Smiling nurse holding a clipboard

Fellows selected for nurse leadership training

First Coldiron Senior Nurse Executive class will begin year-long program this month; includes nursing execs from across United States, around the globe

An executive nurse leadership program at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing drew fellows from around the globe for its launch this month.

These new Coldiron Fellows, including three from Case Western Reserve University, hold such executive positions as chief nursing officer and chair of emergency medical services.

They’ll meet virtually on March 21 to begin a rigorous, year-long training program through the Marian K. Shaughnessy Nurse Leadership Academy at the nursing school that will include sessions on executive presence, financial acumen, care coordination, quality and safety competencies, wellness, public communication, and understanding and leading change.

The program was conceived by leaders at the leadership academy, the Case Western Reserve Weatherhead School of Management and three national organizations.

Joyce Fitzpatrick
Joyce Fitzpatrick

“Together with our national partners we have created this unique program to empower nurse leaders to take the next step to change health care for all,” said Joyce Fitzpatrick, director of the leadership academy.  “This Fellowship program was a key component of Marian Shaughnessy’s vision for our School of Nursing.”

The academy was announced in June 2018 and supported by a $5 million gift from Marian K. Shaughnessy, who died in February 2020, and her husband, Michael.

The Coldiron program was made possible by a gift from donors Arnold and Wanda Coldiron of Aurora, Ohio. Program officials are also especially remembering Wanda Coldiron, who died in February.

Dean Carol Musil

This inaugural class will “fulfill Dr. Marian K. Shaughnessy’s vision of empowering nurse leaders to become drivers of health care delivery and policy,” said nursing school Dean Carol Musil. “The Coldiron Fellows represent a dynamic group of nurse leaders from academia to the boardroom, who bring a diversity of opinion and experience to our new executive leadership program.”

‘Empower executive nurse leaders’

The program is open to nurse executives with at least five years of experience at the most senior level in health services, public health and community-based organizations or systems, as well as professional, academic, governmental and policy organizations.

Partners in the program are the American Nurses Association (ANA), the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) and the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA).

“Over the past year, nurses proved what we have always known: nurses are key to solving the most pressing and urgent issues within the health care system and the communities that they serve,” said ANA Chief Nursing Officer Debbie Hatmaker. “We look forward to collaborating with our partners in providing these capable leaders rich and relevant curriculum.”

AONL CEO Robyn Begley said: “This fellowship will provide a valuable experience for seasoned nurse executives, helping them to master the skills needed to meet the current and future challenges in any setting where they promote health or lead care delivery.”

HFMA President and CEO Joseph J. Fifer said collaboration between nursing and finance leaders has never been more important than it is now.

“This program will facilitate collaborative working relationships for the benefit of the patients we serve,” Fifer said. “HFMA is proud to be a partner in this innovative nurse executive leadership program.”

The Coldiron Fellows

  • Celeste Alfes, director of the Center for Nursing Education, Simulation and Innovation at Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
  • Noreen Brennan, chief nursing officer at NYC H+H/Metropolitan in New York City
  • Garry Brydges, chief nurse anesthetist at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and past president of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists
  • Theresa Campo, chair of Emergency Medical Services, director of the Emergency Nurse Practitioner Postmaster Certificate track and associate clinical professor in the College of Nursing and Health Professions at Drexel University in Philadelphia
  • Natalia Cineas, senior vice president and system chief nursing executive and co-chair of the Equity and Access Council for NYC Health + Hospitals in New York City
  • Angela K. Clark, executive director of Undergraduate and Prelicensure Programs and assistant professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing
  • Linzy Davenport, chief nurse executive at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento Medical Center
  • Stuart Downs, vice president of operations and chief operating officer of WellStar Atlanta Medical Center and Atlanta Medical Center, South
  • Benjamin Farber, associate chief nursing officer for the West Region at University Hospitals and chief nursing officer at University Hospitals, Elyria Medical Center
  • Paula Fessler, chief nursing officer at WMCHealth flagship Westchester Medical Center, Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital and the Behavioral Health Center in Valhalla, New York, and MidHudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie, New York
  • Nicolette Fiore-Lopez, chief nursing officerat St. Charles Hospital, Port Jefferson, New York
  • Mary Joy Garcia-Dia, president of the Philippine Nurses Association of America (PNAA) and program director for nursing informatics in the Information Technology Department and the Center for Professional Nursing Practice at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, New York City
  • Joan Halpern, vice president and chief nursing officer (CNO) of New York-Presbyterian (NYP) Lower Manhattan Hospital, New York City
  • Catrina Heffernan, Institute of Technology Tralee, (Munster Technological University), Ireland; coordinator of the International and Erasmus nursing program for nursing schools across Europe and the U.S.
  • Sara Kollman, regional chief nursing officer/nurse executive for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Colorado
  • Kezia Lilly, interim dean of the College of Nursing & Public Health at South University, Sparta, Missouri
  • Erik Martin, vice president of Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer for Norton Children’s Hospital (NCH) in Louisville, Kentucky; and president-elect of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL)
  • SuLynn Mester, chief nursing officer at Childress Regional Medical Center in Childress, Texas
  • Sonya Moore, director of the Nurse Anesthesia Program at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
  • Joachim Voss, program director of the Doctor of Philosophy Nursing Program at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
  • Claire Zangerle, chief nurse executive at Allegheny Health Network (AHN) in Pittsburgh