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UK Nurses Selected for Prestigious National Fellowship
LEXINGTON, Ky (June 22, 2009) − A national fellowship program focused on
expanding the role of nurses to lead change in the U.S. health care system has been
awarded to Cecilia K. Page, director of Clinical Information Systems and Project
Management Office, Information Technology Services at UK HealthCare, and Suzanne
Prevost, associate dean for Practice and Engagement at the University of Kentucky
College of Nursing. They are among twenty nurses selected nationwide as 2009 Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation® (RWJF) Executive Nurse Fellows.
Now in its 12th year, the three-year fellowship program provides extensive
leadership development for nurses in executive roles in public or community health,
science and research, corporate health, academia, government or military health
service. Fellows remain in their current positions while they receive training, mentoring,
and the opportunity to implement innovative health care strategies in their communities.
“Nurses provide a unique perspective in the health care system, understanding
both the patient experience and the way policies and procedures affect health
outcomes,” said Marilyn P. Chow, director of the RWJF Executive Nurse Fellows
national program. “We are thrilled to have Cecilia and Suzanne join the 2009 group of
fellows. The experience will enable them to bring new skills and resources to improve
health care in the Lexington community.”
An Equal Opportunity University
As part of the fellowship, they will have an opportunity to design and implement a
leadership project to address issues of essential importance to the future of UK, as well
as to the broader health care system.
Page has spent more than 20 years in senior leadership positions in health care,
spanning roles from chief nursing officer, to consultant, to clinical informatics. Recent
highlights have focused on adoption and implementation of complex clinical systems in
patient care environments facilitating the quest of the electronic medical record (EMR).
“I am honored and excited to have this opportunity to explore new solutions
challenging health care such as enhancing patient care through clinical Informatics
solutions in the Electronic Medical Record,” said Page.
Prevost has completed a postdoctoral geriatric fellowship through the John A.
Hartford Foundation. She has served on national boards for Sigma Theta Tau, the
International Nursing Honor Society, and the Certification Corporation for Critical Care
Nurses. Prevost is also the consulting editor for the journal Nursing Clinics of North
America.
Prevost's project will be focused on convening nurse experts across Kentucky to
enhance the care of elderly citizens, especially those in nursing homes.
"We are extremely proud of the honor bestowed upon these two leaders in
nursing," said Dr. Michael Karpf, executive vice president for health affairs at UK. "For
a pair of UK leaders in nursing to receive such prestigious recognition speaks to the
excellence we strive to provide in every area of UK HealthCare."
Kumble Subbaswamy, UK provost, said, “This extraordinary recognition is proof
of the leadership position our UK nurses enjoy on the national scene. From nursing
education to research to the latest in implementation of high tech patient care delivery
systems our nurses set the pace.”
The fellowship is supported through a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation and matching funds from the University of Kentucky.
For more information about the RWJF Executive Nurse Fellows program visit:
www.enfp-info.org.
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