Assistant Professor
Department Community, Systems, and Mental Health Nursing, College of Nursing
Roles: Faculty, Administrator (Assistant Dean of Faculty Practice)
Joined Rush in 2006
I am Assistant Dean of Faculty Practice in the College of Nursing. I am responsible for the development and maintenance of over 28 diverse, community-based partnerships whereby faculty nurses and nurse practitioners, and interdisciplinary Rush University students provide direct patient care and health services to vulnerable populations across Chicagoland. I also coordinate clinical outcome analyses and student activities across all faculty practice venues and support the scholarly activities of all faculty practice personnel. I am a board certified, practicing Adult Nurse Practitioner. My research interests include return on investment (ROI) and cost analysis studies of nurse-managed health centers (NMHCs), patient satisfaction of NMHCs, and the impact of healthcare access on perceptions of health and healthcare utilization. I am also interested in strategic development of new nurse-managed models of care delivery for underserved populations. My primary teaching responsibilities are in the DNP programs with a focus on student advisement, health assessment, and healthcare business and finance.
Silly as this may sound, since the age of 12, when I began volunteering in a hospital delivering flowers and filling ice pitchers, I always knew I wanted to be a nurse. I was hooked and continued volunteering once a week throughout high school until I left for college to enter a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing program.
I love working with our students. They truly are the future of healthcare! I’m also inspired by my faculty colleagues, who are brilliant, dedicated nurse scholars.
My favorite part of the women’s mentoring experience is connecting with women from other areas of the university and disciplines. It creates a sense of unity and belonging, both as women and as part of a large academic medical center.
My advice would be to develop a network of mentors to help you at all stages of your career, and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
I have played violin since age 4 and have always turned to music to unwind. My husband and I are also busy raising our 3 boys. We love taking them on meandering road trips to explore!