Nursing Leaders Inducted as Fellows into the National Academies of Practice
UK HealthCare Chief Nursing Officer Colleen Swartz, DNP, MSN, RN, FNAP and Norton Healthcare Senior Vice President and System Chief Nursing Officer Tracy Williams, DNP, RN, FNAP, were inducted as Fellows into the National Academies of Practice (NAP) during the NAP 2016 Annual Meeting & Forum.
The forum took place April 8-10 in Baltimore, Md., where more than 200 attendees gathered for discussions on interprofessional policy, contemporary interprofessional research, engaging in action strategy and more. The theme of the forum was “Interprofessional Practice and Education: Embracing Transformational Change.”
“This is a very distinguished fellowship,” says Dr. Janie Heath, dean and Warwick Professor of Nursing. “Both Colleen and Tracy are fearless leaders who, together, will influence national health policy and promote equality health care immeasurably. The College is proud to have them as assistant professors and partners.”
Dr. Swartz has served as chief nursing officer for UK HealthCare since Dec. 2008. Prior to this role, she held several leadership positions as director of emergency and trauma services flight nursing and director of the Capacity Command Center also for UK HealthCare. She also served as chief nursing officer at a regional community hospital.
A loyal alumnus, Dr. Swartz received her BSN, MSN, DNP and MBA all from the University of Kentucky. Her research interests include the integration of production systems strategies to optimize the care delivery model and the study of clinical deterioration and early warning systems deployment in adult and pediatric populations.
Dr. Williams was promoted to her current role in Dec. 2006 after serving as vice president and system chief nursing officer since May 2005. Her professional background includes 15 years as vice president and senior nurse executive for Baptist Health in Jacksonville, Fla. in addition to several nursing management positions.
Dr. Williams earned her bachelor’s degree from Old Dominion University, her MSN from the Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond and a DNP, specializing in executive leadership, from Rush University in Chicago, Ill.
“Thank you Colleen and Tracy for creating a path of excellence in nursing and health care—your expertise and rich experiences will keep us moving forward in the right direction,” says Dr. Heath.
NAP is a non-profit organization founded in 1981 to advise governmental bodies on the nation’s health care system. Distinguished practitioners and scholars are elected by their peers from 14 different health professions to join the only interprofessional group of health care practitioners and scholars dedicated to supporting affordable, accessible, coordinated quality health care for all.
Click here for more information on NAP.
