Nursing: The Past, Present and Future - A Limitless Profession

On October 15 The New York Academy of Medicine is celebrating the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife with a special virtual event. This event will will honor the work of nurses and midwives over the decades, discuss the importance of the profession across healthcare disciplines, and identify the future directions for the profession to improve health for all. We hope you will join us for this unique and interactive celebration of nurses and midwives.

This event will feature:

• A special presentation on the history of nursing by Sandra Lewenson, EdD, MS, RN, FAAN Pace University College of Health Professionals
• A panel on the current status of the nursing profession, featuring:
  • Sean Clarke, RN, PhD, FAAN, NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing
  • Jennifer Dohrn, DNP, CNM, FAAN, Columbia University Medical Center
  • Susan Hassmiller, RN, PhD, FAAN, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
  • Rear Admiral Susan Orsega,MSN, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, Office of the Surgeon General
  • Edwidge Thomas, DNP, ANP, Mount Sinai Health System
• Breakout rooms led by NYAM Section on Nursing leadership in which participants will be asked to discuss concrete ways in which nurses can enhance contributions to reducing disparities in health and healthcare
• Special remarks from Judith A. Salerno, MD, MS, President of The New York Academy of Medicine and George E. Thibault, MD, Immediate Past President of the Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation

Additional information about our speaker and panelists

Event Agenda

Download a copy of the complete agenda

Speaker Bios

Sean Clarke, RN, PhD, FAAN, is the executive vice dean and a professor at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. His research focuses on quality and safety issues in acute care hospitals, workforce issues, occupational safety of nurses and the influences of economic and political factors on healthcare delivery and the nursing profession. He is perhaps best known for research on nurse staffing in hospitals and surveys of nurse working conditions. He has authored or coauthored over 100 peer-reviewed articles and 30 book chapters. Clarke has been a principal investigator on projects supported by the National Institute of Nursing Research, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and has served as a co-investigator on grants totaling over $10 million over the course of his career. In addition to teaching nursing, health policy, and research at the baccalaureate through doctoral levels, he also supervises PhD and postdoctoral research trainees and maintains a program of research with colleagues from a number of countries.  He is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and currently holds affiliate faculty appointments at the Université de Montréal and the University of Hong Kong.  Prior to joining the faculty at NYU Meyers, he was a professor and associate dean in the Undergraduate Program at the Connell School of Nursing, Boston College, from 2014–2018. He was also on faculty at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing for seven years, held an endowed chair in cardiovascular nursing at the University of Toronto, and was an endowed chair directing a special donor-funded set of projects intended to advance collaboration between the School of Nursing and its affiliated teaching hospitals at McGill University. Clarke completed his basic clinical and research training in nursing at McGill University, in Montreal, Canada, and pursued a nurse practitioner education and a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. He holds BA and BS degrees from the University of Ottawa and Carleton University, in his hometown of Ottawa, Canada.

Jennifer Dohrn, DNP, CNM, FAAN is an Associate Professor of Nursing and Assistant Dean of Global Initiatives at Columbia University Medical Center.  She established the first freestanding birthing center in innercity community in Southwest Bronx under leadership of Dr. Ruth Lubic.  Dr. Dohrn also works in ten sub-Saharan African countries since 1993 building capacity of nurses and midwives in HIV care, including first Project Director for PEPFAR/ICAP Global Nurse Capacity Building Program at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.  She is currently building nursing and midwifery research leadership network in Sub-Saharan Africa and Middle East, and teaches a new course at Columbia: Addressing Population-Health Needs on a Global Scale.  She is the recipient of several awards, including the 2012 Association of Nurses in AIDS Care ANAC Frank Lamendola Achievement for Nursing Leadership in AIDS Care, and the 2008 Outstanding Achievement Award rom Morris Heights Health Center in the Bronx.

Susan Hassmiller, RN, PhD, FAAN, senior adviser for nursing, joined the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in 1997. In this role, she shapes and leads the Foundation’s nursing strategies in an effort to create a higher quality of care in the United States for people, families and communities. Drawn to the Foundation’s “organizational advocacy for marginalized and under-resourced populations,” Hassmiller is helping to assure that RWJF's commitments in nursing have a broad and lasting national impact.  In partnership with AARP, Hassmiller directs the Foundation’s Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, which seeks to ensure that everyone in America can live a healthier life, supported by a system in which nurses are essential partners in providing care and promoting health. This 50-state and District of Columbia effort strives to implement the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine’s report on the Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. Hassmiller served as the report’s study director. She is also serving as co-director of the Future of Nursing Scholars program, an initiative that provides scholarships, mentoring and leadership development activities and postdoctoral research funding to build the leadership capacity of nurse educators and researchers.  Previously, Hassmiller served with the Health Resources and Services Administration, where she was the executive director of the U.S. Public Health Service Primary Care Policy Fellowship and worked on other national and international primary care initiatives. She also has worked in public health settings at the local and state level and taught community health nursing at the University of Nebraska and George Mason University in Virginia.  Hassmiller was previously a member of the National Board of Governors for the American Red Cross, serving as chair of the Disaster and Chapter Services Committee and national chair of the 9/11 Recovery Program. She is currently a member of the National Nursing Committee, and is serving as immediate past board chair for the Central New Jersey Red Cross. She has been involved in Red Cross disaster relief efforts in the United States and abroad, including tornadoes in the Midwest, Hurricane Andrew, September 11th, the 2004 Florida hurricanes and Katrina, and the tsunami in Indonesia. Hassmiller is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, a member of the Joint Commission’s National Nurse Advisory Council, Hackensack Meridian Health System Board of Directors, and the CMS National Nurse Steering Committee.  She is the recipient of numerous national awards in addition to receiving the distinguished alumna award for all the schools of nursing from which she graduated and three honorary doctoral degrees. Most notably, Hassmiller is the 2009 recipient of the Florence Nightingale Medal, the highest international honor given to a nurse by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Sandra Lewenson, EdD, MS, RN, FAAN is a Professor of Graduate Nursing at Pace University College of Health Professionals integrates nursing's rich history into her work as professor of nursing. She weaves her love of nursing history into her courses including those on decision-making, nursing education, and nursing history. She has been the recipient of the Outstanding Scholarship and Research Award from Teachers College, Columbia University, inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Alumni Association of Hunter College, and received the American Association for the History of Nursing Lavinia Dock Award for Historical Scholarship and Research in Nursing for her seminal work, Taking Charge: Nursing, Suffrage, and Feminism in America, 1873-1920. She won two American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Awards in 2008 for Capturing Nursing History: A Guide to Historical Methods in Research and Decision-Making in Nursing: Thoughtful Approaches for Practice. Her colleagues at Pace University awarded her the 2008-2009 Keenan Award for Teaching Excellence. Dr. Lewenson received the AAHN Mary M. Roberts Award for 2013 Nursing Interventions Through Time: History as Evidence and the AAHN President's Award for Outstanding Service. Dr. Lewenson is a member of the American Academy of Nursing and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society.

