Nursing
Subscribe to Notes on Nursing, our monthly news digest.
Subscribe
How We Support Nursing Innovation

Nurse Innovation Fellowship

This ground-breaking, one-year, team-based nursing fellowship for Chief Nursing Officers (CNO), nurse executives, and senior nurse leaders, is focused on powering-up nurse-led innovation and leadership within health systems to drive transformative change in the healthcare work environment so nurses and patients can thrive. Johnson & Johnson’s sponsorship of the fellowship covers all attendance and travel costs for participants.
Nurse Innovation Fellowship: 2025-2026 Cohort
Meet the 15 teams that form the new 2025-2026 cohort. The teams represent geographically diverse areas across the U.S., large and small health systems, and standalone hospitals in urban and rural locations.
Advocate Health
Giancarlo Lyle-Edrosolo, DNP, RN, CENP, NEA-BC, FAONL
Market Chief Nurse Executive, Atrium Wake Forest Baptist

Kimberly Stanbery, DNP, NEA-BC, OCN
Chief Nursing Officer, Comprehensive Care Center
Arrowhead Regional Medical Center
Sharon Brown, MSN, BSN, NEA-BC, CCRN-K, FACHE
Chief Nursing Officer

M. Carina Menjivar, DNP, MSN, MBA, NEA-BC, CPHQ, LSSGB
Associate Chief Nursing Officer
Ascension Seton Williamson
Carleen Merola, DNP, MBA, BSN, MSN, PCCN
Nursing Director, Critical Care

Angela P. Wright, PHD, RN, MBA, NEA-BC
Chief Nursing Officer/Vice President Nursing
Atrium Health Pineville
Robyn Barriffe, DNP, BSN, MSN, NEA-BC
Chief Nurse Executive

Stephanie O'Bryon, DNP, RN, NEA-BC
Assistant Vice President, Patient Care Services
Cleveland Clinic
Maureen Schaupp, MSN, APRN, CNP
Associate Chief Nursing Officer/Executive Director (Health System)

Craig Tobias, MSN, MBA
VP/Chief Nursing Officer
CommonSpirit Saint Anthony Hospital
Jennette Bergstrom, MSN, CENP
VP Patient Care Services/Chief Nursing Officer

Jesse DeWaard, MSN, CENP
Director of Nursing
Beth Israel Lahey Health, Lahey Hospital and Medical Center
Scott James, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC
Senior Vice President, Chief Nursing Officer

Karen Schoonmaker, MSN, RN, CPPS
Executive Director, Quality and Patient Safety / Patient Experience, Magnet Program Director
Mercy Hospital South
Leah Jansen, BSN, MHL
Executive Director of Nursing Critical Care

Jeanette Kirkpatrick, MBA, BSN, RN, CPPS
Chief Nursing Officer
Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune
Sarah Louk, BSN, MSN, MSIE, AGCNS-BC
Department Head Adult Inpatient Units

Reginald Middlebrooks, DNP, MSN, BSN, CRNA
Chief Nursing Officer and Director of Nursing Services
NYC Health + Hospital/Queens
Karine Austin, BSN, MSN, DNP, NEA-BC, CENP
Deputy Chief Nursing Officer

Abbi-Gail Baboolal, BSN, MSN, DNP, FNP
Chief Nursing Officer
    Penn Medicine
    Florence Vanek, MSN, NE-BC
    Associate Chief Nursing Officer

    Annelies Wood, MSN, RN-BC, CRNP
    Clinical Practice Advisor
    St. Elizabeth Healthcare
    Christy Miller, PHD, MSN, BSN
    Vice President, Chief Nursing Officer

    Jennifer Yost, MBA, BSN, RN, NE-BC
    Assistant VP Nursing Operations
    University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital
    Andrea Boohaker, DNP, MSN, CRNP, ACNP-BC, RNFA
    Associate Vice President

    Terri Poe, DNP, MPA, BSN, NE-BC
    Chief Nursing Officer
    University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center
    Jaime Van Allen, DNP, RN, NPD-BC, NEA-BC, CV-BC
    Director of Nursing Practice and Outcomes

    David Hunt, DNP, MBA, BSN, MSN, NEA-BC
    Senior Vice President & Chief Nursing Officer
    Yale New Haven Health, Bridgeport Hospital
    Mary Christoffersen, DNP, MBA, BSN, CNOR
    Senior Vice President & Chief Nursing Officer

    Joubin Bavarian, BSN, MHA, NEA-BC, FACHE
    Vice President, Nursing
    About the Fellowship
    The hybrid in-person and virtual fellowship will immerse two nurse leaders from 15 different U.S. health systems in principles of human-centered design and design thinking to be applied to real-world, specific challenges faced by their health system.

    The innovation curriculum provided by Penn Nursing will be paired with business acumen, change management and strategic leadership skills development through Wharton Executive Education. At the conclusion of the fellowship, fellows will pitch their innovative solutions with the goal of bringing that solution back to their healthcare system to implement.
    Program Timeline
    • Applications Open
      1/6/25
    • Applications Close
      2/17/25
    • Selected Fellows Notified
      3/21/25
    • Program Kick-Off (Virtual, 6 hours)
      5/14/25 from 11am-5pm ET
    • Summer Innovation Institute (In-person, 36 hours, Philadelphia, PA @ UPenn Nursing School)
      6/23/25 - 6/27/25
    • Three Virtual Sessions (6 hours per session)
      9/10/25 - 9/11/25
      11/12/25 - 11/13/25
      2/11/26 - 2/12/26
      from 11am-5pm ET (the time is subject to change)
    • Final Closing Event (In-Person, New Brunswick, NJ @ Johnson & Johnson World HQ)
      In person 5/20/26 - 5/21/26
    University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing)
    Learn More
    Innovation Guide
    With nurse-led innovation, a brilliant idea is just the beginning. Here's a helpful guide to bringing your solution to life.
    Learn More
    Nurses Leading Innovation
    Meet the nurses who are changing human health through new protocols, policies, programs, and technologies, every day.
    Learn More
    Meet the past Nurse Innovation Fellowship teams
    Proudly Advocating for, Elevating and Empowering All Nurses to Drive Transformative Health Change
    Johnson & Johnson has supported the nursing profession for over 125 years because we believe nurses are the backbone of health systems worldwide.
    Learn More About Our Commitment to Nursing
    Subscribe to Notes on Nursing, our monthly news digest.
    Explore issues of our monthly newsletter, which features the many ways nurses' innovation and leadership drive transformative change in healthcare.
    Subscribe