of a family council driven advisory board and a doula program to improve maternal outcomes. Dr. Caufield extends this impact through professional service and advocacy. She serves on the KidsX advisory board, is chair of ANA/California Foundation, and was elected as the Association of California Nurse Leaders Board South representative for California.
Dana Cecil, MSN, RN. Vice President of Nursing Services and CNO at University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center (La Plata). Ms. Cecil serves as vice president of nursing services and CNO at University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center, leading strategies that advance care quality, patient experience and operational performance for Southern Maryland. Since joining the organization in 2013, she has been recognized internally for building a culture of collaboration, continuous learning and high reliability. She launched a 12-week nurse residency program, supporting new graduates in building clinical confidence while strengthening leadership development and transition-to-practice readiness. She also implemented “Resilience in Stressful Events,” an interdisciplinary peer-support program that provides confidential assistance to team members experiencing work-related stress. Ms. Cecil championed the hospital’s “Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner” program to expand trauma-informed care and strengthen support for survivors. She additionally spearheaded implementation of the “LENS” digital visual management platform to improve real-time communication during huddles, track safety priorities and reduce cross-shift communication gaps. Under her quality-focused leadership, UM Charles Regional has earned recognitions including Leapfrog “A” grades for patient safety in 2024 and 2025, as well as the Healthgrades “Patient Safety Excellence Award” for 2025.
Trish Celano, MSN, RN. Senior Vice President, Associate Chief Clinical Officer and Chief Nursing Executive at AdventHealth (Altamonte Springs, Fla.). Ms. Celano is senior vice president, associate chief clinical officer, and chief nursing executive for Advent Health. She is responsible for the oversight of 25,000 nurses. She also plays a key role in managing the system’s professional excellence program, an initiative aimed at helping nurses grow in their careers. Before being named to her current roles, Ms. Celano served as AdventHealth’s senior vice president and regional chief clinical officer for the Central Florida Division-North Region as well as senior vice president and CNO for AdventHealth Orlando (Fla.). She also brings prior experience serving at AdventHealth for Children as the facility’s first CNO, where she led the hospital to earn a prestigious Magnet designation for excellence in nursing. She has approximately 30 years of experience in healthcare, having begun her career as a pediatric critical care nurse and flight nurse.
Jesus Cepero, PhD, RN. CNO and Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services for Stanford Children’s (Palo Alto, Calif.). Dr. Cepero provides enterprisewide nursing and patient care leadership, partnering closely with leaders across outpatient, treatment center and inpatient settings to ensure seamless care delivery. He has spent his entire career in nursing leadership roles and is deeply passionate about advancing care for babies, children and mothers. Dr. Cepero is known for his ability to design highly collaborative administrative structures that support professional practice, cost-effective operations, and exceptional patient and family experiences. Most recently, he served as CNO for the University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, where he led all aspects of nursing administration across both organizations. In that role, he established a nursing philanthropy committee, implemented a systemwide senior leadership rounding program and co-led the organization’s response to the opioid crisis.
Anna Cerra, DNP, RN. Senior Vice President and CNO at Greenwich Hospital (Greenwich, Conn.). Ms. Cerra leads nursing practice, patient care services, quality outcomes and workforce development at Greenwich Hospital, part of Yale New Haven (Conn.) Health. In 2026, Ms. Cerra led Greenwich Hospital to its third Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, following its first designation in 2016 and redesignation in 2021. Over that period, the hospital increased its number of Magnet exemplars from six in 2021 to 10 in 2026. Ms. Cerra joined Greenwich Hospital in 1999 and served as director of surgical services and executive director of women’s and children’s services before becoming CNO. At the hospital, Ms. Cerra also implemented the “DAISY Award” program to recognize nurses. Ms. Cerra was appointed to the International Catholic Committee of Nurses and Medico-Social Assistants Pan American International Nurse Consulting Team on Best Practices, one of 12 experts selected to advise Catholic hospitals worldwide on evidence-based nursing and healthcare administration.
Ronald Childress. CNO of Eastern New Mexico Medical Center (Roswell). Mr. Childress serves as CNO at Eastern New Mexico Medical Center, overseeing nursing operations across ICU, med/surg, behavioral health, emergency, pharmacy and respiratory therapy. She is also responsible for ensuring quality, compliance and efficient clinical performance. He has also built a sustainable talent pipeline through close partnership with a local community college, working to design and scale a nurse residency model. The program provides four to six weeks of structured, real-world training between students’ first and second academic years, strengthening bedside readiness and confidence. Under Childress’s direction, participation has grown rapidly, directly addressing rural workforce needs. He also launched a charge nurse academy and expanded mentorship and professional development, elevating frontline leadership capability and consistency of care. These efforts contributed to a dramatic reduction in contract labor reliance, dropping from more than 150 full time employees to fewer than 25 over a few years. Previously, he served as associate CNO at Tulane University Hospital and director of nursing at Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans, bringing academic medical center experience to a community setting.
Shannon Christian. Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital (New London, Conn.) and Westerly (R.I.) Hospital. Ms. Christian leads more than 1,000 nurses across Lawrence + Memorial Hospital and Westerly Hospital, both part of Yale New Haven (Conn.) Health. Her priorities include reducing infections in the hospital setting and improving outcomes for staff and patients. Ms. Christian recently led efforts that earned Emergency Nurses Association “Lantern Awards” for three emergency departments, at Westerly Hospital, Lawrence + Memorial Hospital and Pequot Health Center in Groton, Conn. Ms. Christian is also leading the Magnet journey for both hospitals. With more than 25 years of nursing experience, Ms. Christian has held roles including nurse manager of the orthopedic and medical-surgical unit, director of patient care services, administrative director of heart, vascular and critical care, and administrative director of patient care services. At Westerly Hospital, Ms. Christian served as director of patient care services for two years and also filled the role on an interim basis in 2019.
Mary Christoffersen, DNP, RN. Senior Vice President and CNO at Bridgeport (Conn.) Hospital. Ms. Christoffersen oversees nursing clinical operations at Bridgeport Hospital, a 501-bed acute care hospital with two campuses and multiple ambulatory sites. The hospital admits more than 30,000 patients and provides more than 600,000 outpatient treatments annually, and its Connecticut Burn Center is the only burn center in the state. Ms. Christoffersen led the hospital’s pursuit of Magnet designation, which the American Nurses Credentialing Center awarded in December 2025. Bridgeport Hospital also received the American Organization for Nursing Leadership’s 2026 “Prism Award,” and four of its units hold gold- or silver-level “Beacon Awards for Excellence” from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Ms. Christoffersen oversaw the hospital’s staffing, resource management, education and patient care efforts. Her prior roles at Bridgeport Hospital include vice president of nursing and patient care operations, executive director of operations and patient care services, and director of perioperative and emergency services. Ms. Christoffersen began her working life as a tax examiner for the Massachusetts Department of Revenue.
Natalia Cineas, DNP, RN. Senior Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive at NYC Health + Hospitals (New York City). Ms. Cineas leads nursing for NYC Health + Hospitals, the nation’s largest municipal health system, whose facilities care for one in six New Yorkers. Ms. Cineas also serves as CEO and executive sponsor of Community Care and co-chair of the system’s equity and access council. Ms. Cineas is leading the systemwide rollout of the system’s first “Nursing Care Delivery Model and Daily Management System,” which standardizes nursing care and equips frontline nurses to identify and address patients’ social determinants of health from admission through discharge. Ms. Cineas was instrumental in creating 12 systemwide inclusion groups, debuted a series of health equity policy forums with City University of New York and established a relationship with the DAISY Foundation for its “DAISY Award for Nurses Advancing Health Equity.” Ms. Cineas previously served as senior director of nursing and deputy CNO at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Hospital, and as patient care director of neurosurgery and the neurosurgical ICU at Columbia University Medical Center New York Presbyterian Hospital, both located in New York City. Ms. Cineas is adjunct faculty at Columbia University School of Nursing, a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and a trustee of the New York Academy of Medicine, and in 2024 was named an inaugural distinguished fellow of the Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing. Ms. Cineas’ recent honors include the 2026 “PHI Nurse Practitioner Year of Trailblazers Award” from Promoting Health in Haiti and an inaugural leadership award from the Caribbean American Nurses Association in 2025.
Stephanie Clements. Senior Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive at Mercy (St. Louis). Ms. Clements leads nursing practice, workforce strategy, clinical operations, quality and care delivery across Mercy’s five-state health system, overseeing more than 15,000 nursing caregivers in hospitals, ambulatory, virtual care, home health, hospice and community-based settings. Ms. Clements joined Mercy in March 2024 as vice president and community CNO for Mercy Oklahoma in Oklahoma City, and assumed her current role in April 2025. In fiscal year 2025, Mercy reduced hospital-acquired pressure injuries by 33%, with the fourth quarter producing the lowest rate in three years, and achieved top-quartile performance for falls with injury. Mercy also cut nursing premium labor expenses by nearly 40% year over year under Ms. Clements’ leadership. Ms. Clements serves as executive sponsor for Mercy’s AI and ambient listening initiatives, including the evaluation and implementation of Dragon Copilot to reduce documentation burden for nurses. Before Mercy, Ms. Clements served within the Dallas-based Baylor Scott & White Health system as a hospital CEO from 2022 to 2024 and as a hospital COO and CNO from 2021 to 2022, and was vice president of clinical care and CNO for CommonSpirit Health Mountain Region in Centennial, Colo. from 2017 to 2021. Ms. Clements began her career as a registered nurse in 1994 and later held house supervisor, perioperative services, patient experience and operations leadership roles at Houston-based CHI St. Luke’s Health.
Alesia A. Coe, DNP, RN. CNO and Vice President Patient Care Services for The University of Chicago Medical Center (Hyde Park, Ill.). Dr. Coe oversees the nursing practice of more than 2,500 nurses and manages multiple fiscal budgets. With more than five years within the system, she has successfully integrated the organization’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives into the nursing shared governance structure, enabling successful outreach to the South Side of Chicago community through health screenings and educational programs for aspiring nurses. She was promoted to her current role in 2024.
Faye Collins. Market CNO at UnityPoint Health–Meriter (Madison, Wis.). Dr. Collins leads nursing and patient care for the UnityPoint Health–Meriter market, which operates under a joint operating agreement with the University of Wisconsin. Dr. Collins is accountable for clinical quality, patient safety, workforce strategy and operational performance, and oversees the development of nursing leaders. Dr. Collins has more than 30 years of experience in nursing and healthcare leadership. Dr. Collins has led organizations through initial Magnet and “Pathway to Excellence” designations and has partnered on opening new healthcare facilities and new care models, including observation units. Dr. Collins has published work on creating cultures of engagement and has spoken nationally on compassionate care of the suicidal patient. Dr. Collins previously served as a CNO within Charlotte, N.C.-based Advocate Aurora Health and associate CNO within Phoenix-based Banner Health, and held nursing leadership roles at Westbrook-based MaineHealth and Dallas-based Baylor Scott & White.
Teresa Connolly, DNP, RN. Senior Vice President and Enterprise Chief Nurse Executive at HonorHealth (Scottsdale, Ariz.). Ms. Connolly leads more than 6,000 nurses across HonorHealth’s nine hospitals and more than 200 care sites, overseeing enterprise nursing strategy, the professional practice model and a center for clinical excellence. Since joining HonorHealth in 2025, Ms. Connolly has designed and implemented an integrated nursing organizational structure and professional practice model across hospitals and ambulatory settings. Network registered nurse turnover improved from 15.5% to 13.7%, and HonorHealth onboarded 381 new graduate nurses and graduated 376 nurse residents, with the residency program reaching a 92.2% commitment-to-stay rate against a 90% goal. Ms. Connolly has sponsored systemwide work to reduce falls with injury, prevent venous thromboembolism, reduce catheter-associated urinary tract infections and central line-associated bloodstream infections and improve medication safety, and HonorHealth nurses supported 99 active research, evidence-based practice and quality improvement projects in her first year. Ms. Connolly also co-created a joint nursing committee with Arizona State University that has led to academic appointments at the university for 12 HonorHealth team members. Ms. Connolly previously spent more than 27 years at Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic, including 11 years as CNO, and served as inaugural chief administrative officer of Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, a 725-bed joint venture with Mayo Clinic in Abu Dhabi. Ms. Connolly is a former president of the Arizona Organization of Nurse Executives and a former member of the Arizona Medical Board.
Melinda Cooling, DNP. Chief Nurse and Advanced Practice Provider Executive at OSF HealthCare (Peoria, Ill.). Ms. Cooling provides leadership that enhances the role of nursing and advanced practice at OSF. She oversees advanced practice providers across all clinical areas, partnering with the CMO to drive clinical alignment, quality and safety. She is also accountable for the OSF College of Health Sciences and the OSF Nursing Innovation Hub, where she champions education, research and workforce development. A dedicated OSF leader since 1997, she has advanced through numerous roles, established an advanced practice provider fellowship, expanded advanced practice opportunities and facilitated participation in the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. She directed a $500,000 capacity-building grant for the research institute to strengthen processes, governance and data resources while accelerating evidence adoption across care delivery. The APP fellowship, a 12-month transition-to-practice program with multiple specialty tracks, is a Health Resources and Services Administration award winner, boasting a 97% graduation rate and 100% placement rate.
Therese Courtenay, DNP, RN. Patient Care Executive or CNO for Adventist Health Mendocino Coast (Fort Bragg, Calif.). Dr. Courtenay provides strategic and operational oversight for nursing practice, quality, patient safety and the patient experience at Adventist Health Mendocino Coast. She partners closely with clinical leaders and frontline teams to strengthen outcomes, caregiver engagement and day-to-day performance in alignment with Adventist Health’s mission. Dr. Courtenay’s career spans more than 25 years, including extensive experience across clinical specialties and leadership roles within Adventist Health. She began her Adventist Health career at Adventist Health Castle in Hawai‘i, where she advanced through roles in telemetry, medical-surgical, clinical information systems, education, behavioral health, palliative care, staffing and nursing administration. Next, she served as system director of patient experience for Adventist Health’s 22 hospitals and hundreds of clinics, building enterprise frameworks to elevate patient-centered care and caregiver engagement. She also held interim patient care executive responsibilities at Adventist Health Clearlake (Calif.) and brings to her current role advanced nursing, business, informatics and patient-experience expertise.
Kendra Crawford, BSN, RN. CNO of Providence Santa Rosa (Calif.) Memorial Hospital. In June 2025, Providence Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital appointed Ms. Crawford as its new CNO. She joins the hospital from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, where she most recently served as associate CNO. She brings a global perspective to nursing leadership, shaped by progressive roles at highly respected healthcare institutions. Her clinical and operational expertise spans women’s and children’s services, dialysis, perioperative services and quality management. Ms. Crawford places a strong emphasis on nurse mentorship, professional development and building resilient, high-performing teams. She is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Judith Cullinane, PhD, MSN, RN. CNO at Mass General Brigham Spaulding Rehabilitation Network (Boston). Dr. Cullinane leads nursing and case management across Mass General Brigham’s Spaulding Rehabilitation network of three hospitals, a skilled nursing facility and 26 outpatient centers, with a budget of about $350 million and more than 900 full-time employees. Across the network, Dr. Cullinane reduced nursing vacancy rates from 30%-40% to less than 9% and turnover rates from 20%-30% to 5%-9%. Dr. Cullinane also cut contract labor by 90%, generating about $15 million in savings between fiscal years 2023 and 2025, and implemented nurse residency and retention programs that produced more than 200 nursing hires with a 95% retention rate. Quality initiatives under Dr. Cullinane reduced hospital-acquired pressure injuries by more than 50%, with an estimated $2.4 million in cost avoidance, and reductions in hospital-acquired conditions yielded $4.8 million in avoided costs. Spaulding Charlestown earned Magnet with distinction designation in February 2025 under her leadership, and Dr. Cullinane serves in the nurse executive seat on the American Nurses Credentialing Center Commission on Magnet through 2029. Before joining Spaulding in 2023, Dr. Cullinane established the Robin & David Jaye Center for Nursing Excellence at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, serving as its associate CNO from 2016 to 2023 and supporting the hospital’s 2022 Magnet designation. Dr. Cullinane served as president of the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses from 2009 to 2017 and held adjunct associate professor roles at Simmons University and Tufts University School of Medicine and Public Health.
Sarah Currie, RNC, MSN. Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (Memphis, Tenn.). Ms. Currie joined St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in 2023 as executive leader for the institution’s nursing services, just as the division began planning for obtaining a third consecutive Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. In 2025, Ms. Currie’s division not only retained Magnet status, but also received the elite “Magnet with Distinction” classification attained by only the top 1% of hospitals in the U.S. There were also special recognitions for the nurse residency program, which has yielded 98% retention of new nurses, and for the Center of Advanced Practice, both of which achieved the “Advanced Practice Transition to Practice Certification with Distinction”. Hailing from England, Ms. Currie wanted to be a nurse since early childhood.
Derek Curtis, DNP, RN. Associate Administrator and CNO for Harris Health—Ben Taub Hospital (Houston). Dr. Curtis is CNO at Ben Taub Hospital, an academic hospital with over 400 beds and one of the nation’s busiest level 1 trauma centers, serving more than 100,000 emergency visits annually. He leads nursing strategy and operations across inpatient, emergency, surgical and specialty service lines, with accountability for care quality, workforce development, recruitment/retention, and interdisciplinary collaboration aligned to Harris Health’s safety-net mission. He emphasizes high reliability, shared governance and data-driven decision-making to strengthen patient outcomes, staff engagement and regulatory performance, all while sustaining Magnet-level standards. Dr. Curtis brings a mission-focused leadership style shaped by more than 22 years of U.S. Army service, including enlisted and officer roles, with clinic leadership overseas. In civilian healthcare, he has held executive nursing leadership roles across multiple institutions and is credited with major nursing excellence achievements at prior Harris Health leadership posts, including leading a hospital to its first Magnet designation and multiple “Pathway to Excellence” recognitions. Appointed to his current role in 2024, he is continuously advancing leadership pipelines, professional development and culture. Dr. Curtis was recognized by the Houston Chronicle as a “Top 15 Nurse” in 2024.
Tammy Daniel, DNP. Executive Vice President and CNO at Baptist Health (Jacksonville, Fla.). Ms. Daniel oversees nursing across Baptist Health, which includes five adult hospitals, Wolfson Children’s Hospital, Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center, five satellite emergency departments and more than 200 points of care in northeast Florida. Ms. Daniel, who has a 38-year nursing career, joined Baptist Health in 2007 and held several leadership roles before becoming its top nursing executive in 2018. Under Ms. Daniel, Baptist Health achieved its fourth consecutive Magnet designation for all its hospitals, freestanding emergency centers and Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center, a distinction shared by 9% of the nation’s hospitals. In 2025, all five of the system’s adult hospitals earned “A” safety grades from The Leapfrog Group, and in 2026 its graduate nurse residency program earned accreditation with distinction from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. To strengthen staffing, Ms. Daniel enhanced an 11-week transitional program for licensed practical nurses moving into acute care and helped establish a six-month nursing manager academy to train future nurse leaders. Ms. Daniel also implemented a new occurrence reporting system designed for ease of use and physician accessibility. Her prior roles include vice president of patient care services and chief nurse executive of Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville, vice president and chief nurse executive of Baptist Medical Center South, and vice president of clinical services at Florida Hospital Memorial Systems in Hollywood.
Holly Davis, BSN, RN. CNO at Bingham Healthcare (Blackfoot, Idaho). Ms. Davis oversees acute care nursing across Bingham Healthcare’s two hospitals and multiple clinical departments, and also directs the organization’s nurse-led population health program. Ms. Davis previously served as Bingham’s chief quality officer and spent seven years as director of quality, strategic planning and population health, launching the population health program in 2018 and growing it into a team of five registered nurses, care coordinators and a data analyst. Through proactive care coordination, Bingham cut readmission rates from 6.60% in 2020 to 3.47% in 2023. Ms. Davis integrated EHR registries and real-time provider scorecards into primary and specialty care workflows, and Bingham now exceeds national medians in depression screening by 41.3% and fall risk screening by 12.06%. From 2019 to 2023, Medicare annual wellness visits increased 64%, and from 2021 to 2023, billable chronic care management visits rose 518%. Ms. Davis has spoken at Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, American Organization for Nursing Leadership and Meditech Live events on clinical quality and nursing informatics. Bingham Healthcare holds a 5-star patient experience rating from CMS, one of six hospitals in the state of Idaho to do so.
Erica DeBoer, RN. Senior Vice President and CNO of Sanford Health (Sioux Falls, S.D.). Ms. DeBoer is CNO for Sanford Health, which serves over a million patients and is the largest rural health system in the country. In her role, she has oversight of nearly 9,000 nurses across the post-acute, ambulatory and inpatient settings. She has been instrumental in leading systemwide initiatives aimed at leveraging technology, AI and automation to solve for unprecedented nursing workforce shortages. She has also helped to lead an expansion of workforce development programs to build a stronger pipeline of the next generation of caregivers. With her help, the system has welcomed hundreds of internationally educated nurses. Ms. DeBoer brings approximately 30 years of experience as a front-line registered nurse, including positions in critical care, clinical leadership and education. Most recently, she was Sanford Health’s senior executive director of nursing and clinical services and clinical informatics.
Renee Delahoussaye. Vice President and Regional CNO at Ochsner Lafayette (La.) General. Ms. Delahoussaye leads nursing for Ochsner Lafayette General, the second-largest region in the Ochsner Health system, with eight hospitals, more than 50 clinics and urgent care centers, and nearly 6,000 team members, including 2,000 nurses. Ms. Delahoussaye joined the organization in 2003 and has more than two decades of nursing experience. As a member of the executive leadership team, Ms. Delahoussaye oversees the financial management of nursing departments, directs workforce planning and sets nursing policies, procedures and standards for the region. Ms. Delahoussaye is currently enrolled in The Healthcare Management Academy’s nurse executive fellowship program. In 2022, Ms. Delahoussaye received a nurse executive award from Ochsner. Ms. Delahoussaye is a member of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership, the Louisiana Organization for Nursing Leadership, the American Nurses Association and the Louisiana State Nurses Association.
Manavi Dhakal, MSN, RN. Senior Director and Associate CNO at Brockton (Mass.) Behavioral Health Center. Ms. Dhakal leads all nursing services at Brockton Behavioral Health Center, a high-acuity, freestanding psychiatric hospital that is part of Boston Medical Center Health System. Ms. Dhakal oversees nursing practice and professional standards for registered nurses and mental health specialists, along with staffing, workforce development and clinical education. Since Ms. Dhakal joined the hospital in 2024, nursing vacancy has reached 0%, the overall vacancy rate has fallen below 10% and turnover is under 2.5%. Ms. Dhakal also led the hospital’s pursuit of Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, making it the first freestanding psychiatric hospital in Massachusetts to earn the distinction. Her other initiatives include a just culture framework that produced a measurable increase in event reporting, as well as a sustained reduction in restraint and seclusion through trauma-informed care and least-restrictive interventions. Ms. Dhakal received Boston Medical Center’s “Quality and Patient Safety Champion Award” in 2025. Her previous roles include system director of behavioral health, interim director of case management, assistant director of nursing, nurse manager and clinical instructor.
Melody Dickerson, DNP, MSN, RN. Senior Vice President of Hospital Operations and CNO at VHC Health (Arlington, Va.). Ms. Dickerson oversees about 1,000 nurses, along with pharmacy, respiratory therapy, perioperative, cardiovascular and other patient care operations, as senior vice president of hospital operations and CNO at VHC Health. Ms. Dickerson led VHC Health to its third Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Ms. Dickerson launched “Nursing Connections,” an eight-month mentorship program, and introduced a flexible benefits alternative for select full-time employees to help staff hard-to-fill positions and reduce reliance on contract labor. Under her leadership, VHC Health reduced contract staffing, reached its lowest nursing turnover rate in a decade and completed its Joint Commission survey with no condition-level findings. Ms. Dickerson was instrumental in securing a $17.5 million philanthropic gift for the Arlene Evans and Barry Dewberry Cancer Center, which is expected to open in summer 2028 with the organization’s first integrated clinical research and trials office. Before joining VHC Health as senior vice president and CNO in 2017, Ms. Dickerson was CNO of Houston-based Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital and a “Robust Process Improvement” master black belt at The Joint Commission’s center for transforming healthcare. Ms. Dickerson has received the Virginia Business “Women in Leadership Award” and serves as president of the Northern Virginia chapter of the Virginia Nurses Association.
Cassandra Dike, DNP, RN. Chief Nurse Executive of CentraCare (St. Cloud, Minn.). Dr. Dike joined CentraCare in September 2025 and leads nursing operations for more than 3,200 nurses across nine hospitals and more than 30 clinics. She is leading efforts to align and integrate nursing practice across the care continuum while advancing ambulatory nursing practice and systemwide nursing excellence initiatives. Since joining CentraCare, she has maintained a highly visible presence across the health system, regularly visiting hospitals and clinics and engaging directly with nurses and care teams across all shifts. Her focus on clinical excellence, workforce development and patient-centered care has helped cut patient falls in half, launch a systemwide clinical ladder program to advance bedside nursing careers, and earn accreditation for CentraCare’s transition-to-practice program for new graduate nurses. She is also leading efforts to earn a sixth Magnet designation for CentraCare–St. Cloud Hospital. Before joining CentraCare, Dr. Dike served as executive vice president and CNO at Children’s Health in Dallas.
Janeé Dock, MSN, RN. CNO at Piedmont Augusta (Ga.). An experienced nursing administrator who has risen rapidly through the leadership ranks to the top, Ms. Dock is Piedmont Augusta’s first African-American CNO, and the first African-American female on the executive leadership team in the hospital’s history. She oversees patient care services across the three hospitals that make up Piedmont’s Augusta clinical hub. A renowned clinical leader statewide and nationally, she was instrumental in the development of Augusta Technical College’s School of Nursing and Allied Health partnership and expansion to the Piedmont Augusta Summerville Campus. In 2022, Ms. Dock was asked by the Georgia governor to serve on his statewide workforce development taskforce. She first joined the Piedmont Augusta hospital in 2003 as a patient care assistant and was formerly a Piedmont hospital vice president and CNO, as well as a director of orthopedics, spine and medical and surgical services.
Patricia Donley, DNP, RN. Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive at WellSpan Health (York, Pa.). Ms. Donley leads nursing practice, operations, workforce strategy, professional governance, innovation and research for WellSpan Health, including the expansion of innovative nursing care models into the system’s North Region. Ms. Donley was instrumental in securing and launching the Jeanne Donlevy Arnold Center for Nursing Innovation, supported by a $1.5 million philanthropic investment, which focuses on nursing education and training, new care delivery models, AI and digital technologies. WellSpan Nursing launched the Scholarly and Designation Support Center to support evidence-based practice, research, quality improvement and accreditation, and more than 450 nurses have participated in evidence-based practice workshops and professional development through the center and related programs. WellSpan nurses have presented at national and international conferences, including the 2026 Sigma International Nursing Research Congress, and published in journals including the Nephrology Nursing Journal and the Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. WellSpan Health received six 2026 Newsweek workplace awards, including “America’s Greatest Workplaces” for the fourth consecutive year. Ms. Donley joined WellSpan in 1994 and previously served as president of WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital, a 163-bed acute care facility in Lebanon, Pa., and before that as its vice president of patient care services and CNO. Ms. Donley is a member of the Lebanon Valley College board of trustees and chairs the board of the Lebanon County Christian Ministries.
Inger Donohue. CNO at Atlantic Medical Group (Morristown, N.J.). Ms. Donohue is the first CNO of Atlantic Medical Group, Atlantic Health System’s multispecialty physician group of more than 2,000 physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants at more than 300 locations in New Jersey and northeast Pennsylvania. Ms. Donohue defines the scope of nursing practice and the structures and accountabilities that ensure clinical competence for the group’s nursing team members. Ms. Donohue is leading the group’s pursuit of “Pathway to Excellence” designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center and has presented on shared governance at the American Medical Group Association. Ms. Donohue helps lead the group’s preceptor program and preceptor camp, through which 3,549 clinical competencies were performed and evaluated in 2025, as well as orientation for more than 1,000 new clinical team members that year. Ms. Donohue joined Atlantic Health in 2016 as director of quality and clinical services for the medical group, overseeing patient experience, infection prevention, clinical services and quality measures. Ms. Donohue previously served as regional director of operations for Barnabas Health Medical Group and director of clinical services for Manhattan’s Physician Group in New York City, and began her career as a telemetry nurse at the former Union Hospital in New Jersey.
Diane Drexler, DNP, RN. System CNO and Vice President of Patient Care Services for Community Memorial Health System (Ventura, Calif.). Dr. Drexler sets the vision for nursing and patient care across Community Memorial Hospital’s Ojai and Ventura campuses and the Community Memorial Health Centers. Her leadership was instrumental in guiding the organization through the most challenging phases of the Covid-19 pandemic, including developing and implementing procedures for two acute care hospitals, managing staffing shortages, and creating a comprehensive winter surge plan across care settings. With more than 30 years of healthcare executive experience in California and Arizona, Dr. Drexler has held senior leadership roles at various medical centers. Throughout her career, she has successfully implemented shared governance models, led multiple EHR transitions, launched new clinical programs, reduced RN turnover and elevated service excellence. Dr. Drexler is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Ilia Echevarria, PhD, RN. CNO at NCH North Naples (Fla.) Hospital. Dr. Echevarria oversees the clinical, operational and financial performance of nursing service lines and system laboratory services at NCH North Naples Hospital, part of Naples Comprehensive Health, with responsibility for more than 815 full-time equivalents and an annual operating budget exceeding $50 million. Her portfolio includes the Women & Children Pavilion, critical care, bed flow and staffing, dialysis, wound care and diabetes education, and case management. Dr. Echevarria led NCH through two American Nurses Credentialing Center “Pathway to Excellence” redesignations, and three critical care units earned the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses “Beacon Award for Excellence” under her leadership. Dr. Echevarria established the Ellen Nolan Previte Scholarship, securing $1 million in dedicated funding and awarding 20 scholarships to date, and her fundraising has generated more than $4 million for nursing education, workforce development and “Pathway” initiatives. Her initiatives generated $5 million in annual savings through the insourcing of case management services, and the hospital achieved Joint Commission stroke reaccreditation with zero deficiencies. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Echevarria served as the health system’s incident commander, leading vaccination efforts for more than 20,000 employees and community members, and later served as branch director of the incident management team during Hurricane Ian. Dr. Echevarria joined NCH in 2015 as associate CNO and previously held leadership roles at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, N.J., Virtua Health in Marlton, N.J. and Penn Medicine’s Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia.
Tali Edge. CNO at Corewell Health Dearborn Hospital (Grand Rapids, Mich.). Dr. Edge leads nursing strategy, clinical excellence, patient safety, quality, workforce development and patient experience at Corewell Health Dearborn Hospital. Under his leadership, the hospital has reduced patient falls, falls with injury, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, central line-associated bloodstream infections, hospital-acquired pressure injuries and Clostridioides difficile infections, and improved its nulliparous, term, singleton, vertex cesarean section performance. Dr. Edge established a transition-to-practice program for newly licensed nurses, created a CNO advisory council, launched a nursing assistant task force, and implemented a discharge and stretcher lounge to improve throughput and emergency department capacity. Dr. Edge also developed the “Start with a Shadow” program with local nursing schools to build a pipeline from nursing technician to registered nurse roles. Dr. Edge is a Shaughnessy Coldiron Senior Nurse Executive Fellow and mentors higher education nursing students. Before joining Corewell Health, Dr. Edge was chief nurse executive at Cayuga Health System in Ithaca, N.Y., overseeing nursing, clinical operations, care management, behavioral health, women’s and children’s services, skilled nursing facilities and critical access hospitals. Earlier, Dr. Edge served as vice president of care coordination and operations at Grady Health System in Atlanta and held roles at Atlanta-based Emory Healthcare and Louisville, Ky.-based Kindred Healthcare.
Christopher “Lance” Eiland, MSN, RN. CNO of Crestwood Medical Center (Huntsville, Ala.). Mr. Eiland leads nursing strategies, clinical operations and patient safety initiatives across Crestwood Medical Center. He champions workforce development programs, advances evidence-based practice, and strengthens interprofessional collaboration to enhance care delivery. Under his leadership, the nursing team has achieved measurable improvements in patient outcomes, staff retention rates and quality metrics. This is also exemplified by the fact that measurable improvements have also resulted in increased days without a catheter-associated urinary tract infection, days without a central line-associated bloodstream infection, and days without a methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus infection. Mr. Elland is passionate about mentoring future nurse leaders and advancing innovation in clinical practice to ensure safe, compassionate and high-quality care for every Crestwood patient.
Veronica Elders, DHA, MSN, RN. CEO and CNO of Nashville (Tenn.) General Hospital. Dr. Elders serves as CEO and CNO at Nashville General Hospital, providing integrated clinical, strategic and fiduciary leadership for the organization. In this dual role, she oversees hospitalwide strategy, financial stewardship, operational performance, and all nursing and care transition functions, including emergency medicine and hospital medicine programs. Dr. Elders joined Nashville General in 2015 and advanced through key leadership roles, including director of emergency services, administrative director of patient throughput and assistant CNO. She brings more than 25 years of healthcare experience. Dr. Elders also serves on the Tennessee CARE Early Head Start policy council and the Tennessee State University Nursing School advisory board.
Kerri Elsabrout. Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and CNO at White Plains (N.Y.) Hospital. Ms. Elsabrout leads nursing and key clinical services at White Plains Hospital, including respiratory therapy, care management and physical therapy, and is the first advanced practice nurse to serve as CNO in the hospital’s history. Ms. Elsabrout helped lead the hospital to its fourth consecutive Magnet designation in 2026, and its nurses received the 2025 American Nurses Credentialing Center “Magnet Prize” for a nurse-led remote patient monitoring model for diabetes transitional care. Since 2023, all of the hospital’s more than 1,200 nurses have held bachelor’s degrees, and nursing turnover is below 5%, about a third of the national average. The hospital ranks in the 87th percentile for nursing engagement and added 200 new nurses in 2025. Ms. Elsabrout is also involved in planning and activating the hospital’s 10-story, nearly 500,000-square-foot expansion, which will add inpatient capacity and operating suites. For her work developing future healthcare professionals, Ms. Elsabrout received the 2026 “Westchester Changemakers Award” from Pace University. Ms. Elsabrout joined White Plains Hospital 15 years ago and previously served there as vice president of patient care services and director of nursing, after beginning her career as a bedside nurse at UC San Francisco and then working as a nurse practitioner in New York City at Mount Sinai Hospital and NYU Langone Hospital.
Darlene Evans. Vice President and CNO at Saint Anthony Medical Center (Rockford, Ill.). Ms. Evans is vice president and CNO at Saint Anthony Medical Center, a level 1 trauma center and five-time Magnet-designated hospital within Peoria, Ill.-based OSF Healthcare. Ms. Evans oversees nursing services including staffing, patient flow, resource allocation, quality outcomes and nursing budgets. Since joining the hospital, Ms. Evans has led patient experience initiatives including “AIDET,” manage up and service recovery. Ms. Evans has also secured additional support roles and resources for clinical teams and nursing leadership, and reduced overtime use while improving staffing efficiency. Ms. Evans’ previous roles include vice president of patient care services and CNO, associate CNO, assistant vice president of nursing services, and interim vice president for quality and patient safety. Her career also includes work as senior nurse executive for clinical operations and quality and patient safety at Joint Commission International, as a healthcare consultant, and as director of quality management and education.
Leigha Fallis, RN, MSN. CNO at Piedmont Rockdale Hospital (Conyers, Ga.). Ms. Fallis has served as CNO of Piedmont Rockdale since 2018, overseeing nursing and clinical operations at the 161-bed hospital, including medical-surgical care, critical care, women’s services, emergency services and inpatient and outpatient imaging. Ms. Fallis led the development of an intermediate care unit that expanded capacity from 138 to 161 beds, oversaw the transition of hospitalist and emergency medicine groups, and implemented a new intensivist program. From fiscal year 2019 to fiscal year 2026, admissions rose 26%, stroke volume increased 114% and the case mix index grew from 1.37 to 1.52. From fiscal year 2022 to fiscal year 2026, the hospital cut central line-associated bloodstream infections by 60% and catheter-associated urinary tract infections by 66%, and CMS data show a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection rate of zero from July 2024 to June 2025. Ms. Fallis standardized nursing practice, established nursing shared governance, launched a clinical advancement program and developed a charge nurse leadership program, efforts that have contributed to a 37% reduction in nursing turnover since 2021. Under Ms. Fallis’ leadership, the hospital earned DNV primary stroke center certification and Piedmont Healthcare’s first “Lantern Award” from the Emergency Nurses Association. Before joining Piedmont Rockdale, Ms. Fallis held cardiovascular nursing leadership roles at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital from 2013 to 2018 and served as director of telemetry at Lakewood (Calif.) Regional Medical Center from 2009 to 2013.
