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 has resulted in her receiving the system’s “President’s Distinguished Service Award” for 2024.
