The search for the organization's next chief executive has begun.
Loressa Cole, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, the CEO of the ANA Enterprise who led the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic, is retiring.
For five years, Cole has led the ANA Enterprise, which is the family of organizations composed of the American Nurses Association (ANA), American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and American Nurses Foundation (the Foundation). She joined the ANA Enterprise in 2016 as chief officer and executive vice president of the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
During Cole’s tenure as CEO, she started ANA's Racial Reckoning Journey, strengthened the organization’s finances, and championed burnout prevention strategies for nurses. Indeed, a prevention program that reduced burnout in more than 52% of pilot program participants is now available as a permanent benefit to the entire ANA membership.
“Recent data finds 84% of registered nurses are experiencing burnout and only 42% of nurses feel their employer values their mental health,” she said when the Burnout Prevention Program was rolled out. “ANA wants to help our members by making a great resource easily available.”
“Dr. Cole will be valued and remembered for her professional commitment and elevating the voices of and advocating on behalf of our nation's 4.4 million registered nurses,” said Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, president of ANA.
“The ANA board of directors is grateful for all that Dr. Cole has done to advance the vision and mission of the ANA Enterprise. She will be greatly missed,” Mensik Kennedy said.
Serving as ANA Enterprise CEO has been the “pinnacle” of her nursing career, Cole said.
“I have been honored to lead a world-class team, which includes the dedicated staff at the ANA Enterprise and hundreds of nurse volunteers, who are completely dedicated to improving the professional lives of our nation’s registered nurses and fulfilling ANA’s vision of ‘a healthy world through the power of nursing,’” she said.
“Every day, I am inspired by the resolve of this team to listen and respond to the priority issues of nursing, then execute on strategic initiatives that address these issues to make a positive and sustaining difference for our nation’s largest and most trusted healthcare sector—nurses,” she said.
Cole previously held chief nursing officer and chief operating officer positions within the Hospital Corporation of America’s (HCA) Capital Division. While chief nursing officer at LewisGale Montgomery Hospital, she led the hospital to attain ANCC Magnet® recognition.
In accordance with ANA’s succession plan, the ANA board of directors has created a search committee and selected search firm WittKieffer to manage the search process.
“Every day, I am inspired by the resolve of this team to listen and respond to the priority issues of nursing, then execute on strategic initiatives that address these issues to make a positive and sustaining difference for our nation’s largest and most trusted healthcare sector—nurses.”
— Loressa Cole, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, retiring CEO, ANA Enterprise
Carol Davis is the Nursing Editor at HealthLeaders, an HCPro brand.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Cole instituted a burnout prevention program now available as a permanent benefit to the entire ANA membership.
She started ANA's Racial Reckoning Journey.
The ANA board of directors has selected a search firm to manage the search process.