Kirsten Featherstone. CNO for Mee Memorial Healthcare System (King City, Calif.). As CNO at Mee Memorial, Ms. Featherstone leads the nursing team, overseeing clinical services such as long-term care, education and acute care. She collaborates with the executive team to strengthen healthcare in South County as a whole. Since joining in 2020, she has driven cultural change and bolstered the organization’s mission to provide high-quality care to its rural community. Her leadership extends across hospital operations, quality improvement and nursing support, backed by her experience managing trauma programs and developing stroke centers at multiple hospitals. Ms. Featherstone played a key role in managing Mee Memorial’s Covid-19 response and was promoted to CNO in 2022 after serving in various leadership roles.
Julie Ference, BSN, RN. CNO at AHN Neighborhood Hospitals (The Woodlands, Texas). Ms. Ference is CFO for AHN Neighborhood Hospitals, providing strategic and operational leadership for nursing, emergency department and inpatient services, and a broad portfolio of clinical support specialties that include radiology, laboratory, respiratory therapy and rehabilitation services across five neighborhood hospital locations. She leads a team of nearly 300 and works closely with the hospital board, directors, clinical teams and corporate leaders to optimize patient flow, staffing and scheduling, budgeting, vendor contracting, and both short- and long-range operational planning. She also leads key governance and compliance work, including steering committees, pharmacy and therapeutics, and policy development aligned to Department of Health, DNV and CMS requirements. Ms. Ference stands out as a hands-on, bedside-visible executive who maintains clinical readiness and routinely rounds with teams in order to bridge the boardroom and the bedside. She has been a catalyst for innovation in small-format hospital care models, helping advance variable acuity inpatient care, virtual nursing, virtual telemetry and hospitalist tele-resources. Under her leadership, AHN Neighborhood Hospitals became an early adopter of fixed real-time audiovisual telemedicine for all patients.
Diane Ferreira, RN. CNO and Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services for Butler Hospital (Providence, R.I.). Ms. Ferreira oversees nursing services, nursing education, nursing quality, occupational therapy, social services and pharmacy at Butler Hospital. With over two decades of experience, she has become a vital leader due to her deep understanding of the hospital and its resources. Known for her compassionate approach to healthcare, Ms. Ferreira prioritizes patient care and has been promoted six times during her tenure, reflecting her expertise in behavioral healthcare. Her leadership plays a key role in maintaining high standards of care and ensuring that the hospital’s staff is well-equipped to meet the needs of their patients.
Brandee A. Fetherman, MSN, RN. CNO at Atlantic Health Morristown (N.J.) Medical Center. Ms. Fetherman has served as CNO of Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center since 2022, overseeing nursing care, nursing education and professional development, nursing quality and research, and patient flow. Ms. Fetherman joined the medical center in 2001 and held management roles in critical care, medicine, trauma and neurology, including nurse manager and director of nursing, before her promotion to CNO. In 2024, Morristown Medical Center earned its sixth consecutive Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, a distinction held by fewer than 2% of Magnet-designated hospitals in the U.S. Ms. Fetherman also played a key role in completing a five-phase expansion of the emergency department, which nearly doubled the number of treatment areas in a department that handles more than 110,000 visits annually. Ms. Fetherman serves as president of the Organization of Nurse Leaders for New Jersey, and as a board member of the Morris Educational Foundation. Her professional memberships include the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, the American Organization for Nursing Leadership and the nursing advisory board for County College of Morris.
Brian Filadelfia, DNP, RN. Chief Nurse and Clinical Executive at Emanate Health Queen of the Valley Hospital (Covina, Calif.). Mr. Filadelfia oversees nursing and related clinical services at Emanate Health Queen of the Valley Hospital, leading a workforce of about 900 full-time equivalents, including 12 directors, 19 managers and six educators. His portfolio includes the emergency department, critical care and perioperative services, as well as environmental services, transport, sterile processing and rehabilitation therapies, along with development of new critical care and emergency departments set to open in late 2026. In May 2025, Mr. Filadelfia led a project using a standardized logistic management program and structured huddles that cut emergency department length of stay for admitted patients by 39.36% in two months, nearly four times the 10% target. Mr. Filadelfia also founded the clinical excellence committee, which achieved a 55% reduction in reportable pressure injuries and zero central line-associated bloodstream infections from the fourth quarter of 2021 through 2023. Other results include raising unit productivity averages from 94% to 104%, saving $500,000 in workforce costs through a Covid-19 resurgence plan, saving $250,000 through EHR conversions, and helping raise the hospital’s Leapfrog safety grade from “C” to “B” within a year. In the past year, Mr. Filadelfia launched and now chairs the hospital’s inaugural hospital performance improvement committee. Mr. Filadelfia became chief nurse and clinical executive in November 2024 after serving as vice president of nursing since 2021.
Kate Fitzpatrick. Executive Vice President and Connelly Foundation Chief Nurse Executive Officer at Jefferson Health (Philadelphia). Ms. Fitzpatrick oversees nursing and patient care across Jefferson Health’s 34 hospital campuses and more than 700 sites of care, leading a team of regional CNOs and system nurse executives. Ms. Fitzpatrick is also the executive overseeing patient- and family-centered care and experience for the system. Under Ms. Fitzpatrick’s leadership, Jefferson’s S.E.A.L. Team for service, excellence, advocacy and leadership grew from 25 registered nurses at its 2022 launch to more than 230 full-time nurses, and has contributed to a 75% reduction in agency nurse use. Ms. Fitzpatrick also championed Jefferson’s “Nurse Emeritus” program, which brings retired nurses back as mentors, as well as the Jefferson College of Nursing’s expansion into the Lehigh Valley starting in fall 2026. Jefferson’s integrated nursing strategy received a 2026 “Workplace Innovators Award” from the Pennsylvania Hospital Association. Prior to taking on her current role, Ms. Fitzpatrick was system senior vice president of nursing practice and clinical development at Jefferson, senior vice president and CNO at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, and spent 18 years at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Ms. Fitzpatrick, a stroke survivor, serves as president of the board of directors for the Greater Philadelphia American Heart Association and is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.
Tara Floyd, BSN, RN. Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and CNO at Nationwide Children’s Hospital (Columbus, Ohio). Ms. Floyd leads more than 4,000 nurses and 6,000 additional patient care staff across more than 60 locations at Nationwide Children’s, which records more than 2 million patient visits annually. Her oversight spans clinical services, neonatal services, clinical social work, care coordination, patient and family experience, nursing professional development and nursing informatics. Ms. Floyd joined Nationwide Children’s in 2026 from Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., where she advanced from frontline neonatal ICU nurse to nurse manager, director, vice president and associate CNO. At Children’s National, Ms. Floyd led quality improvement and evidence-based practice initiatives that reduced emergency department-to-bed times by 66% and supported metrics behind the hospital’s No. 1 national neonatal ICU ranking for six consecutive years. Ms. Floyd’s recognitions include The Washington Post’s “Star Nurse Award,” a National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing “Team Award” and a Department of Health and Human Services “Sustained Improvement Award” for eliminating central line-associated bloodstream infections. Her published work includes “10,000 Good Catches: Increasing Safety Event Reporting in a Pediatric Health Care System” in Pediatric Quality and Safety and “Inclusive Leadership” in Nurse Leader.
Regina Foley, PhD, RN. Chief Nursing Executive and President of Specialty Hospitals and Clinical Services at Hackensack Meridian Health (Edison, N.J.). Dr. Foley supports the chief nurses at Hackensack Meridian Health’s 18 hospitals and leads systemwide efforts in clinical transformation, nursing workforce, education and bedside technology. As president of specialty hospitals and clinical services, Dr. Foley oversees Hackensack Meridian Carrier Clinic in Belle Mead, N.J., Hackensack Meridian JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute in Edison and the Hackensack Meridian Long Term Acute Care Hospital at Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, N.J., along with rehabilitation, pharmacy, imaging, laboratory, the emergency medical services and transfer center, and security and emergency management. Dr. Foley is leading the integration of the system’s three schools of nursing into a workforce pipeline, and under her leadership the system developed a telemetry command center and piloted a virtual nursing program. Over her more than 39 years at Hackensack Meridian Health, Dr. Foley has overseen a portfolio of more than 500 projects and initiatives and previously served as system chief transformation officer, chief hospital executive at Hackensack Meridian Southern Ocean Medical Center in Stafford Township, N.J. and COO at Hackensack Meridian Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel, N.J. Dr. Foley earlier served as CNO, and later as chief nurse executive and vice president of hospital operations, at Ocean University Medical Center in Brick, N.J. Dr. Foley chairs the Leadership Institute’s CNO forum, serves on the boards of Monmouth University and Georgian Court University and on the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society advisory board, and has received the New Jersey Hospital Association “Distinguished Service Award.”
Juli Forbes. Vice President and CNO at ECU Health Beaufort Hospital (Washington, N.C.). Ms. Forbes is vice president and CNO at ECU Health Beaufort Hospital, a campus of Greenville, N.C.-based ECU Health Medical Center. Ms. Forbes oversees nursing operations and patient care delivery, leading initiatives in clinical quality, patient safety, accreditation readiness and caregiver engagement. Ms. Forbes takes part in daily safety huddles and frontline operations. In the hospital’s rural setting, Ms. Forbes focuses on professional development, succession planning, recruitment and retention for nurses and caregivers.
Debra Fox. CNO at University Medical Center of Southern Nevada (Las Vegas). Ms. Fox has served as CNO of University Medical Center of Southern Nevada since 2015 and is accountable for all elements of nursing practice, leading a nursing division of 1,200 nurses. Her scope includes employee and patient experience, regulatory and compliance requirements, physician relations, partnership development and clinical service expansion. In January 2026, the hospital became the first in Nevada to achieve Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. After Ms. Fox implemented a shared governance model, voluntary nurse turnover at the hospital declined from 18% in 2015 to about 9% in recent years. Ms. Fox also established the hospital’s nursing residency program, which earned accreditation with distinction from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and formed academic partnerships with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Nursing and other local institutions. The medical center’s annual Nursing Research Day and Conference, part of her effort to promote collaborative clinical research, averages 75 to 80 submissions each year. Before joining the medical center, Ms. Fox held roles including associate administrator and CNO of McKee Medical Center in Loveland, Colo., and chief clinical officer of Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria, Ore.
Kimberly Foxworth. System Chief Nursing and Quality Executive at St. Luke’s Health (Chesterfield, Mo.). Dr. Foxworth is system chief nursing and quality executive at St. Luke’s Health, overseeing nursing practice, clinical quality and operations across the health system. Dr. Foxworth’s responsibilities include nursing workforce strategy, professional development, leadership succession, accreditation readiness, regulatory response and enterprise risk management. Dr. Foxworth serves on the St. Luke’s governance board. St. Luke’s Hospital has been named to Healthgrades’ “America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery” for eight years in a row and to U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 list of best hospitals for maternity. Dr. Foxworth’s previous roles include system chief nurse executive, chief quality and operations executive, CNO, vice president of operations and director of surgical services. Dr. Foxworth began her career as a registered nurse and has also served as associate CNO, administrator and cardiovascular services nurse manager.
Kim Francis, PhD, RN. CNO and Senior Vice President for Patient Care Services for Women & Infants Hospital (Providence, R.I.). Dr. Francis serves as CNO and senior vice president of patient care services at Women & Infants Hospital. Having joined the hospital in 2022, she brings over three decades of progressive nursing leadership experience. Dr. Francis oversees nursing operations, ensuring high standards of patient care and guiding leadership strategies. Her career began as a staff nurse at Women & Infants, and she now leads multiple departments, including postpartum and neonatal intensive care. Prior to her current role, she held various leadership positions at Boston-based Massachusetts General Hospital and was recognized with the 2020 “Massachusetts Excellence in Nursing Research” award from the American Nurses Association Massachusetts.
Michelle Franklin, RN. CNO for Carilion Clinic (Roanoke, Va.). Ms. Franklin was promoted to CNO in July 2025, bringing more than 30 years of progressive clinical and operational leadership experience to the role. Most recently, she served as vice president with responsibility for women’s and children’s services, nursing support and interpreter services, overseeing care delivery across multiple settings. Ms. Franklin began her healthcare career in 1990 as a nursing assistant at what later became Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital, giving her firsthand insight into bedside care and workforce needs. Throughout her career, she has advanced through a series of leadership roles spanning both hospital and ambulatory environments, consistently driving quality, safety and operational excellence. She previously served as co-interim CNO, where she oversaw the nursing center of excellence and nursing operations at Carilion Medical Center and affiliated ambulatory practices.
Puneet Freibott, DNP, RN. System CNO at Beth Israel Lahey Health (Cambridge, Mass.). Ms. Freibott is the inaugural system CNO of Beth Israel Lahey Health, a system of academic medical centers, teaching hospitals, community hospitals and specialty organizations across eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. Since taking the newly created role in 2024, Ms. Freibott has established systemwide nursing governance structures, including nursing advisory councils and executive nursing leadership forums. Ms. Freibott designed and launched a systemwide nursing leadership development program in which more than 80 emerging nurse leaders and 21 nurse executives have participated. Under her leadership, nursing has partnered with multidisciplinary teams to improve patient flow and capacity across perioperative services, emergency departments and inpatient care. Ms. Freibott has also championed virtual patient safety monitoring and exploration of AI and digital tools to reduce administrative burden on nurses. Previously, Ms. Freibott was COO of University Medical Center New Orleans, part of New Orleans-based LCMC Health, vice president and associate CNO at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, and CNO of HCA Healthcare Medical Center & Specialty Hospitals in Houston. Ms. Freibott serves on the American Organization for Nursing Leadership’s Region 1 board of directors and is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Christine Frost, DNP, RN. CNO and Vice President of Nursing at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center (Annapolis, Md.). Ms. Frost oversees approximately 1,200 nurses as the top nursing executive at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center, Luminis Health J. Kent McNew Family Medical Center and Luminis Health Pathways. Her responsibilities include nursing and clinical strategy, quality and patient safety, workforce management and financial stewardship. Ms. Frost, who has nearly 30 years of nursing experience, began her nursing career at Anne Arundel Medical Center in 1995 and held roles outside the medical center before returning. Ms. Frost led the hospital to its third Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Each month, Ms. Frost leads a two-hour professional nurse council meeting with representatives from every hospital unit, and council input, including one nurse’s account of workplace violence, informs new policies and procedures to strengthen staff safety. Ms. Frost also hosts “Coffee with the CNO,” an open-door initiative that lets staff schedule time with her to discuss concerns, ideas and career development. Ms. Frost serves as president of the Maryland Organization of Nurse Leaders and was a member of Leadership Anne Arundel’s class of 2023.
Teresa Fuller, MSN, RN. Vice President of Patient Care Services at Hartford Healthcare Fairfield (Conn.) Region. Ms. Fuller leads nursing and patient care operations for Hartford Healthcare’s Fairfield Region, with oversight of nursing recruitment, retention, succession planning and professional development programs, including nurse residency, fellowship and student nurse pipelines. Ms. Fuller helped expand the region’s nurse fellowship program to more than 50 participants and supported international nurse integration and perioperative workforce development. During a period of organizational change, Ms. Fuller served as interim director of nursing for the Behavioral Health Network Fairfield Region and recruited and onboarded a new director of nursing. As executive sponsor, Ms. Fuller oversees initiatives on falls prevention, central line-associated bloodstream infection reduction, length-of-stay optimization and transition-by-noon metrics. Work Ms. Fuller led, which examined the effect of virtual patient observation on patient experience and fall prevention, was accepted for presentation by the Connecticut Nursing Research Alliance. Ms. Fuller co-authored a chapter in “An Empowering Leadership Guide for Emerging Nurses” and serves as a trustee on the University of Bridgeport board of directors. Ms. Fuller previously served as vice president of patient care services for the Hartford Healthcare Northwest Region and as interim vice president of patient care services for the East Region.
Nancy Gaden, DNP, RN. Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations and CNO at Boston Medical Center. Ms. Gaden leads more than 2,000 nursing professionals at Boston Medical Center, a 675-bed academic medical center, and oversees a department with an annual budget exceeding $300 million. Under her direction, Boston Medical Center earned its first Magnet recognition and was later redesignated. Ms. Gaden was named a 2024 “Living Legend” by the American Nurses Association of Massachusetts and was inducted as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 2023, the same year Middlebury College awarded Ms. Gaden an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. Her honors also include a “DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award” in 2020 and the New England Organization of Nurse Leaders’ “Excellence in Leadership Award” in 2019. Ms. Gaden served as 2022-23 president of the Organization of Nurse Leaders and 2023-24 president of the Organization of Nurse Leaders Foundation, and has served on the Massachusetts Hospital Association board of directors since 2023. Before being named CNO in early 2014, Ms. Gaden was system vice president of patient care services and CNO of Medford, Mass.-based Hallmark Health System, which earned Magnet designation under her leadership. Ms. Gaden previously held senior patient care services and CNO roles at multiple other hospitals in the state.
Nicki Gamet, BSN. CNO for Mercy Springfield (Mo.) Communities. Ms. Gamet became CNO of Mercy Springfield Communities in May 2025, bringing decades of experience and deep organizational knowledge to the role. A Mercy caregiver for nearly three decades, she began her career as a staff nurse and advanced into leadership after pursuing a nurse manager position. Over the years, Ms. Gamet has held multiple leadership roles, most recently serving as vice president of regional operations, providing strategic oversight for Mercy hospitals and clinics across the Ozarks. She now leads more than 2,400 nurses, guided by a leadership philosophy centered on trust, empowerment and supporting caregivers in their daily work. Known for her ability to connect frontline insight with system-level strategy, she is focused on strengthening nursing practice, culture and patient care outcomes. In addition to her professional responsibilities, Ms. Gamet serves on the executive board of Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri and recently completed a term on the National Rural Advocacy Task Force.
Elizabeth “Tren” Garbo, DNP, RN. Vice President and CNO of Our Lady of the Angels Health (Bogalusa, La.). Ms. Garbo is vice president and CNO at Our Lady of the Angels Health, the only full-service acute care hospital within a 45-mile radius in Washington Parish. She oversees all nursing operations and has led the hospital to state and national recognition through quality initiatives and deep community partnerships. Dr. Garbo played a pivotal role in launching “Rise Up,” a groundbreaking substance abuse intervention program for pregnant women that has since influenced statewide models in Louisiana. Known for her people-centered leadership style, she fosters engagement and trust through initiatives like “Tea Time with Tren” and frequent unit-level celebrations. Her emphasis on staff wellbeing has resulted in nursing turnover rates consistently below 3%. Through compassion, visibility and operational excellence, Dr. Garbo has built a stable workforce and strengthened patient experience in a critical rural setting.
Claudia Garcenot, MSN, RN. Vice President and CNO at Mount Sinai Brooklyn (N.Y.). Ms. Garcenot provides clinical, operational and financial leadership for inpatient services at Mount Sinai Brooklyn, part of New York City-based Mount Sinai Health System, and oversees a nursing staff of approximately 500. Her responsibilities include the development, oversight and implementation of nursing practice, as well as the nursing department’s performance improvement programs. Ms. Garcenot also leads accreditation, regulatory compliance and organizational readiness work and has navigated more than 15 Joint Commission surveys, along with multiple regulatory visits across inpatient and ambulatory care settings. Ms. Garcenot has more than 40 years of nursing experience across inpatient and outpatient care. Before assuming her current role, Ms. Garcenot served as senior director for nursing operations in Brooklyn and held leadership roles at Boston-based Beth Israel Medical Center and at Continuum Health Partners in New York City.
Monaliza Gaw. Vice President and CNO at Ascension Seton Hays (St. Louis). Ms. Gaw is vice president and CNO at Ascension Seton Hays, where she reports to the hospital president and is responsible for nursing practice, quality, safety, clinical operations and fiscal stewardship. The hospital earned a CMS 5-star rating and a Leapfrog hospital grade “A” for two consecutive years, and holds “Pathway to Excellence” designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Ms. Gaw led efforts that brought first-year registered nurse retention to 66%, and physician-nurse collaboration raised the inpatient net promoter score to as high as 85%. Ms. Gaw also led full implementation of professional shared governance and an associate engagement survey that reached 80% participation, surpassing its goal. As chair of the Ascension Texas Nurse Executive Council, Ms. Gaw has led market-level pilots of the activity measure for post-acute care and a new Ascension hospital-acquired pressure injury standard. Ms. Gaw serves on the American Organization for Nursing Leadership’s education committee and the Texas Nurses Association policy council, and is president of the Philippine Nurses Association of Austin, Texas. Her previous roles include vice president of nursing and CNO for Ascension Seton Northwest and Ascension Seton Southwest, both in Austin, and associate CNO at CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System in Tyler, Texas.
Shari Giese, BSN, RN. CNO of Mat-Su Regional Medical Center (Palmer, Alaska). Ms. Giese has spent more than three decades at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, where she has served in various roles including director of surgical services, and for the last eight years, CNO. She has fostered a reputation that seeks quality care in every area of her stewardship. Her leadership is extremely vital to the organization in this current environment, where the nursing shortages have become the norm in nearly every community. She continues to focus on improving the hospital’s culture, which has reduced traveler nurse usage. Her leadership has been instrumental in improving employee and physician satisfaction and continued growth during a period in which these trends have proven to be challenging.
Jason Gilbert, PhD, RN. Executive Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive at Indiana University Health (Indianapolis). Dr. Gilbert, executive vice president and chief nurse executive at IU Health, first joined the system in 2011 as director of nursing operations at the Indiana University Health Adult Academic Health Center in Indianapolis. Since, he has held several progressive executive leadership roles at the regional and system level. Now, he leads system operations including supply chain, laboratory services, the department of protective services, contracted services, and a team of more than 9,000 registered nurses and interprofessional team members across multiple hospitals and clinics. Prior to joining the IU Health team, Dr. Gilbert served in a nurse manager and staff nurse role at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. He currently serves on the board and as president-elect of the Indiana Organization for Nursing Leadership and is a member of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.
Elizabeth Gillam. CNO at Mercy Hospital Washington (Chesterfield, Mo.). Ms. Gillam oversees inpatient nursing, the emergency department, perioperative services, the cardiac catheterization lab, respiratory therapy, the sleep lab, care management and nursing excellence at Mercy Hospital Washington. Her responsibilities include clinical quality, patient safety, workforce strategy, patient experience, regulatory compliance, financial stewardship and operational performance. Under Ms. Gillam’s leadership, Mercy Hospital Washington has achieved Leapfrog “Straight A” status and was named a Chartis “Top 100 Rural Hospital.” The hospital also holds a CMS 4-star rating. Over the past year, the hospital recorded a record number of cardiac catheterization lab procedures and increased surgical volumes by 4%. Ms. Gillam previously served as executive director of nursing for the medical-surgical service line at Mercy Hospital St. Louis.
Carol Ann Gioia, DNP, MSN, RN. CNO at AtlantiCare (Egg Harbor Township, N.J.). Ms. Gioia leads nursing practice, workforce development, quality outcomes and operational performance across AtlantiCare, southeastern New Jersey’s largest integrated health system. Under Ms. Gioia’s leadership, a $2.9 million U.S. Department of Labor-funded nursing apprenticeship has produced 54 graduates, with 39 more participants in progress, and a simulation-based nurse residency has improved new nurses’ clinical judgment by 30%. Together with expanded fellowship, preceptor and leadership development pathways, these efforts have reduced AtlantiCare’s registered nurse vacancy rate to below 5% and increased nursing retention to 97%, more than 12 percentage points above the national average. Ms. Gioia has also made workplace violence prevention a priority, introducing clear behavioral standards, hands-on de-escalation training and security response devices and protocols. Before joining AtlantiCare, Ms. Gioia served as director of surgical services at Radnor, Pa.-based Main Line Health from 2023 to 2025 and director of nursing at Wynnewood, Pa.-based Lankenau Medical Center from 2018 to 2023. Prior to that, she held roles at Philadelphia-based Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals from 1987 to 2018, including director of perioperative services and Magnet program coordinator. Ms. Gioia is immediate past president of the Pennsylvania Organization of Nurse Leaders and a trustee of the Nightingale Awards of Pennsylvania. South Jersey Biz named Ms. Gioia to its 2026 “Who’s Who in Health Care” list.
Danielle Giovanniello, MSN, RN. CNO at Atlantic Health Newton (N.J.) and Atlantic Health Hackettstown (N.J.) Medical Centers. Ms. Giovanniello joined Atlantic Health in January 2026 and oversees nursing professional practice, education, professional development, research, administration and clinical services at the Newton and Hackettstown medical centers. Ms. Giovanniello works across Morristown, N.J.-based Atlantic Health to advance nursing through its shared governance framework and has helped guide execution of the system’s “Strategic Plan 2028.” Ms. Giovanniello brings more than 15 years of leadership experience in acute care settings. Most recently, Ms. Giovanniello served as associate CNO at Jefferson Lansdale (Pa.) Hospital, with 24/7 operational and financial leadership responsibility across multiple clinical service lines. In previous roles, Ms. Giovanniello created “Create a Safe Night,” a published patient safety program, and led organizational change during the Covid-19 pandemic. In spring 2026, both Atlantic Health Newton and Atlantic Health Hackettstown received “A” patient safety grades from The Leapfrog Group. Ms. Giovanniello is a certified clinical nurse leader through the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.
Heather Gleason, RN. Vice President of Patient Care and CNO at Fairview Lakes Hospital (Minneapolis). Ms. Gleason leads nursing and clinical services at Fairview Lakes Hospital, part of Fairview, with responsibility for nursing practice, clinical operations, patient experience, quality improvement, patient safety and access to care. After a security officer was killed on the job at Fairview Lakes Hospital, Ms. Gleason supported staff through the aftermath and advocated for creation of the “Andrea Merrell Courage, Service and Compassion Award” in the security officer’s honor. The award honors individuals and teams who take action to advance workplace violence prevention and staff safety. Ms. Gleason’s priorities as CNO include mentoring nurse leaders, supporting shared governance and strengthening professional nursing practice. Previously, Ms. Gleason was senior director of clinical operations and director of clinical operations at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minn.
Michele Goeb-Burkett, MSN, RN. CNO of AdventHealth East Florida Division (Altamonte Springs, Fla.). Since 2022, Ms. Goeb-Burkett has led nursing strategy and operations for AdventHealth’s East Florida Division, the region’s largest hospital system with seven hospitals, two freestanding emergency rooms and more than 75 practice locations. Her leadership supports over 11,000 team members and 1,400 beds, influencing 1.3 million patient encounters each year. With more than 20 years of nursing leadership at AdventHealth, she has built a strong workforce pipeline and achieved 100% one-year retention for graduate nurses. She also spearheaded dedicated education units with area colleges and helped establish a $900,000 endowment to support nursing students. Under her leadership, all AdventHealth facilities in Volusia County earned American Nurses Credentialing Center “Pathways to Excellence” designations, and AdventHealth Fish Memorial in Orange City, Fla. became the only hospital in Volusia County to receive a CMS 5-star quality rating. She also serves on multiple hospital and foundation boards and supports international mission partnerships.
Jill Goldstein, RN. Deputy CNO and Vice President of Nursing and Patient Care Services at Mount Sinai Queens (N.Y.). Ms. Goldstein oversees nursing at Mount Sinai Queens, a 225-licensed-bed hospital that operates under the same license as The Mount Sinai Hospital. Ms. Goldstein directs more than 400 nursing and support staff and is responsible for nursing practice, education and hospitalwide performance improvement programs. A key leader in maintaining the hospital’s Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, Ms. Goldstein works at the only hospital in Queens to hold the recognition. Under Ms. Goldstein’s leadership, the hospital recently broke ground on a new ICU that would nearly triple its intensive care capacity and reduce transfers to facilities in other boroughs. Ms. Goldstein champions the “Rising Stars” program, through which more than two dozen employees who began in non-nursing roles such as housekeeping, dietary and unit clerk positions became registered nurses, with a retention rate of more than 90%. With more than 34 years of experience, Ms. Goldstein previously served as vice president of operations at the Visiting Nurse Service of New York. Ms. Goldstein is a fellow of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation executive nurse program and the New York Academy of Medicine.
Andres Gonzalez, RN. CNO at Jackson South Medical Center (Miami). Mr. Gonzalez leads nursing strategy and clinical operations at Jackson South Medical Center, a 262-bed acute care hospital, ensuring consistent nursing standards, continuous improvement, and compliance with regulatory and accreditation requirements in alignment with Jackson Health System priorities. He partners with medical staff to integrate evidence-based best practices into daily care delivery while advancing workforce stability and mentoring future nursing leaders. Since joining Jackson South in 2015 as director of the surgical center and becoming CNO four years later, he has helped drive multiple accreditations and reductions in hospital-acquired infections and pressure injuries. Under his leadership, Jackson South achieved designations including level 2 trauma center, bariatric center of excellence and primary stroke center. He also supported the expansion of cardiovascular services through the opening of a new catheterization lab designed for minimally invasive heart and vascular procedures. In 2025, Jackson South was named an American College of Surgeons “Surgical Quality Partner for Excellence in Surgical Care” and was recognized by the Florida Stroke Registry for “Most Improved Door to Needle Time.”
Wendi Goodson-Celerin, DNP, APRN. Executive Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive at Tampa (Fla.) General Hospital. Ms. Goodson-Celerin sets nursing strategy and practice standards across Tampa General’s academic health system as executive vice president and chief nursing executive. Ms. Goodson-Celerin began her career at Tampa General as a graduate nurse in 1988 and previously served as the hospital’s senior vice president and CNO, vice president of patient services and director of nursing education. Under her leadership, Tampa General earned its fifth consecutive Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2024, a distinction achieved by less than 2% of hospitals nationwide. Ms. Goodson-Celerin has helped reduce reliance on agency staffing and lower nursing vacancy rates below national benchmarks while leading the rollout of AI-powered ambient clinical documentation for nurses within Epic’s Rover mobile application. Ms. Goodson-Celerin founded Tampa General’s clinical education department and redesigned the nurse manager role’s scope and span of control to build a pipeline of future nurse leaders. Ms. Goodson-Celerin also serves as assistant dean for academic-practice partnerships at the USF Health College of Nursing, where the partnership is expanding pathways into nursing through scholarships, clinical opportunities and advanced training. Ms. Goodson-Celerin was named a recipient of a University of South Florida “Distinguished Alumni Award” for 2026.
Tracy Gosselin, PhD, RN. Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (New York City). Dr. Gosselin serves as Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s senior vice president, chief nursing executive, and Enid A. Haupt Chair in Nursing. In this role, she leads the Magnet-designated nursing department’s nurses and nursing support staff across the center’s various care locations. She is tasked with leading strategic nursing initiatives and with enhancing safety, quality and patient experience as it pertains to nursing. She brings over two decades of nursing leadership experience to her role.
Rebecca Graham, RN. CNO of North Vista Hospital (North Las Vegas). As CNO, Ms. Graham oversees all of North Vista Hospital’s clinical operations, including patient care, safety standards for policy implementation, and processes and protocols for positive patient outcomes. Additional responsibilities include organizational, administrative and nursing leadership. She is involved in all aspects of hospital management, including quality, compliance, risk, financial, marketing and more. Ms. Graham has spent nearly three decades with North Vista Hospital, beginning as a floor nurse and working her way up to her current role as CNO.
F. Carlos Gregorio, MSN, RN. CNO for Uvalde (Texas) Memorial Hospital. As the CNO at Uvalde Memorial Hospital, Mr. Gregorio plays a crucial role in ensuring high-quality care across all nursing services and clinical operations. Responsible for patient safety, experience and compliance with certifications like those from the Joint Commission, he also manages finances and operating budgets, upholding critical policies and procedures. Since joining the hospital, he has shown unwavering commitment to the community of over 45,000 residents, primarily seniors, across five counties. His leadership was pivotal in transitioning the hospital’s designation from acute care to rural, maximizing funding for improvements. Under his guidance, the hospital has dramatically reduced emergency room wait times and improved patient satisfaction scores. He has also launched an initiative to establish a local dialysis program, allowing patients to receive treatment closer to home, and is fostering a culture of recognition through the introduction of several staff award programs.
Karen Grimley, PhD, RN. Chief Nursing Executive at UCLA Health (Los Angeles). Dr. Grimley leads professional nursing practice and care delivery across UCLA Health’s five hospitals and 290 ambulatory clinics, overseeing more than 5,000 bedside nurses. Dr. Grimley also serves as an assistant dean at the UCLA Joe C. Wen School of Nursing, where she supports professional development, clinical education and research. Under her leadership, UCLA Health has earned Magnet designations from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, “Beacon Awards” from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses and “Lantern Awards” from the Emergency Nurses Association, including a 2026 “Lantern Award” for the UCLA Santa Monica (Calif.) Nethercutt Emergency Department. Dr. Grimley developed a comprehensive nursing workforce strategy, and nursing engagement and excellence scores now exceed national benchmarks in at least six of seven categories across the system. Dr. Grimley also helped establish the “Safer U” program to support the wellbeing of staff, patients and families, and served as a key member of UCLA Health’s command center during the Covid-19 pandemic. Before joining UCLA Health in 2015, Dr. Grimley served as CNO at Orange, Calif.-based UC Irvine Health and at Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare and as a senior director at The Broadlane Group. Dr. Grimley was named Los Angeles Business Journal‘s “Hospital Executive of the Year” in 2020.
Anne H. Gross, PhD, RN. Senior Vice President for Patient Care Services and CNO at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston). Dr. Gross is responsible for clinical and research nursing practice across Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She oversees nursing practice across inpatient, outpatient and community settings, as well as the Center for Clinical and Professional Development, Phyllis F. Cantor Center for Research and a variety of other clinical services. Her professional contributions assure patient access to healthcare and strengthen interdisciplinary teamwork. Since joining Dana-Farber in 2002, Dr. Gross has led the implementation of a primary nursing care model, professional shared governance model, and a nationally accredited with distinction residency program for newly licensed nurses. She established a unique and innovative partnership with Northeastern University School of Nursing and developed academic pipeline and fellowship programs to ensure the future of oncology nursing. Her leadership has been instrumental in Dana-Farber earning its fifth consecutive Magnet designation for nursing excellence. She was recently named Ning Zhao Chair of Nursing, the first endowed nursing position of its kind at Dana-Farber, providing critical resources to continually innovate in patient care and advance the field of oncology nursing.
Kimberly Gummel, MSN, RN. Vice President and CNO of the Central Region at Geisinger (Danville, Pa.). Ms. Gummel oversees nursing services for Geisinger’s Central Region, based at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, the system’s flagship academic hospital. In her first year as CNO, Ms. Gummel achieved a 49% reduction in patient harm events. Before stepping into the role, Ms. Gummel built the “System Nurse Internal Travel Program,” which cut regional domestic agency use by 77% from 2022 to 2023, and eliminated an ineffective weekend staffing incentive program, saving about $250,000. Ms. Gummel also raised nursing employee engagement survey participation from 23% to 70%, and her “Daily Safety Sitter Huddle,” launched in September 2023, reduced sitter hours by 16% and increased continuous video monitoring use by 30%. Ms. Gummel was part of the nursing leadership teams that achieved Geisinger Medical Center’s second, third and fourth consecutive Magnet designations from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Her “Achieving Collaborative Excellence” model of care initiative was published as a case study in Nurse Leader in 2026, and she represents Geisinger on the UKG Chief Nurse Executive Advisory Board. Ms. Gummel has spent 26 years at Geisinger, where her previous roles include associate vice president of nursing services.
Andrew D. Harding, DNP, RN. CNO at South Shore Health (South Weymouth, Mass.). Mr. Harding leads nursing at South Shore Health, a Magnet-designated community health system, with a nursing division spanning inpatient care, emergency services, perioperative services, ambulatory care, home care and visiting nurse services. Mr. Harding is accountable for nursing practice, quality and patient safety, workforce strategy and professional governance, and holds executive responsibility for the system’s Magnet redesignation. A member of the senior leadership team, Mr. Harding reports to the COO. Under his leadership, South Shore Health rebuilt its professional governance structure so that elected nurses hold decision-making authority and integrated collaborative just culture into daily operations. His tenure has also included a redesigned nursing leadership structure and more than a dozen nurse-led innovations over four years. Mr. Harding previously served as CEO and CNO of MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham, Mass. and as associate CNO at South Coast Health in New Bedford, Mass. Mr. Harding is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the American Heart Association and the Academy of Emergency Nursing, and serves on the board of directors of the Organization of Nurse Leaders New England.
