Nurse leaders and Nursing Professional Governance representatives from throughout YNHH attended the Jan. 10 meeting to celebrate past achievements and discuss Nursing’s role in reimagining Yale New Haven Health. 

Nursing celebrates achievements, reimagines the future

Yale New Haven Hospital’s Nursing leadership and Nursing Professional Governance representatives gathered Jan. 10 for their annual meeting, themed “Nurses Reimagining the Future.” 
The event brings these groups together to highlight priorities and nursing strategies. After a guided meditation led by Nickia Jackson, RN, Perioperative Services, Ena Williams, RN, PhD, YNHH chief nursing officer, highlighted some of the past year’s successes.

The meeting featured an overview and celebration of nurses’ and care associates’ clinical advancement; quality, safety and patient experience recognition; education and research activities; and Magnet sustainability. Care associates, who are critical members of the healthcare team, made a special presentation on their past initiatives and accomplishments and future activities. 

Another key objective of the meeting was to outline nurses’ roles in advancing specific strategies that are aligned with the priorities of Nursing, YNHH and Yale New Haven Health System. Pamela Sutton-Wallace, YNHHS executive vice president and chief operating officer, discussed Nursing’s role in the health system’s strategic pillars and Strengthening Our CORE (Collaboration, Optimization, Resiliency, Efficiency) initiative. 

The meeting also featured two panel discussions, one with Sutton-Wallace, Deborah Rhodes, MD, enterprise chief quality officer, YNHHS, Northeast Medical Group and Yale Medicine; Michael Holmes, YNHH chief operating officer; Alan Friedman, MD, YNHH chief medical officer; and Corey Champeau, PA-C, YNHHS executive director, Quality and Safety. 

The second panel discussion featured Nursing Professional Governance (NPG) representatives. It was led by Alex Bohen, RN, and included Marianna Dombrowski, RN, Selina Nazzaro, RN, Christopher Mulhall, RN, and Hannah Govan, RN. The team discussed the past year’s outcomes and successes, the importance of NPG, and 2024 goals. NPG councils spent time later in the meeting setting and finalizing goals for the coming year.

The meeting’s keynote speaker was Sharon H. Pappas, RN, PhD, chief nurse executive for Emory Healthcare in Atlanta and chair of the American Nurses Credentialing Center Commission on Magnet. During her virtual presentation, she challenged attendees who, as transformational leaders, need to change to meet the times. 

The meeting closed with Danielle Huseman-Maratea, RN, manager, Magnet Integration; Patricia Span, RN, PhD, strategy and learning specialist; and Jeannette Bronsord, RN, DNP, executive director, Nursing Surgical Services, communicating Nursing priorities and the continuing journey to Magnet sustainability. This session included a video highlighting the Magnet journey since YNHH’s most recent redesignation and multiple achievements over the past year. 

“The annual meeting provided an opportunity for all to share feedback about what they are committing to in 2024 toward continuing Nursing’s contributions to high-value patient care with all members of the interdisciplinary team,” Williams said.