Rear Admiral Susan Orsega, MSN, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN is the Director of Commissioned Corps Headquarters (CCHQ).  In this role she is responsible for directing all functions regarding personnel, administration, operations, readiness, deployment, and policy for the approximate 6,500 members of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. She is the principal advisor to the Surgeon General on activities and policies related to Commissioned Corps training, preparedness, activation, deployment, and total force fitness.  RADM Orsega served as the Chief Nurse Officer of the USPHS from May 2016 to March 2019, and was responsible for provide leadership to 4,500 Commissioned Corps and civilian nurses.  Prior to joining the Office of the Surgeon General to lead CCHQ, RADM Susan Orsega was assigned to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She was responsible for the operational management of international research that are US Government to Government partnerships with South African and currently with Malian Government involving 150 international nurses and researchers, and 500 research participants. Since 2015, RADM Orsega played a fundamental role in the United States Government (USG) NIH Ebola and Emerging Infectious Disease response.  In addition, RADM Orsega has a distinguished public health emergency and disaster care experience ranging from an elite medical team after 9/11 as well as 14 other national and international disaster/humanitarian USG missions serving in roles with progressive nursing and leadership responsibilities. She was selected as the only USPHS officer on the Advance Planning team, USS Pacific Peleliu Navy ship health diplomacy mission.  RADM Orsega is the recipient of the US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary’s Award for Distinguished Service in 2016, the distinguished Uniformed Services University Graduate of School of Nursing Alumni of the Year award in 2015 and NIH Director’s award in 2002.  In 2013, she was inducted as a Fellow in the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. In 2016, RADM Orsega was inducted into the American Academy of Nursing.

George E. Thibault, MD is the seventh and Immediate Past President of the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation. Prior to that, he served as Vice President of Clinical Affairs at Partners Healthcare System in Boston and Director of the Academy at Harvard Medical School (HMS). He was the first Daniel D. Federman Professor of Medicine and Medical Education at HMS and is now the Federman Professor, Emeritus.  Dr. Thibault previously served as Chief Medical Officer at Brigham and Women's Hospital and as Chief of Medicine at the Harvard affiliated Brockton/West Roxbury VA Hospital. He was Associate Chief of Medicine and Director of the Internal Medical Residency Program at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). At the MGH he also served as Director of the Medical ICU and the Founding Director of the Medical Practice Evaluation Unit.  Dr. Thibault is Chairman of the Board of the MGH Institute of Health Professions, interim Chairman of the New York Academy of Medicine, and he serves on the Board of the New York Academy of Sciences, the Institute on Medicine as a Profession, and the Lebanese American University. He serves on the President's White House Fellows Commission and for twelve years he chaired the Special Medical Advisory Group for the Department of Veteran's Affairs. He is past President of the Harvard Medical Alumni Association and Past Chair of Alumni Relations at HMS. He is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.  Dr. Thibault has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors from Georgetown (Ryan Prize in Philosophy, Alumni Prize, and Cohongaroton Speaker) and Harvard (Alpha Omega Alpha, Henry Asbury Christian Award and Society of Fellows). He has been a visiting Scholar both at the Institute of Medicine and Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and a Visiting Professor of Medicine at numerous medical schools in the U.S. and abroad.

Edwidge Thomas, DNP, ANP leads the Mount Sinai PPS in its DSRIP clinical implementation activties. As Medical Director, she facilitates the clinical efforts on planning and implementing the clinical projects and monitoring the performance of the DSRIP projects, including leading the Equity Infrastructure and Equity Performance programs.  Prior to her role in with MSPPS, Dr. Thomas served as Clinical Director of Practice Affairs at New York University College of Nursing and Clinical Director at Columbia University School of Nursing. She led practice and community engagement initiatives while implementing new practice models with advanced practice nurses by integrating primary and behavioral health with dental care. She began her career as an adult nurse practitioner with an interest in Diabetes and obesity management. Dr. Thomas received her undergraduate degree in Nursing at Rutgers University, Masters of Science and Doctorate of Nursing Practice at Columbia University School of Nursing.