Cynthia Hardy. Chief Nurse Executive at Haak’u Health Center (Acoma Pueblo, N.M.). Dr. Hardy leads nursing at Haak’u Health Center, a rural Tribal 638 health organization the Pueblo of Acoma began operating in August 2025 after transitioning from federally operated Indian Health Service care to tribal self-governance. Dr. Hardy joined the center in December 2025, reports to the CEO, and oversees nursing across primary care, urgent care, traditional medicine, public health nursing, purchased and referred care nurse case management, and nursing education. After rebuilding the nursing division’s leadership structure and staffing model, Dr. Hardy reduced its vacancy rate from 12.5% across 16 positions in the second quarter of 2026 to 0% by the close of the third quarter, with five additional hires pending onboarding. Dr. Hardy restored the center’s public health nursing program, which logged 41 referrals in seven months, or 5.9 per month, compared with 1.9 per month over 22 months under prior oversight. Dr. Hardy also introduced nurse-first walk-in triage, 24-hour telephone nurse triage and role-specific competency validation, and built workforce pipelines through a medical assistant apprenticeship and clinical partnerships with New Mexico State University and Central New Mexico Community College. Dr. Hardy previously served as chief nurse executive of the Indian Health Service’s Crow/Northern Cheyenne Hospital in Crow Agency, Mont. and Crownpoint (Mont.) Service Unit, and as director of infection prevention at Menorah Medical Center in Overland Park, Kansas, which is part of Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare’s Midwest Division. Dr. Hardy is a former board member of the New Mexico Center for Nursing Excellence and has served as adjunct nursing faculty at San Juan College.
Tiffany Haynes. CNO at North Country Healthcare (Whitefield, N.H.). Ms. Haynes leads nursing and clinical operations across North Country Healthcare’s three affiliated hospital organizations, a rural integrated system serving northern New Hampshire. Her oversight spans acute care units, emergency departments, surgical services, ICUs and other hospital-based nursing operations, along with clinical quality, patient safety, workforce development and regulatory readiness. Ms. Haynes has helped guide the system’s shift from historically independent organizations toward an integrated clinical system, including aligning palliative care, home health and hospice services with hospital care. Under her leadership, barcode medication administration compliance has consistently exceeded 99% systemwide, with individual facilities reaching rates approaching 99.8%. Ms. Haynes also implemented a system-level infection control platform and has advanced the organization’s high reliability and just culture initiatives. Nursing satisfaction scores have improved during her tenure. Before becoming CNO, Ms. Haynes served as president and CEO of North Country Home Health and Hospice.
Kelly Hefti, MSN, RN. CNO of Sanford USD Medical Center and Clinics (Sioux Falls, S.D.). Ms. Hefti is responsible for the nursing practice for the ambulatory and inpatient care units at Sanford USD Medical Center and Clinics, the largest hospital in South Dakota. For more than 30 years, she has served Sanford Health in a variety of roles, including as a practicing registered nurse, clinical leader, senior director, certified nurse practitioner and CNO, and has helped foster a culture of quality nursing care and elevated standards for nursing practice. She is also a champion for nurse wellbeing and safety in the workplace. Working closely with local institutions of higher education, Ms. Hefti has been instrumental in fostering and maintaining educational partnerships, internships and experiential learning opportunities for future nurses.
Jodi Hein, DNP, RN. CNO of Providence Holy Cross Medical Center (Mission Hills, Calif.). Dr. Hein serves as CNO of Providence Holy Cross Medical Center. She is responsible for improving operational efficiency, identifying strategies for improving the quality of patient care and outcomes, and acting as a voice for clinical care nurses. Under her leadership, the medical center has earned several designations and has consistently performed well for patient outcomes. Prior to assuming her current role in 2018, she was vice president and chief nursing executive for Dignity Health- St. Mary Medical Center- Long Beach (Calif.).
Valerie K. Heinl, MSN, RN. CNO for Children’s & Women’s Hospital (Mobile, Ala.). Ms. Heinl was promoted to CNO for Children’s & Women’s Hospital after more than 20 years of progressive clinical, academic and nursing leadership experience within USA Health. She joined the organization in 2002 as a staff nurse and advanced through multiple leadership roles, including nearly a decade as nurse manager at University Hospital overseeing surgical, cardiology, oncology, infusion, telemetry and transitional care units. Most recently, Ms. Heinl served as director of clinical compliance and regulatory services, where she led nursing quality, performance improvement and patient safety initiatives. As CNO, she oversees nursing operations, quality and professional practice, guiding teams in patient-centered care, safety and clinical excellence. She has chaired or served on key committees related to accreditation, infection prevention, medication safety, professional governance and workplace safety, and has led improvement initiatives in areas such as antibiotic stewardship, instrument sterilization, telemetry utilization and anticoagulant management. Ms. Heinl has held leadership roles within the Alabama Organization for Nursing Leadership, including serving as president, and has contributed to nursing scholarship through published research and national presentations on shared governance, advanced practice provider models and accreditation readiness.
Sara Hemingway, MSN, RN. CNO of MemorialCare Long Beach (Calif.) Medical Center. Ms. Hemingway is a nurse executive with 15 years of progressive leadership experience across acute care, specialty and ambulatory settings. Her career has emphasized patient-centered care, workforce engagement, clinical quality, operational leadership and regulatory readiness. In her current role since 2025, Ms. Hemingway leads patient care services at the 453-bed high-acuity Magnet facility, with responsibility for strategic planning, service development, policy formation, financial performance and care delivery models. During her tenure with Long Beach Medical Center, Ms. Hemingway has implemented systems to continuously improve quality for patients including revitalizing the emergency department care model, implementing a daily central line and foley catheter utilization review, and aligning nursing and ancillary partners with a patient-centered focus. Sharing the Long Beach campus with MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital ensures a lifetime of continuous care, especially for those children with chronic health conditions. With a continued eye on the future of nursing, Ms. Hemingway has worked to strengthen partnerships with local colleges and universities to ensure a strong pipeline into the nursing workforce.
Michelle D. Hereford, RN. System Chief Nurse Executive and Ethel Morikis Endowed Chair in Nursing Leadership at University Hospitals (Cleveland). Ms. Hereford leads nursing operations, professional practice, education, research and clinical services for University Hospitals, a system with $7.3 billion in annual revenue, more than 32,000 employees and more than 21 hospitals across 16 counties. Ms. Hereford redesigned care delivery through the “UH Connected Care Team,” an early whole-hospital virtual model that integrates virtual nursing and observer roles to extend nursing capacity. To expand the workforce pipeline, Ms. Hereford and her team created earn-to-learn programs, including licensed practical nurse programs with Lorain County Community College and the Central School of Practical Nursing and an LPN-to-BSN program with Kent State University supported by a Health Resources and Services Administration grant. University Hospitals also partnered with Cleveland Clinic and the Cuyahoga County Healthcare Sector Partnership to launch the “Nursing Clinical Adjunct Faculty Initiative,” which trains experienced clinical nurses to serve as adjunct faculty. Under Ms. Hereford’s leadership, University Hospitals launched the “Future Nurse Academy” for Northeast Ohio high school students in 2023, and in 2025 added an advanced academy in which participants earned certified nursing assistant certification. In 2025, University Hospitals received the American Organization for Nursing Leadership “Prism Award” for recruiting, retaining and developing nursing talent, and Ms. Hereford received the YWCA Greater Cleveland “Women of Achievement” award. Ms. Hereford previously served as senior vice president, system CNO and post-acute care officer at AMITA Health in Chicago, and held leadership roles at hospitals and health systems.
Susan Hernandez, DNP, RN. Chief Nurse Executive at UT Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas). Ms. Hernandez oversees more than 4,200 nurses and advanced practice providers across UT Southwestern Medical Center’s health system, including Clements University Hospital, ambulatory and regional clinics and the Texas Behavioral Health Center. Ms. Hernandez’s scope also includes therapy services, home health, care coordination and social work, child life, music therapy, operative services and the emergency department. Ms. Hernandez played a key role in UT Southwestern’s third Magnet designation, the most recent with distinction, and has helped to establish a therapy service line. Since 2021, 12-month retention among post-residency nurses has increased 4% and 18-month retention increased 8%, while nurse residency applications now surpass 2,500 per cohort. Ms. Hernandez supported workforce planning for the opening of the Texas Behavioral Health Center, the first state-funded psychiatric hospital in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and oversaw nursing integration for the opening of Clements University Hospital’s first two towers in 2014 and its third tower in 2020. Ms. Hernandez joined UT Southwestern in 2014 after two decades at Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanderbilt Health, including roles as associate hospital director and CNO at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital. Ms. Hernandez served as president of the North Texas Organization for Nursing Leadership from 2021 to 2023 and of the Dallas-Fort Worth “Great 100 Nurses” from 2023 to 2025.
Lorie Herrman. CNO of St. Joseph Medical Center (Kansas City, Mo.). Ms. Herrman provides executive leadership and strategic direction for all patient care services at St. Joseph Medical Center, part of Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare. She oversees nursing practice, performance improvement and various clinical departments including respiratory therapy, physical therapy and pharmacy. Since beginning her career as an ICU registered nurse, she has held several clinical and executive roles, including surgical services director and CNO. Ms. Herrman has successfully fostered resilient teams focused on delivering safe, quality patient care. She has also developed staffing models to maintain hospital census while implementing best practices for efficient throughput. Ms. Herrman is a board-certified nurse executive and a certified perianesthesia nurse.
Bonnie Hess, BSN, RN. CNO for North Texas Medical Center (Gainesville, Texas). Ms. Hess is the CNO at North Texas Medical Center, where she leads nursing and clinical quality efforts with a focus on elevating outcomes, strengthening patient experience, and cultivating a culture of excellence and continuous improvement. Her responsibilities center on maintaining high standards for quality and patient satisfaction while implementing operational improvements that support safe, reliable care. During her tenure as CNO, the organization achieved a 5-star CMS rating, eliminated more than $1 million in contract labor, earned the Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality “Center of Excellence in Nursing” award, and implemented a nurse residency program to support workforce development and retention. Ms. Hess also serves as an advisor on the North Central Texas College School of Nursing’s advisory council, reinforcing pipeline development and community partnership. Prior to becoming CNO, she served as Women’s Center director of nursing, bringing frontline operational leadership experience into her executive role.
Melanie Heuston, DNP, RN. CNO at WVU Medicine (Morgantown, W.Va.). Ms. Heuston serves as the inaugural chief nursing executive for WVU Medicine, a 25-hospital system with more than 7,000 nurses and nearly 35,000 employees, and reports directly to the president and CEO. Ms. Heuston chairs the system’s nursing executive council and leads systemwide nursing recruitment and retention, staffing strategy and leadership development. Ms. Heuston led the creation of the system’s center for nursing education, which opened in Morgantown in fall 2025 with additional statewide expansion planned. As vice president and chief nursing and patient care services officer at Hagerstown, Md.-based Meritus Health from 2017 to 2022, Ms. Heuston led the organization to Magnet designation in 2019 and oversaw the development of a 20-bed, ventilator-capable regional infectious containment wing completed in four months during the Covid-19 pandemic. Ms. Heuston was a 2023 Johnson & Johnson “Nurse Innovation Fellow” and received the 2020 American Nurses Credentialing Center “Certified Nurse Award for Nurse Executive, Advanced.” Ms. Heuston has published in peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of Nursing Administration and Nurse Leader, and has served as adjunct faculty at the West Virginia University School of Nursing since 2022. Earlier in her career, Ms. Heuston held nursing leadership roles at Pittsburgh-based UPMC, including director of nursing at UPMC Passavant from 2011 to 2017.
Tammy Hibbert. Vice President of Patient Care Services and CNO at Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital and DeGraff Medical Park (Buffalo, N.Y.). Ms. Hibbert leads nursing care and nursing operations at Kaleida Health’s Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital and DeGraff Medical Park, including evidence-based practice standards, clinical pathways, education and professional development. Ms. Hibbert has spent 24 years in nursing at the hospital, beginning as a bedside registered nurse and advancing through roles including house supervisor, nurse manager and director of nursing. Ms. Hibbert later led perioperative services as director before being promoted to CNO. Among the initiatives Ms. Hibbert has implemented are a monthly charge nurse huddle, a daily operations huddle and a professional governance structure built on work groups and unit practice councils. Ms. Hibbert also established a nursing leadership professional development series and an onboarding program for nursing leaders. The hospital’s ICU has earned the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses “Beacon Award for Excellence,” and its surgical program has completed 20,000 robotic surgery cases, a milestone reached by 42 hospitals nationwide.
Andrea Highfill, DNP, RN. Associate CNO at Carson Valley Health (Gardnerville, Nev.). Ms. Highfill oversees strategic and operational functions of the medical-surgical/intensive care, emergency, pharmacy, respiratory, surgery and infusion departments at Carson Valley Health, a critical access hospital. At the start of her career, Ms. Highfill served five years in the Navy as a hospital corpsman. She then joined Carson Valley Health in 2009 as a medical-surgical registered nurse and later served as nurse educator, manager of its “Vitality for Life” outpatient program and, starting in 2018, senior manager of ancillary services overseeing rehabilitation, medical imaging, laboratory and pharmacy. Ms. Highfill became interim CNO in 2019 and permanent CNO in 2020, and her title changed to associate CNO following Carson Valley Health’s merger with South Lake Tahoe, Calif.-based Barton Health. She has been instrumental in developing new processes for Carson Valley Health’s 52,000-square-foot hospital expansion. Ms. Highfill sits on the board of the Veterans Guest House in Reno, Nev., has served 10 years on the Partnership Douglas County board and completed six years on the Nevada State Board of Nursing’s education advisory committee.
Nancy E. Holecek, BSN, RN. Executive Vice President and CNO at RWJBarnabas Health (West Orange, N.J.). Ms. Holecek leads more than 11,000 nurses at RWJBarnabas Health, overseeing the system’s nursing school and co-leading its Institute for Nursing Excellence. In 2025, Ms. Holecek led the expansion and renaming of the school of nursing, adding a second New Jersey location to broaden access to education and strengthen the system’s nursing talent pipeline. Through the Institute for Nursing Excellence, Ms. Holecek has standardized training and evidence-based nursing practices and aligned academic-practice partnerships and competencies systemwide. Her workforce development efforts include mentorship, residency and the student nurse externship, along with expanded simulation-based training that added a new operating room lab. Ms. Holecek co-leads RWJBarnabas Health’s “Workplace Violence Initiative,” is a visiting professor at Felician College School of Nursing, and serves on advisory boards for Felician College School of Nursing and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield. Press Ganey named Ms. Holecek “CNO of the Year” in 2026.
Debra J. Honey, RN. Senior Vice President and CNO at Covenant Health (Knoxville, Tenn.). Ms. Honey oversees nursing, quality and patient safety operations at Covenant Health, a community-owned system of 10 hospitals with more than 14,000 employees, clinicians and volunteers. Since joining Covenant Health in 2017, Ms. Honey has led its systemwide zero harm commitment, implementing protocols that reduced healthcare-associated infections, improved patient safety indicators and strengthened fall prevention. All nine of Covenant Health’s acute care hospitals have earned consecutive “A” safety grades from The Leapfrog Group under her leadership, and an employee “Patient Safety Challenge” generated more than 100 ideas, several of which have been implemented. The system’s nurse residency program earned accreditation with distinction from the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s practice transition accreditation program in 2026, and Ms. Honey also launched a patient care support assistant program that gives high school students hands-on clinical experience. Ms. Honey partnered with the University of Tennessee’s Haslam College of Business to develop a clinical leadership program for nurses and has contributed to the American Organization for Nursing Leadership’s certified executive in nursing practice preparation program. Ms. Honey previously founded Honey Consulting, through which she served as chief nursing executive at CHRISTUS St. Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe, N.M., and as senior vice president and CNO at Providence Hospital in Washington, D.C. Earlier, Ms. Honey spent more than 12 years as vice president of clinical leadership development and clinical operations for Denver-based Catholic Health Initiatives, managing systemwide projects for more than 70 hospitals in 22 states.
Sarah Horn, BSN, RN. Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing and Clinical Operations Officer for Salem (Ore.) Health Hospitals and Clinics. As CNO at Salem Health Hospitals and Clinics, Ms. Horn has led transformative initiatives to elevate patient care, nursing empowerment and innovation. Under her leadership, Salem Health has achieved multiple Magnet designations. Ms. Horn’s vision drove the on-time, on-budget completion of Salem Hospital’s seven-story patient tower and emergency department renovation amid the Covid-19 pandemic, significantly expanding patient capacity. She also oversaw the opening of a 36-bed extended care unit and a 33-bed swing unit to ensure patients received appropriate post-acute care. Known for fostering a supportive, highly engaged nursing workforce, Ms. Horn’s initiatives have reduced turnover and enhanced job satisfaction, translating into exceptional patient care. Deeply committed to community health, she serves on various boards, including the Oregon State Board of Nursing and the Liberty House Child Abuse Assessment Center.
Melissa Howard, MSN, RN. Chief Nursing and Clinical Executive at Emanate Health Inter-Community Hospital and Emanate Health Foothill Presbyterian Hospital (Glendora, Calif.). Ms. Howard’s career began in 2000 as a graduate nurse. She has also served as the system’s director of performance improvement and the director of medical-surgical services before she was appointed chief nursing executive in 2012. She encourages collaboration between departments to improve the quality of care patients receive. Ms. Howard was a driving force in the implementation of the hospitals’ new EHR, Meditech Expanse. She has been on the board for the Sigma Theta Tau-Iota Sigma chapter, part of the Hospital Association of Southern California nursing advisory council and is a member of the Association of California Nurse Leader’s quality, safety and engagement committee.
Carrie Howard-Canning, MSN, RN. Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive at University of Vermont Health Network (Burlington). Ms. Howard-Canning provides executive leadership for nursing services across the University of Vermont Health Network, guiding systemwide nursing strategy, practice alignment, workforce planning, quality and safety, financial stewardship and technology enablement. A member of the health network’s executive leadership team, she works closely with partner CNOs, CMOs and hospital presidents to ensure nursing teams are equipped to deliver consistent, coordinated and high-quality care across a large rural service area serving more than a million people. Under her leadership, UVM Health Network developed a comprehensive nursing strategic plan focused on workforce stabilization, professional practice environments, informatics advancement and care delivery redesign. She strengthened nursing professional governance and invested in leadership development, contributing to a reduction in reliance on contingent nursing labor and registered nurse turnover. Ms. Howard-Canning also designed a systemwide patient experience governance structure to improve alignment and performance.
Catherine Hughes, MSN, RN. Senior Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive at Virtua Health (Marlton, N.J.). Ms. Hughes leads professional and nursing practice and oversees patient care across Virtua Health, which includes five hospitals, seven emergency departments, more than 400 other locations and several mobile community programs. Three Virtua hospitals earned Magnet redesignation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2025, and two others are pursuing the designation. Nurse turnover at every Virtua hospital remains in the single digits. Through Virtua’s academic affiliation with Rowan University, Ms. Hughes and her team expanded nursing education to include the Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes School of Nursing associate degree program and the new Rowan-Virtua Rita and Larry Salva School of Nursing & Health Professions bachelor’s program. Ms. Hughes oversees Virtua’s nurse leader academy and helped launch the system’s virtual nurse initiative, in which bedside and remote telehealth nurses collaborate on patient care. In 2024, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses awarded “Beacon Awards for Excellence” to four units within four Virtua hospitals. Ms. Hughes has been a leader at Virtua for two decades.
Tiesa Hughes-Dillard, DNP, RN. CNO for University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences (Chicago). Dr. Hughes-Dillard is responsible for leading the diverse nursing professionals at UI Health. Under her leadership, “Nursing Elevated” has become the mantra for nursing as UI Health maintains record low agency nursing, low turnover, and a laser focus on quality and safety. She mentors many emerging leaders and students in order to continue to expand leadership and education opportunities across the nursing pool. Prior to her current role, she served as associate CNO for UI Health. She was named the Illinois Nurses’ Foundation “2025 Nurse of the Year” in December.
Melissa Hunt. CNO at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. Ms. Hunt oversees professional nursing practice at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, a 1,000-bed academic medical center that includes Seidman Cancer Center, Rainbow Children’s Hospital and MacDonald Women’s Hospital, and also leads respiratory therapy services and patient experience. In her first two years as CNO, nursing engagement rose 5%, the hospital earned a Leapfrog grade of “A” and registered nurse turnover continued to decline. The medical center also achieved its fifth Magnet designation in 2025, a distinction held by fewer than 2% of U.S. hospitals. After staff raised concerns about violence against healthcare workers, Ms. Hunt partnered with the hospital executive team to advocate before city council, contributing to legislation that made menacing healthcare workers a first-degree misdemeanor. Ms. Hunt launched a behavioral emergency response team that provides 24/7 psychiatric nurse coverage across the medical center. Ms. Hunt has also introduced virtual nursing and wearable technology to improve patient safety, as well as a care model that reintroduced licensed practical nurses to inpatient units. Ms. Hunt previously served as CNO and associate CNO of UH Seidman Cancer Center in Cleveland and held nursing director, department director and clinical administrator roles at Richmond, Va.-based VCU Health.
Kimberly D. Hunter, DNP, RN. Chief Nurse Executive at University of Iowa Health Care (Iowa City). Ms. Hunter joined UI Health Care in April 2021 and leads the department of nursing services and patient care, a nursing staff of more than 5,300 that includes 2,800 registered nurses, with oversight of nursing services, care coordination, rehabilitation therapies and respiratory care. Ms. Hunter also serves as associate dean for clinical practice in the University of Iowa College of Nursing. From March 2022 to November 2023, Ms. Hunter served as interim CEO and interim associate vice president of UI Health Care while a permanent CEO was recruited. Under Ms. Hunter’s leadership, UI Health Care received its fifth consecutive Magnet designation, joining approximately 47 other organizations in the top 7.67% of Magnet hospitals with five or more designations. Ms. Hunter previously spent 2007 to 2021 at Cleveland Clinic, where her roles included associate CNO for the main campus, and held leadership posts at Miami-based Nicklaus Children’s Health System and Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic. Ms. Hunter was named one of the 2025 “Great Iowa Nurses” and was recently elected to a second two-year term as practice representative on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing board of directors.
Rudy Jackson, DNP, RN. Senior Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive at UW Health (Madison, Wis.). Mr. Jackson oversees nursing practice and clinical services like social work, clinical research and pastoral care at UW Health, an integrated system that serves more than 800,000 patients in Wisconsin and northern Illinois. He leads more than 6,500 registered nurses across seven hospitals and an ambulatory network. Since joining UW Health in August 2020, Mr. Jackson has expanded the executive nursing leadership structure by introducing four CNO roles to better connect executives with direct care nurses. In late 2021, Mr. Jackson led development of a phased staffing model that paid internal nurses rates comparable to travelers for extra shifts, reducing monthly registered nurse vacancies to single digits. In 2023, Mr. Jackson partnered with Madison College and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development to create a registered nurse apprenticeship program that lets eligible employees earn an associate degree in nursing at no cost while receiving full-time pay and benefits. Mr. Jackson previously served as CNO of Buffalo (N.Y.) General Hospital and the Gates Vascular Institute in Buffalo, and as senior executive director of hospital operations at University Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. A U.S. Army veteran with 27 years of military service that began as a combat medic, Mr. Jackson serves on the board of directors of Fisher House Wisconsin.
Marissa Jamarik, DNP, RN. Vice President of Patient Care Services and CNO at Beaufort Memorial (Beaufort, S.C.). Ms. Jamarik joined Beaufort Memorial in March 2026 and leads nursing workforce development, professional practice and recruitment as the health system prepares to open a second hospital in Bluffton, S.C. in early 2027. Ms. Jamarik is advancing professional governance to give nurses a greater voice in decisions affecting their practice, teams and patients. Ms. Jamarik’s workforce strategy addresses housing affordability, childcare barriers and workplace safety concerns that affect recruitment and retention. Before joining Beaufort Memorial, Ms. Jamarik was senior vice president and CNO of Roper St. Francis Healthcare in Charleston, S.C., from June 2021 to October 2025. Ms. Jamarik previously served as vice president of nursing for Falls Church, Va.-based Inova Heart and Vascular Institute across five Inova hospitals and outpatient settings from 2019 to 2021. Ms. Jamarik was also CNO of Inova Loudoun Hospital in Leesburg, Va., from 2017 to 2021, after serving as senior director of nursing services there from 2007 to 2017.
Karyl James, DNP, MSN, RN. CNO for Desert Valley Hospital (Victorville, Calif.). Dr. James serves as the leader of all nursing services departments at Desert Valley Hospital, where she focuses on aligning resources to achieve optimal patient outcomes. Her leadership spans multiple sites and teams within a regional platform, promoting a culture of excellence, accountability and collaboration. Dr. James ensures compliance with regulatory standards while advocating for nursing education and professional development. Additionally, she implements Lean methodologies and quality management strategies to enhance operational efficiency and boost patient satisfaction. Driven by a passion for advancing the nursing profession, she is dedicated to delivering patient-centered care that adheres to the highest standards of quality, safety and efficiency.
Michelle James. Senior Vice President, Chief Quality, Patient Safety and Risk Officer, and CNO at PeaceHealth (Vancouver, Wash.). Ms. James is system CNO for PeaceHealth, leading nursing practice, quality, patient safety and clinical risk across nine hospitals as well as ambulatory care and home- and community-based programs. Ms. James also oversees the system’s home and community division and caregiver health and safety. With more than 40 years in nursing, Ms. James has held PeaceHealth’s CNO role for four years. After the Covid-19 pandemic, Ms. James helped develop a yearlong nurse residency program that has achieved approximately 96% retention among new graduates, and the system has invested in Nurse Leader Foundations to help nurses transition into leadership. In response to caregiver feedback, Ms. James helped implement a workplace violence training program designed for healthcare settings, part of a broader focus on caregiver safety. PeaceHealth’s four largest hospitals were named to Forbes‘ 2026 “Best Hospitals” list, and two of its medical centers have held “A” Leapfrog hospital safety grades for more than five consecutive years. Before joining PeaceHealth, Ms. James spent 38 years at Renton, Wash.-based Providence in clinical and leadership positions, beginning with management of a 64-bed high-acuity unit early in her career.
Cathleen Janzekovich, PhD, RN. Vice President of Patient Services and CNO at Atlantic Health CentraState Medical Center (Freehold, N.J.). Dr. Janzekovich has served as vice president of patient services and CNO of the 284-bed Atlantic Health CentraState Medical Center since July 2020, overseeing medical-surgical and specialty units, cancer and cardiology service lines, perioperative services, professional development and Magnet nursing. In 2024, the medical center achieved its fifth consecutive Magnet designation, a distinction held by 1% of hospitals nationally. That same year, its entry-to-practice nurse residency program made CentraState the first hospital in New Jersey to earn a five-year accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Dr. Janzekovich joined CentraState in 1992 as a nurse manager and served as assistant vice president of nursing from 2001 to 2020, after beginning her career at Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, N.J. and working at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, N.J. Dr. Janzekovich brings 40 years of nursing experience to her role and serves on the advisory board of Georgian Court University. The Organization of Nurse Leaders of New Jersey, where she serves on the advocacy committee, honored Dr. Janzekovich with its “Divisional Leader Award” in 2021 and “Nurse Executive Award” in 2024.
Kathy Jenner, RN. CNO at Ashley (N.D.) Medical Center. Ms. Jenner is CNO for both the hospital and long-term care divisions at Ashley Medical Center, a 20-bed critical access hospital with an attached 31-bed long-term care center. She oversees nursing operations across acute care, emergency services, surgical services and long-term care, and directs the organization’s pharmacy and therapeutics committee, infection control committee, and quality assurance and performance improvement program. Ms. Jenner helped lead the medical center’s efforts toward designation as a level 5 trauma center and stroke-ready hospital. In addition, she helped the long-term care division earn the “Bronze Commitment to Quality Award” from the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living, as well as a 5-star CMS rating. Ms. Jenner supports Ashley Medical Center’s clinical learning partnership with Bismarck State College nursing programs. She also continues to work clinical shifts during staffing shortages, and her previous roles include staff registered nurse and operating room recovery nurse.
Scott Jessie, MSN, RN. CNO at SUNY Upstate Medical University (Syracuse, N.Y.). Mr. Jessie leads nursing practice and operations at SUNY Upstate Medical University, an academic health system with about $2.6 billion in annual operating revenue that includes Upstate University Hospital, Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital and Upstate Community Hospital. Mr. Jessie is responsible for more than 3,700 nursing and patient care professionals, and he partners with the chief medical officer, COO and other executive leaders on enterprise strategy. Mr. Jessie led Upstate through its second Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center during a period of significant growth and rising clinical demand. His workforce strategy has included improved nursing compensation and a social media ambassador program to support engagement and recruitment. To expand capacity and access, Mr. Jessie implemented virtual nursing and built a systemwide patient throughput infrastructure that includes a dedicated throughput operations team, a $2.5 million centralized throughput operations center, discharge lounges and health system ambulance operations. Mr. Jessie also serves as voluntary faculty for Upstate’s accreditation council for graduate medical education fellowship in healthcare administration, leadership and management, and was an invited civilian leader at the U.S. Army War College’s national security seminar. With more than 25 years of healthcare leadership experience, Mr. Jessie previously served as a surgical and burn ICU nurse manager, associate director of emergency services, deputy director of nursing and executive director of nursing.
Kate Johnson, BSN, MSN. Interim CNO at UnityPoint Health-Trinity (Rock Island, Ill.). Ms. Johnson oversees nursing practice and leadership across UnityPoint Health-Trinity locations in Iowa and Illinois, with responsibility for service line growth, care standardization and regulatory compliance. She joined the organization in February 2016 as a clinical care facilitator and advanced through case management, assistant nurse manager, manager of clinical resource teams and director of acute care services before being named interim CNO. She has led efforts to realign staffing ratios with patient needs and operational demands through staffing alignment, recruitment, retention and resource utilization. As leader of the Quad Cities Throughput Committee, Ms. Johnson has brought together nursing, physician and operational teams on initiatives targeting discharge before noon, discharge order-to-discharge time, mobility, patient placement and transfer optimization. She has also served on the organization’s falls, readmission and stroke committees. Earlier in her career, Ms. Johnson was a registered nurse and clinical coordinator at OSF St. Mary Medical Center in Galesburg, Ill.
Kelly M. Johnson, PhD, RN. Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and CNO for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Dr. Johnson joined Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in 2023 as senior vice president of patient care services and CNO, providing strategic direction across nursing, advanced practice professionals, rehabilitation, psychology, social work, care coordination, and patient and family experience. She leads initiatives to strengthen quality and safety, optimize workforce recruitment and retention, and build a caring culture aligned with CHLA’s mission and strategic goals. Across a 40-plus year career, she has held CNO roles at leading pediatric institutions including Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford in Palo Alto, Calif., and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals in San Francisco. She has also successfully led multiple Magnet designations and redesignations. Known for advancing compassionate, high-performing work environments, she has also supported health systems through high-stakes periods, including pandemic-era leadership in Hawai‘i. Earlier in her career, her clinical and advanced practice work in spinal cord injury informed a longstanding commitment to underserved communities, including launching innovative access points like a specialized nurse advice line. She currently serves on the boards of the Watson Caring Sciences Institute and the Los Angeles Ronald McDonald House, and was recognized as a 2025 “Women of Influence in Health Care” by the Los Angeles Business Journal.
Michele Johnson, MSN, RN. CNO of AdventHealth Fish Memorial (Orange City, Fla.). Ms. Johnson has served as CNO of AdventHealth Fish Memorial since 2017, leading nursing strategy and operations for the 257-bed hospital as well as care management and pharmacy services. In 2024, the ICU earned the “Gold Beacon Award” from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, a national recognition for exemplary patient outcomes, quality metrics and a healthy work environment. Ms. Johnson has pioneered workforce models that cut registered nurse turnover while also eliminating the need for agency nurses. In 2023, she launched AdventHealth’s first emergency department-focused virtual nursing pilot, reducing emergency room nurse turnover from 39% to 8% within months. She champions professional growth through shared governance, contributing to the hospital’s American Nurses Credentialing Center “Pathway to Excellence” designation. Ms. Johnson has advanced through leadership roles at AdventHealth since 1998.
Kari Jones, MSN, RN. Market CNO at UnityPoint Health-Fort Dodge (Iowa). Ms. Jones leads nursing practice, patient care services, quality, safety, workforce development and clinical operations for UnityPoint Health-Fort Dodge and assumed the role during the Covid-19 pandemic. She also provides executive oversight for the UnityPoint Health Patient Transfer Center, which coordinates the placement of adult and pediatric patients across UnityPoint Health’s Midwest hospitals. In 2026, Ms. Jones helped introduce RapidAI technology at UnityPoint Health-Fort Dodge to support faster diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients. She has also led efforts to increase participation in the organization’s culture of safety survey and to act on the results, focusing on teamwork, psychological safety, workplace violence prevention and care transitions. Before joining UnityPoint Health-Fort Dodge, Ms. Jones served as CNO of Stewart Memorial Community Hospital in Lake City, Iowa from 2015 to 2020, after working there as a nursing leader from 2010 to 2015 and as a staff nurse from 2004 to 2010. Ms. Jones has more than 30 years of nursing experience, including clinical roles in critical care, emergency medicine, oncology, hospice and home care. She is currently a member of the Iowa Organization for Nursing Leadership and the American Organization for Nursing Leadership.
Traci Jordan. CNO for Ochsner LSU Health–Monroe (La.) Medical Center. Ms. Jordan oversees all nursing services and ensures the highest standards of patient care. With over three decades of experience in nursing, she has held various leadership roles, significantly contributing to the hospital’s growth and success. She focuses on improving patient outcomes and fostering continuous learning among the nursing staff, working closely with executive leaders to align strategies with the hospital’s mission. Under her guidance, Monroe Medical Center has achieved numerous accolades, including the American Heart Association “Gold Plus” award for stroke care and designation as a level 3 trauma center.
Trisha Jungels, MSN, RN. CNO and Vice President of Clinical Services at Jamestown (N.D.) Regional Medical Center. Ms. Jungels serves as the CNO and vice president of clinical services at Jamestown Regional Medical Center. There, she oversees a wide range of clinical services, including laboratory, radiology, pharmacy, anesthesia, surgical services, the emergency department and specialty clinics like the cancer center. Ms. Jungels has been pivotal in establishing the nursing clinical excellence ladder program and expanding clinic service lines, including ear, nose and throat, OB/GYN and urology, as well as opening the Cancer Center in 2019. She has also been instrumental in implementing best practices to enhance patient outcomes, improving staff development in reporting outcome and assessment information set, the creation of a private duty home health aide program, setting productivity standards for home health and hospice, and enforcing organizational excellence principles.
Lisa Kalafus, DNP, MSN, RN. Vice President and CNO at Gaylord Specialty Healthcare (Wallingford, Conn.). Ms. Kalafus leads nursing at Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, whose long-term acute care hospital treats patients recovering from spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, stroke, amputation, respiratory failure and other complex conditions. Nursing makes up about 40% of Gaylord’s workforce, and Ms. Kalafus also oversees the patient experience department and the center for education. To address post-pandemic staffing challenges, she launched and expanded a state-certified nursing assistant academy and created a licensed practical nurse float pool, allowing Gaylord to avoid using travel nurses. Ms. Kalafus led a virtual telesitting program that reduced patient falls and was published in the American Journal of Nursing, and is developing one of the first virtual nursing programs designed for the long-term acute care setting. Gaylord has gone more than two years without a central line-associated bloodstream infection or a serious patient fall, and nursing satisfaction scores consistently perform in the 80th percentile. Ms. Kalafus began her career as a certified nursing assistant before becoming a licensed practical nurse and registered nurse, and later served as director of nursing operations at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport, Conn., managing more than 150 associates. Her honors include the Hartford Business Journal‘s 2021 “Healthcare Hero Nursing Award” and St. Vincent’s Medical Center’s “Susan Davis Leadership Award” in 2026.
Kathleen Kaminsky, RN. CNO and Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services at Englewood (N.J.) Health. Ms. Kaminsky leads more than 1,000 nurses at Englewood Hospital and is accountable for nursing practice across the hospital. She began her career at Englewood Hospital as a unit secretary in the 1980s and has served as CNO for seven years. During her tenure, she received and now stewards a $10 million gift from a philanthropist and retired nurse, the largest donation in Englewood Health’s history, which founded the Kaplen Institute for Nursing Excellence. Englewood Hospital’s nurse residency program, accredited through the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s practice transition accreditation program, has graduated 15 cohorts and added a specialized emergency medicine residency. Ms. Kaminsky also developed a professional practice model built around five areas: patient care management, nursing practice, collaborative practice, leadership and community outreach. Englewood Hospital has received six consecutive Magnet designations since 2002. Ms. Kaminsky serves on the board of directors of the Organization of Nurse Leaders of New Jersey, which gave her its “Distinguished Service Award” in 2024, and NJBIZ named her a “Healthcare Hero” in the education category in 2022.
