Dr. Beverly Malone Named to Modern Healthcare's 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare for 2010

NLN CEO among Top Third in Year Dominated by Nations Most Powerful Policymakers & Lawmakers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New York, NY — August 24, 2010 — With the release today of Modern Healthcares ninth annual ranking of the 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare, the National League for Nursing is pleased to announce that Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN, who has directed the league since 2007, has been named 29th on a list topped by President Barack Obama.

The 2010 ranking, again compiled through a survey of Modern Healthcare readers, places Dr. Malone in distinguished company. It is dominated by "household names" in Washington legislative circles who have spearheaded the nations health care reform and implementation. Just behind President Obama, in second place, is Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services, followed by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (#3) and Sen. and Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Montana) (#4); Mary Wakefield, administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration and, like Dr. Malone, a leading nurse educator, is #27.

During her tenure at the NLN, Dr. Malone has significantly raised the profile of nursing and nursing education in the debate over health care policy, testifying before Congress and urging the NLN membership to lobby federal, state, and local officials for increased funding for nursing and nursing education workforce development to reverse the national shortage of nurses and nurse educators and on other matters of importance to the community. She has been a forceful advocate, for example, for universal access to quality health care delivery and has also made increasing gender, cultural, and ethnic diversity in nursing and nursing education a signature issue by incorporating diversity into the core mission of the NLN and supporting NLN and other research that establishes improved health care outcomes as a result.

"We are incredibly proud to have Bev recognized for her achievements by this prestigious national ranking," said NLN President Cathleen M. Shultz, PhD, RN, CNE, FAAN. "She has led our organization with grace and dignity, and a force for change that has earned the NLN its place at the table when it comes to influencing the national conversation about health care in the 21st century."

"Naturally, I am gratified to be included with President Obama, Secretary Sebelius, and Americas other leaders in Modern Healthcares 2010 list of the 100 Most Powerful," said Dr. Malone. "But whats equally gratifying to me is the importance this honor accords the NLN as the premier voice for nursing education. As always, I credit my colleagues for granting me the privilege to represent you. Our voices have clearly been heard."

On the 2010 Modern Healthcare list, Dr. Malone is joined by a number of colleagues in nursing/nursing education and health policy who made this years cut, among them: HRSAs Mary Wakefield; Pamela Thompson, CEO of the American Organization of Nurse Executives (#33); Rebecca Patton, president of the American Nurses Association (#37); Barbara Crane, president of the National Federation of Nurses (#48); Rose Ann DeMoro, executive director, National Nurses United and national vice president of the AFL-CIO (#67); Linda Aiken, director of the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania (#68); Geraldine "Polly" Bednash, CEO and executive director of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (#97); and Leah Binder, a veteran health policy executive who began her career in health policy as public policy director at the NLN (#96).

Reporters/Editors: For interview opportunities, please call Karen R. Klestzick, NLN chief communications officer, at (212) 812-0376 or email kklestzick@nln.org.

Dedicated to excellence in nursing, the National League for Nursing is the premier organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education. The NLN offers faculty development, networking opportunities, testing services, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to its 32,000 individual and 1,200 institutional members who represent all types of nursing education programs.