As vice president of quality and CNO, Ms. Ford is responsible for promoting nursing standards of care and overseeing professional nursing practice, including quality and patient safety. In addition, she works with other leaders in strategic planning at Ochsner Medical Center. Her accomplishments within the organization include rolling out major construction projects and team member engagement strategies, attaining recognition and accreditation for acute care hospital and ambulatory areas, and developing new care models which partner with pharmacy. Additionally, Ms. Ford was instrumental in rolling out virtual nursing programs and other integrated models to address the COVID-19 crisis. In 2022, OMC was named a finalist for the AHA Quest and Quality Prize under Ms. Ford’s leadership. Ms. Ford was the first Black member to be appointed to the Louisiana State Board of Nursing; the first Black president of LSBN; and the first Black CNO at OMC – New Orleans. Previously, Ms. Ford was CNO and vice president of patient care services for Our Lady of the Lake in Baton Rouge, La.