Adam Karlen, DNP, RN. CNO and Vice President of Patient Care for M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital (Edina, Minn.). Dr. Karlen is CNO and vice president of patient care at M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital, overseeing nursing practice and clinical operations across a high-volume, 300-average-daily-census hospital supported by more than 1,300 nurses. As a key member of the executive team, he drives patient-centered, evidence-based care and advances nursing excellence through shared decision-making structures, a unified practice model and continuous professional development. Dr. Karlen leads operational efficiency initiatives, including implementation of an operating management system grounded in Lean methodology to strengthen performance and outcomes. He also manages complex labor relations as the primary executive partner for the nurses’ union, navigating contract negotiations with diplomacy. Beyond the hospital, he is a visible advocate for the profession as policy and advocacy chair for the Minnesota Organization of Leaders in Nursing, equipping nurses to engage in the legislative process and testify effectively. His leadership and statewide impact were recognized when he was named “Nurse Leader of the Year” by the Minnesota Hospital Association in May 2025.
Rhonda Kazik, DNP, RN. Chief Nurse Executive for Essentia Health (Duluth, Minn.). Dr. Kazik serves as the chief nurse executive for Essentia Health, where she oversees nursing activities for the nonprofit health system. With almost four decades of experience in various healthcare settings, Dr. Kazik has taken significant steps to develop a workforce ecosystem that supports nurse growth and engagement. She initiated the system’s journey toward achieving Magnet nursing recognition at four of their hospitals. Dr. Kazik has also created innovative programs to address workforce challenges, such as the introduction of nurse retentionist roles, leading to lower vacancy and turnover rates than national averages. Under her leadership, Essentia launched a nursing residency program in 2022, providing new graduates with comprehensive clinical experiences and professional development opportunities. Dr. Kazik was named the 2023 “Health Care Workforce Champion” by the Minnesota Hospital Association and was inducted as a fellow for the American Academy of Nursing in 2024.
Dan Kelly, BSN, RN. CNO at Providence South Division (Calif.). With more than four decades of experience in nursing leadership, Mr. Kelly is a leader who consistently fosters a culture centered on safety, accountability, operational excellence, high reliability and clinical excellence. He has driven performance enhancements across Providence’s South Division’s hospitals, outpatient programs and community-based programs. Under his direction, caregiver and patient experience has seen marked improvements. Initiatives like stay conversations, job fairs and an RN residency program under his tenure are positively impacting nursing retention and career development. This approach has garnered national recognition, with multiple Providence South hospitals being designated by the American Nurse Credentialing Center as practice transition accreditation programs. In addition, Mr. Kelly co-chaired the patient care leadership council with over 90 nursing executives and clinical educators. This council established clinical practice councils to create standardized work and uniform regulations. In collaboration with physician leaders, Mr. Kelly launched a comprehensive 15-point care progression plan project across the region and created a CMO and CNO council to ensure seamless integration and cooperation between medical and nursing leadership.
Rachel Kemp, DNP. CNO at Singing River Health System (Ocean Springs, Miss.). Dr. Kemp assumed the CNO role at Singing River Health System in September 2025, bringing nearly two decades of nursing experience and extensive executive leadership expertise. She provides strategic and operational oversight for nursing and patient care services, guiding clinical excellence, workforce performance and quality outcomes across the system. Dr. Kemp has managed complex operations spanning level 1 trauma, neonatal ICU, oncology, transplant services, perioperative care and inpatient rehabilitation. Most recently, she served as vice president of patient care services at Regional One Health in Memphis, Tenn., overseeing daily operations for a 250-bed level 1 trauma and burn center. Under her leadership, the organization achieved a 20% reduction in patient harm events while sustaining an exceptionally low nurse turnover rate of 4% year over year.
Natalie Kennett, DNP. CNO at Cottage Hospital (Woodsville, N.H.). Ms. Kennett is CNO at Cottage Hospital, where she oversees nursing, quality, pharmacy, food and nutrition, surgical services and emergency services. As CNO, Ms. Kennett is the senior leader supervising nursing and quality at the hospital, and she is widely recognized for her hands-on, highly engaged leadership style. One of her most impactful accomplishments has been revamping nurse onboarding, including the implementation of a nurse residency program for new graduate nurses. Coupled with a commitment to competitive wages, these efforts resulted in a remarkable 47% reduction in travel nurse labor. Ms. Kennett completed her DNP degree in the past year, with her doctoral project focused on retaining nursing leaders through a model of growth and succession planning. Ms. Kennett has since implemented that model at Cottage Hospital.
Brandon Killough, DNP. CNO at LifeBridge Health Northwest Hospital (Randallstown, Md.). Mr. Killough leads nursing practice, patient care delivery, workforce development, quality and patient safety, and nursing operations at Northwest Hospital, part of Baltimore-based LifeBridge Health. Mr. Killough has more than two decades of nursing experience spanning bedside critical care, nursing operations, patient safety, quality improvement, ambulatory services, behavioral health and executive leadership. In less than one year as CNO, Mr. Killough has advanced nursing professional governance and frontline engagement at the hospital. Before his current role, he was executive director of patient care services at Northwest Hospital, overseeing nursing operations, critical care, behavioral health, vascular access, dialysis, staffing, capacity management and patient flow. His earlier roles include director of nursing for nursing operations and behavioral health at University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson, Md. and director of nursing for ambulatory services and nursing administration at Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. Mr. Killough has also served as adjunct graduate nursing faculty at Stevenson University.
Julie Kim, MSN, RN. CNO at Providence St. Jude Medical Center (Fullerton, Calif.). Ms. Kim oversees and manages nursing practice and patient care services, including strategic planning, patient satisfaction, quality and care coordination. She has led the nursing department to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes, top decile patient satisfaction, and various national awards and honors. The hospital’s nurse-led patient safety and quality initiatives have transformed care via research, innovation and bedside expertise. In addition, the number of St. Jude nurses who have earned or are pursuing further nursing education or professional certification in their specialties exceeds industry averages by far.
Kurt Kless. CNO at The University of Toledo (Ohio) Medical Center. Mr. Kless leads nursing practice, clinical operations, workforce strategy and patient care delivery at the University of Toledo Medical Center, a 319-bed academic medical center and behavioral health hospital with more than 800 nurses and nursing leaders. Under Mr. Kless’ leadership, registered nurse turnover fell from more than 33% to less than 8%, and the organization has operated without agency staff for more than three consecutive years. Mr. Kless has also overseen a decrease of more than 70% in hospital-acquired pressure injuries, multiple Joint Commission disease-specific accreditations and the launch of a journey toward Magnet designation. Previously, as assistant vice president of nursing for two Wellstar hospitals, including a level 1 trauma center, Mr. Kless achieved reductions of more than 50% in hospital-acquired infections and improved Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems top-box scores from 25% to 70%. At Wellstar, Mr. Kless also opened new special pathogens units and served as executive director of nursing at Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center. At Atlanta-based Piedmont Healthcare, where he was director of nursing support services, Mr. Kless worked with a team to develop the system’s first nursing scorecard and standardized as-needed staffing models that generated more than $7 million in annual savings. Mr. Kless serves as first vice president of American Nurses Association Ohio.
Kayla Knight, MSN, RN. CNO of Grandview Medical Center (Birmingham, Ala.). Having previously served as a staff nurse, orthopedic service line administrator and assistant CNO since joining the 440-bed Grandview Medical Center in 2010, Ms. Knight now leads a team of over 1,200 nurses. In her time as CNO, she has spearheaded initiatives to strengthen the nursing workforce, enhance quality care, improve operational efficiency and drive volume growth. Since moving to her current role, she has instituted a shared governance structure to foster professional development and increase the voice of a highly engaged front-line nursing staff. She is passionate about building high-performing teams that prioritize the patient experience and drive positive clinical outcomes across the hospital and the broader community. She is the 2025 recipient of the “Janet Awtrey Award” from the University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing for professionalism and leadership.
JoDee Knox, BSN, RN. Market CNO at UnityPoint Health–Waterloo (Iowa). Ms. Knox serves as market CNO for UnityPoint Health–Waterloo, where she guides the nursing directors in the Waterloo market. Initiatives under her leadership include a patient and family advisory council, culture of safety improvements, a resuscitation quality project and career pathways advancement for workforce retention. A registered nurse for 35 years, Ms. Knox has been with UnityPoint Health for 17 years. Ms. Knox began her career as a registered nurse case manager with the Visiting Nurse Association and has worked as a staff nurse in orthopedics, emergency and intensive care, as well as a flight nurse. Before her current role, Ms. Knox was regional director of emergency services for the Allen and Marshalltown hospitals. The Waterloo market earned the American College of Cardiology’s chest pain registry “Platinum Performance Achievement Award” in 2024, 2025 and 2026. Ms. Knox represents District 9 on the board of trustees for Hawkeye Community College and is a member of the Emergency Nurses Association and the Iowa Hospital Association.
Wendy Kopp, PhD, RN. CNO at Sanford Health Bismarck (N.D.). As CNO at Sanford Health Bismarck, Dr. Kopp leads nurses across Western and Central North Dakota. She was instrumental in guiding the organization through the Covid-19 pandemic, implementing innovative care strategies and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of both staff and patients. Under her leadership, Sanford Health Bismarck achieved its fourth Magnet designation. Dr. Kopp also spearheaded the creation of the “Zen Den,” a wellness room designed to support the mental health of frontline workers. Beyond her organization, she contributes to the nursing profession by participating in professional boards, publishing research, and advocating for policies that prioritize patient care and nurse wellness.
MaryEllen Kosturko, DNP. Executive Vice President and System CNO at Hartford (Conn.) HealthCare. Ms. Kosturko oversees inpatient and outpatient nursing services across Hartford HealthCare’s nine acute care hospitals and roughly 500 locations in 185 Connecticut towns and cities, with responsibility for 8,500 nurses and advanced practitioners. Ms. Kosturko created the system’s center for nursing excellence, which supports evidence-based practice and research, systemwide nursing professional governance, academic-practice partnerships and workforce wellbeing. Over the last three years, the center has supported a new bachelor of science in nursing program, leadership development, nursing fellowship and residency programs, and mentorship initiatives that contributed to approximately $95 million in cost avoidance since 2022 through reduced turnover and less reliance on premium and temporary labor. Ms. Kosturko also led the integration of patient care services across the system’s new Greater Manchester region and co-led its “Colleague Injury Prevention Program.” Hartford HealthCare has maintained zero hospital-acquired condition penalties for three consecutive years and received the “Quest for Quality” prize from the American Hospital Association in 2025. Ms. Kosturko serves on the Connecticut Hospital Association board of directors representing nursing and is vice chair of its chief nurse executives group for 2026-27, and was inducted as a fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine in 2025. Before joining Hartford HealthCare, Ms. Kosturko served as senior vice president and CNO of Bridgeport (Conn.) Hospital/Yale New Haven (Conn.) Health from 2006 to 2022, capping a Bridgeport Hospital career that began as an ambulatory operating room nurse in 1990.
Susie Krug, BSN. Senior Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive for the West Region/Saint Luke’s at BJC Health (Kansas City, Mo.). Ms. Krug leads nursing strategy and practice for St. Louis-based BJC Health’s West Region, Saint Luke’s. Ms. Krug provided nursing leadership during the integration of Saint Luke’s and BJC in January 2024 and worked with her East Region counterpart to launch systemwide nursing town halls. Under her leadership, Saint Luke’s expanded a virtual nursing care delivery model from one hospital and 33 beds to 550 beds across eight hospitals. The virtual nursing unit operates from Saint Luke’s technology hub in downtown Kansas City and handles admissions and discharges, and patients are routinely discharged an average of two hours earlier than through the traditional process. Ms. Krug has also elevated workplace violence prevention and caregiver wellbeing as organizational priorities. Ms. Krug began her career with Saint Luke’s in 2001 as an emergency department nurse and later served as CNO of Saint Luke’s East Hospital in Lee’s Summit, Mo. Ms. Krug serves on the board of trustees for Rockhurst University and was named to Ingram’s Magazine‘s 2022 “Heroes in Healthcare” list.
Barbara Kuppel, BSN, RN. Vice President of Patient Care Services and CNO at Buffalo (N.Y.) General Medical Center and Gates Vascular Institute. Ms. Kuppel leads nursing at Buffalo General Medical Center and Gates Vascular Institute, part of Buffalo-based Kaleida Health, and also oversees imaging, respiratory therapy, and physical, occupational and speech therapy. When Ms. Kuppel was named CNO in 2022, nearly the entire night shift was made up of agency nurses and nine nurse manager positions were open; the campus is now on track to be agency-free in nursing in October 2026. Ms. Kuppel increased the share of nursing units with active unit practice councils from 1% to 75% and established a CNO coordinating council that meets monthly with council chairs. Ms. Kuppel also led a systemwide effort to improve bar code medication administration compliance, which has consistently remained above 95%. To develop leaders, Ms. Kuppel created a four-session Nurse Leader Academy with ProLink based on American Organization for Nursing Leadership competencies and introduced a four-day workweek for nurse managers. Ms. Kuppel previously served as chief quality officer and director of quality at the campus, and spent 25 years at Kaleida Health’s Children’s Hospital of Buffalo in roles ranging from nurse’s aide to neonatal intensive care unit clinical educator and nurse manager. Ms. Kuppel received the “Region Leadership Award” from the New York Organization for Nursing Leadership in 2020 and 2024, and serves as a board trustee at Trocaire College.
Maryann M. Lansangan. Chief Nurse Executive at Mercy San Juan Medical Center (Carmichael, Calif.). Ms. Lansangan oversees nursing operations, clinical quality and patient safety at Mercy San Juan Medical Center, part of San Francisco-based Dignity Health and Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health. Mercy San Juan has consistently earned Leapfrog “A” safety grades and ranks among the top 10% of hospitals nationally for quality and safety outcomes. Ms. Lansangan facilitated development of a C. difficile testing protocol, co-created by frontline staff, that was later adopted as a best practice across the health system. Since its 2023 launch, the hospital’s nurse residency program has welcomed more than 100 new graduates with a 97% retention rate. Mercy San Juan exceeded patient experience targets by 25 points in 2023 and 13 points in 2024, and its “Safe Patient Handling” program reduced caregiver injuries. In 2026, Ms. Lansangan was named one of 60 “Change Makers” honorees by Nehemiah Leaders Programs and The Sacramento Bee, following a 2023 “Scholars for Change Award” at the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet and Pathway Conference. Ms. Lansangan previously served as senior director of nursing at Mercy San Juan and senior director of inpatient services at John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Indio, Calif.
Theresa Larson. CNO at Sanford Health Fargo (N.D.). Ms. Larson leads nursing practice, quality, safety, workforce development and patient experience for Sanford Health’s Fargo region, which serves eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota, and oversees more than 3,350 registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and advanced practice registered nurses. Ms. Larson played a central role in guiding Sanford Fargo to its first Magnet designation in 2025, with the application advancing to the site visit without revisions. The region’s serious safety event rate reached an all-time low in 2025, a 75% reduction from its peak, and Sanford Fargo earned its first CMS 5-star rating in 2024. Nursing Net Promoter Score rose 22 points to 30 over three years. Ms. Larson helped establish Sanford Fargo’s “Internationally Educated Nurse” program, which has provided orientation for 318 nurses, with 12-month retention reaching 93.7% for the 2024 cohort and 94.4% for the 2025 cohort. More than 100 student nurse interns joined Sanford Fargo in 2026, and Sanford Children’s opened the four-room, six-bed Credit Unions for Kids Micropreemie Unit for babies born before 26 weeks gestation in May 2025. During 37 years at Sanford Health, Ms. Larson began as a licensed practical nurse and then advanced through bedside and administrative roles, including nursing director and vice president of nursing.
Cynthia R. Latney, MSN, RN. Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive at OhioHealth (Columbus). Ms. Latney leads OhioHealth’s largest workforce, with more than 10,000 nurses and clinicians across 16 hospitals and more than 300 care sites. Since her appointment during the Covid-19 pandemic, nursing turnover has dropped from 27% to 9.7%, nurse traveler use has fallen 80% and serious safety events have declined 40%. Ms. Latney’s workforce strategy reduced the number of traveling nurses from 800 to fewer than nine, yielding $325 million in savings since 2022. Ms. Latney’s nurse leader initiative has filled 80% of leadership roles with internal candidates, and OhioHealth has maintained its lowest-ever nursing vacancy rate of 5%. Ms. Latney also launched a nurse extern program and, with her team, implemented OhioHealth’s first nurse residency program, which supports 700 new nurses annually, helped reduce first-year turnover from 26% to 19% and earned American Nurses Credentialing Center practice transition accreditation program accreditation with distinction in 2026. During her tenure, two system hospitals achieved five consecutive Magnet designations and another system hospital earned its first. Ms. Latney previously served as system senior vice president of nursing business operations at Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health and regional CNO at Centennial, Colo.-based Centura Health.
Sandy Leake. Senior Vice President and CNO at University of Tennessee Medical Center (Knoxville). Dr. Leake leads all nursing services at University of Tennessee Medical Center, overseeing staffing, workforce planning, recruitment, retention and professional practice standards. Dr. Leake led the medical center to its fourth Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Under her leadership, the medical center created an academic-practice partnership with the University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Nursing that established a “BSN Scholars Program,” in which nursing students train at the medical center and receive tuition support in exchange for a work commitment. In 2025, the medical center was named the health system winner of the “National Certification Champion Award” from the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing. Dr. Leake serves as associate dean for academic-practice partnerships and holds adjunct faculty appointments at the University of Tennessee, Emory University and Augusta University. Dr. Leake is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and serves on the board of directors of the Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research. Before joining the medical center, Dr. Leake spent more than two decades with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as a CNO and national program leader, guiding systems to multiple Magnet designations.
Cindy Leathers, BSN. Vice President and CNO at Saint Francis Health System (Tulsa, Okla.). Ms. Leathers drives leadership at the Saint Francis system by influencing core patient and nursing unit improvements, overseeing three areas of the health system including case management, the department of education and the patient logistics center. She strives to be a present, visible, transparent and good listener for her staffers. She also brings feedback from the frontline staff to the C-Suite. She has launched a virtual nursing program in three med surg units. She also ushered in educational initiatives, with Saint Francis Hospital becoming a Rogers State University satellite campus and allowing students to earn their BSN there.
Cody Legler. Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive at Atlantic Health (Morristown, N.J.). Dr. Legler oversees the performance and strategic direction of nursing across Atlantic Health, including quality, patient satisfaction, workforce engagement and professional development. Dr. Legler has worked in nursing leadership roles at national and regional health systems for more than 15 years. In senior roles, Dr. Legler developed system- and entity-level nursing strategic plans that used professional governance councils, partnerships and data analytics to reduce staffing vacancies. Before joining Atlantic Health, Dr. Legler was senior vice president and system CNO at Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Maimonides Health, overseeing nursing operations across three hospitals, a freestanding emergency department, a surgery center, a cancer center and an ambulatory network. Earlier, as system vice president and CNO for the perioperative service line at Columbia, Md.-based MedStar Health, Dr. Legler led perioperative nursing strategy, practice and operations across 10 hospitals, six surgery centers and ambulatory sites in three states.
Melissa Leonard, RN. CNO of AdventHealth Celebration (Fla.). Ms. Leonard has nearly three decades of nursing expertise and leadership. She began her career at AdventHealth Orlando in 1998. Over the course of her career, Ms. Leonard has held leadership roles in cardiovascular services, emergency medicine, psychiatric care and inpatient nursing. Known for her collaborative style and commitment to excellence, she has consistently focused on enhancing patient outcomes while supporting and developing nursing talent. Her dedication to workforce recruitment and retention reflects her passion for building strong, resilient teams. Prior to her current role, which she assumed in July 2025, Ms. Leonard served as CNO at AdventHealth Apopka (Fla.). Today, she continues to advance AdventHealth’s mission by fostering clinical excellence and cultivating the next generation of nursing leaders. Colleagues and team members recognize her for her focus on elevating patient and team experiences, as well as her unwavering commitment to excellence.
JohnRich R. Levine, DNP, MSN, APRN. CNO at Reeves Regional Health (Pecos, Texas). Mr. Levine has led nursing at Reeves Regional Health since 2025, a critical access hospital serving a 120-mile rural region of West Texas, overseeing a $10 million nursing enterprise of about 120 nursing professionals. His portfolio includes emergency services, intensive care, medical-surgical services, labor and delivery, surgical services, case management, infection prevention and employee health. Under Mr. Levine’s leadership, registered nurse retention rose from about 40% to 75%, vacancies fell to seven of 95 budgeted positions, and the hospital went 10 consecutive months without an inpatient fall or fall-related injury. Mr. Levine developed the “Trusted Beacon Nursing Professional Practice Model,” the organization’s first professional practice framework in more than 30 years, and launched its first “DAISY Award” program, which drew more than 30 nominations in its inaugural year. Earlier in his career, Mr. Levine developed the “STAR Preceptor Development Program,” which was adopted across 144 hospitals within the Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health system, and created a perioperative certification preparedness program for more than 500 nurses. Mr. Levine serves on the American Hospital Association Opioid Stewardship Collaborative and hosts the leadership podcast “Beyond Health and Wellness,” which has produced more than 50 episodes. His recognitions include the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses’ “Nurse Executive of the Year” award.
Wendy Lincoln, MSN, RN. Vice President and CNO at Ascension Saint Agnes (Baltimore). Ms. Lincoln oversees nursing, pharmacy, respiratory care, quality, regulatory compliance and the cardiology service line at Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital, a 254-bed community teaching hospital with 75,000 annual emergency department visits and 1,700 births. Under Ms. Lincoln’s leadership, the hospital achieved zero central line-associated bloodstream infections and catheter-associated urinary tract infections for 18 consecutive months, and more than 97% of departments routinely met productivity targets over the past two years. Her operational work includes a 25% reduction in emergency department hold hours and renovations of operating room pods and the catheterization lab. Ms. Lincoln established a nursing internship program that brought in more than 100 patient care technicians, 85% of whom have converted to registered nurses. Before her April 2024 appointment, she was associate vice president of patient care at Baptist Health Medical Center’s Little Rock, Ark., campus and also served there as interim CNO. Ms. Lincoln previously was vice president, CNO and interim COO at HCA’s Northside Hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla., and vice president of nursing and chief nursing executive at Dignity Health-St. Rose Dominican Hospitals’ Rose de Lima Campus in Henderson, Nev. Ms. Lincoln serves on the board of Baltimore Medical System, Maryland’s largest federally qualified health center.
Angie Long, DNP, RN. Senior Vice President and CNO of McLaren Health Care (Grand Blanc, Mich.). In October 2025, Dr. Long returned to McLaren Health Care after previously serving as CNO at McLaren St. Luke’s in Maumee, Ohio. During her earlier tenure with McLaren, Dr. Long led improvements in clinical quality, safety outcomes and operational efficiency, and chaired the systemwide nursing council. In her new role, she will collaborate closely with nursing leaders across McLaren’s 12-hospital, multistate system to design and implement initiatives that advance patient-centered care and drive consistent, high-quality clinical outcomes. She will provide operational oversight across all hospital and ambulatory nursing settings, uniting the system under shared standards of care and professional practice. Dr. Long will also lead efforts to strengthen academic and professional development partnerships to support the growth of McLaren’s nursing workforce. Most recently, she served as CNO and chief operating officer at Mercy Health West in Cincinnati, bringing more than 25 years of nursing experience, including extensive executive leadership, consulting work, and expertise in technology-enabled patient safety and care coordination. In addition, she remains active in academia as a visiting professor and mentor for nursing students at Chamberlain University.
Mark Mahnfeldt, MSN, RN. Vice President of Patient Care and CNO at Emerson Health (Concord, Mass.). Mr. Mahnfeldt oversees nursing and patient care services across Emerson Health, leading workforce strategy, operational performance and care delivery for the system. He is responsible for ensuring high-quality, cost-effective care while addressing ongoing workforce challenges through innovative staffing and care models. Under his leadership, the system implemented a blended registered nurse–licensed practice nurse care model that allows nurses to practice at the top of their licenses while reducing reliance on high-cost traveler staffing. He also partnered with local high schools to create a pipeline program that provides students with a structured pathway into licensed practice nurse and nursing roles, strengthening the future workforce. Mr. Mahnfeldt and his team have shared their results at Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association and Organization of Nurse Leaders conferences.
Eileen Manniste, MSN, RN. CNO for Broward Health North (Deerfield Beach, Fla.). Ms. Manniste leads nursing operations at Broward Health North, which includes a trauma center and comprehensive stroke services. As CNO, she collaborates with managers to enhance service lines and maintain high standards of patient care. Her initiatives have significantly expanded academic partnerships, increasing both student practicum capacity and clinical capacity. Ms. Manniste has implemented standardized evidence-based practices and revitalized training programs for key nursing areas, enhancing the onboarding process for new hires and developing competency programs. She emphasizes nurse wellbeing and mental health, fostering a culture of collaboration through multidisciplinary councils and safety rounds.
Jerry A. Mansfield, PhD, RN. Vice President and System Chief Nursing Executive at The University of Texas Medical Branch (Galveston). Dr. Mansfield leads nursing practice, quality, patient safety and clinical operations across UTMB Health, including regulatory and accreditation readiness and nursing workforce development. Dr. Mansfield has more than 40 years of healthcare experience, including 26 years in senior nurse executive positions. His career includes seven successive inaugural leadership roles across four health systems: Columbus-based OhioHealth, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, and Mount Carmel Health System in Columbus. In 2025, the National Academies of Practice inducted Dr. Mansfield as a distinguished fellow, and his article “Nursing Leadership During COVID-19: Enhancing Patient, Family, and Workforce Experience” received the Patient Experience Journal’s “Most Impactful Article” award. Dr. Mansfield also received the Beryl Institute’s “DAISY Nurse Leader Award” for 2026. Dr. Mansfield co-chairs the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s emerging technologies in nursing task force and the Beryl Institute’s nurse executive collaborative roundtable and serves on the Center for Creative Leadership’s societal impact advisory board.
Wilhelmina M. Manzano, RN. Group Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive at NewYork-Presbyterian (New York City). As chief nursing executive, Ms. Manzano leads the nursing department at NYP and sets the vision and strategic direction for nursing across the system. She assumed her current role in January 2025, previously serving in the additional role of COO of perioperative services. Ms. Manzano has also held the positions of chief quality officer at NYP and COO for NYP/Allen Hospital. Prior to joining NYP in 1998, she held various leadership roles at several New York area hospitals. Ms. Manzano is a fellow of the American Nursing Academy and the New York Academy of Medicine. She served as president and vice president of the American Nurses Foundation for 2020-23.
C.J. Marbley, RN. CNO at University Medical Center and COO and CNO at New Orleans East Hospital. Mr. Marbley holds a dual executive role spanning two New Orleans-based LCMC Health hospitals. He is tasked with leading nursing strategy, quality improvement and patient care delivery at University Medical Center while also overseeing both nursing and enterprise operations at New Orleans East Hospital. Across these combined responsibilities, he aligns clinical and operational performance with system priorities, strengthening multidisciplinary collaboration, patient flow, safety and outcomes while ensuring readiness for evolving community needs. Drawing on more than two decades of leadership across emergency, critical care and perioperative services, he brings operational fluency to complex environments. Beyond the bedside, Mr. Marbley advances the profession through service on the National Black Nurses Association board and local nursing leadership, and he was recognized as “Administrative Nurse of the Year” by the Black Nurses Association in 2021.
David Marshall, JD, DNP, RN. Senior Vice President of Nursing and System Chief Nursing Executive of Cedars-Sinai (Los Angeles). Dr. Marshall has served as senior vice president of nursing and system chief nursing executive of Cedars-Sinai since June 2019. He has over 30 years of experience in healthcare, ranging from bedside nursing to nursing leadership. Before joining Cedars-Sinai, Dr. Marshall was system chief nursing and patient care services executive for the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. In 2021, he was named the James R. Klinenberg, MD, and Lynn Klinenberg Linkin Chair in Nursing. He has served on the board of directors of the American Organization of Nursing Leadership and is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.
Rick Martin, EdD, MSN, RN. Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations and CNO at Hoag (Newport Beach, Calif.). Dr. Martin oversees all nursing departments at Hoag, along with emergency, perioperative, pharmacy, respiratory care and care management services across the health system’s hospitals and ambulatory sites. Dr. Martin has helped lead Hoag to five consecutive Magnet designations, most recently Magnet with distinction. Hoag has operated without supplemental nursing staff, including traveler and registry nurses, for more than 30 years, an effort Dr. Martin has led. He also led nursing and clinical operations planning for the $1.2 billion Sun Family Campus in Irvine, Calif., which opened in September 2026 with specialty hospitals focused on women’s health, cancer, digestive health and advanced surgical services. That work included recruiting and preparing hundreds of nurses and developing new clinical workflows for the campus. Dr. Martin serves on the dean’s advisory council at the University of California, Irvine School of Nursing and is an advisory board member and adjunct faculty member at the California State University, Long Beach School of Nursing. With Hoag for more than three decades, Dr. Martin previously served as vice president of patient care services and CNO and assistant vice president of specialty care at Hoag, and as assistant vice president of patient care services at HCA Lewis-Gale Hospital in Salem, Va.
Christine Martinez, MSN, RN. CNO of Laredo (Texas) Medical Center. Ms. Martinez has over 20 years of nursing leadership experience. Since returning to Laredo Medical Center in 2023, she has led efforts to improve recruitment and retention of nursing staff through partnerships with the local college and university. She works to cultivate a positive, supporting culture and improve satisfaction with patients, physicians and staff. Her collaboration with executive and clinical leaders has led to a reduction in year-over-year sepsis mortality, and a meaningful decline in hospital acquired infections, falls with injury, pressure ulcers, emergency department wait times, patient ventilator days and primary cesarean section rates. Her leadership has also resulted in improvement in staff culture of safety score, increased nursing retention rates and decreased nursing vacancies.
Julia Mason, DNP, RN. CNO and Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Boston). Ms. Mason leads nursing and patient care services at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a Magnet-designated academic medical center and founding member of the Boston-based Mass General Brigham system, overseeing more than 4,200 nurses across multiple sites and specialties as well as spiritual care, nutrition and interpreter services. Over the past year, Ms. Mason led efforts to create a more restful nighttime hospital environment and introduced a nursing bedside handoff that involves patients and families. Working with multidisciplinary partners, Ms. Mason co-leads the implementation of high-reliability quality rounds across hospital units and practice areas, and she convenes a CNO roundtable with staff nurses. In addition to holding the Beth V. Martignetti Endowed Chair in Nursing at Brigham and Women’s, Ms. Mason chairs Mass General Brigham’s CNO council, serves on the board of the MGH Institute of Health Professions and is an adjunct professor at Case Western Reserve University’s Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing. Her career includes nearly 20 years as a critical care nurse and 16 years in progressive leadership roles. Before joining the hospital, Ms. Mason was senior vice president of patient care services and CNO for the hospital division of The MetroHealth System in Cleveland. Earlier, Ms. Mason served as CNO at University Hospitals Parma (Ohio) Medical Center and University Hospitals Bedford (Ohio) and Richmond (Ohio) Medical Centers, and spent two years as a senior clinical executive at Vocera Communications.
Sarah Matney, BSN, RN. Senior Vice President of Clinical Services and CNO at Connecticut Children’s (Hartford). Ms. Matney leads Connecticut Children’s Magnet-designated nursing organization and ancillary clinical services, advancing nursing excellence, leadership development and workforce sustainability. In 2026, under her leadership, Connecticut Children’s nurse residency program earned American Nurses Credentialing Center practice transition accreditation program accreditation with distinction, recognizing exceptional commitment to transitioning nurses into practice. She also celebrated the inaugural graduation of 105 nurse leaders from the organization’s nurse leadership academy, an innovative investment in developing future nursing leaders. Her commitment to professional development and shared governance continues to strengthen nursing engagement and organizational performance. Ms. Matney is also a Coldiron Senior Nurse Executive Fellowship graduate and Jonas-Flynn Scholar.
Shari McDonald, RN. Vice President and CNO at Rochester (N.Y.) General Hospital. Ms. McDonald leads the strategic, clinical, operational and financial performance of nursing services at Rochester General Hospital, aligning professional practice with system goals, regulatory requirements and evidence-based care models. She oversees nursing care programs across inpatient, procedural and ambulatory settings and drives performance improvement efforts focused on safety, quality, patient experience and workforce engagement. Under her leadership, the hospital achieved its fifth American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet designation in 2025, a milestone attained by fewer than 1% of hospitals nationwide. Ms. McDonald strengthened shared governance so nurses lead decisions at every level, reinforcing accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement. She partners closely with hospital and system leaders on care redesign, capital planning, and long-term recruitment, retention and succession strategies to sustain a diverse nursing workforce. Her leadership approach centers on elevating frontline voices and building a culture where clinical excellence and compassion are consistently reflected in outcomes and team performance.
Theresa McDonnell, DNP, RN. Senior Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive at Duke University Health System and Vice Dean for Clinical Affairs at Duke University School of Nursing (Durham, N.C.). Dr. McDonnell leads more than 12,000 nurses and patient care professionals across Duke Health’s hospitals and clinics. She is responsible for advancing clinical excellence, workforce development and system-level integration of nursing practice. Under her leadership, Duke Health reduced nurse turnover from 21% to 11% through strategic investments in professional development and care team innovation. She founded the Duke Nursing Innovation Summit to support frontline-led solutions, several of which are now in development or being adopted systemwide. Dr. McDonnell continues to practice as a gastrointestinal oncology nurse practitioner and mentors emerging leaders. Her commitment to compassionate care has earned her several accolades, including the “Compassionate Caregiver Award” from the National Pancreas Foundation. She was shortlisted for Forbes‘ “50 Over 50” list. She contributes regularly to national forums on healthcare workforce transformation and has been featured in HealthTech Magazine, Chief Healthcare Executive and Healthcare IT News, in addition to speaking at various industry events.
Kristi McGowin, DNP, APRN. Vice President of Patient Care Services and CNO at Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters Health System (Norfolk, Va.). Ms. McGowin is the senior nurse executive for a health system that includes the 266-bed Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters, Virginia’s only freestanding, full-service children’s hospital, as well as 19 primary care practices, three urgent care centers and two outpatient surgery centers. Ms. McGowin oversees clinical staffing models, nursing education and quality, regulatory readiness, recruitment and retention, and succession planning for nursing leadership roles. Since joining the system, Ms. McGowin has led a redesign of professional governance, relaunched staff-driven councils and supported the creation of a staffing committee focused on the daily work environment. Ms. McGowin also helped launch a clinical ladder for registered nurses and respiratory therapists and is championing the system’s pursuit of Magnet or “Pathway to Excellence” recognition. Ms. McGowin holds quarterly updates for nurses, offered in person and virtually for day and night shift staff. Before joining the health system, Ms. McGowin held leadership roles at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo., including senior director of emergency services and senior director of primary care. Ms. McGowin is an assistant professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School.
Kristin McVay, MSN, RN. CNO at UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s Hospital (Cedar Rapids, Iowa). Ms. McVay serves as CNO for UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s Hospital and the UnityPoint Health-Cedar Rapids market, overseeing nursing practice, patient care delivery, research and performance improvement. Ms. McVay started her career at St. Luke’s Hospital in 2005. Most recently, Ms. McVay served as director of surgical services for the Cedar Rapids region, and before that as executive director of care management for UnityPoint Health and director of operations for UnityPoint Clinic-Cedar Rapids Primary Care. Earlier in her career, Ms. McVay held leadership positions in surgical step-down, perianesthesia, musculoskeletal and inpatient orthopedic units. Ms. McVay has been recognized as one of the “100 Great Iowa Nurses.” St. Luke’s Hospital was named the No. 1 hospital in Iowa on Newsweek‘s “America’s Best-in-State Hospitals” list in 2025 and 2026, and has held Magnet designation since 2009, with redesignations in 2014, 2018 and 2023.
Joy Melgar, MSN, RN. CNO and Surgery Center Administrator at Avala (Covington, La.). Ms. Melgar leads nursing, perioperative services, inpatient care and clinical operations at Avala, overseeing departments including preoperative care, the operating room, post-anesthesia care, central sterile, medical-surgical, admissions, scheduling, case management and nursing administration. Ms. Melgar provides strategic oversight for Avala’s orthopedic and spine programs, which hold advanced orthopedic and spine center of excellence designation with certifications in hip and knee replacement, shoulder surgery, spine surgery, and foot and ankle surgery, along with Blue Distinction+ recognition for spine surgery and knee and hip replacement. Over the most recent three-year reporting period, the orthopedic program increased patients served by 13.6%, from 1,620 to 1,841, while average length of stay fell 13.5%. Ms. Melgar championed enhanced recovery initiatives that raised postoperative day-zero ambulation rates to more than 96% and expanded preoperative education, increasing class participation by nearly 39%. Under her leadership, Avala reduced blood transfusion rates by nearly 16%, and use of skilled nursing and inpatient rehabilitation facilities by 38%. Patient-reported outcome measures improved an average of 35.3 points from preoperative to postoperative assessments, and the program achieved a 91.01% minimal clinically important difference rate, compared with a national benchmark of 88.23%. Ms. Melgar previously served as senior director of physician group operations at East Jefferson General Hospital in Metairie, La., and she has held ambulatory clinical operations and pre-admission testing leadership roles after starting her career in intensive care nursing.
