Nurse Innovation Fellowship
About the New J&J Nurse Innovation Fellowship Powered by Penn Nursing and the Wharton School
This year-long, hybrid in-person and virtual fellowship will immerse participants in principles of human-centered design and design thinking to be applied to real-world challenges. The innovation curriculum provided by Penn Nursing will be paired with business acumen, change management and strategic leadership skills development through Wharton Executive Education.
Johnson & Johnson Nurse Innovation Fellowship: 2023 Cohort
Meet the 10 teams that form the 2023 Johnson & Johnson Nurse Innovation Fellowship cohort. The teams represent geographically diverse areas across the US, and come from large and small health systems as well as stand-alone hospitals and public health systems in urban and rural locations.

Yale New Haven Hospital
Jeannette Bronsord, BSN, MSN, DNP
Executive Director Surgical Services
Ena Williams, PhD, MBA, RN, CENP
Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer
Executive Director Surgical Services
Ena Williams, PhD, MBA, RN, CENP
Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer

James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Salvacion Francisco, EdD, OL, MSN, RN
Deputy Chief Nursing Executive
Noreen B. Brennan, PhD, RN-BC, NEA-BC
Chief Nurse Executive
Deputy Chief Nursing Executive
Noreen B. Brennan, PhD, RN-BC, NEA-BC
Chief Nurse Executive

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
Dr. Susan Haynes Little, DNP, RN, PHNA-BC, CPH, CPM, FAAN
Chief Public Health Nursing Officer
Angela Callicutt, MSN, CPHQ
Assistant Director of Nursing and Field Staff Manager
Chief Public Health Nursing Officer
Angela Callicutt, MSN, CPHQ
Assistant Director of Nursing and Field Staff Manager

Olympic Medical Center
Aaron Possin, MSN
Emergency Department Director
Vickie Swanson, MSN
Chief Nursing Officer
Emergency Department Director
Vickie Swanson, MSN
Chief Nursing Officer

Hawai'i Pacific Health
Tracy Methered, MBA-HCM, BSN RN
Director of Clinical Informatics
Amy Thomas, MSN, APRN, FNP
System Chief Nurse Executive
Director of Clinical Informatics
Amy Thomas, MSN, APRN, FNP
System Chief Nurse Executive

Jefferson Health System
Charlene Eltman, MSN, RN, RN-BC
Division Director Clinical Informatics, North Region
Colleen Mallozzi, MBA, RN
Senior Vice President, Chief Nursing Informatics Officer
Division Director Clinical Informatics, North Region
Colleen Mallozzi, MBA, RN
Senior Vice President, Chief Nursing Informatics Officer

Blythedale Children’s Hospital
Jill M. Wegener, RN, MSN
Senior Vice President, Chief Nursing Officer, and Patient Care Services
Kara Dyer-Dombroski, RN, MSN
Nursing Director of the Pediatric, Adolescent & Traumatic Brain Injury Unit
Senior Vice President, Chief Nursing Officer, and Patient Care Services
Kara Dyer-Dombroski, RN, MSN
Nursing Director of the Pediatric, Adolescent & Traumatic Brain Injury Unit

Trinity Health
Peggy Norton-Rosko, DNP, RN, NEA-BC
Regional Chief Nursing Officer
Dawn Vollers, MSN, RN, NEABC
Regional Director for the Center of Professional Practice & Development
Regional Chief Nursing Officer
Dawn Vollers, MSN, RN, NEABC
Regional Director for the Center of Professional Practice & Development

West Virginia University Health System
Dr. Lya Stroupe, BSN, MSN, DNP
Director of Nursing Professional Practice and Education
Melanie M. Heuston, DNP, RN, NEA-BC
Inaugural Chief Nurse Executive
Director of Nursing Professional Practice and Education
Melanie M. Heuston, DNP, RN, NEA-BC
Inaugural Chief Nurse Executive

Corewell Health South
Natalie Baggio, MBA, BSN, RN
Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations and Chief Nursing Executive, South Region
Dr. Sandi Plank, DNP, CNOR, NPD-BC
Senior Director Clinical Education, Talent Development & Resiliency
Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations and Chief Nursing Executive, South Region
Dr. Sandi Plank, DNP, CNOR, NPD-BC
Senior Director Clinical Education, Talent Development & Resiliency
Program Timeline
- Applications Open3/3/23
- Program Kick-OffVirtual 6/5/23
- Summer Innovation Institute @UPenn Nursing SchoolIn person 6/26/23 - 6/30/23
- Virtual Sessions9/12/23 - 9/13/23
11/7/23 - 11/8/23
2/13/24 - 2/14/24 - Final Closing Event @Johnson & Johnson World HQIn person 5/22/24 - 5/23/24
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to participate?
Johnson & Johnson’s sponsorship of the fellowship covers all attendance and travel costs for participants.
Can School of Nursing faculty members apply to the Fellowship?
Unfortunately, no. Given the Fellowship’s goal of trying to maximize positive impact within health systems, the primary applicant must be a Chief Nursing Officer/nurse executive in a hospital or health system, and the secondary applicant must be a senior nurse leader within that same health system. It is always possible that we will reconsider this decision for future cohorts.
Would you consider other combinations of nurse leaders without a CNO?
The combination of senior nurse leaders will depend on the reporting structure within your health system. However, to maximize impact within health systems, the primary applicant must be a Chief Nursing Officer (or nurse executive with an equivalent title) in a hospital or health system. That CNO or equivalent must then choose a senior nurse leader within that same health system, who they will team up with throughout the fellowship.
Does the senior nurse leader have to report directly to the CNO or CNE?
No. The lead applicant (CNO or CNE) can decide who is best within their organization to partner with to define and address a problem within the health system to solve.
How do you define a senior nurse leader? Would a nursing educator (or other position) count as a senior nurse leader?
Different health systems use different titles so it’s hard for us to define by title who would qualify. Our objective is to have a team of two applicants per health system who are senior enough within their health system to be able to effect positive, meaningful change as a result of this Fellowship. The primary applicant should be a CNO or CNE or someone of an equivalent level who can drive change. The secondary applicant would be the person who can best partner (as decided by the primary applicant) with them to define and address a problem in their system. Therefore, the combination of senior nurse leaders will depend on the reporting structure within your health system.
Can applicants from the same health system but different hospitals within that health system apply?
Yes. As long as the two applicants are from the same health system, they can apply.
Can public health systems apply for the Fellowship?
Yes, public health system leaders can apply for the Fellowship. On the application, there is a “other” option for the question on the number of hospitals in your health system and the total number of licensed beds. Please leverage this option to enter any information that can help us understand the scope of your role if those questions are irrelevant.
Is it OK to leverage the Fellowship to advance a solution that is already being piloted in the health system?
No. To maximize the benefit and learning offered in this Fellowship, it is best if a solution is not already being piloted. Part of the human-centered design process that is being taught in the Fellowship is how to accurately define the problem and ideate solutions based on insights gained over the course of the fellowship.
How will applicants be notified if they were selected for the program?
All applicants will be notified via email on May 1, 2023 if they were selected for the Fellowship or not.
When will applications for the next Fellowship cohort open?
More information about the next Johnson & Johnson Innovation Fellowship cohort will be provided in Q1 2024.
Johnson & Johnson Nurse Innovation Fellowship
Our Past Nurse Innovation Fellows
Meet the 12 nurses who formed the 2019-2022 Johnson & Johnson Nurse Innovation Fellowship cohort.