Kristin Merritt, DNP, RN. Chief Nursing and Patient Care Services Officer at Duke Regional Hospital (Durham, N.C.). Ms. Merritt leads about 1,100 nurses and a portfolio spanning inpatient nursing, emergency, perioperative, women’s and behavioral health services, case management, patient flow, respiratory therapy and pharmacy at Duke Regional Hospital, Duke Health’s second-largest hospital. Since her appointment in April 2023, Ms. Merritt has partnered with hospital leadership to move Duke Regional from a $67 million operating loss in fiscal year 2023 to a $3.3 million positive margin in fiscal year 2025, and $35.6 million in fiscal year 2026 against an $11 million budget. In fiscal year 2026, overall harm across five priority categories fell 25% year over year, including an 80% improvement in hospital-acquired pressure injuries. Duke Regional has held a straight “A” Leapfrog hospital safety grade for seven consecutive grading periods, advanced from four to five stars in the CMS “Overall Hospital Quality Rating” and rose from No. 12 to No. 6 among North Carolina hospitals in U.S. News & World Report. Registered nurse turnover declined from 27% to 14% under Ms. Merritt, and a nursing leadership redesign that converted 32 assistant nurse manager positions into frontline clinical nurse 4 leader roles generated about $2.4 million in savings. A remote safety observation and sitter redesign reduced sitter use to zero to one per day and saved about $3 million. Ms. Merritt is also a clinical assistant professor at East Carolina University, teaching healthcare finance in the DNP program.
Stephanie Meyer, RN. Executive Vice President, Chief Nurse Executive and COO for Inpatient Operations at Children’s Mercy (Kansas City). Ms. Meyer was promoted in 2025 to senior vice president, CNE and COO for inpatient operations at Children’s Mercy, expanding her scope to oversee daily inpatient operations while aligning acute care services with organizational goals. A nearly 30-year Children’s Mercy veteran, she has progressed through roles including vice president of patient care operations, associate CNO and CNO, bringing deep frontline experience to executive decision-making. In her combined CNE and COO role, she strengthens interdisciplinary partnership and operational execution to support excellent outcomes for children and families. Ms. Meyer is active in regional and state nursing leadership, including service with the Missouri Hospital Association board of trustees and participation in nurse leader organizations in Missouri and Kansas. Under her leadership, Children’s Mercy has been recognized for nursing excellence and pediatric specialty care, including sustained Magnet recognition and national rankings for children’s hospitals.
Denise Mihal, BSN, RN. Executive Vice President and Chief Nursing and Clinical Operations Officer at Novant Health (Winston-Salem, N.C.). Ms. Mihal is executive vice president and chief nursing and clinical operations officer at Novant Health, guiding systemwide nursing strategy and clinical operations that support patient outcomes, safety and experience across a large, complex care network. She collaborates with facility nursing leaders and clinical service lines, including surgical services, behavioral health, trauma and emergency services and education teams. She also provides operational oversight for key system functions such as the professional nurse resource team and case management. With nearly four decades in healthcare and a career that includes executive regional leadership and medical center presidencies, Ms. Mihal has built durable workforce pipelines and transition-to-practice structures at scale. Under her leadership, Novant Health’s 12-month nurse residency model has grown into a nationally recognized program that supports new registered nurses through structured mentorship, individualized development and rotation-based exposure. She has also championed education and mobility initiatives that expand access to nursing careers, including tuition and educational assistance, preceptorship enhancement, student apprenticeship pathways and high school partnerships that develop future clinical talent. Her broader impact includes supporting Magnet redesignation achievements and patient-safety performance.
Andrea Miller. CNO for UChicago AdventHealth LaGrange (Ill.) Hospital. Ms. Miller serves as CNO for UChicago AdventHealth LaGrange Hospital, with primary accountability for quality, patient safety, and associate and patient experience. She is a visible leader in the organization’s high reliability journey, championing just culture, psychological safety and transparent safety-event reporting. Ms. Miller established a “just objective peer review” process that has strengthened trust, accountability and patient safety outcomes. Under her leadership, emergency department “left without being seen” rates dropped below 1%, and operating room first-case on-time starts significantly improved. She is deeply committed to nursing education, leading onboarding, a peer buddy system for new nurses and nursing graduation initiatives. Partnering closely with medical leadership, she implemented a dyad clinical leadership model, supporting Magnet designation, CMS 4- to 5-star ratings, and Leapfrog “A” grades.
Zachary Miller. CNO at Banner Boswell Medical Center and Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center (Sun City, Ariz.). Mr. Miller leads nursing operations for two Banner campuses, overseeing nearly 1,800 nurses while driving care model redesign, workforce stabilization and throughput performance. Since November 2024, he has advanced the flexible acuity nursing care model to improve safety, quality and operational flow while strengthening nurse engagement. His leadership has reduced external contract labor by $2 million and lowered nursing turnover to below 10%. With a background that includes serving as CEO for three hospitals in Banner’s western division and chair-elect experience with the Wyoming Hospital Association board of trustees, he brings broad operational and rural health perspective to large-campus nursing strategy in the Phoenix market. Mr. Miller also serves as the nurse executive for Banner’s hospitalist medicine clinical high reliability group, helping drive systemwide care and experience improvements across Banner’s six-state region.
Christina Mills, BSN, RN. CNO at Golisano Children’s Hospital of Buffalo (N.Y.). Ms. Mills has served as CNO of Golisano Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, part of Buffalo-based Kaleida Health, since September 2022, overseeing nursing operations, evidence-based practice, patient safety and quality. Ms. Mills joined Kaleida Health in 2018 as a nurse manager and was promoted to director of perioperative services in 2019. Before joining Kaleida, she was a clinical nurse manager and operating room registered nurse at Buffalo-based Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. After joining Golisano Children’s, Ms. Mills was instrumental in the rollout of the World Health Organization’s surgical safety checklist and co-leads the hospital’s surgical executive committee. She has also held a leadership role with the New York State clinical staffing committee, working with management, frontline staff and Service Employees International Union leadership to define safe staffing ratios. In 2026, Ms. Mills served as the pediatric nursing leader for the Epic EHR go-live across pediatric care.
Boris Molchanskiy, DNP. Vice President and CNO at Maimonides Midwood Community Hospital (Brooklyn, N.Y.). Mr. Molchanskiy leads patient safety and quality improvement work at Maimonides Midwood Community Hospital, with a focus on reducing preventable harm, improving infection-prevention practices and engaging frontline staff. He also oversees nursing education, mentors emerging nurse leaders and supports new graduate nurses as they transition into practice. Initiatives under Mr. Molchanskiy include engaging frontline nurses to improve barcode medication scanning compliance, leading nursing efforts to improve the hospital’s Leapfrog safety grade and developing nurse-driven protocols for timely Foley catheter removal to reduce catheter-associated urinary tract infections. The hospital’s emergency department recently earned level 3 geriatric emergency department accreditation from the American College of Emergency Physicians. Mr. Molchanskiy was named a “Notable Leader in Health Care” by Crain’s New York in November 2024 and received a 2025 “Tribute to Excellence in Health Care” from the United Hospital Fund. Mr. Molchanskiy has taught at institutions including Wagner College, Long Island University, the College of Staten Island, St. Paul’s School of Nursing and Touro College.
Candice Monge. Chief Nursing Executive Officer at Marian Regional Medical Center and Arroyo Grande Community Hospital (Santa Maria, Calif.). Ms. Monge oversees nursing operations and clinical quality at Marian Regional Medical Center and Arroyo Grande Community Hospital, two acute care hospitals in CommonSpirit Health’s Central Coast market, leading approximately 1,100 registered nurses. Ms. Monge also holds operational and financial oversight for the surgical and cardiovascular service lines and co-chairs the interdisciplinary practice committee for both hospitals. Overall registered nurse turnover reached 9.4%, against a national benchmark of 16.4%, and first-year registered nurse turnover at Arroyo Grande fell from 53.4% to 9.27% in the past year. At Marian Regional, Ms. Monge eliminated reliance on medical-surgical and telemetry travel nurses, going from a peak of 25 traveler full-time equivalents to zero since December 2024 and saving an estimated $10.8 million annually. Ms. Monge’s partnership with Allan Hancock College converted 20 students into hired registered nurses, and the nursing leadership workforce posted an employee net promoter score of 82 this past year. Recognitions under her leadership include the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses “Beacon Award” at the silver level, Joint Commission advanced perinatal care certification and American College of Cardiology accreditations for electrophysiology, transcatheter aortic valve replacement and cardiac catheterization lab programs. Ms. Monge previously served as senior director of women’s and children’s services and director of nursing for pediatrics and the neonatal ICU at Marian Regional Medical Center.
Christy Moody, MSN, RN. CNO for Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center (Hartsville, S.C.). Ms. Moody oversees the nursing division for Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center, managing an operational budget and directing more than 400 full-time employees. She is responsible for ensuring that nursing standard practices across all service areas align with current research and national professional benchmarks. Ms. Moody plays a pivotal role in performance activities and collaborates with hospital leadership to optimize patient care and maintain a qualified nursing staff.
Debra J. Morton, DNP. Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nurse Executive at Centralus Health (Ithaca, N.Y.). Dr. Morton is chief nurse executive for Centralus Health, providing strategic leadership and oversight to the CNOs of Cayuga Health System and Arnot Health. She aligns nursing operations with organizational goals and regulatory requirements and leads clinical strategies that promote high-quality, cost-effective, patient-centered care across multiple facilities. Dr. Morton drives initiatives to improve outcomes, operational efficiency and staff engagement, while mentoring senior nursing leaders, supporting executive recruitment and advancing evidence-based practice. She brings nearly 40 years in healthcare and more than 20 years as a chief nurse executive to the role. Across her career in both for-profit and nonprofit systems, she has elevated nursing as a cornerstone of organizational strategy and patient experience, championing high-reliability practices and innovation in care delivery while developing leaders who carry forward her values-driven approach.
Susan Mouret, MSN, RN. CNO at Banner Desert Medical Center and Banner Children’s at Desert (Mesa, Ariz.). Ms. Mouret leads nursing operations for Banner Desert Medical Center, one of the busiest level 1 trauma centers in the western U.S., and at Banner Children’s at Desert, overseeing approximately 2,000 nurses across adult and pediatric services. Known for developing leaders with clinical, operational and innovation expertise, she has advanced workforce pipeline strategies that strengthen specialty readiness and retention. Her leadership was instrumental in launching Arizona’s first pediatric nurse anesthetist student rotation, supported by state and community funding, expanding in-state clinical training capacity and helping retain nurse anesthetist graduates within Arizona. At the enterprise level, Ms. Mouret co-leads Banner’s nurse executive council on clinical quality and patient safety team and serves as the nurse executive for Banner’s women’s and infants’ services clinical high reliability group, advancing safety and care experience improvements across Banner’s multi-state system.
Herta Muller, MSN, RN. Vice President and CNO at St. John’s Riverside Hospital (Yonkers, N.Y.). Ms. Muller oversees nursing practice at St. John’s Riverside Hospital, including nursing operations, workforce development, recruitment and retention, professional development and regulatory readiness. Ms. Muller has served as vice president and CNO since January 2022, after serving as the hospital’s assistant vice president of nursing from November 2016. Ms. Muller is the nursing executive lead for the hospital’s pursuit of “Pathway to Excellence” certification from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, supported by a five-year, $5 million grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation. Ms. Muller’s work includes developing future nurses through the hospital’s relationship with the Cochran School of Nursing, which gives students early exposure to bedside care and mentorship. Ms. Muller represents St. John’s in The Nursing Initiative Learning Collaborative, working with nursing leaders across New York state to share best practices. Ms. Muller also encourages nurses to pursue bachelor’s and master’s degrees and specialty certifications.
Elizabeth Murdock, BSN, RN. CNO at Piedmont Newton Hospital (Covington, Ga.). Ms. Murdock oversees nursing and clinical support services across acute care, perioperative, emergency, critical care, and women’s and children’s services at Piedmont Newton, a 128-bed community hospital serving Newton County and surrounding areas. From fiscal year 2023 to fiscal year 2026, Ms. Murdock’s expansion of operating room services increased surgical volume 13.3%, with orthopedic volumes up nearly 200% and urology surgeries more than doubling. Over the same period, inpatient volume rose 37.2% following her expansion of inpatient bed capacity, average length of stay declined from 4.34 to 3.97 days, and emergency department visits increased 13.3%. Ms. Murdock implemented an obstetrics hospitalist program that established 24/7 physician coverage and contributed to a 12.9% increase in deliveries, and in 2025 submitted a certificate of need to elevate the hospital’s neonatal ICU from level 2 to level 3. Piedmont Newton earned three consecutive “A” grades in the Leapfrog hospital safety grade program between spring 2024 and spring 2025, and its net promoter score rose nearly 12 points from fiscal year 2023 to fiscal year 2026. Ms. Murdock also guided nursing teams through a DNV accreditation survey that resulted in zero nonconformities. Before becoming CNO, Ms. Murdock was director of surgical and women’s services at Piedmont Newton and held neonatal ICU leadership roles at Gwinnett Medical Center in Lawrenceville, Ga. from 2008 to 2019.
Tiffany Murdock. CNO and Chief Clinical Experience Officer at Ochsner Health (New Orleans). Ms. Murdock leads more than 10,000 nurses at Ochsner Health, a Gulf South-based nonprofit system of 47 hospitals and more than 370 health and urgent care centers, and sets strategy for the system’s nursing practice. Her portfolio recently expanded to include patient experience strategy, post-acute care and patient throughput. In 2024, Ms. Murdock led the expansion of virtual nursing to more than 615 beds, streamlining admissions and discharges and freeing more than 25,000 hours for bedside nurses. She also introduced an automated nurse scheduling service that is being implemented systemwide. Using the AI-driven scheduling platform “M7,” nurse leaders honored staff shift preferences 94% of the time. Workforce initiatives led by Ms. Murdock, including an internship program, flexible scheduling, mental health resources and leadership development, contributed to a 3.6% reduction in nurse burnout, and Ochsner was recognized as a “Top Workplace for Nursing” by Nurse.com in 2025. Ms. Murdock previously served as CEO of Ocean Springs, Miss.-based Singing River Health System, regional CNO of Irvine, Calif.-based St. Joseph Health System and system CNO at Medford, Ore.-based Asante Health.
Dana Murphy. CNO at Magnolia Regional Health Center (Corinth, Miss.). Ms. Murphy leads inpatient nursing and clinical care at Magnolia Regional Health Center and reports directly to the CEO on clinical quality, patient experience, operational performance, strategy, governance and professional development. She is a member of the hospital’s “M3” steering committee, which handles strategic planning and organizationwide decision-making for the delivery of inpatient nursing and clinical care. Ms. Murphy directs process improvement initiatives based on Lean methodology and works with trustees, medical staff and service line directors on hospitalwide quality assessment and performance improvement. In 2026, Magnolia Regional was named to Newsweek‘s “America’s Best in State Hospitals” list, and received the Newsweek “Patient Experience Award” and the American Heart Association’s “Stroke Rural Recognition Award.” Ms. Murphy previously served as director of patient care services at DCH Northport (Ala.) Medical Center.
Yuri Mykoo, MSN, RN. Senior Vice President and CNO at Tampa (Fla.) General Hospital–Davis Islands. Mr. Mykoo provides executive nursing leadership for TGH Davis Islands, the flagship academic medical center of Tampa General’s academic health system. He brings 35 years of healthcare experience, including 17 years in leadership, and previously served as Tampa General’s vice president of patient services, overseeing all adult inpatient nursing units at the academic medical center. Mr. Mykoo helped lead the implementation of a zone-based nursing model across all adult inpatient units at the Davis Islands campus, grouping nurses and support team members into smaller geographic zones to reduce travel between patients on the nearly century-old campus. Mr. Mykoo has also worked with Tampa General’s nursing executive team on a data-informed, multidisciplinary redesign of the nurse manager role that removes nonessential tasks and realigns responsibilities. Mr. Mykoo helps shape the system’s strategy for integrating AI into care delivery and presented the nursing leadership redesign work at the 2025 Vizient Connections Summit and the 2026 Vizient Chief Nurse Executive Network. Earlier in his career, Mr. Mykoo managed 500 inpatient beds and 900 full-time equivalents across two hospital campuses at Naples (Fla.) Community Hospital and served as assistant CNO of inpatient and rehabilitation services at Blake Medical Center.
Becky Nail. Market CNO at UnityPoint Health-Des Moines (Iowa). Ms. Nail leads nursing strategy and operations across the UnityPoint Health-Des Moines market, with responsibility for nursing practice, workplace safety efforts and shared governance. She joined UnityPoint Health-Des Moines as market vice president of nursing, served as interim market CNO and was selected for the permanent role following a systemwide internal search. Ms. Nail has hosted solutioning sessions with nurses and helped secure equipment, tools and resources for clinical teams. She has more than 15 years of nursing leadership experience, with a background in emergency care. Ms. Nail previously served as associate CNO and interim CNO at MercyOne Central Iowa in Des Moines and as associate chief nurse of medicine and surgical services at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Marion, Ill.
Tracey Nixon, MSN, RN. System Chief Nursing Executive at the University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics (Salt Lake City). Ms. Nixon oversees all nursing aspects within the University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics, including nursing operations, strategic planning, nursing leadership, project management and financial objectives, in addition to performance metrics related to patient satisfaction, clinical quality and finance. Ms. Nixon has been with the system for nearly 20 years and assumed the role of CNO in the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021, she appointed a health taskforce to collectively define the mental, physical and financial health for nursing team members. The results informed the ongoing systemwide benefit and operational enhancements. She and her nursing team have garnered national recognition for their efforts to improve the flow of patients within the hospital. Ms. Nixon has also developed and implemented a nursing shared governance program across the system.
Caroline Njau, BSN, RN. Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and CNO for Children’s Minnesota (Minneapolis). Ms. Njau leads patient care operations and nursing strategy across Children’s Minnesota’s two major pediatric hospitals, with responsibility for nursing education and professional development. She is also tasked with ensuring care teams have the resources to deliver exceptional family-centered care. Joining in 2021, she quickly emerged as a critical operational leader during surges in respiratory syncytial virus and pediatric Covid-19, building and leading a situation response team to stabilize staffing and maintain safe access to care. One signature innovation was the “helpers” program, which mobilized non-clinical staff to support frontline teams across emergency departments, inpatient units and clinics, resulting in volunteers covering roughly 500 shifts. Ms. Njau also modernized demand anticipation by adopting a volume-and-staffing forecasting model that is approximately 95% accurate, extending staffing decision lead time and providing weeks of planning visibility. Recognizing the direct link between staff wellbeing and patient outcomes, she prioritized a wellbeing resource team to address moral distress and supported resiliency workshops. She has also built a long-term pipeline strategy by deepening partnerships with local nursing schools, meeting regularly with deans to address capacity and diversity, and serving as an affiliate professor to strengthen clinical readiness.
Misty Oglesby, DNP, RN. Vice President of Nursing for the Alabama Region at Orlando (Fla.) Health. Ms. Oglesby serves as regional CNO for Orlando Health’s Alabama Region and Baptist Health in Alabama, overseeing more than 1,800 registered nurses across five hospitals and a freestanding emergency department, a footprint set to grow to six hospitals with the addition of Regional Medical Center Anniston (Ala.) this fall. Ms. Oglesby has also served as interim CNO at Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital in Homewood, Ala. as and interim leader of clinical learning, and recruited and onboarded new CNOs during a leadership transition. Leadership development efforts launched by Ms. Oglesby, including nurse leader retreats and coaching on purposeful rounding, have resulted in nurse leaders visiting patients during their stay 88% of the time, according to internal data. Ms. Oglesby established an academic partnership with the University of Alabama that renewed clinical placements at the system’s hospitals after years without them, complementing partnerships with Auburn University at Montgomery aimed at reducing reliance on contract labor. Ms. Oglesby was selected for the system’s readmission reduction task force, which is developing a scalable model to reduce readmissions across Orlando Health and Baptist Health. She also was part of the transition leadership team for Baptist Health’s August EHR go-live and serves on the American Heart Association Birmingham Metro board of directors.
Nicole Ohlinger, MSN, RN. CNO for Myrtue Medical Center (Harlan, Iowa). Ms. Ohlinger accepted the role of CNO for Myrtue Medical Center in March 2025. In the role, she is tasked with providing executive leadership for nursing practice and patient care services. She oversees the surgery department as well as surgery and specialty clinics, with a focus on advancing nursing services and maintaining high-quality, patient-centered care. Ms. Ohlinger brings deep organizational knowledge, having previously served as a registered nurse and house supervisor across Myrtue’s inpatient, emergency and obstetrics departments. Her clinical background spans acute and specialty care, equipping her with a strong understanding of frontline nursing operations. Ms. Ohlinger blends clinical expertise with business acumen to strengthen nursing excellence and support the organization’s mission.
Beth Oliver, DNP, RN. Senior Vice President of Cardiac Services and Chief Nurse Executive at Mount Sinai Health System (New York City). Ms. Oliver leads systemwide nursing strategy for Mount Sinai Health System, working with site CNOs to set performance benchmarks and align nursing practice with organizational goals. She also oversees cardiovascular service line strategy and operations at Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital and has worked in cardiac nursing at Mount Sinai for more than 28 years. As of December 2025, 27 nursing units across the health system had earned “Beacon Awards for Excellence” from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. Ms. Oliver was the first nurse appointed president of the American Heart Association’s New York City board of directors and has chaired the chapter’s board since 2019. Named the inaugural Edgar M. Cullman, Sr., Chair of the Department of Nursing at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Ms. Oliver was also appointed to the New York Academy of Medicine’s board of trustees in 2023. Her recognitions include the 2025 “PACE Changemaker in Healthcare Award” from Pace University, the 2025 Healthcare Leaders of New York “Senior-Level Healthcare Executive Award” and induction as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 2022.
Maria Opoku-Agyeman. CNO and Vice President of Inpatient Services at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation (Grand Rapids, Mich.). Ms. Opoku-Agyeman oversees nursing and inpatient operations at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital and serves on the organization’s executive team. Ms. Opoku-Agyeman serves on organizational committees including quality improvement and risk management, environmental safety, pharmacy and therapeutics, and infection control. Ms. Opoku-Agyeman has led the expansion of multiple inpatient units within an acute rehabilitation hospital and the development and opening of Michigan’s first rehabilitation unit dedicated to patients with active Covid-19. Ms. Opoku-Agyeman has applied just culture principles to strengthen engagement, accountability and psychological safety. Mary Free Bed ranks as the No. 1 rehabilitation hospital in Michigan in U.S. News & World Report‘s 2026-27 rankings, with its Grand Rapids hospital ranked No. 17 nationally. Ms. Opoku-Agyeman has held nursing leadership roles in acute care, acute rehabilitation and skilled nursing settings, and is a member of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses and the American Organization for Nursing Leadership. Ms. Opoku-Agyeman also serves on the advisory committee for Kent Intermediate School District.
Rose Ordieres, MSN, APRN. CNO of Ambulatory and Physician Services Administration at Jackson Health System (Miami). Ms. Ordieres leads nursing operations across Jackson Health System’s ambulatory and physician services, with a focus on improving access, efficiency and financial performance. She expanded appointment availability across the system’s ambulatory care center and primary care clinics, reducing patient queue times to 13 months and preventing care leakage by ensuring specialty referrals were scheduled prior to patient departure. Her leadership improved urgent care efficiency, reducing total visit times from 71 to 59 minutes while increasing patient satisfaction. Ms. Ordieres also oversaw the successful opening of the Coral Gables (Fla.) Urgent Care Center in 2023, led the relocation of the North Miami practice, and opened new primary care and cardiology sites within Jackson Medical Group. Her work has strengthened patient access, supported ambulatory growth and reinforced systemwide care coordination.
Michelle O’Rourke. CNO and Vice President of Patient Care Services at UMass Memorial Medical Center (Worcester, Mass.). Ms. O’Rourke is responsible for nursing practice at UMass Memorial Medical Center, an academic medical center with the only level 1 trauma program in Central Massachusetts. She also oversees its shared governance structure and quality improvement efforts. Ms. O’Rourke helped lead the integration of the former Marlborough (Mass.) Hospital as a campus of the medical center, and when that campus entered a “Code Black” in February 2026 after a broken valve reduced heat, more than 70 patients were safely relocated to neighboring hospitals. The medical center’s “Pathways to Excellence” application was accepted by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, with a validation survey upcoming and a goal of Magnet designation in 2029. The new graduate residency program Ms. O’Rourke leads earned its second accreditation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, with distinction, in November 2025. Ms. O’Rourke also launched a hospitalwide critical care service line council, and her work with the pressure injury team moved the organization into the top quartile. Under her leadership, the medical center implemented the “Dynamic Appraisal of Situational Aggression” tool and caregiver-led behavioral emergency response teams to protect caregivers. Ms. O’Rourke has worked at the medical center since 1994, advancing from staff nurse and nurse practitioner to senior director of critical care services, and is an assistant professor at the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing at UMass Chan Medical School.
Melodie Osborn, BSN, RN. Chief Nurse Executive of Renown Health (Reno, Nev.). Ms. Osborn oversees nursing across Renown Health, Nevada’s first nonprofit academic health system and the 162-year-old community cornerstone for northern Nevada, Lake Tahoe and northern California. She joined the system in 2011 and serves as the primary nursing voice for over 2,700 nurses and clinical staff across four hospitals, 10 urgent cares and specialty practices, focusing on clinical excellence, workforce development and a person-centric approach. She has been instrumental in implementing evidence-based practice and strengthening recruitment and retention. Under her leadership, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses recognized Renown’s intensive, critical care and progressive care units with “Beacon Awards for Excellence” three times in a row, and this year added a fourth honoree, the telemetry unit. Working with donors and the University of Nevada, Reno, Ms. Osborn has created an academic pipeline to address the nursing shortage via full-ride scholarship funding for up to 24 nursing students each year. Scholarship recipients may also complete a paid apprenticeship at Renown, with guaranteed hospital jobs following graduation and licensure. A strong advocate for the nursing profession, she was highly effective during a recent legislative session as nurse representative for Nevada Hospital Association, working to strengthen support for nursing, patient safety and access to high quality care statewide. She is past president of the Nevada Organization for Nurse Leaders.
Gretchen Pacholek, DNP, RN. CNO and Vice President of Patient Care Services at UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial (Harvey, Ill.). Dr. Pacholek provides executive leadership for all nursing and patient care services, overseeing multimillion-dollar budgets, nursing professional practice and enterprisewide strategies focused on quality, safety and operational efficiency. Since assuming the role, she has stabilized the nursing workforce, reducing registered nurse turnover, cutting agency utilization and generating savings. Under her leadership, hospital-acquired infections declined, harm events fell and emergency department left-without-being-seen rates were reduced. She led the launch of a 10-bed observation unit to improve patient flow and length of stay while driving a four-point year-over-year improvement in inpatient patient experience scores. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Pacholek served as operations chief of the hospital incident command center, rapidly standing up Covid units, testing and vaccination clinics while maintaining workforce stability amid labor disruptions. A nationally engaged nurse executive, she has served as an American Organization for Nursing Leadership board member, committee chair and faculty member.
Kathryn Pagliaroli, BSN, RN. Senior Vice President, COO and CNO of Oswego (N.Y.) Health. Ms. Pagliaroli, in her role as senior vice president, COO and CNO, offers executive leadership and guidance for clinical operations and nursing programs aligned with Oswego Health’s vision and mission. Her accomplishments include being recognized in 2013 as one of Oswego County Magazine‘s “40 under 40” recipients, receiving the CNY Organization for Nurse Executives and Leaders “Regional Leadership Award” in 2019, and earning a “Rising Leader Award” from the New York Organization of Nurse Leaders in 2022. Ms. Pagliaroli coordinates with Oswego Health’s senior leadership team to address staff retention and recruitment. Ms. Pagliaroli began her career at Oswego Health in 2001 as a RN in the ICU, and has held several leadership positions within the organization since. She was promoted to her current role in September 2024.
Leah Patterson. CNO and Chief of Patient Care Services at Riverside University Health System–Medical Center (Moreno Valley, Calif.). Ms. Patterson oversees nursing and patient care services for a 439-bed academic medical center and level 1 adult trauma center, leading more than 2,100 staff across nursing and clinical support services. Under her leadership, the organization has achieved multiple Joint Commission certifications and advanced designations, including primary stroke center, sepsis, hip fracture, palliative care and perinatal care. She has maintained a low registered nurse turnover rate and reduced the use of traveling nurses following a large-scale post-pandemic recruitment effort. Ms. Patterson is the executive sponsor of Lean transformation initiatives that produced measurable gains in patient flow, including a patient flow center that reduced average length of stay and a discharge lounge that has supported thousands of patient transitions. She also empowered frontline-led innovations such as the nurse-driven “Fluff and Tuck” program, cutting call lights during shift change and increasing patient experience scores. Her crisis leadership during Covid-19 included supporting staff wellbeing while helping expand inpatient capacity by 121 beds to meet sustained surge demand.
Melissa Patton. CNO at Summit BHC (Franklin, Tenn.). Ms. Patton leads nursing, clinical services, quality and patient safety for Summit BHC, a national behavioral healthcare system of acute psychiatric hospitals, substance use disorder treatment centers, detoxification services, residential programs and outpatient services. Since joining Summit BHC in 2025, Ms. Patton has standardized high-risk clinical practices including patient observation, suicide prevention, restraint and seclusion reduction, medication safety and withdrawal management. In 2026, Summit’s restraint utilization was 39% below the national average and seclusion utilization was 86.1% below the national benchmark, while patient observation compliance reached 98.3% companywide. In the company’s acute psychiatric hospitals, BASIS-32 change scores, which measure patient-reported improvement from admission to discharge, rose from about 0.67 in January to 0.94 in June 2026, an improvement of approximately 40%. In July, Summit’s substance use disorder programs posted a Global Recovery Score of 37%, compared with a national benchmark of 29%. Ms. Patton has also led EHR optimizations for the acute and substance use disorder service lines and implemented structured atypical-discharge reduction efforts. Ms. Patton previously served as vice president of national nursing and quality for Brentwood, Tenn.-based Lifepoint Health’s behavioral health division and as vice president of nursing at Springstone.
Emily Pegues, MSN, RN. CNO for St. Mary’s Medical Center (Blue Springs, Mo.). Ms. Pegues is responsible for managing nursing operations at the 137-bed St. Mary’s Medical Center. Her direct oversight encompasses multiple departments, including nursing, pharmacy, respiratory therapy, cardiology and surgical services, among others. With extensive experience in healthcare management, she has a proven track record of achieving success in both nursing and non-nursing operations. Ms. Pegues excels in key areas such as communication, labor management and team building, which enables her to foster collaboration and develop leaders within the organization. Notably, she successfully executed a $5 million reduction in labor expenses during her first year as CNO by stabilizing the workforce, minimizing reliance on agency staff and improving daily management of patient length of stay.
Michelle Peña, MSN, RN. Regional CNO for Trinity Health Michigan (Livonia). Ms. Peña was appointed regional CNO of Trinity Health Michigan at the end of August 2025. There, she oversees nursing strategy and operations across the statewide health system. In this executive leadership role, she is responsible for advancing clinical excellence, workforce development, patient safety and operational efficiency across one of Michigan’s largest providers of care. Ms. Peña brings more than 20 years of progressive nursing leadership experience within Trinity Health. Most recently, she served as CNO of Trinity Health Grand Rapids (Mich.), where she led the organization to Magnet redesignation. During her tenure, she launched West Michigan’s first accredited nurse residency program, strengthening the nursing pipeline and supporting early-career nurse retention. She also implemented Trinity Health’s virtual nurse model, “TogetherTeam Virtual Connected Care,” and played a critical leadership role in guiding nursing operations through the Covid-19 pandemic.
Shannon Pengel, MSN, RN. Vice President and CNO at Cleveland Clinic. Ms. Pengel provides executive leadership and strategic oversight for nursing operations across Cleveland Clinic’s main campus, which includes approximately 1,400 hospital beds and more than 100 operating rooms. She leads nursing strategy across all clinical institutes on main campus, advancing innovative care delivery, evidence-based practice, financial stewardship and continuous improvement, with all main campus nursing directors reporting directly to her. Previously, Ms. Pengel served as associate CNO for main campus and as clinical nursing director for the anesthesiology institute and the heart and vascular institute, overseeing extensive cardiac step-down, ICU, interventional and outpatient operations. At the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, she served as CNO for Cleveland Clinic’s Hope Hospital, guiding the rapid development and activation of a 1,006-bed surge facility in less than one month. A Cleveland Clinic nurse leader for more than two decades, she began her career as a staff nurse in cardiothoracic step-down and has since driven systemwide initiatives including rapid response standardization, central monitoring integration and the successful activation of the 1-million-square-foot Miller Pavilion. Ms. Pengel is also a strong advocate for nursing education, certification, research and leadership development across the organization.
Vicky Perez. Associate CNO at Jackson North Medical Center (Miami). Ms. Perez is associate CNO at Jackson North Medical Center, a 320-bed community hospital within Jackson Health System that serves a diverse, medically underserved population. She provides executive leadership for all nursing and respiratory services, overseeing clinical operations, quality, patient safety, workforce engagement and regulatory readiness. Ms. Perez joined Jackson North in March 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, when the hospital cared for one of the largest volumes of Covid-19 patients in the region. Under her leadership, Jackson North has gone from having some of the highest methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus rates to becoming one of the top-performing hospitals within the health system. Ms. Perez rounds on units with frontline staff across day, night, weekend and holiday shifts. Her previous roles include director of critical care and director of nursing.
Dina Pérez-Graham. Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive at University Health (San Antonio, Texas). Ms. Pérez-Graham leads the recruitment, retention, performance, development and financial management of more than 4,000 nurses across University Health’s two hospitals and more than 30 clinics and centers, making nursing the largest professional group in the public health system. She is guiding nursing strategy through a major growth trajectory, including the opening of additional clinics in underserved areas, expansion into a third hospital complex in 2026 and the planned launch of two new community hospitals in 2027. In a highly competitive labor environment, she has sustained exceptional workforce stability, with year-to-date turnover at 10% and vacancy at less than 2%, while nearly eliminating reliance on traveling nurses. She oversees enterprise training and workforce transition planning as current staff move into new facilities and new hires are recruited and prepared for high-acuity environments, including South Texas’ only level 1 civilian trauma center, a high-risk maternity center and NICU, and a transplant institute. Under her leadership, University Health has earned Magnet recognition, achieved first-time Emergency Nurses Association “Lantern Awards” for adult and pediatric emergency departments, secured American Nurses Credentialing Center practice transition program accreditation with distinction for its nurse residency, and supported multiple American Association of Colleges of Nursing “Beacon Award”–recognized units.
Beena S. Peters, DNP, RN. System Chief Nursing Executive of Cook County Health (Chicago). Dr. Peters serves as system chief nursing executive for Cook County Health, one of the nation’s largest public health systems, overseeing nursing practice across hospitals, community health centers, public health and correctional health services. She provides strategic leadership for nursing operations, quality, education, workforce development and a $300 million nursing services budget. Under her leadership, Cook County Health achieved dramatic improvements in nurse-sensitive outcomes, including a 95% reduction in hospital-acquired pressure injuries as well as major declines in falls and infections. She has advanced workforce development by securing more than $5 million in federal grants and launching externship programs and academic partnerships across the Midwest. Dr. Peters also established a nursing innovation and research center and initiated the system’s journey toward “Pathway to Excellence” recognition.
Margaret Pfeiffer, MSN. Vice President of Patient Care Services and Interim CNO at Mount Sinai South Nassau (Oceanside, N.Y.). Ms. Pfeiffer provides strategic and operational leadership for all nursing activities at Mount Sinai South Nassau, a Magnet-designated hospital within New York City-based Mount Sinai Health System. In the role, Ms. Pfeiffer oversees more than 800 registered nurses and works with clinical and administrative leaders across disciplines to strengthen nursing practice and standards of care. Her responsibilities include advancing nursing practice in line with emerging standards and evidence, as well as supporting the professional development of nursing staff. Ms. Pfeiffer has more than 25 years of clinical and nursing management experience.
Louise Philp, BSN, RN. CNO at Orlando Health–Health Central Hospital (Ocoee, Fla.). Ms. Philp leads initiatives, processes and policies that ensure exceptional patient care while supporting nursing and clinical teams at Orlando Health–Health Central Hospital. She began her nursing career at Orlando Health in 1995 as a frontline nurse in the neuroscience unit at Orlando Health Orlando (Fla.) Regional Medical Center, building a strong foundation in complex clinical care. Over nearly three decades, she has progressed through a wide range of leadership roles across multiple specialties, earning a reputation for operational excellence and collaborative leadership. Most recently, she served as associate CNO at Orlando Regional Medical Center, overseeing catheterization labs, cardiovascular services and medicine service lines. Ms. Philp is actively engaged in the professional nursing community through membership in Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the American Organization of Nurse Executives. She also extends her leadership beyond healthcare, serving on the board of the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando.
Amber Price, DNP, RN. Senior Vice President and CNO at Sentara (Norfolk, Va.). Dr. Price oversees nursing practice and care delivery across Sentara, along with employee health, infection prevention, accreditation and regulatory compliance, system resource allocation, emergency management, virtual nursing, clinical education and professional practice. She also serves as executive sponsor for Sentara’s women’s employee resource group and women’s health high performance team, advancing workforce inclusion and clinical excellence. Prior to assuming the system CNO role, Ms. Price served as president of Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center, where she launched new trauma, obstetrics hospitalist and minimally invasive gynecologic surgery programs, all while championing employee wellness and inclusive care design. These efforts resulted in the hospital becoming the first in Virginia to earn sensory inclusive certification. Earlier in her career at Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare, she held division vice president and COO roles, overseeing hospital design and construction projects, developing innovative hospitalist and maternal care models, and leading a maternal and neonatal helicopter flight program from concept to implementation.
Elizabeth Pulatie. Chief Nurse Executive Officer and Vice President of Patient Care Services at Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta (Calif.). Ms. Pulatie oversees inpatient units, emergency services, surgical suites, and outpatient and support services including hospice, palliative care and pharmacy at Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta, a critical access hospital that is part of San Francisco-based Dignity Health and Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health. Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta has been named to the “Antimicrobial Stewardship Program Honor Roll” by the CDC. The hospital also received “California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative” recognition for nursing care and maintained full Joint Commission accreditation. Ms. Pulatie oversaw the implementation of infant security systems and pediatric unit monitoring systems. She also serves as the North State market liaison for the “National Research Evidence Based Practice Council” and clinical lead for a linen loss project spanning the North State and Central Coast markets. As senior director of nursing at Mercy Medical Center Redding (Calif.), Ms. Pulatie served as incident commander and operations director during the Covid-19 pandemic, developing a surge plan. She first began her career as an emergency medical technician and worked as a registered nurse in float pool, intensive care and emergency settings before becoming a certified registered nurse anesthetist and serving as chief of anesthesia and operative services in military and civilian roles.
Jean Putnam, DNP, RN. Chief Nurse Executive at Baptist Health South Florida (Coral Gables). With more than 30 years of experience, Ms. Putnam oversees more than 9,200 nurses and clinical partners at Baptist Health South Florida, a system with more than 30,000 employees and 4,500 affiliated physicians, and leads its nursing practice development and patient experience efforts. Since joining Baptist Health, she has helped reduce the nurse vacancy rate to 2.7%, the lowest in the system’s history, and the system earned the Press Ganey “HX Guardian of Excellence Award” in patient experience. Ms. Putnam has served as principal investigator on nearly $10 million in federal, state and private grants focused on nursing innovation and care design transformation. Previously, Ms. Putnam was CNO of Community Health Network, a 10-hospital system in Indianapolis, where her initiatives included a virtual nursing model, a relationship-based care model and a $2 million endowment for nursing excellence. Community Health Network also achieved top-decile first-year nurse retention during her tenure. Before that, Ms. Putnam was the system’s chief clinical quality officer, responsible for quality, accreditation, performance improvement, case management and risk management. Ms. Putnam received the “Excellence in Leadership Award” from Executive Women in Healthcare in 2022 and was named “Patient Experience Innovator of the Year” by the Millenium Alliance in 2021.
Linda Puu, MSN, RN. Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive for The Queen’s Health Systems (Honolulu). Ms. Puu brings nearly four decades of experience as a nurse and nurse leader to her roles as senior vice president and chief nursing executive of The Queen’s Health Systems. Her clinical background in critical care and telemetry provides the executive team with a unique perspective. Ms. Puu is responsible for meeting the system’s goals in relation to nursing, overseeing nursing across clinical settings, transforming the future of nursing, improving patient safety and outcomes, and developing and implementing strategic plans for clinical quality and patient safety. She leads the creation of fiscal year strategic plans, has established academic-practice partnerships with schools of nursing, launched a nurse residency program, created educational training pathways for nurses and led negotiations with Hawaii Nurses Association to benefit nurses.
Marjorie A. Quint-Bouzid. Executive Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive at Kaleida Health (Buffalo, N.Y.). Ms. Quint-Bouzid leads nursing strategy, practice oversight, quality and professional development across Kaleida Health. Ms. Quint-Bouzid has been a nurse for nearly 40 years, with more than 22 years of leadership experience. At Kaleida, Ms. Quint-Bouzid developed and implemented a nursing plan of excellence and holds “State of Nursing” meetings with frontline nurses at the system’s hospitals on topics including the professional practice model, shared governance and registered nurse retention. Before joining Kaleida, Ms. Quint-Bouzid oversaw women and infants’ specialty health services at Parkland Health & Hospital System in Dallas, and held leadership roles at Fort Washington (Md.) Medical Center, Inova Alexandria (Va.) Hospital and Grady Health System in Atlanta. In Southern Maryland, Ms. Quint-Bouzid was a founding leader of a seven-hospital, community-based collaborative that worked to reduce hospital readmission disparities among Black patients by linking them to in-home and community-based support after discharge. Ms. Quint-Bouzid’s recent honors include a 2025 “Career Achievement Award” from D’Youville University and a spot on Buffalo Business First‘s 2026 “Power 200 Women” list.
Karla Ramberger, DNP, RN. Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive at Baylor Scott & White Health (Dallas). Dr. Ramberger is responsible for advancing clinical practice among Baylor Scott & White Health’s nursing staff, as well as improving safety and quality outcomes across the system. In 2019, she joined Baylor Scott & White Health as CNO of the system’s central region and Baylor University Medical Center. During her tenure, the medical center earned its fifth consecutive Magnet Designation with exemplars, and achieved its zero preventable harm goals each year. She also was the driving force behind standing up the health system’s first North Texas Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program. Previously, Dr. Ramberger served as CNO for Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas, where she was instrumental in reducing nursing turnover and boosting engagement. She began her career as an emergency department intern and went on to have a 24-year tenure in various leadership roles, including CNO with Methodist Dallas Medical Center and as system CNO for Dallas-based Methodist Health System.
Debra Raupers, MSN, RN. Executive Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive for Guthrie (Sayre, Pa.). As executive vice president and chief nurse executive, Ms. Raupers oversees nursing practice across the entire Guthrie health system, ensuring high standards of patient care and clinical outcomes. She collaborates with senior leadership to set strategic goals and integrate nursing practices into overall operational performance, focusing on improving clinical outcomes and supporting interdisciplinary care teams. Ms. Raupers has been instrumental in developing performance improvement initiatives and a professional practice model for patient care, tailored to each facility’s unique needs. Her leadership was key in the implementation of team-based nursing, allowing nurses to operate at the top of their license, as well as the creation of the Guthrie Pulse Center, which provides virtual support to bedside nurses. Ms. Raupers has decades of nursing leadership experience, including her previous role as Magnet program director.
Kelsey Reed, DNP, MSN. CNO and COO at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center (Americus, Ga.). Ms. Reed directs nursing operations, clinical care and patient safety and manages clinical support services including imaging, laboratory, pharmacy and respiratory therapy at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center, a 76-bed community hospital that is part of Albany, Ga.-based Phoebe Putney Health System. She also guides the hospital’s strategic master plan, which includes expanding capacity to 99 beds, growing the maternal and robotics service lines, and achieving level 3 trauma designation. Ms. Reed originally launched a virtual nursing program at Phoebe Putney Memorial in Albany and led its systemwide implementation; the program now has more than 30 virtual nurses, and sepsis screening bundle compliance improved by 20% under her leadership. Since Ms. Reed became CNO, the hospital deployed the da Vinci Xi surgical robot in May 2023, performed its 1,000th robotic surgery in October 2025, and added Aquablation therapy and Mako robotic-assisted knee and hip replacement in late 2025. To reduce reliance on agency nurses, she worked with senior leadership and a local technical college to launch the Living and Learning Community, a residential training facility, and quarterly nursing student enrollment grew from 20 to 120 students. Ms. Reed also established a six-week simulation boot camp within the system’s nurse residency program, as well as a frontline nurse advisory committee that informs EHR optimization. She previously served as director of patient care and as a nurse practitioner and patient-centered medical home manager at Phoebe Putney Health System and is a fellow of the American College of Health Data Management.
Karen Reilly, DNP, RN. CNO and Vice President of Patient Care Services at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital (Jamaica Plain, Mass.). Ms. Reilly leads nursing and patient care services at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, a 235-bed, Magnet-designated community teaching hospital in the Boston-based Mass General Brigham system, overseeing more than 730 staff nurses as well as interpreter services, nutrition, case management, rehabilitation, social work and spiritual care services. In 2024, the hospital was among the first in the nation to achieve Magnet designation with distinction, with 89.2% of its nurses holding a bachelor’s degree or higher. In 2025, Ms. Reilly helped open a new patient care building that has added 52 inpatient beds, guiding nursing workflows, staffing, hiring and onboarding for the new space. Responding to staff feedback, Ms. Reilly introduced a STAT nurse role to respond to high-acuity events, increased educator support for overnight nurses and restructured shared governance so clinical nurses make up more than half of council membership. The hospital recorded no central line-associated bloodstream infections in 2025, and Ms. Reilly has led efforts that improved its overall Vizient composite scores by 20%. Before joining the hospital, Ms. Reilly was associate CNO for critical care, cardiovascular and surgical services at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, overseeing more than 1,400 full-time employees, 100 critical care beds and 340 intermediate care beds. In that role, Ms. Reilly helped open the Shapiro Cardiovascular Center and expand neurosciences, thoracic, trauma and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation services.
Cheryl Reinking, DNP, RN. CNO for El Camino Health (Mountain View, Calif.). Dr. Reinking has led the health system’s nursing division for over a decade, overseeing a team of more than 2,000 nurses and support staff. She is a staunch advocate for professional development and work-life balance for her nursing staff. With over 35 years at El Camino Health, she has built a career in nursing that has taken her from clinical nurse to CNO. Under her leadership, the system earned its fifth consecutive Magnet Designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2026. She has been instrumental in developing innovative nurse retention strategies, contributing to a nurse turnover rate below the national average. Her efforts have also led to the El Camino Health Mountain View (Calif.) emergency department receiving the 2026 “Lantern Award” from the Emergency Nurses Association for excellence in leadership and practice. Dr. Reinking serves on multiple boards, including Pathways Home Health and Hospice.
Stevanie Reynolds, RN. CNO at Piedmont Walton Hospital (Atlanta). Ms. Reynolds leads nursing, clinical quality and patient safety, workforce development and nursing operations at Piedmont Walton Hospital. Under her’ leadership, Piedmont Walton was recognized as one of 405 hospitals nationwide to maintain a central line-associated bloodstream infection rate of zero for more than 1,500 consecutive days. Ms. Reynolds also championed interdisciplinary collaboration that helped the hospital’s emergency department achieve a 24-minute door-to-needle time for stroke treatment, compared with a national benchmark of 45 minutes. The hospital earned the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association “Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus Award,” along with “Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus” and “Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll” recognition. Ms. Reynolds leads Piedmont Walton’s partnership with the nursing program at Athens Technical College’s Monroe campus, through which nursing students complete clinical rotations at the hospital. Piedmont Walton’s nurse residency graduates in the past year included nine nurses representing acute care, emergency, intensive care and women’s services. Ms. Reynolds also supports nurse-led community education across Walton County on stroke awareness, dementia, hypertension management, fall prevention, breastfeeding and first aid.
Mandy Richards, DNP, RN, APRN. Chief Nurse Executive and President of Children’s Health at Intermountain Health (Salt Lake City). Ms. Richards serves on Intermountain Health’s enterprise leadership team and is accountable for nursing practice across the six-state system, influencing the work of more than 17,000 nurses. Since 2025, she has also served as president of Children’s Health, leading pediatric strategy and growth across Intermountain’s footprint, including a 2026 strategic affiliation with Shriners Children’s to expand pediatric orthopedic and rehabilitative care in Nevada. In 2026, Ms. Richards has focused on care model redesign, a multiyear effort to simplify nursing work, realign team roles and incorporate enabling technologies to return more nursing time to direct patient care. Nurses in “iAspire,” a program for nurses who want to advance professionally while remaining at the bedside, had a 9.6% turnover rate compared with 17.3% among eligible nonparticipants, and more than 92% of participants said they intended to stay at Intermountain for at least two years. Ms. Richards complemented this program with the nurse leader academy, a yearlong program combining simulation, leadership education, coaching and peer networking. A former ICU nurse, Ms. Richards previously served as executive vice president and CNO of Hartford (Conn.) HealthCare and as system CNO of Minneapolis-based Allina Health. Ms. Richards serves on the board of trustees of Durham, N.C.-based Duke University Health System and as courtesy faculty at Yale School of Nursing.
Samantha Richards, MSN, RN. Chief Nursing and Operations Officer at WVU Medicine Berkeley Medical Center (Martinsburg, W.Va.). Ms. Richards oversees acute care nursing and a broad portfolio of hospital operations, including emergency services and bed command, surgical services, critical care, women’s and children’s services, behavioral health, pharmacy, diagnostic imaging, cardiovascular services, rehabilitation and inpatient operations. Ms. Richards previously served as vice president and CNO of Berkeley Medical Center and earlier held director of nursing, nurse manager and charge nurse roles at West Virginia University Healthcare in Morgantown, W.Va. The hospital has maintained a registered nurse turnover rate of approximately 12%, and Ms. Richards works with a nursing-led shared governance council on engagement, quality and professional practice. Ms. Richards led the development and opening of a dedicated neurointerventional suite that established regional access to advanced stroke intervention and mechanical thrombectomy, and is providing executive and nursing leadership for an open-heart surgery program scheduled to launch in December 2026. Ms. Richards also spearheaded a regional bed command center to improve patient flow and interfacility coordination and helped plan and design a new 160-bed inpatient tower. Under Ms. Richards’ leadership, nursing at Berkeley Medical Center is preparing its application for “Pathway to Excellence” designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. In 2025, Healthgrades named Berkeley Medical Center one of “America’s 100 Best Hospitals” for both gastrointestinal care and gastrointestinal surgery.
Donna Richardson, DNP, RN. Executive Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive for Parkland Health (Dallas). Dr. Richardson serves as executive vice president and chief nursing executive at Parkland Health, bringing more than three decades of experience as a clinician, mentor and executive leader. Her career has spanned progressive leadership roles, including nurse manager, director, associate CNO and CNO, all grounded in clinical expertise that began in obstetrics as a labor and delivery nurse. In her current enterprise role, Dr. Richardson provides strategic leadership for nursing practice and workforce development, championing professional excellence, patient-centered care and system resilience within one of the nation’s largest public health systems. She continually works to strengthen nursing retention and engagement, and serves as a mentor to emerging leaders, with one of her mentees recognized with the American Organization for Nursing Leadership’s “Pamela Austin Thompson Emerging Leader Award” for 2025. Parkland Health earned the American Nurses Credentialing Center “Pathway Award” in 2024 under her leadership. Dr. Richardson also remains active in professional and policy work, including service on the Texas Board of Nursing Practice Committee.
Hazel Robertshaw, PhD, RN. CNO and Vice President of Patient Care Services at University of Rochester Medicine Thompson Health (Canandaigua, N.Y.). Dr. Robertshaw has served as vice president of patient care services and CNO at University of Rochester Medicine Thompson Health since 2008, after a year as its director of nursing. Dr. Robertshaw manages an operating budget of more than $35 million and more than 300 associates across the emergency department, ICU, medical-surgical floors, birthing center, cardiopulmonary services, case management and social work, pharmacy, perioperative services and ambulatory practices. In late 2025, the system achieved its fifth consecutive Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, a distinction earned by fewer than 2% of hospitals nationwide. Dr. Robertshaw also helped lead the system to Joint Commission certifications for elective hip replacement, elective knee replacement and perinatal care, as well as three centers of excellence designations from the Surgical Review Corporation. To build the workforce, Dr. Robertshaw facilitated the system becoming a partner in the University of Rochester School of Nursing’s scholars’ program, which lets students with a bachelor’s degree in another field earn a bachelor of science in nursing within 12 months. She also helped build a registered nurse residency program spanning the operating room, ICU, emergency department, birthing center, medical-surgical units and post-anesthesia care unit. In 2025, Dr. Robertshaw launched the “Be Excellent Everyday Award” for patient care technicians and other nonlicensed staff. Before joining the system, Dr. Robertshaw held oncology nursing roles in England.
Betty Jo Rocchio, DNP, CRNA. Executive Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive at Advocate Health (Charlotte, N.C.). Dr. Rocchio serves as executive vice president and chief nurse executive for Advocate Health, the nation’s third-largest nonprofit integrated health system, providing executive leadership for more than 42,000 nurses. She oversees systemwide nursing services and professional practice, aligning workforce strategy, quality, technology adoption and regulatory compliance across a highly complex, multi-state organization. Dr. Rocchio joined Advocate Health in November 2025, with over 30 years of nursing experience. In her first year in the role, Dr. Rocchio focused on advancing data-driven nursing operations and leveraging analytics to support a multigenerational workforce. Her leadership emphasizes innovation in care delivery while strengthening nurse engagement and workplace culture. Prior to joining Advocate Health, she served as chief nurse executive at Chesterfield, Mo.-based Mercy, where she built a reputation for integrating technology and analytics into nursing practice. Dr. Rocchio has led organizations with multiple Magnet and “Pathway to Excellence” designations.
Anna Liza Rodriguez, MSN, RN. CNO and Vice President of Nursing and Patient Care Services for Fox Chase Cancer Center (Philadelphia). Ms. Rodriguez leads nursing and patient care services across inpatient, ambulatory, research and specialty oncology settings at Fox Chase Cancer Center, setting the vision for professional practice, quality, safety and patient experience. A board-certified oncology nurse and advanced nurse executive, she pairs clinical expertise with strong operational discipline, including labor relations and the execution of complex technology and workflow initiatives. She helped architect the ambulatory care excellence model to improve access, care coordination, efficiency and role clarity, which earned national recognition with the Association of Cancer Care Centers “Innovator Award” for 2025. Under her leadership, the organization achieved significant progress in harm reduction, including declines in hospital-acquired infections and conditions, while sustaining exceptionally low RN turnover compared with national benchmarks. She has expanded scholarship and research capacity by strengthening nursing publications and presentations, and has recruited research leadership that contributed to meaningful grant funding. Ms. Rodriguez is also advancing evidence-based leadership innovation through initiatives like a four-day workweek model for nurse leaders and data-driven staffing optimization approaches. She continues to contribute nationally through committee work with groups such as the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.
Robert Rose, DNP, RN. Senior Vice President of Nursing and CNO at Ascension (St. Louis). Mr. Rose leads nursing strategy for Ascension, overseeing nearly 35,000 nurses and nearly 10,000 nursing support associates. Mr. Rose is advancing a nurse leader structure that rightsizes nurse managers’ spans of accountability to give them more time on clinical units, while creating advancement paths that do not require nurses to leave bedside practice. Mr. Rose has made professional growth central to Ascension’s retention strategy through its evidence-based practice academy, tuition assistance, scholarships and academic partnerships. Ascension also offers adaptive scheduling, self-scheduling, micro-shifts and weekend alternatives to help nurses balance clinical work, education and family responsibilities. Mr. Rose is immediate past chair of the American Hospital Association’s committee on clinical leadership and a former board member of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership. Before joining Ascension, Mr. Rose served as market chief nurse for Greater Charlotte and central area chief nurse executive at Charlotte, N.C.-based Atrium Health. Mr. Rose has spent more than half of his career in Catholic healthcare.
Tamera Dunseth Rosenbaum, DNP, RN. Chief Nursing Executive at UCHealth (Aurora, Colo.). Ms. Rosenbaum is responsible for more than 12,000 nurses at UCHealth, a nonprofit health system with $10 billion in operating revenue and a workforce of more than 37,000 people. She also serves as CNO for UCHealth’s Southern Colorado Region, which spans four hospitals. Working with physician and executive leaders, Ms. Rosenbaum leads initiatives on quality, safety, patient experience, workforce engagement and operational performance, and has championed care models that allow nurses to practice at the top of their scope. In 2023, Ms. Rosenbaum helped lead Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs, Colo. to its first Magnet recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. As part of UCHealth’s systemwide team focused on reducing workplace violence, she was lead author of the 2023 Journal of Emergency Nursing article “Workplace Violence in the Hospital: Strategies for Meaningful Change.” With more than 25 years of clinical leadership experience, Ms. Rosenbaum previously served as Memorial Hospital’s associate CNO and as CNO of Grandview Hospital in Colorado Springs. She has also served on the boards of the Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence and the American Heart Association.
Jennifer Roth, MSN, RN. Chief Nursing Executive, Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and Dr. Dori Biester Chair in Pediatric Nursing at Children’s Hospital Colorado (Aurora). Ms. Roth sets the direction for nursing and clinical operations at Children’s Hospital Colorado and has established a unified patient care services structure across all care sites in her first year as chief nursing executive. Ms. Roth led strategies that reduced registered nurse vacancies by 95%, contract labor by 67% and registered nurse turnover by 33%, while cutting time-to-fill from 12.67 weeks to 1.25 weeks. Those workforce efforts generated $3 million in premium pay reductions and $2.3 million in productivity gains year over year. Ms. Roth championed the hospital’s fifth Magnet designation and led initiatives that produced its best-ever central line-associated bloodstream infection rate of 0.93 per 1,000 central line days. Nursing team member engagement scores improved from 3.98 in the second quarter of 2024 to 4.02 in the second quarter of 2025, with gains in eight of 10 index measures. Ms. Roth joined Children’s Hospital Colorado in 2003 and previously served as associate CNO and vice president of patient care services, and before that as director of patient care services, clinical operations. Ms. Roth is a 2024 graduate of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership’s nurse executive fellowship.
Caryl Ryan, BSN, RN. CNO, COO and Vice President of Patient Services for UConn John Dempsey Hospital (Farmington, Conn.). Ms. Ryan serves in a multifaceted leadership role at UConn John Dempsey Hospital as CNO, COO and vice president of patient services. She oversees a wide range of departments, including nursing, epidemiology, clinical quality, cancer services and inpatient services, while also being responsible for the operational and regulatory oversight of the hospital. With nearly four decades of service at UConn Health, Ms. Ryan has advanced through various nursing roles, from ICU staff nurse to nursing director, demonstrating a deep commitment to patient-centric care and infection prevention. Her leadership has driven the development of key units within the hospital. Ms. Ryan is also a member of the Connecticut Hospital Association’s quality and safety committee.
Kelli S. Sadler, BSN, RN. System Chief Nursing Executive for Corewell Health (Grand Rapids, Mich.). Ms. Sadler is Corewell Health’s first ever system chief nursing executive, taking on the role in March 2026. She is tasked with overseeing more than 16,000 nurses systemwide. The role was created in order to align nursing priorities across the organization’s care continuum, working closely with physician leadership and regional nursing leaders. Before assuming her current position, Ms. Sadler was chief nursing executive for Corewell Health in Southeast Michigan since January 2023. There, she was responsible for leading initiatives in clinical quality, nursing innovation and patient safety. She brings over three decades of nursing and healthcare leadership experience to the role. She holds leadership and advisory roles with academic institutions like Sigma Theta Tau International through Wayne State University and the University of Detroit Mercy College of Health Professionals.
Lisa Salameh, BSN, RN. Vice President and CNO at Sturdy Health (Attleboro, Mass.). Ms. Salameh provides executive leadership on all matters related to nursing practice and nursing administration at Sturdy. She is responsible for nursing practice throughout all service lines, providing leadership at Sturdy Memorial Hospital and across the system’s primary and specialty care practices. She leads the inpatient and ambulatory nursing teams, including emergency services, acute care and medical practice-based nursing teams. In addition, she oversees perioperative and surgical services, pharmacy services, respiratory services, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, endoscopy and clinical education. She has been integral to the creation of a strong clinical leadership governance structure and the enhancement of patient and staff safety. She has also strengthened recruitment and retention efforts.
Carly Sanders. CNO/Director of Nursing of South Central Health (Wishek, N.D.). Ms. Sanders leads all nursing operations at South Central Health, a 24-bed critical access hospital. She oversees the development and implementation of nursing policies and procedures, and is accountable for recruiting, hiring and retaining qualified nurses and certified nursing assistants while cultivating a professional, supportive work environment. In addition to staffing and clinical leadership, Ms. Sanders manages departmental budgets spanning core patient-care areas including med-surg, the emergency department and the operating room, and collaborates with senior leadership on broader organizational initiatives. A key achievement of her tenure is her leadership role in the hospital’s transition to a new EHR system, which has improved workflow efficiency and supported better coordinated care. She is a dedicated patient advocate with a consistent focus on improving the patient experience and ensuring delivery of high-quality care in a rural setting.
DeeAndra Sandgren. CNO of Good Samaritan (Sioux Falls, S.D.). Ms. Sandgren oversees nursing and clinical services at Good Samaritan, one of the nation’s largest senior care and services providers. She is responsible for care management, clinical reimbursement, nursing shared governance, admissions, social services, life enrichment and dietary. Under her leadership, Good Samaritan improved clinical outcomes, workforce stability and innovation, transforming care delivery for 10,000 seniors in rural America. In 2024, she drove a 20% increase in applications for national quality awards with strong results. Also in 2024, the long-term care provider achieved resident vaccination rates exceeding industry benchmarks by 15% for Covid-19 and 7% for influenza. As a result of retention and recruitment strategies, the director of nursing vacancy rate dropped from over 20% to under 10% in two years. She shares her best practices nationally through media and speaking engagements, helping elevate standards across healthcare. By stabilizing clinical leadership in its long-term care centers, Good Samaritan is well-positioned to help shape the future of care delivery, leveraging new resources and models such as virtual care, resident-centered technology and automation. Good Samaritan is part of Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health’s integrated health system, with services in the upper Midwest and 70% of residents living in rural communities.
Kathleen Sanford, RN. Senior Executive Vice President and CNO at CommonSpirit Health (Chicago). Ms. Sanford leads nursing across 24 states, where more than 45,000 CommonSpirit Health nurses provide care at more than 2,300 clinics and care sites and 158 hospital-based locations. Her portfolio includes nursing practice, patient care services, care coordination, nurse education, nursing research, patient experience, physician advisory services, behavioral health, nursing informatics and centralized virtual clinical services. In 2025, Ms. Sanford led the final year of CommonSpirit’s five-year nursing strategic plan, developed with input from nearly 16,000 nurses, which included a systemwide nurse residency program with a 91% retention rate for new nurses, compared with a national average of 67%. Ms. Sanford oversees “Care Base,” a centralized virtual hospital serving 258 home health branches, hospitals and clinics in 19 states that saved more than $40 million and prevented 157,900 adverse events in 2025. The virtually integrated care model, which Ms. Sanford also oversees, supported 808,200 virtual visits in 2025 and led to a 21% decrease in emergency department hold hours, an 87% reduction in hospital-acquired pressure injuries, a 46% decrease in catheter-associated urinary tract infections and a 16% reduction in patient falls. Units using the model saw a 43% reduction in first-year voluntary registered nurse turnover, and the model earned the American Telemedicine Association “Nexus Transformational Leadership Award” in 2025. Ms. Sanford previously served as senior vice president and CNO of Englewood, Colo.-based Catholic Health Initiatives from 2006 to 2019, and was CNO of Harrison Medical Center in Bremerton, Wash. from 1985 to 2005. She also reached the rank of colonel in the U.S. Army.
Susan Santana, DNP, RN. Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and CNO at Southern New Hampshire Health (Nashua). Ms. Santana leads nursing and patient care services at Southern New Hampshire Health, overseeing nursing practice and operations, quality, patient safety and workforce development. Ms. Santana helped lead Southern New Hampshire Medical Center to its fifth consecutive Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, making it the only hospital in New Hampshire with five designations and placing it among fewer than 2% of hospitals nationwide. Through shared governance, mentorship and leadership development programs, Ms. Santana has helped reduce first-year nurse turnover. Before joining Southern New Hampshire Health in 2022, Ms. Santana held leadership roles at Tufts Medicine’s Lowell (Mass.) General Hospital, most recently as associate CNO, and helped that hospital achieve its first Magnet designation. Ms. Santana’s earlier roles at Southern New Hampshire Health include clinical assistant, registered nurse, clinical teacher and clinical nurse manager. With more than 40 years of nursing and healthcare experience, Ms. Santana is a certified nurse executive through the American Nurses Credentialing Center and serves on the board of directors of The Front Door Agency.
Roland Santos, MSN, RN. CNO at Encino (Calif.) Hospital Medical Center and Sherman Oaks (Calif.) Hospital. Mr. Santos oversees nursing and clinical services at Encino Hospital Medical Center and Sherman Oaks Hospital, two hospitals that are part of Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare. His portfolio spans acute medical and surgical services, robotic surgery, interventional radiology and cardiology, electrophysiology, critical care, stroke care, adult and pediatric emergency services, behavioral health, wound care and hyperbaric medicine, dialysis and vascular services. During his career with Prime Healthcare, Mr. Santos led the development and expansion of service lines, including the cardiac catheterization laboratory and subacute services at the two hospitals. Sherman Oaks Hospital received a Healthgrades “Patient Safety Excellence Award” for the 12th consecutive year in 2025 and an “A” grade in patient safety from Leapfrog in spring 2025. Mr. Santos is a nursing professor and serves as a board member of the Philippine Nurses Association of Southern California.
Tina Santos, MSN, RN. Assistant Vice President and CNO of Orlando (Fla.) Health Orlando Regional Medical Center. Ms. Santos is the CNO of Orlando Health Orlando Regional Medical Center, where she leads nursing strategy, clinical practice and care delivery at one of Florida’s largest and most complex tertiary hospitals. With more than 15 years of executive nursing leadership experience, Ms. Santos has driven excellence in quality, safety and professional practice. She is credited with fostering top-decile team engagement through a strong shared governance structure and a deeply relational leadership style. Ms. Santos also regularly practices alongside frontline nurses to stay grounded in patient care realities. Under her leadership, the medical center achieved Magnet designation in 2023. The hospital’s emergency department, a level 1 trauma center, is one of only 94 nationwide to receive the Emergency Nurses Association’s “Lantern Award” from 2024–2027. Prior to joining Orlando Health, Ms. Santos was CNO and vice president of patient care services at Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton, Mass.
Maureen Scanlan, DNP, MSN, RN. Senior Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive at Montefiore Einstein (Bronx, N.Y.). Ms. Scanlan provides strategic direction for nursing services across Montefiore Einstein and oversees the health system’s nursing governance structure, including its health system CNO cabinet, NYC core cabinet and nurse executive council. Ms. Scanlan developed a multiyear plan to guide four hospital campuses toward “Pathway to Excellence” and Magnet designations. For the Moses campus, Ms. Scanlan helped secure a $4.5 million Mother Cabrini Health Foundation nursing workforce initiative grant, the largest nursing-focused grant in the system’s history. Her workforce initiatives helped reduce registered nurse turnover across the system’s New York City hospitals to levels outperforming the 90th percentile nationally in 2025. After the system implemented its evidence-based “Tailored Interventions for Patient Safety” initiative, falls with injury declined 40%, and each New York City hospital has exceeded the national benchmark for more than eight consecutive quarters. Ms. Scanlan also established CNO advisory boards across multiple campuses to give frontline nurses a direct role in shaping strategy, and has supported “Monte Cares,” a patient experience program rooted in the “Quality-Caring Model.”
Jennifer Schmidt-Kaklis. CNO at Lakeview Regional Medical Center (Covington, La.). Ms. Schmidt-Kaklis leads nursing and clinical operations for Lakeview Regional Medical Center, overseeing patient care delivery across emergency, surgical, heart and vascular, pediatrics, rehabilitation, behavioral health, and women’s and infant services. As the hospital’s senior on-site nursing leader, she drives evidence-based practice, quality and safety performance, regulatory readiness and operational efficiency while prioritizing staff development and mentorship. With more than two decades of service within the New Orleans-based Tulane/LCMC system, she has progressed from staff nurse to CNO, bringing service-line depth from prior roles spanning pediatric ICU clinical supervision, pediatrics leadership, and women’s and children’s services. Ms. Schmidt-Kaklis is recognized for crisis-tested leadership, including critical operational roles during Hurricane Katrina, and for building strong leadership benches through the promotion and development of nurse leaders across high-acuity services.
Kathie Seerup, BSN, RN. Vice President and CNO at Children’s Hospital Colorado, Colorado Springs. Ms. Seerup is responsible for the strategic, operational and clinical oversight of patient care services in Children’s Hospital Colorado’s Southern Region, where the Colorado Springs hospital provides care to more than 54,000 patients. Since joining the hospital in 2020, Ms. Seerup has saved the system more than $10 million by eliminating contract agency staffing within six months. She also served as operations chief during the Covid-19 response. Ms. Seerup also led the nursing executive council through a “Human-Centered Leadership” initiative and now oversees systemwide Magnet efforts and professional governance. With 40 years of pediatric and neonatal experience, including 35 years in leadership roles, Ms. Seerup previously served as vice president of patient care and CNO at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. Ms. Seerup earlier spent 22 years at Children’s Memorial Hospital, now Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, rising to senior director of critical care services with responsibility for 120 critical care beds, and received a Society of Critical Care Medicine “Design Citation Award” for her work on the design, construction and move to the new hospital. Ms. Seerup chairs the board of the Southern Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce and serves on the governance committee of the Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence’s board. In 2025, the Society of Pediatric Nurses awarded the Colorado Springs hospital’s medical-surgical unit its “Diamond Level” distinction.
Lori Seim, RN, BSN. CNO at First Care Health Center (Park River, N.D.). Ms. Seim oversees nursing services and patient care operations at First Care Health Center, a rural provider serving Park River and the surrounding region. As a member of the executive leadership team, Ms. Seim directs nursing practice standards, nursing staff recruitment and development, staffing and patient care resources, and regulatory and accreditation compliance. Ms. Seim has held nursing leadership roles at First Care Health Center since August 1996. Ms. Seim began her career as a registered nurse, and served as director of nursing and director of patient care and nursing before becoming CNO. First Care Health Center was named one of Gallagher’s 2023 “Best-In-Class Employers” and was recognized by Prairie Business magazine as one of the region’s “50 Best Places to Work” in 2024, 2025 and 2026.
Robin Shepherd, DNP, RN. Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive at Banner Health (Phoenix). Appointed to her current role in 2023, Dr. Shepherd leads more than 20,000 nurses across six states. Since her arrival, she spearheaded several key initiatives. These include creating Banner’s first nursing vision statement, refreshing the nursing professional practice model, implementing a new “Mission: Possible” bedside shift report process to improve patient safety outcomes, and significantly improving nurse engagement scores and nursing turnover rate. Her background in clinical informatics and care innovation facilitated the successful launch of bedside device integration, saving more than 2.4 million documentation minutes in 2024 for nurses at the front line. She is leading Arizona’s first conversation on augmented intelligence in nursing education and intersections observed within the healthcare industry. To achieve this, she partners with college and university nursing programs across Arizona to advance conversations around AI use cases in nursing curriculum and AI’s impact upon critical thinking in nurse learning and translation to practice. With nearly four decades of experience in nonprofit, faith-based and proprietary healthcare systems, Dr. Shepherd developed and launched Arizona’s first acute inpatient hospital-at-home program while co-leading the Covid-19 response for her prior health system’s Arizona and Nevada division.
Anisha Sheth. CNO at Lake Huron Medical Center (Ontario, Calif.). Ms. Sheth leads nursing services and patient care at Lake Huron Medical Center, overseeing nursing policies, clinical standards, quality improvement, patient safety and patient experience initiatives. Ms. Sheth also oversees recruitment, retention and development of nursing leaders and staff, and participates in strategic planning, budgeting and resource allocation as a member of the hospital’s executive committee. Ms. Sheth advanced to the CNO role after serving as a charge nurse, house supervisor, clinical nurse manager, nurse practitioner and director of cardiology. Lake Huron Medical Center has achieved a 4-star rating from CMS from 2023–26 and was named a U.S. News & World Report high-performing hospital for heart failure for 2025-26. The hospital has also earned an American Heart Association “Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus” award, an “A” grade for social responsibility from the Lown Institute, and a Healthgrades “Patient Safety Excellence Award” every year since 2019. Lake Huron Medical Center has received “A” hospital safety grades from The Leapfrog Group since 2018 and was named a Forbes “Top Hospitals” honoree in 2026.
Amanda Shrout, DNP, RN. CNO and Vice President of Patient Care Services at Sinai Hospital and Grace Medical Center (Baltimore). Dr. Shrout leads nursing and patient care services at Sinai Hospital and Grace Medical Center, overseeing daily nursing operations, workforce recruitment and retention, patient experience initiatives, and continuous improvement of clinical quality and organizational performance. Both hospitals are part of Baltimore-based LifeBridge Health. During nearly a decade serving within the system, she has advanced through roles spanning clinical nurse specialist, director of clinical excellence, director of emergency departments and observation, and CNO. At Sinai, she built out a clinical excellence infrastructure and launched a simulation center to strengthen evidence-based practice and staff readiness. She also led major access and throughput initiatives, including doubling the size of the emergency department and opening a new outpatient rapid observation center. In addition, Dr. Shrout advanced patient- and family-centered care by implementing 24/7 visitation, and championed competency-based nurse onboarding to accelerate unit readiness. Her operational impact includes creation of an emergency department-specific dashboard to improve accountability; the implementation of a throughput nurse role that drove sustained improvement in observation length of stay; and a 55% reduction in door-to-triage times for pediatric patients.
Patricia Shucoski, DNP, MSN, RN. Chief Nurse Executive at BayCare Health System (Clearwater, Fla.). Ms. Shucoski leads more than 11,000 nurses across BayCare’s 16 hospitals, including a children’s hospital, and hundreds of care locations in West Central Florida. As a member of BayCare’s executive leadership team and CEO cabinet, she oversees nursing practice, education, workforce development, professional standards and the annual nursing operations budget. Ms. Shucoski is leading a systemwide redesign of BayCare’s nursing care delivery model, which incorporates virtual nursing and new technologies. Under her leadership, BayCare reduced contract labor utilization by more than 50% and incentive premium pay by 32%, reinvesting the savings in nurses’ base salaries, workforce development and retention initiatives. Ms. Shucoski also redesigned the system’s clinical ladder program and led efforts to reduce central line and urinary catheter use, contributing to decreases in central line-associated bloodstream infections and catheter-associated urinary tract infections. With nearly three decades of experience, Ms. Shucoski previously served as senior vice president of performance excellence and system integration at Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health and vice president of patient care services at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, N.J. Earlier, Ms. Shucoski was hospital director of nursing at Cancer Treatment Centers of America.
Deana Sievert, DNP, MSN, RN. Senior Vice President and System CNO at Rush University System for Health and CNO at Rush University Medical Center (Chicago). Ms. Sievert oversees systemwide nursing strategy, workforce development and standardization of care models at Rush University System for Health, with direct responsibility for Rush University Medical Center and oversight of nursing at Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora, Ill. and Rush Oak Park (Ill.) Medical Center. Ms. Sievert is a member of the system’s executive leadership team and is leading nursing systemization to standardize clinical practice models across all Rush locations. Ms. Sievert has more than 30 years of healthcare experience, including more than 15 years in senior leadership roles. From March 2022 to November 2025, Ms. Sievert served as CNO for four hospitals at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. There, Ms. Sievert co-led a recruitment and retention initiative that resulted in a net gain of more than 100 nurses and reduced registered nurse turnover within the first 12 months. She also helped forge a formal academic partnership with the college of nursing. Ms. Sievert also spent 12 years at ProMedica Health System in Toledo, Ohio, including roles as president of two hospitals, and as senior vice president of patient care services and CNO for the acute, ambulatory and provider divisions. Ms. Sievert also serves as associate dean for nursing practice and continues to practice as an inpatient hospice staff nurse.
Jemilat Siju, DNP, MSN, RN. Vice President and CNO for Ambulatory Care at Mount Sinai Health System (New York City). Ms. Siju leads ambulatory nursing across Mount Sinai Health System, with responsibility for evidence-based, patient-centered care, population health, regulatory compliance and survey readiness. As care shifts toward the ambulatory model, Ms. Siju is working to streamline and standardize new ambulatory nursing practices. Ms. Siju pioneered the leadership certificate course for the Phillips School of Nursing at Mount Sinai Beth Israel, where she is adjunct faculty, and leads the “Ambulatory New Graduate Fellowship Program” for newly graduated registered nurses. In partnership with Mount Sinai’s Talent Development and Learning Department and the Ambulatory Care Academy, Ms. Siju developed and teaches a curriculum on staff engagement. The results of her staff development programs appear in a journal article Ms. Siju co-authored, “The Implementation of a Nurse Certification Review Course and a Nursing Symposium to Promote Professional Development in the Ambulatory Setting.” Ms. Siju began her career in 2004 as an inpatient oncology nurse, became a nurse manager within 18 months and joined Mount Sinai in 2012 as nurse manager for Mount Sinai Beth Israel’s oncology ambulatory infusion program before moving into ambulatory care in 2017.
Marsha Sinanan, DNP, MSN, RN. Vice President of Patient Care Services and CNO at Mount Sinai Morningside, Mount Sinai West and Mount Sinai-Behavioral Health Center (New York City). Ms. Sinanan oversees patient care services and nursing at Mount Sinai Morningside, Mount Sinai West and Mount Sinai-Behavioral Health Center, part of Mount Sinai Health System. As CNO at Mount Sinai Morningside, Ms. Sinanan provides clinical, operational and strategic oversight of the department of nursing for inpatient and critical care across multiple clinical specialties. Before joining Mount Sinai, Ms. Sinanan was director of nursing at New York-Presbyterian/Allen Hospital in New York City, where her oversight included the emergency department, behavioral health, the Dan and Jane Och Spine Hospital, and the geriatric and hospitalist unit. Ms. Sinanan was selected as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 2024 and was named one of Chief Women Leaders’ “Top 50 Women Leaders in Healthcare to Watch” for 2026. Ms. Sinanan has an educational background in healthcare leadership, systems and policy, as well as in nursing and in business administration in healthcare management.
Opal Sinclair-Chung. CNO for NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County (Brooklyn, N.Y.). Ms. Sinclair-Chung has received multiple leadership awards for her work as CNO at NYC Health + Hospitals, including the prestigious “Sloan Public Service Award” from the Fund for the City of New York. She currently leads the nursing workforce at NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County, the largest municipal hospital in Brooklyn and a level 1 trauma center. Under her leadership, Kings County became the first hospital in Brooklyn, N.Y. and the second in New York City to achieve “Pathway to Excellence” designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Mrs. Sinclair-Chung is committed to developing effective policies and procedures that foster highly engaged team members, prioritizing patient experience and quality outcomes.
Maureen Sintich, DNP, RN. Executive Vice President and Chief Nurse and APP Executive for Inova (Falls Church, Va.). Dr. Sintich serves as executive vice president and chief nurse and APP executive for Inova, where she leads the system’s nursing professional practice team and oversees six CNOs across five hospitals and nursing informatics. In this role, she is responsible for systemwide nursing strategy, including models of care, staffing standards, patient experience and the integration of population health initiatives. Prior to joining Inova, Dr. Sintich served as senior vice president and network CNO for Edison, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Health, providing executive oversight across a large, multi-hospital health system. Across more than two decades in nursing leadership, Dr. Sintich has driven clinical excellence, operational alignment and workforce optimization at scale. Her work consistently focuses on strengthening nursing practice, improving care delivery, and aligning nursing strategy with organizational and community health priorities.
Bryan W. Sisk, DNP, RN. Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive at Memorial Hermann Health System (Houston). Mr. Sisk leads nursing strategy and a workforce of more than 14,000 nurses at Memorial Hermann Health System, and also oversees the forensic nursing services team and the “Nurse Health Line,” a free 24/7 service for Texas residents. Under his leadership, “HEAL High School” has grown to more than 500 students in grades nine through 11, with projections to exceed 700 by 2028, and recently opened a simulated hospital and hired its first paid apprentice. Mr. Sisk launched the system’s first Nurse Manager Collaborative, initially engaging more than 250 clinical nurse managers, and developed the Institute for Nursing Excellence into a systemwide hub for simulation-based education, specialty training and research. Memorial Hermann has awarded 44 scholarships supporting entry into nursing and advancement to registered nurse and BSN roles, and its forensic nursing fellowship, which Mr. Sisk helped establish, celebrated its first five graduates. The system earned several “Beacon Award” unit recognitions, and several campuses earned Magnet recognition with distinction. Mr. Sisk chairs the Texas Health Professions Workforce Coordinating Council, serves as a board director of the DAISY Foundation and was inducted as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. A retired U.S. Army major with more than 20 years of military service, Mr. Sisk previously served as chief nurse executive of the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System in Temple and Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare.
Kim Slusser, PhD, RN. Chief Nurse Executive at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston). Dr. Slusser leads more than 5,650 nurses as the inaugural chief nurse executive at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, overseeing clinical nursing practice, operations, development, safety, emergency preparedness and interdisciplinary collaboration. Dr. Slusser played an instrumental role in securing MD Anderson’s sixth consecutive Magnet designation and first Magnet recognition with distinction, awarded in 2025. Under her leadership, the institution has sustained a nursing turnover rate below 8%. In 2025, MD Anderson’s new graduate clinical nurse residency program and oncology nursing advanced practice fellowship program both received reaccreditation with distinction from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Dr. Slusser supports the expansion of virtual nursing and the continued advancement of the Meyers Institute for Oncology Nursing, which focuses on leadership development, discovery and nurse fulfillment. Dr. Slusser serves on advisory groups including the Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers’ CNO working group, The Joint Commission’s chief nurse executive committee and the American Organization for Nursing Leadership’s chief nurse executive forum.
Tracey Smithson, MSN, RN. Vice President and CNO at FMOL Health | St. Dominic (Jackson, Miss.). Ms. Smithson joined FMOL Health | St. Dominic in 2023 and oversees patient care services and nursing operations, including nursing standards, quality assurance, infection prevention and workforce performance. Under Ms. Smithson’s leadership, nursing turnover declined from 20.02% in September 2023 to 12.29% by June 2025. Patient experience also improved, with the “nurses overall” score rising from 58.33 in 2023 to 68.66 in 2025 and the “would recommend” score rising from 68.54 to 74.05. Ms. Smithson implemented bedside shift report and nurse leader rounding, expanded shared governance to include unit practice councils, and launched a professional enhancement program that financially recognizes registered nurses who meet defined leadership and clinical practice criteria. In January 2026, St. Dominic opened its first 24/7 obstetrics emergency department, an eight-bed unit serving expectant mothers from 20 weeks of pregnancy and women up to six weeks postpartum. Ms. Smithson previously served as CNO of Piedmont Eastside Medical Center in Snellville, Ga., from 2017 to 2023 and of North Hills Hospital in North Richland Hills, Texas from 2012 to 2017. Ms. Smithson was named among Women We Admire’s “Top Women CNOs” in 2026.
Sharon Smyth, DNP, RN. Vice President of Nursing and Patient Care Services and CNO for The Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore). Dr. Smyth has served as vice president of nursing and patient care services and CNO at The Johns Hopkins Hospital since February 2025, providing executive leadership for nursing practice, regulatory affairs, and patient and guest services. She leads the clinical care and strategic initiatives of the nursing department at the academic medical center. She first joined Johns Hopkins in 2018 as senior director of nursing for the department of emergency medicine at both The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, where she standardized emergency nursing care across Baltimore City campuses. During this time, she also led the lifeline critical care transport team and served as co-director of the Judy Reitz Capacity Command Center. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Smyth served as CNO of the Baltimore Convention Center Field Hospital, overseeing large-scale emergency response, testing and vaccination efforts. In 2021, she was named vice president and CNO at Johns Hopkins Bayview, where she implemented strategies that reduced nursing turnover and improved engagement. Dr. Smyth first began her career as a bedside nurse in critical care, neonatal intensive care and emergency nursing.
Sherri L. Sprague, BSN, RN. CNO and Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services at Kent Hospital (Warwick, R.I.). As CNO at Kent Hospital, Ms. Sprague leads the nursing team and spearheads nursing practices. With a history of leadership roles at Providence, R.I.-based Care New England, including interim CNO and associate CNO, she has a strong track record of achievements that align with Kent Hospital’s compassionate care mission. Notable accomplishments at Kent Hospital include developing an ambulatory service dashboard, increasing patient portal enrollment, and reducing emergency department ambulance diversion hours through a rapid triage model. Ms. Sprague has also optimized workforce recruitment and engagement, stabilizing nursing vacancies and reducing labor costs. Additionally, she played a key role in representing Care New England in legislative discussions on multi-state nursing license requirements. In 2022, she was honored with the Providence Business News “40 Under Forty” award.
Mila Sprouse. Regional CNO for Providence North Puget Sound (Wash.). Dr. Sprouse leads nursing strategy and practice for Providence North Puget Sound, spanning three hospitals and representing nearly 3,000 nurses and caregivers. Under her nursing leadership, Providence Regional Medical Center Everett (Wash.) improved its CMS overall hospital quality star rating from two to four stars within one year. Through June 2026, the hospital outperformed targets for catheter-associated urinary tract infections, with a standardized infection ratio of 0.353 against a 0.400 target, and for central line-associated bloodstream infections, with a ratio of 0.169 against a 0.566 target. Voluntary turnover reached 15.3% and the registered nurse communication score reached 78.44, both better than target. Those results build on earlier gains, including a 93% reduction in nonviolent restraint use, a 76% reduction in workplace violence and an approximately one-day reduction in length of stay. In 2026, Dr. Sprouse was selected as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and joined the Philippine Nurses Association of America national board of directors. Dr. Sprouse previously served as CNO at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle and vice president of nursing at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in Houston.
Elizabeth Squires. Vice President of Nursing Operations at Encompass Health (Birmingham, Ala.). Ms. Squires oversees nursing, dialysis, clinical education, respiratory and nutrition services for Encompass Health, supporting more than 11,000 nurses across 176 inpatient rehabilitation hospitals in 39 states and Puerto Rico. Ms. Squires chairs the company’s nursing leadership board and leads a nationwide network of CNOs. Ms. Squires championed the creation and expansion of the organization’s nursing career ladder program; 44.8% of full-time registered nurses have advanced on the ladder, and participating registered nurses have a turnover rate of 4.79%, compared with 24.13% among nonparticipants. Under her leadership, Encompass Health has grown to 1,490 certified rehabilitation registered nurses, an 18% increase since 2024. Nursing operations cared for nearly 69,000 discharged patients in the second quarter of 2026, as the organization opened three new hospitals totaling 139 beds and added 54 beds at existing hospitals through June 2026. Ms. Squires serves on the Joint Commission’s chief medical officer/chief nursing executive council and the Lippincott advisory board, and was a featured presenter at the 2026 National Association of Rehabilitation Nurses Leadership Summit. Her previous roles include regional CNO, CNO, nursing supervisor and registered nurse.
Dayna Stahl, DNP, RN. Vice President of Patient Care Services and CNO at Heywood Healthcare (Gardner, Mass.). Ms. Stahl oversees nursing and patient care across Heywood Healthcare’s two hospitals: 134-bed Heywood Hospital in Gardner, Mass., and Athol (Mass.) Hospital, a 21-bed critical access hospital. She leads a clinical workforce of more than 700 and manages a budget of more than $7 million. Over the past year, serious reportable fall injuries across the system dropped from 11 to four under Ms. Stahl’s direction. She also led contract negotiations with the Massachusetts Nurses Association, completing and ratifying a three-year agreement in six sessions. Ms. Stahl revitalized the patient experience committee, created a downtime documentation process for electronic system disruptions, and partnered with facilities and security teams to increase safety rounds and implement environmental safety modifications. She has more than 25 years of nursing leadership experience, including more than a decade at UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton (Mass.) Hospital before joining Heywood in 2011. Ms. Stahl serves on the Massachusetts Hospital Association’s clinical issue advisory council and PatientCareLink advisory council.
Cathy Stankiewicz, DNP, RN. Senior Vice President and CNO at AdventHealth Central Florida Division (Orlando, Fla.). Ms. Stankiewicz leads nursing and clinical operations for AdventHealth’s Central Florida Division’s hospitals and off-site emergency departments. She joined AdventHealth in 1991 as a graduate nurse and has since served in various roles and leadership positions, most recently as CNO for AdventHealth Orlando (Fla.). During her tenure as CNO, AdventHealth Orlando improved key clinical measures, achieving the Leapfrog “A” hospital safety grade. She was also recognized by her team for her leadership and presence throughout multiple Covid-19 surges. Post-pandemic, Ms. Stankiewicz led the health system’s strategic plan to refortify nursing workforces, cutting RN turnover in half, reducing travel-nurses by 98%, and recruiting more than 7,500 registered nurses and thousands of patient care technicians and licensed practical nurses. Additionally, since 2020 she has overseen investment into nursing pay and bonus initiatives, as well as investment in Florida’s nursing schools, the introduction of dedicated education units at system hospitals in partnership with area colleges and universities, and the implementation of virtual nursing in inpatient and emergency department settings.
Helen Staples-Evans, DNP, RN. CNO and Senior Vice President for Patient Care Services at Loma Linda (Calif.) University Health. Dr. Staples-Evans, senior vice president and CNO at Loma Linda University Health, oversees the nursing team and focuses on strategic leadership, professional development, retention and engagement. She has played a key role in enhancing the professional practice of nurses by developing programs such as the clinical ladder program and the new graduate nursing residency, which provides mentored experiences to new nurses. Her leadership was instrumental in Loma Linda’s achievement of Magnet designation, particularly during the pandemic when she navigated the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s first-ever virtual site visit. She has also led new construction efforts, maintaining high patient care standards throughout. Her four-decade-plus tenure at the health system resulted in her receiving the system’s “President’s Distinguished Service Award” for 2024.
Mary F. Stapleton, MSN, RN. CNO at Roxborough Memorial Hospital and Suburban Behavioral Health Campus (Philadelphia). Ms. Stapleton oversees nursing and patient care at Roxborough Memorial Hospital and Suburban Behavioral Health Campus, part of Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare. In her role, she oversees the nursing, pharmacy, surgical services, radiology, laboratory, physical therapy, respiratory and dietary departments. Ms. Stapleton has led initiatives in medication communication, care coordination and nurse-provider collaboration that have raised patient experience scores from 53% to 68%. To build the nursing pipeline, she strengthened the nurse residency program for newly licensed nurses and expanded participation in the clinical advancement program. Ms. Stapleton implemented interdisciplinary daily safety huddles across all patient care areas and established an off-shift nurse coordinator model to provide leadership coverage on evenings, nights, weekends and holidays. Ms. Stapleton also introduced monthly forums and communications held jointly with the hospital’s CEO to increase transparency and leadership visibility. Ms. Stapleton previously served as CNO of Prime Healthcare’s Suburban Community Hospital in Norristown, Pa. and as assistant vice president of nursing for the Mainland and City campuses of AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Egg Harbor Township, N.J. Ms. Stapleton is a board member of Chestnut Hill College and a member of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership and the Emergency Nurses Association.
Rachel Start, PhD, RN. CNO for City of Hope National Medical Center, and Vice President of Patient Care Services and Regional CNO at City of Hope (Duarte, Calif.). Dr. Start leads nursing and patient care services across inpatient and outpatient settings for City of Hope’s Southern California region. Dr. Start helped lead nursing preparations for the late 2025 opening of City of Hope’s 73-bed acute care hospital in Irvine, Calif., Orange County’s only cancer specialty hospital, which offers CAR T-cell therapy, transplant care, complex surgeries and clinical trials. Under her regional leadership, City of Hope earned its second Magnet designation across its Southern California locations in 2026, receiving 12 exemplars, including 10 tied to empirical outcomes. Dr. Start was appointed to the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s commission on Magnet recognition, which oversees the Magnet program and makes final designation decisions. Dr. Start previously worked at Rush System for Health in Chicago, most recently as assistant CNO for the Rush MD Anderson Cancer Service Line. Her earlier Rush roles include associate vice president of medicine, behavioral health and emergency services, Magnet program director at Rush Oak Park (Ill.) Hospital, and executive director and associate CNO of the cancer center at Rush University Medical Center. Dr. Start is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.
Corrin Steinhauer, DNP, RN. CNO at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center–Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (Columbus, Ohio). Ms. Steinhauer leads more than 1,500 nurses at The James, one of the largest cancer hospitals in the nation. There, she oversees nursing professional practice and systemwide patient safety and quality initiatives. Ms. Steinhauer developed and executed a new enterprisewide strategic nursing plan tied to the hospital’s overall strategic plan, and led the nursing staff to The James’ third Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center and has submitted for a fourth. Ms. Steinhauer co-led the establishment of an academic practice partnership with the Ohio State College of Nursing and created a new role combining clinical care and clinical instruction, to which 12 nurses have been hired. Under Ms. Steinhauer’s leadership, central line-associated bloodstream infections decreased 25% in the past two years. Ms. Steinhauer also partnered with human resources to lead “ZerOHarm Every Person Every Time” training for more than 20,000 employees. Ms. Steinhauer previously served as vice president of patient care services and CNO at UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial in Harvey, Ill. from 2018 to 2022, and is second vice president-elect of the American Nurses Association-Ohio.
Renee Stewart, RN, MSN. CNO at Lower Bucks Hospital (Bristol, Pa.). Ms. Stewart leads nursing services and patient care at Lower Bucks Hospital, a facility that’s part of Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare, and represents nursing to the hospital’s governing board. After the hospital’s crisis provider departed, Ms. Stewart supported the development and expansion of crisis services and integrated the emergency department, crisis services, behavioral health, case management and community resources into a coordinated care model. She also served as incident commander during a mass-casualty event involving more than 120 individuals. Additionally, she has led an ICU modernization and expansion, implemented an updated nurse call system and a sitter program, and developed nursing assistant and registered nurse float pools to reduce reliance on overtime. Ms. Stewart also established an in-house sexual assault nurse examiner program, supported inpatient wound-care consultation and medication-assisted treatment programs, and created pathways for medical-surgical nurses to advance into critical care roles. Ms. Stewart oversees labor relations with the hospital’s unionized nursing workforce and serves as interim case management director. Ms. Stewart previously served as associate CNO and director of case management at Lower Bucks Hospital and as manager of case management at Jefferson Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia.
Luke Sticht, MSN, RN. Senior Vice President and CNO at Boston Children’s Hospital. Mr. Sticht is the senior nurse leader at Boston Children’s Hospital, overseeing nursing operations, workforce planning, professional practice, education, quality improvement, regulatory readiness, and the recruitment and retention of direct care nurses. This year, Mr. Sticht helped lead a Boston Children’s delegation of patient families from Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont and Kansas to Washington, D.C., where the group met with 18 members of Congress and their staff about Medicaid, pediatric workforce challenges and research funding. Mr. Sticht previously spent 17 years at Madison, Wis.-based UW Health, progressing from direct care leadership in an adult trauma ICU to nurse manager, director of pediatric inpatient services, and vice president and CNO of UW Health American Family Children’s Hospital in Madison. At UW Health, Mr. Sticht led quality improvement work to reduce hospital-acquired conditions, expanded registered nurse hiring with support structures for new-to-practice nurses and created a Covid-19-specific ICU early in the pandemic. Mr. Sticht has 15 years of experience as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps and, as a commander, serves aboard the USNS Comfort, leading training and operations for several hundred service members. His active-duty service included a NATO hospital in Kandahar, Afghanistan, and his honors include five Navy and Marine Corps commendation and achievement medals.
Jenn Stoeke, MSN, RN. CNO and Assistant Vice President of Patient Care Services at Orlando (Fla.) Health Lake Mary Hospital. Ms. Stoeke provides executive oversight for nursing and patient care services at Orlando Health Lake Mary Hospital, where she is responsible for approximately 400 nurses and care team members. Ms. Stoeke helped lead the transition from Orlando Health South Seminole Hospital to the new Lake Mary facility, a move that transferred 52 patients in approximately seven hours with no quality or patient safety issues. The hospital has since reduced team member turnover by nearly 50% and recorded year-over-year improvements in hospitalwide patient experience scores. Ms. Stoeke is guiding the hospital’s pursuit of Magnet designation while supporting a 30-bed inpatient expansion and the development of an 11-bed neonatal ICU. Ms. Stoeke also established maternal and neonatal transfer processes to Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies. During her previous tenure at Winnie Palmer, Ms. Stoeke led her team to the highest patient experience scores at Orlando Health, maintaining top 10% performance for six consecutive years, and supported the initial Magnet designation and redesignation of Winnie Palmer and Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. Ms. Stoeke serves as chapter president of the Central Florida Organization of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership and sits on the advisory board of Seminole State College’s nursing program.
Andrew Storer, PhD, DNP, RN. CNO and Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services for Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (Buffalo, N.Y.). Dr. Storer was named CNO of Roswell Park in 2023, three years after he joined the cancer center as deputy CNO and executive director of nursing professional development, practice and research. Nurse engagement has risen dramatically through his leadership, resulting in record-low turnover and vacancy in nursing positions. His contributions led to accreditation with distinction for Roswell Park’s nurse residency program, approval for a continuing education program, the creation of the first nurse training facility at any cancer center to incorporate high-fidelity simulation and, supported by $2.11 million in funding from the National Cancer Institute, a first-of-its-kind research education program for nurses with advanced degrees. Dr. Storer has also driven transformation in care delivery, creating healthy work environments, promoting sustainability and supporting a culture of innovation in scholarship. He is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Organization of Nurse Leaders, the New York Organization of Nurse Executives and Leaders, the Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society, the Oncology Nursing Society, the New York State Nurses Association and more.
Jean Storey. Executive Vice President of Clinical Programs and CNO at Children’s Health (Dallas). Ms. Storey has led nursing practice, patient care services and clinical program development for Children’s Medical Center Dallas since June 2025. She is also a key strategic and operational leader for Children’s Health’s new $5 billion Dallas pediatric campus, which spans more than 33 acres and will include a multi-tower hospital with 552 inpatient rooms. Ms. Storey has championed acuity-based staffing models, and team member engagement has risen to the 92nd percentile nationally under her leadership. During her tenure, cardiac ICU nurse turnover has fallen from 26% to 9.8%, and neonatal ICU turnover dropped from 19% to 10.8%. Ms. Storey also helped lead the acquisition of a 10-provider pediatric cardiology practice with 26 locations. Previously, she served as senior vice president of strategic clinical programs at Children’s Health. Prior to that, she served as assistant vice president of patient services for the heart institute and critical care at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Ms. Storey has authored several peer-reviewed publications and in 2024 delivered the Thomas Garrett Rauch Memorial Lecture.
Michelle Strider, BSN, RN. CNO and COO at UVA Community Health (Charlottesville, Va.). Ms. Strider oversees nursing operations for UVA Community Health, part of Charlottesville-based UVA Health, which includes three acute care hospitals and a network of ambulatory clinics in Northern Virginia and surrounding counties. In fiscal year 2024, she reduced agency utilization by 26%, from 196 to 145 nurses, and oversaw the hiring of 292 registered nurses. Ms. Strider created the Nursing Professional Governance Organization in 2024 and has launched clinical ladders, preceptor programs and staff councils. As chief quality officer and later interim chief nursing and quality officer, Ms. Strider helped UVA Community Health achieve 97% of quality metrics at or above benchmark, Leapfrog “A” ratings across all acute care sites and zero-deficiency Joint Commission surveys. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Ms. Strider played a central role in the response, coordinating the delivery of more than 84,000 community vaccinations. Ms. Strider previously served as chief quality officer at UVA Health Culpeper (Va.) Medical Center and earlier as administrative director of quality. She brings more than 15 years of progressive leadership experience.
Regenia Stull, DNP, MSN, RN. Vice President and Liberty (Mo.) Hospital. Ms. Stull provides executive leadership for nursing at Liberty Hospital, part of Kansas City-based University of Kansas Health System, with oversight of patient experience, quality outcomes and nursing excellence initiatives. Since joining Liberty Hospital in January 2022, Ms. Stull has focused on leadership development, working with her leadership team to implement pipeline strategies, a professional governance model and recognition programs. Nursing turnover has fallen 50% under her leadership. In 2025, Liberty Hospital received 332 individual and 35 team “DAISY Award” nominations. As of August 2026, the hospital had gone more than 365 consecutive days without a central line-associated bloodstream infection. Before joining Liberty Hospital, Ms. Stull worked as a consultant in nursing leadership and CNO roles in Missouri, Illinois and Louisiana.
Desiree Stumpf. Regional Vice President of Nursing and Regional CNO at Deaconess Illinois (Marion). Ms. Stumpf is the senior nursing executive for Deaconess Illinois, overseeing nursing practice and patient care across Deaconess Health System’s Illinois region. Ms. Stumpf works with hospital CNOs to set regional nursing priorities and oversees nursing-sensitive quality measures, patient safety, infection prevention, and workforce recruitment and retention. Ms. Stumpf has partnered with colleges, universities and nursing programs to build nursing workforce pipelines in Southern Illinois and has led efforts to advance high-reliability nursing practices across the region. At Deaconess Illinois Medical Center, patient safety and quality efforts contributed to an improvement in the hospital’s Leapfrog hospital safety grade from “D” to “B.” Ms. Stumpf previously served as CNO of Crossroads Community Hospital in Mount Vernon, Ill. and helped the hospital achieve 5-star CMS performance in nursing communication for multiple years. Ms. Stumpf serves on the board of directors of Lifeboat Alliance.
Ashley Swope, MSN, RN. CNO and Vice President of Patient Care Services at St. Luke’s University Health Network (Bethlehem, Pa.). Ms. Swope leads nursing strategy, professional practice, workforce development and nursing operations for St. Luke’s University Health Network, overseeing more than 4,000 nurses across its acute care hospitals and clinical settings. As a member of the network’s executive leadership team, Ms. Swope is responsible for nursing quality and safety, recruitment and retention, leadership development and succession planning. Ms. Swope has spent her career at St. Luke’s, starting as a patient care assistant in 2011 and advancing to registered nurse, patient care manager, director of patient care services and then vice president of patient care services before becoming network CNO. In 2026, Ms. Swope helped champion the launch of St. Luke’s “Training in Motion” mobile simulation unit, which is expected to support more than 1,000 learners annually. Ms. Swope also supports St. Luke’s School of Nursing, the nation’s oldest continuously operating nursing school, as a workforce pipeline for the network. In 2025, the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality identified St. Luke’s as No. 1 among the top three highest-performing health systems in the U.S. for safety and quality. In 2026, every eligible legacy St. Luke’s acute care hospital earned an “A” Leapfrog hospital safety grade.
Annette Sy, DNP, RN. Chief Nursing Executive at Keck Medical Center of USC (Los Angeles). Ms. Sy has served since 2012 as chief nursing executive of Keck Medical Center of USC, which includes Keck Hospital of USC and USC Norris Cancer Hospital, leading a workforce of more than 1,900 nurses across all inpatient and outpatient nursing services. She led the Keck Hospital nursing team to its first American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet recognition, and the hospital renewed its Magnet designation in 2023. She also helped launch the USC Nursing Institute, a professional development program for nursing education, leadership, clinical expertise and research, and established a clinical ladder program that rewards nurses for professional growth and quality improvement work. Working with the Vanderbilt University Center for Patient and Professional Advocacy, Ms. Sy championed Keck Hospital’s participation as one of the first three hospitals nationwide in a nursing professionalism pilot, the outcomes of which were published in the Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. In 2026, Keck Hospital earned a 5-star CMS quality rating for the third year and its 12th “A” hospital safety grade from The Leapfrog Group in seven years. Ms. Sy previously served as associate administrator of ambulatory care services for the two USC-owned hospitals and, from 2005 to 2009, oversaw nursing inpatient units, ambulatory clinics and preoperative areas at USC Norris Cancer Hospital. She has been a registered nurse since 1984.
Michele Szkolnicki, BSN, RN. Senior Vice President and CNO at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey (Pa.) Medical Center. Ms. Szkolnicki leads nursing at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, a 647-bed, Magnet-designated organization with a level 1 trauma center, a level 4 neonatal ICU and more than 70 outpatient clinics. Ms. Szkolnicki led the medical center to its fourth Magnet designation in 2022, and the organization hosted its fifth Magnet visit in October 2026. Under her leadership, registered nurse turnover has remained at or below 9% for 18 consecutive months, registered nurse vacancies have stayed under 3% for three consecutive months, and agency nurses supply 0.43% of registered nurse hours. Ms. Szkolnicki led a multiyear workplace violence prevention effort, including the “Disrupting the Pathway to Violence” initiative, which introduced a real-time dashboard and patient alert system, and has advocated that CMS revise Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey methodology to exclude patients or visitors who engage in workplace violence. Ms. Szkolnicki also partnered with Inspire Nurse Leaders to launch the nurse leader catalyst program, a six-month, donor-supported development program for nurse managers. Before joining Penn State Health in 2020 as vice president of nursing acute and ambulatory care, Ms. Szkolnicki held executive roles within Springfield, Pa.-based Crozer Keystone Health System, Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare and Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Ms. Szkolnicki is a trustee of Neumann University, where she chairs the strategic planning committee, and serves as a 2025 and 2026 mentor for the American Hospital Association’s “Next Generation Leaders Fellowship Program.”
Kristen Taylor, MSN, RN. CNO at St. Luke’s Health–The Woodlands, Lakeside and Springwoods Village Hospitals and the Huntsville Emergency Center (Texas). Ms. Taylor serves as CNO for multiple hospitals and a freestanding emergency center, leading more than 600 nurses across North Houston. The organizations she leads are part of the broader CommonSpirit Health system, which is based in Chicago. In her current role, which she assumed in June 2025, she sets nursing strategy, develops policies and procedures, champions evidence-based practice and fosters a culture of clinical excellence. She plays a critical role in workforce planning, recruitment, retention and professional development, ensuring nurses are supported through education, mentorship and career growth. With more than 20 years of clinical experience and over a decade in progressive leadership roles, she has a strong track record of improving quality and operational performance. Ms. Taylor is widely recognized for her commitment to high employee engagement and advancing professional nursing practice. Beyond her organizational role, she currently serves as president of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses North Houston Montgomery County Chapter and has held multiple regional critical care leadership roles.
Renae Taylor. Vice President and CNO at UNC Health Southeastern (Lumberton, N.C.). Ms. Taylor oversees all inpatient and outpatient nursing care across UNC Health Southeastern and leads safety initiatives systemwide. Ms. Taylor also holds direct responsibility for quality, infection prevention, pharmacy services, sleep, respiratory, surgical services, and maternal and child health. For the acute care division, Ms. Taylor implemented a tiered daily safety plan in which leaders connect virtually each morning to share updates on system impacts and identify potential concerns. Ms. Taylor has also helped drive reductions in inpatient length of stay and observation hours, and her enrichment programs have been credited with improving employee and patient satisfaction for four consecutive years. In 2026, UNC Health Southeastern earned an “A” hospital safety grade from The Leapfrog Group, an “A” grade on the Lown Institute Hospitals Index and recognition from U.S. News & World Report as a “Best Hospital for Maternity Care.” Ms. Taylor previously served as the system’s director of critical care.
Vickie Taylor, DNP, RN. CNO at Augusta Health (Fishersville, Va.). Ms. Taylor leads nursing across Augusta Health’s 225-bed community hospital and outpatient network, and was promoted to CNO in January 2025. She has spent more than 30 years at Augusta Health, serving as assistant vice president of nursing and associate CNO from January 2023 to January 2025, assistant CNO from May 2018 to January 2023, and administrative director of surgical services and women’s health, overseeing seven clinical departments. In the surgical services role, Ms. Taylor implemented the hospital’s first surgical robotics team. As CNO, she spearheaded “Care Reimagined,” the hospital’s nursing transformation framework aimed at reducing administrative burdens and increasing the time nurses spend at the bedside. Ms. Taylor also led the rollout of Augusta Health’s virtual nursing platform, which pairs remote nurses with on-site staff to handle admission documentation, discharge planning and dual sign-off protocols. She has personally received the “Nurse Innovator Award for Leadership” and in 2026, Augusta Health was named to Forbes’ “Top Hospitals by State” list with a 5-star quality rating.
Christine Tebaldi, DNP. CNO at McLean Hospital and Vice President of Nursing for Mass General Brigham Behavioral Mental Health (Belmont, Mass.). Ms. Tebaldi oversees nursing practice, workforce strategy, quality, safety and operational performance as CNO of McLean Hospital and vice president of nursing for Mass General Brigham Behavioral Mental Health. Her responsibilities include nursing policy, clinical practice standards, nursing education, recruitment and retention, staffing optimization and quality improvement. Ms. Tebaldi has held several roles at McLean since 2007, including interim CNO, interim associate COO and director of clinical business development. She is a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner who has previously served as principal investigator for McLean’s participation in a federally funded “Regional Disaster Health Response System” initiative and now serves as the hospital’s incident commander and behavioral and mental health liaison. Ms. Tebaldi has held several American Red Cross leadership roles, including Massachusetts regional disaster mental health lead, and received the American Red Cross of Massachusetts “Chandler Blackington Community Impact Award” in 2013 for service following the Boston Marathon explosions. She also contributed to the “Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Scope & Standards of Practice” and previously served on the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing.
Gina Teegarden. Chief Nursing Executive at Naples (Fla.) Comprehensive Health. Ms. Teegarden leads nursing, quality, infection prevention and designated clinical programs for Naples Comprehensive Health, including oversight of clinical technology infrastructure and the system’s Epic EHR transition. She has 37 years of clinical experience, including 32 years in leadership. After joining NCH as an oncology bedside nurse in 1993, Ms. Teegarden advanced through roles including associate CNO of operations from 2015 to 2021 and interim CNO in 2021 before becoming chief nursing executive. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, the system eliminated agency and travel nurse labor under her leadership, and reinvested in internal bedside teams, contributing to a $40 million financial turnaround. The health system earned American Nurses Credentialing Center “Pathway to Excellence” designation in 2024, and its critical care departments received the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses “Beacon Award for Excellence” in 2024 and 2026. In 2026, the NCH Baker emergency department earned the Emergency Nurses Association “Lantern Award,” chest pain center accreditation from the American College of Cardiology, and “Silver Level” geriatric emergency department accreditation from the American College of Emergency Physicians.
Nicole Telhiard, DNP. Senior Vice President and CNO at FMOL Health (Baton Rouge, La.). Ms. Telhiard oversees nursing practice, workforce strategy and clinical operations across FMOL Health’s markets in Louisiana and Mississippi, all while continuing to serve as CNO of FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake in Baton Rouge. Her Baton Rouge scope has included the 900-bed Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, Our Lady of the Lake St. Elizabeth, Our Lady of the Lake Assumption, two freestanding emergency departments and a nursing home. She first began her career as a nurse tech at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in 1993, became its CNO in 2015, and was named system CNO in February 2026 after serving in the role on an interim basis. After redesigning nursing compensation to add differentials for certification, bachelor’s degree preparation, preceptorship and internal registered nurse assignments, Ms. Telhiard helped reduce agency nurse usage from 198 in July 2019 to fewer than 15 by January 2025. She also helped cut nurse turnover from 15% to 10%. To build the pipeline, she launched a nationally accredited transition into professional practice program for new registered nurses, a registered nurse sponsorship program with Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University, and partnerships with Baton Rouge Community College that created certified nursing assistant sponsorship and CNA-to-licensed practical nurse pathways. Ms. Telhiard also founded the patient family advisory council and has published in the Journal of Graduate Medical Education and the American Journal of Medical Quality. Outside the organization, Ms. Telhiard has served on the core leadership team of the Louisiana Action Coalition for Nursing since 2023 and on the board of the Franciscan Center for Professional Development since 2024.
Kim Tharp-Barrie, DNP, RN. Senior Vice President and CNO for Norton Healthcare (Louisville, Ky.). With over 40 years of healthcare experience, Dr. Tharp-Barrie exemplifies care in action through advocacy and innovation. Focusing on building systems that create the next generation of compassionate professionals, in 2010 she created what is now called Norton Healthcare Institute for Education & Development, growing it from four nurses to 81 to serve clinical education needs and advance nursing practice. Committed to understanding the importance of giving voice to employees, she was also named a Louisville Business First “Enterprising Woman” for 2023. She elevates several nursing programs and continues creating equitable pathways to bring more people into nursing. She has been key in the public schools academy program, which brings nursing opportunities to the classroom. In the community, she focuses on leading sexual assault and intimate partner violence programming for victims and their families.
Amy Thiesse, PhD, RN. CNO at Sanford Health Network, South Region (Sioux Falls, S.D.). With more than 30 years of nursing experience in tertiary and frontier hospitals, ambulatory and nursing home settings, Dr. Thiesse oversees nursing practice and the provision of nursing services in more than 25 rural medical centers and dozens of clinics. An advocate for equitably meeting the needs of rural communities, she is committed to upholding high standards for safe nursing practices, as well as skill and professional development opportunities tailored to rural frontline nurses. Understanding the unique needs and challenges associated with recruiting qualified nurses to smaller communities, Dr. Thiesse works closely with higher education institutions in the area to create opportunities for investigative learning and internships for nursing students.
Jan Tidwell. CNO at Piedmont Cartersville Medical Center (Atlanta). Ms. Tidwell leads nursing strategy, clinical operations, workforce performance, regulatory readiness and professional nursing practice at Piedmont Cartersville Medical Center as a member of its senior executive team. Under her leadership, registered nurse turnover fell from about 42% to 6%, and employee engagement remained above 80% for two consecutive years. Ms. Tidwell guided the hospital to Joint Commission advanced inpatient diabetes certification, and led efforts to achieve and maintain disease-specific certifications in stroke, diabetes, and total knee and hip replacement. Ms. Tidwell provided executive oversight for the construction and opening of a 43-bed emergency department, a 20-bed post-surgical unit, a 20-bed medical-surgical unit and a five-bed rapid admission unit. Ms. Tidwell also established unit-based councils across clinical departments and strengthened the hospital’s professional practice council. With more than 30 years in healthcare, Ms. Tidwell previously served at the hospital as clinical director of diabetes services and clinical nutrition, associate administrator, and assistant CNO and ethics and compliance officer, a role in which she led efforts that produced a 96% score on a system compliance survey. Ms. Tidwell serves on several boards, including the Cartersville-Bartow Chamber of Commerce, the Regional Trauma Advisory Commission, and the nursing programs of Georgia Highlands College and Reinhardt University.
Vicky Tilton. CNO and Vice President of Patient Care and Perioperative Services at Valley Children’s Healthcare (Madera, Calif.). Ms. Tilton has executive responsibility for inpatient, emergency, surgical, procedural and respiratory care services at Valley Children’s Healthcare, along with clinical education, case management, social work, the transport team, the access center and emergency management. Under her leadership, nursing turnover declined from 22% in 2021 to 12% in 2024 and about 5% in 2025. Patient declines decreased from 939 in fiscal year 2023 to 51 in fiscal year 2025, allowing more children to receive specialized care. Ms. Tilton led Valley Children’s fifth consecutive Magnet redesignation in 2024, which included nine exemplars. With more than 26 years of pediatric healthcare experience, she progressed from the operating room bedside to executive leadership. Ms. Tilton is a professor in the DNP program at California State University, Fresno, and serves as executive co-sponsor of Valley Children’s “Malcolm Baldrige Excellence Framework” journey. Ms. Tilton served on the board of Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Central Valley from 2019 to 2025.
Kathleen “Kathy” Tregear, MSN, RN. Senior Vice President of Nursing Operations and Chief Nursing Executive at Beebe Healthcare (Lewes, Del.). Ms. Tregear serves as chief nursing executive of Beebe Healthcare, providing executive oversight for nursing operations and patient care services across the health system. She leads the system’s nursing workforce in advancing patient safety, clinical quality, operational efficiency, workforce planning and regulatory readiness across the continuum of care. She partners closely with physicians, executive leaders and multidisciplinary teams to implement evidence-based protocols, improve patient flow, and sustain a culture of safety and continuous improvement aligned with the system’s five-year strategic plan. Ms. Tregear brings not only clinical expertise but also business acumen and legal training, lending her a unique leadership perspective. Since joining the system, she has strengthened quality and safety programs and improved throughput and efficiency, which has contributed to national recognition including “Gold Seal of Approval” from Joint Commission, strong CMS quality ratings and U.S. News & World Report recognition. Her collaborative approach emphasizes physician–nurse partnership, multidisciplinary pathways and practical execution that raises the standard of care.
John Tressa, DNP, RN. Chief Nursing Executive for Endeavor Health (Evanston, Ill.). Dr. Tressa is Endeavor Health’s system chief nurse executive, driving nursing excellence across hospitals and sites of care. He partners daily with the organization’s CNOs to standardize practice and ensure care is consistently safe, seamless and personalized across the system. A hands-on and collaborative leader, he spends significant time rounding in hospitals and ambulatory sites, engaging nurses, leaders and patients to strengthen the care experience. With nearly four decades in nursing, Dr. Tressa brings a uniquely broad leadership background that includes CNO, COO and CEO roles, as well as earlier experience in pediatric critical care, neonatal and pediatric transport, and flight nursing. Prior to joining Endeavor Health in 2018, he served as system senior vice president for heart and vascular and trauma service lines at Memorial Hermann in Houston.
Theresa Trivette. System Chief Nursing Executive at Valley Health (Winchester, Va.). Dr. Trivette is Valley Health’s inaugural system chief nursing executive, overseeing nursing practice and operations, clinical education, workforce development, nursing quality, patient experience and care management across acute care, ambulatory, home health and behavioral health settings. Since she took the role, employee engagement rose from the 3rd percentile to the 69th percentile nationally, while clinician engagement scores have remained above national benchmarks. During her tenure, Valley Health has reduced hospital-acquired infections and improved mortality, patient experience and length of stay in both inpatient and emergency settings. Dr. Trivette is leading the implementation of “CareForward,” a technology-enabled care delivery model focused on patient flow, resource utilization and care coordination. Her professional practice work includes Magnet-related initiatives, and Winchester Medical Center, Valley Health’s largest hospital, earned its fourth Magnet redesignation. Dr. Trivette co-chairs the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association’s chief nurse forum and serves as adjunct faculty at Shenandoah University. Since 2015, she has also served as a senior examiner for the national “Malcolm Baldrige Award Program.”
Joy Upshaw, BSN, RN. Senior Vice President and System CNO at TMC Health (Tucson, Ariz.). Ms. Upshaw leads nursing, clinical operations, workforce strategy, quality, patient safety and enterprise transformation initiatives across TMC Health’s multihospital regional system. Ms. Upshaw also serves as interim vice president of quality and patient safety, leading systemwide efforts on quality outcomes, risk reduction, patient experience and high reliability. She has more than 22 years of healthcare leadership experience and is currently developing new approaches to measuring nursing complexity and workforce design. Before joining TMC Health, Ms. Upshaw was CNO at Canyon Vista Medical Center in Sierra Vista, Ariz., and has also held roles including CNO, director of nursing and medical/surgical clinical resource manager at Oklahoma State University Medical Center in Tulsa. She currently chairs the Tucson Nurses Week Foundation board and is a member of the Children’s Clinics board.
Michael Vaccaro. Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing and Clinical Operations Officer at Novant Health (Winston-Salem, N.C.). Mr. Vaccaro leads nursing practice and workforce strategy, including talent development, across Novant Health. He has more than 25 years of experience, including 18 years with Novant Health, where his prior roles include senior vice president of nursing and clinical services, senior vice president of acute inpatient nursing, CNO of the Greater Charlotte (N.C.) market, and senior director of nursing for women’s and children’s services. Mr. Vaccaro launched “Nursing Roundtables,” a bimonthly forum with frontline nurses whose feedback led to onboarding changes, including an electronic tool for new nurses and their preceptors. He has also advocated for Novant Health’s digitally enabled rooms, which bring telehealth to the bedside, and partnered with care teams to introduce “CLARA,” an ambient listening and documentation tool powered by AI that early results show saves nurses thousands of clicks each day. Under his direction, Novant Health implemented the “Staged Orientation Model” for new nurses, and in 2025 the system’s 770 nurse residents had an 86% retention rate. Mr. Vaccaro serves on the North Carolina Nurses Association board and the board of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Charlotte. The Charlotte Business Journal recognized Mr. Vaccaro with a 2022 “Health Care Heroes Award” as top healthcare manager.
Heather Van Housen, DNP, RN. CNO at Adventist Health (Roseville, Calif.). Ms. Van Housen was appointed CNO of Adventist Health in January 2026. Ms. Van Housen leads the system’s clinical care delivery, clinical professional development and patient care executive team. Ms. Van Housen is responsible for planning and executing systemwide care transformation initiatives, clinical workforce development and nursing leadership development. Ms. Van Housen has been a registered nurse for more than 31 years. Ms. Van Housen’s background includes facilitating shared decision-making between leaders and direct care staff.
Hollie Vaughan, RN. Region VI CNO for Prime Healthcare (Ontario, Calif.). Ms. Vaughan serves as the CNO for Prime Healthcare’s region VI, overseeing hospitals in Florida, Indiana, and Ohio. With over 20 years of nursing experience, including more than a decade in CNO roles, Ms. Vaughan’s leadership focuses on establishing standards and fostering strong nursing leadership. She has achieved significant milestones throughout her career, such as helping a hospital earn American College of Cardiology chest pain accreditation and developing a centralized cardiac monitoring department. Additionally, Ms. Vaughan has helped hospitals reduce nursing turnover, implement new EHRs and improve patient satisfaction scores.
Kelly Vaughn. CNO at Nebraska Medicine (Omaha). Ms. Vaughn is a system-level leader who aligns nursing practice, operational priorities, and organizational strategy. Her leadership is grounded in clear expectations, strong accountability, and a commitment to ensuring leaders and teams are aligned around the outcomes that matter most. She has championed nursing retention efforts that have kept nursing turnover well below the national benchmark and has a leadership role in care redesign efforts informing the health system’s long-term expansion plans. Her leadership has contributed to a 35% reduction in hospital-acquired infections and a 40% decrease in patient falls. Over her 27-year career at Nebraska Medicine, she has progressed from nursing assistant to staff nurse, nurse manager, program manager, vice president of operations and CNO. She also serves on the Nebraska Medicine board of directors.
Heather Veltre, DNP. CNO at Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center (Summit, N.J.). Ms. Veltre leads nursing practice, education, professional development, research and clinical services at Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center, which is undergoing a multiphase transformation spanning most of its clinical areas. Since joining the hospital in early 2024, Ms. Veltre has overseen the development of nurse-driven protocols, a five-year roadmap for new nurses and a patient mobility program, and helped redesign the emergency department’s behavioral health crisis unit. Overlook achieved Magnet with distinction recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center in April 2025, its first such distinction since earning Magnet recognition in 2020. In 2025, Ms. Veltre developed a systemwide nurse-driven protocol that reduced hospital-acquired C. difficile infections 33%, an approach recognized as a best practice by The Joint Commission and the Magnet survey team. In 2026, the emergency department at Overlook’s Union campus received the Emergency Nurses Association’s “Lantern Award” for the sixth consecutive time, and the Summit campus emergency department received the same award for the second consecutive time in July 2024. Ms. Veltre previously served as vice president of patient care services and CNO at Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel, N.J., where nurses achieved the hospital’s second Magnet designation in October 2022 and a “Lantern Award” in 2023. Ms. Veltre held the same role at Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, N.J., from 2018 to 2022.
Elizabeth Vieito-Smith, DNP, RN. CNO of University of Miami Health System. As CNO, Dr. Vieito-Smith develops and directs the overall nursing activities for University of Miami Health System, which includes overseeing, coordinating and evaluating nursing services to ensure quality and continuous improvement. She set industry-leading low staffing ratios to promote nursing satisfaction and optimal patient outcomes. She also crafted and implemented an admission, discharge and transfer nursing role, making the system one of the first in the U.S. to create a specific role to address patient throughput. She is also the associate dean of academic health centers integration for the University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies. Dr. Smith brings more than 40 years of nursing career experience to her role.
Ashley M. Virts, MSN, RN. CNO at Inova Fairfax Medical Campus and Vice President of Nursing for the Women’s and Pediatric Service Lines (Falls Church, Va.). Ms. Virts serves as CNO at Inova Fairfax Medical Campus, overseeing nursing operations and clinical practice at one of the region’s largest hospitals. She also serves as vice president of nursing across Inova’s women’s and pediatric services lines. She leads nursing alignment with Inova’s care imperatives while representing nurses in senior leadership and quality forums. Over her 15-plus year career at Inova, Ms. Virts has progressed from nurse extern to executive leadership, overseeing more than 4,000 nurses and 3,800 full time employees across multiple hospitals and service lines. She has led the design and opening of new inpatient units, specialty program expansions and major performance improvement initiatives. Notably, she championed a flexible four-day workweek option for leaders with 24/7 accountability, transitioning the program from pilot to permanent practice in 2025. Her leadership has contributed to improved engagement, reduced vacancies, and continued national recognition for quality and safety.
Courtney Vose, DNP, APRN, RN. Senior Vice President and CNO at Yale New Haven (Conn.) Hospital. Ms. Vose oversees nursing and patient care services at Yale New Haven Hospital, a 1,541-bed academic medical center and the primary teaching hospital for Yale School of Medicine. Her leadership spans a level 1 trauma center that includes Smilow Cancer Hospital, Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital and Yale New Haven Psychiatric Hospital, as well as a statewide network of specialty ambulatory practices. Ms. Vose also serves as associate clinical professor and senior advisor to the dean for clinical partnerships at the Yale School of Nursing. A fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, Ms. Vose served as vice chair of the academy’s “Building Health Care Excellence Expert Panel” in 2025 and chairs the panel in 2026. Her scholarly work includes Covid-19 research on caregiver stress and presentations at international forums, including the World Health Organization.
Gail Vozzella, DNP, RN. Chief Nursing Executive of Houston Methodist. Ms. Vozzella serves as the chief nursing executive for Houston Methodist, bringing 38 years of healthcare experience. She has launched transformative initiatives like the nursing science fellowship program, implemented nursing workload innovation projects, and led key strategic programs in patient care and nursing education. She aims to ensure the nursing workforce is ready for the future, including the creation of an optimal work environment to provide exceptional patient care. Part of that vision is to improve the transition to practice for new graduate nurses.
Kelley Wachtman, BSN, RN. CNO at Henry County Hospital (Napoleon, Ohio). Ms. Wachtman oversees all nursing services and clinical nursing staff at Henry County Hospital and was appointed CNO in October 2023 after serving as interim CNO. Ms. Wachtman began her career as a registered nurse at Swanton (Ohio) Valley Care and Rehabilitation before joining Henry County Hospital in 2010 as an inpatient care services nurse. At the hospital, she also worked as an oncology nurse and in surgical care services before serving as manager of medical practices. In 2024, Ms. Wachtman began representing the hospital on its hazard mitigation planning committee, coordinating with county and municipal agencies on emergency preparedness. Ms. Wachtman also serves on the nurse advisory committee for the hospital’s EHR vendor, Meditech, providing feedback on the design and workflows of its nursing solutions. Henry County Hospital has received The Partnership for Excellence “Silver Award,” which is based on the “Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence,” and recognition through the Ohio Department of Health’s “Ohio Healthy Worksite Award–Gold.”
Kasandra Wald. CNO of Linton (N.D.) Regional Medical Center. Ms. Wald serves as CNO at Linton Regional Medical Center, overseeing critical clinical areas including med-surgical services, the emergency department, trauma, surgery and outpatient services. In this role, she focuses on strengthening day-to-day hospital operations while fostering innovation within nursing and across patient care services. Ms. Wald is noted for pivotal leadership in implementing major operational and clinical advancements, including the successful rollout of the hospital’s trauma program, an important capability expansion that strengthens emergency readiness and community access to timely care. She also played a key role in the organization’s transition to Epic EHR, which has supported improved clinical workflows, more reliable documentation and smoother coordination across departments. Through these initiatives, she has helped position the hospital for stronger patient-care delivery and more streamlined operational performance in a critical access environment.
Ginell Walker-Way, BSN, RN. CNO at Atlantic Health Chilton Medical Center (Pompton Plains, N.J.). Ms. Walker-Way was named CNO of Atlantic Health Chilton Medical Center in April 2022 and is responsible for the hospital’s daily operations, including nursing, case management, emergency services and patient experience. Ms. Walker-Way joined Atlantic Health in 1995 as a staff nurse in the cardiac catheterization lab at Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center in Summit, N.J. and has since held management positions at five Atlantic Health sites. Before her current role, Ms. Walker-Way served as director of nursing at Atlantic Health Hackettstown (N.J.) Medical Center and, from September 2018 to 2021, managed the ICU, cardiac catheterization lab, pacemaker clinic and cardiology services at the Hackettstown and Newton (N.J.) medical centers. Ms. Walker-Way’s clinical leadership background spans cardiology, critical care, outpatient and surgical services. In 2025, she received the “Lifetime DAISY Award,” which the DAISY Foundation gives to nurses with more than 25 years of service. Ms. Walker-Way is a board-certified nurse executive through the American Nurses Credentialing Center and formerly served on the board of directors of the Northern New Jersey chapter of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.
Michelle Wallace. Executive Vice President and CNO at Grady Health System (Atlanta). Ms. Wallace oversees more than 3,100 clinical professionals, including more than 2,500 nurses, and leads nursing practice, clinical operations, workforce strategy, quality, patient safety and patient experience at Grady Health System. She first joined Grady in 2012 as director of emergency services and advanced through executive director of emergency and trauma services, vice president and senior vice president of clinical operations, and executive vice president and chief clinical officer from March 2020 to August 2021. Before joining the system, Ms. Wallace spent 2000 to 2012 in emergency department roles in Georgia, rising to senior director of emergency and trauma services. Earlier in her career, Ms. Wallace worked as a staff registered nurse at Watertown (Wis.) Memorial Hospital and Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany, Ga. At Grady, Ms. Wallace has championed virtual nursing, dedicated patient turn teams and resilience training for caregivers. Under her leadership, Grady units have earned the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses’ “Beacon Award for Excellence” and “Lantern Awards,” and the system was named a 2026 USA Today “Top Workplace” and a finalist for the American Hospital Association’s “Foster G. McGaw” award. Ms. Wallace also holds leadership roles with the American Organization for Nursing Leadership and the Georgia Trauma Commission.
Eric Wallis, DNP, RN. Senior Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive at Henry Ford Health (Detroit). Dr. Wallis is responsible for advancing innovative care models, professional development, education and engagement for Henry Ford Health’s systemwide nursing community. He partnered with Michigan State University to develop a new model of clinical faculty roles for Henry Ford nurses to increase clinical placements and nursing program enrollment. He developed the first staffing office for the system and is responsible for launching the first system virtual ICU in Michigan. His efforts thus far have decreased first year RN turnover as well as overall turnover. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, and currently serves on the Michigan Hospital Association legislative policy panel and on the Oakland University School of Nursing board of visitors.
Karil Walther, DNP. Market CNO at UnityPoint Health-Dubuque (Iowa). Ms. Walther leads nursing practice and patient care across the UnityPoint Health-Dubuque market, with responsibility for nursing administration, quality and risk management, infection prevention, case management, behavioral health, pharmacy, the Visiting Nurse Association, and inpatient and critical care services. Nearly 75% of hospital staff participated in the culture of safety survey under Ms. Walther’s leadership, the highest participation rate in the West Des Moines, Iowa-based UnityPoint Health system. Ms. Walther appointed nursing directors for critical care and medical-surgical services, supported the launch of “RN Career Pathways” in Dubuque, championed new clinical resource nurse roles and led international nurse recruitment efforts. Prior, as vice president of primary care and population health at Madison, Wis.-based UW Health, Ms. Walther led operations spanning more than 30 clinics, 1,100 staff and 200 providers caring for about 270,000 patients. Ms. Walther also helped lead UW Health’s initial Covid-19 response and vaccine strategy, including clinic consolidation, telehealth implementation, nurse-led triage and large-scale vaccine clinics. Earlier in her career, Ms. Walther moved emergency department patient satisfaction from the bottom quartile to the top quartile. Ms. Walther also served as vice president of healthcare practice operations at KeyCare and spent more than a decade at Meriter as an emergency services nurse and nurse manager.
Kim Walton. Executive Director of Patient Care Services at Saint Francis Hospital Muskogee (Tulsa, Okla.). Ms. Walton has served for five years as executive director of patient care services at Saint Francis Hospital Muskogee, a 377-bed community hospital serving a seven-county region of Southeast Oklahoma. The role is the hospital’s equivalent to a CNO role. Ms. Walton leads quality, safety and operations for acute care nursing, the emergency center, women’s services, geriatric psychiatry, respiratory therapy and oncology programs, with more than 500 team members. She also oversees the hospital’s freestanding emergency room in Eufaula, Okla., which restored hospital-level care to a county that had been without it for more than a decade. Under Ms. Walton’s leadership, the hospital moved from a CMS 2-star to a 4-star rating in 2023. Ms. Walton also helped develop a continuous renal replacement therapy program, along with peritoneal dialysis and continuous electroencephalogram monitoring, and the hospital earned and has maintained DNV primary stroke center accreditation. Ms. Walton also created a “code fall” response team that helped the hospital go 16 months without a fall with injury, volunteered the hospital as a virtual nursing pilot site and developed a transition-to-practice program for graduate nurses. Ms. Walton founded the Muskogee County Rural Health Network and serves on the Muskogee County board of health and the City of Muskogee Foundation board.
Jackie Ward, DNP, RN. System Chief Nurse Executive and Senior Vice President at Texas Children’s (Houston). Ms. Ward oversees clinical practice and engagement for more than 4,400 nurses and leads clinical nursing operations across all hospital campuses of Texas Children’s, a system with nearly 20,000 employees. Ms. Ward joined Texas Children’s as a graduate nurse in 1993 and served as vice president of nursing and associate CNO before taking her current role in 2021. In 2023, Ms. Ward led the nursing team to its fifth consecutive Magnet designation, marking 20 continuous years of recognition, and is leading preparations for a sixth designation in 2027. Registered nurse turnover fell below 10% in fiscal 2026, down from about 13.6% in 2023, and nursing improved on every engagement survey item in 2026, placing it among the top 10% of improvers in the vendor’s national benchmark. Ms. Ward helped advance Texas Children’s $130 million “Tomorrow Together” initiative, which included compensation investments while restoring paid time off and greater scheduling flexibility. Ms. Ward also helped build a talent pipeline from student nurse and patient care technician roles into nursing, and introduced workforce models such as a tandem nurse model for new graduates entering high-acuity units. In 2025, Ms. Ward received the “Outstanding Woman in Healthcare Award” from YWCA Houston.
Anne Marie Watkins. Chief Nursing Executive and Senior Vice President at UCI Health (Orange, Calif.). Ms. Watkins leads nursing practice, patient care services, workforce strategy and clinical operations across UCI Health’s six hospitals and multiple ambulatory settings. Ms. Watkins also serves as assistant dean of nursing education for the UC Irvine Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing. Ms. Watkins established systemwide nursing governance and standardized professional practice and quality frameworks to integrate nursing across the six hospitals. Ms. Watkins expanded the nurse leader visit program, helping UCI Health reach 90th percentile performance in nurse communication and patients’ likelihood to recommend the organization. As executive sponsor for Epic Reimagined, Ms. Watkins guided nursing through a transition that moved the academic hospitals to their own Epic instance and converted the community hospitals to Epic. Ms. Watkins’ focus on enterprise capacity management and patient flow, including a capacity command center and centralized monitoring, helped double the volume of tertiary and quaternary patient transfers across the system. Ms. Watkins previously served as vice president of national patient care services, operations and strategy for Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Foundation Hospital and Health Plan.
Michelle Watson, MSN, RN. Chief Nurse Executive and Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations at Lifepoint Health (Brentwood, Tenn.). Ms. Watson leads enterprise nursing across Lifepoint Health’s acute, rehabilitation and behavioral health settings, with responsibility spanning clinical operations improvement, patient experience, virtual care models, and regulatory and accreditation performance. She is a key partner to system quality and safety strategy, including oversight of elements of the national quality program and enterprise workforce recruitment and retention. Under her leadership, the system launched an evidence-based RN residency program across 38 acute hospitals in 2023 and expanded it to all 60 acute hospitals in 2024, with additional rollout into select rehabilitation and behavioral health sites. She also advanced the RN fellows program to develop experienced nurses as specialty preceptors and mentors. Ms. Watson further helped launch Lifepoint’s “REACH” workforce strategy and serves as executive sponsor for “EMPOWER,” the organization’s women’s employee resource group. She also participates in the Joint Commission’s CNE/CNO council.
Tammy Webb, PhD, RN. Chief Nurse Executive for Children’s Health (Dallas). Dr. Webb leads a diverse nursing team at Children’s Health, focused on delivering high-quality, compassionate care. Under her leadership, the organization achieved its fourth consecutive Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2023. Dr. Webb has driven various strategic initiatives to enhance patient care, including expedited antibiotic protocols for vulnerable patients and minimal stimulation guidelines for children with brain injuries. Her work is highlighted in the annual nursing report, which showcases innovative nursing practices and reinforces Children’s Health’s position as a leader in pediatric nursing.
Stacy Weldon. CNO at Cuyuna Regional Medical Center (Crosby, Minn.). Ms. Weldon oversees hospital operations, nursing services and patient care delivery at Cuyuna Regional Medical Center, including workforce planning, staffing, quality and patient safety, regulatory compliance and service line development. Ms. Weldon implemented an acuity-based staffing model that aligns nursing resources with patient needs, complexity and clinical workload rather than volume alone. Ms. Weldon also advanced cross-training initiatives designed to help the workforce respond to changing patient volumes and staffing needs. Cuyuna Regional Medical Center received three Minnesota Hospital Association awards in 2025 in recognition of its communications and nursing innovations, and two in 2026 for nursing innovations. Ms. Weldon has served on a chamber of commerce board of directors and has been involved in the Minnesota Hospital Association’s CNO committee. Ms. Weldon previously worked at Minneapolis-based Allina Health as director of the medical-surgical and critical care float pool, manager of the cardiac unit and the critical care step-down unit, and as an ICU registered nurse.
Jamie White, PhD, RN. Vice President of Patient Care and CNO of Frederick (Md.) Health. Dr. White is a transformational leader dedicated to the elevation of nursing practice at Frederick Health. She has created a culture rooted in safety, interprofessional collaboration and professional growth. Under her leadership, focused initiatives addressing workplace violence, positive practice environments and flexible staffing have increased nursing engagement scores above the national average, improved patient throughput and decreased monthly door-to-discharge performance. She directly addressed deficiencies that improved clinical quality indicators. Hospital acquired conditions improved, and patient experience scores of interventions showed improvement across key attributes including overall hospital rating, nurse communication, hospital environment, communication about medicine and discharge information. She is committed to mentoring emerging nurse leaders and creating innovative development programs.
Amy Wilson, DNP, RN. Chief Nurse Executive at SSM Health (St. Louis). Ms. Wilson leads systemwide strategy and operations for nursing and clinical services at SSM Health, including its health-at-home program, and oversees operational continuous improvement, philanthropy and workforce management. In 2025, SSM Health’s total fall rate reached 1.83 per 1,000 patient days, falls with harm dropped about 33%, and Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems nurse communication scores rose from 77.29% to 79.55%. First-year turnover among graduate nurses fell from 29.7% to 23.2%, and first-year turnover among experienced hires improved from 32.9% to 28.9%. Under Ms. Wilson’s leadership, SSM Health launched the “Aspiring Nurse” program with Chamberlain University in 2025, which funds nursing degrees, guarantees employment and accepted 153 students in its first year. “Project One: Nurse Well-Being,” a nurse-led documentation redesign, returns 23 minutes per nurse, per patient, per shift to direct care, and a fall risk predictive analytics tool deployed in May 2025 eliminated 293 documentation clicks per nurse, per shift. Ms. Wilson also hosts the SSM Health podcast “Healthcare Disrupted: Bold Leadership for a New Era.” She became the system’s chief nurse executive in April 2023 after serving as system senior vice president for the nursing center of excellence.
Heidi Wolf, MSN, RN. CNO at DeTar Healthcare System (Victoria, Texas). Ms. Wolf has been in executive nurse leadership for two decades, and with DeTar Healthcare System for five of those years. She oversees nursing practice, operations, clinical integration and a team of nurses across two hospitals. She also leads patient experience and capacity optimization initiatives. Ms. Wolf has introduced a new nurse graduate program with an enhanced focus on ICU nursing, which has resulted in new grad ICU nurses. She has also focused on filling vacant nursing positions and improving nurse retention rates. Ms. Wolf also serves on the Hope of South Texas Child Advocacy Center board of directors.
Laura J. Wood, DNP, RN. System CNO and Executive Vice President of Patient Care Operations at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Wood leads nursing and patient care operations at Boston Children’s Hospital. Over the past decade, her initiatives have led to a 46.5% reduction in serious preventable harm, a 200% outperformance of the RN engagement national excellence mean for fundamentals of quality nursing care, and a doubling of the racial and ethnic diversity in the nursing workforce. She is an RWJ Foundation Executive Nurse fellow alumna and American Academy of Nursing fellow. She provides national advocacy for nursing research funding, scholarship and professional practice environments through board service to Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research, SIGMA Foundation and American Nurses’ Credentialing Center, and was American Nurses Credentialing Center president for 2024-2025.
Launette Woolforde, EdD, DNP, RN. Executive Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive at Northwell Health (New Hyde Park, N.Y.). Dr. Woolforde leads more than 22,000 nurses across Northwell Health’s 28 hospitals and more than 1,000 outpatient, ambulatory, post-acute and home settings. During her tenure, Northwell has grown from three Magnet-designated hospitals to 15, supported by structures Dr. Woolforde created, including the Magnet program director council. In 2019, Dr. Woolforde led the creation of the system’s nurse residency program, which supports more than 1,500 first-year graduate nurses annually and earned practice transition accreditation program designation with distinction from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Dr. Woolforde also led development of systemwide clinical performance and productivity dashboards that nurse leaders have used to help reduce central line-associated bloodstream infection and catheter-associated urinary tract infection rates by 17% and 9%, respectively. Dr. Woolforde conceptualized “Compass,” a program at New York City-based Lenox Hill Hospital for transgender and gender nonconforming patients that has supported more than 1,000 patients. A registered nurse for more than 33 years, Dr. Woolforde has spent 21 years at Northwell, where previous roles include deputy system CNO and CNO for the Manhattan region. Dr. Woolforde also serves as vice dean at the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies and sits on the board of The DAISY Foundation.
Rosemary Wurster, DNP, RN. Senior Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive at Bayhealth Medical Center (Dover, Del.). Ms. Wurster leads nursing practice and operations at Bayhealth, with oversight of nursing, respiratory, staff development, surgical services, women’s and children’s services, and emergency services. Since Ms. Wurster joined Bayhealth approximately four years ago, registered nurse turnover has fallen from about 33% to about 15%. Under her leadership, Bayhealth achieved its third consecutive American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet designation in 2025, including five exemplars for clinical outcomes. Total hospital-acquired pressure injuries decreased from 58 in January–March 2026 to just 22 in April–June, and the serious safety event rate reached zero in July. The medical center’s total fall rate declined from a peak of 2.34 in early 2025 to 1.53 in July 2026. In addition, the hospital’s inpatient nurse residency program earned American Nurses Credentialing Center accreditation with distinction, and three critical care and progressive care units received American Association of Critical-Care Nurses “Silver Beacon Awards for Excellence” in 2026. In addition to her executive role at the hospital, Ms. Wurster is president of the Delaware Organization for Nursing Leadership. Before taking on her current role, she served as CNO of Reading (Pa.) Hospital/Tower Health after more than 20 years spent at Radnor, Pa.-based Main Line Health, including time spent serving as system vice president of nursing operations.
Phyllis Yezzo, DNP, RN. Executive Vice President and CNO for WMCHealth Network (Valhalla, N.Y.). Dr. Yezzo was appointed executive vice president and CNO of Westchester Medical Center Health Network in 2022, expanding her role to oversee nursing operations across all WMCHealth hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and provider practices. With nearly five decades of experience, she is responsible for maintaining high nursing standards across the network’s nine hospitals, where nurses represent the largest workforce segment. In 2022, Dr. Yezzo played a key role in negotiating three nursing union contracts, securing a 27% pay increase over five years and preserving benefits for more than 1,500 nurses. She also collaborates with New York Medical College and 20 other institutions to train nursing students. Beyond her work at WMCHealth, Dr. Yezzo holds leadership roles in several professional organizations and serves as an adjunct professor at Touro College.
Ron Yolo, MSN, RN. CNO of the California Region at Dignity Health (Glendale). Mr. Yolo provides executive nursing leadership across San Francisco-based Dignity Health’s California region, which includes 29 acute care hospitals and approximately 19,000 nurses. Mr. Yolo leads market and hospital CNOs in regional workforce initiatives, including recruitment and retention, nurse residency programs, traveler control and leadership development. The region reduced traveler utilization nearly 40%, from 1,123 at the start of fiscal year 2026 to 674, representing approximately $76 million in annualized contract labor expense based on national average bill rates. The regional nurse residency program, now adopted at all facilities, has supported 1,441 nurse residents and achieved a 92% retention rate, the highest within the broader Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health, generating an estimated $26.6 million in cost avoidance. Inpatient patient experience met or exceeded targets for three consecutive fiscal years, and emergency department patient experience rose from the 19th percentile in fiscal 2024 to the 35th percentile in fiscal 2026. Under Mr. Yolo, Bakersfield (Calif.) Memorial became the region’s first Magnet facility, and three other area hospitals earned “Pathway to Excellence” designation. Mr. Yolo previously served as division CNO, where he oversaw 18 facilities in CommonSpirit Health’s Southern California division and as CNO of Glendale (Calif.) Memorial Hospital & Health Center. He holds a faculty appointment in the Yale School of Nursing’s DNP program.
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