ONL's 2025 Annual Meeting

Bridging Care and Technology: Nurse Leaders' Role in Advancing AI in Health Care

In an era where artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming healthcare, nurse leaders play a critical role in bridging the gap between care and technology. In this keynote presentation, Dr. Holly Wei will explore how AI can enhance nursing practice, optimize patient outcomes, and reshape healthcare delivery. Dr. Wei will discuss the ethical considerations, leadership strategies, and necessary skills for nurses to successfully integrate AI while maintaining the human touch in patient care.

Holly Wei, PhD, RN, CPN, NEA-BC, FAAN
Dean and Professor,
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing

Dr. Holly Wei serves as the Dean and Professor at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Nursing and holds the University Medical Center Health System Endowed Chair for Care Excellence in Nursing. A nationally and internationally recognized nurse scholar and leader, Dr. Holly Wei is highly regarded for her expertise in healthcare leadership, organizational culture, nursing workforce development, and healthcare innovation. Her Convergent Care Theory and pioneering nursing practice models have been adopted by healthcare systems to enhance patient outcomes, optimize nursing practices, and promote workforce well-being. Dr. Wei is the author of Visionary Leadership in Healthcare: Excellence in Practice, Policy, and Ethics, which received the 2022 American Journal of Nursing (AJN) Book of the Year Award. She has published over 90 scholarly articles, delivered more than 100 invited and peer-reviewed presentations worldwide, and her work has been cited over 4,000 times. A Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) and a distinguished voice in nursing leadership, Dr. Wei has served on numerous national task forces, editorial boards, and governance committees, influencing policies on workforce advocacy, leadership development, and healthcare culture transformation. An experienced board member and policy advocate, she is committed to driving innovations that empower nurses, improve patient care, and advance sustainable healthcare solutions.

Reimagining Nursing Value and Payment: A Human Capital Approach

Join healthcare economist Dr. Olga Yakusheva to explore reimagining nursing's economic value using a human capital approach. Dr. Yakusheva will share how a paradigm shift can transform the perception of nursing teams from cost-centers to revenue-generators and strategic assets within the health care system. She will discuss the flaws in the current healthcare payment model, their impact on both nurses and patients, and potential policy options for addressing these issues. Participants will gain compelling insights from health policy and economics that emphasize the crucial role of nursing in enhancing patient outcomes and fostering sustainable, human-centered health care.

Olga Yakusheva, PhD, MSE, FAAN(hon)
Economist; Professor,
Johns Hopkins School of Nursing

Dr. Olga Yakusheva is an internationally leading expert and thought leader on the economic value of nursing to healthcare systems and payors. She is an economist and Professor at Johns Hopkins Nursing and an Economics Editor for the International Journal of Nursing Studies. Dr. Yakusheva’s work has been published in top economics and medical journals including Review of Economics and Statistics and JAMA. Dr. Yakusheva’s research team has led studies quantifying the value-added contribution of nurses to patient outcomes and to organizational financial outcomes, to improve nurse staffing, reduce burnout, and promote the economic value of nurses. Dr. Yakusheva is the lead author of the Nursing Human Value Capital Model and the Value-Informed Nursing Practice and Leadership Model.

Guided by Mission: A Leadership Dialogue

Meeting the needs of diverse populations has always been a challenge, and leaders who succeed are guided by mission, stay true to their values, and seek opportunities—even when they appear scarce. In today’s challenging and ever-evolving health care environment, leadership is more important than ever. Join Boston Medical Center (BMC) Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer Nancy Gaden and Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services Kate Walsh (who previously served as Chief Executive officer for BMC) for a candid, dynamic conversation about leadership in health care, the challenges and opportunities facing nurse leaders today, and their perspectives on successful leadership for the current context. The session will include dedicated time for leadership questions from the audience.

Nancy Gaden, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN
Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer,
Boston Medical Center

Nancy Gaden is a distinguished leader in nursing, serving as Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Boston Medical Center (BMC) since 2014. She played a key role in the clinical planning and execution of merging two campuses and led BMC to its first Magnet designation in December 2021. With prior CNO roles at Hallmark Health System and St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, Nancy's leadership has been recognized with numerous awards, including the ANA Massachusetts President’s Award in 2018 and the 2019 Excellence in Leadership Award from the New England Organization of Nurse Leaders. In 2020, she was honored with a Daisy Lifetime Achievement Award and a recognition from The Commonwealth Institute for advancing healthcare. Nancy holds a BS in Nursing from the University of Rochester, an MS from Boston College, and a Doctorate in Nursing Practice from Regis College. A Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, she also served as past President of the New England Organization of Nurse Leaders.

Kate Walsh
Secretary of Health and Human Services, Commonwealth of Massachusetts;
Former Chief Executive Officer, Boston Medical Center

As Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kate Walsh leads the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), which provides access to medical and behavioral health care, long-term services and supports, and key nutritional and financial benefits. She represents a team of more than 21,000 staff across 11 agencies and the MassHealth system, who work daily to provide services and programs for nearly 1 in every 3 Massachusetts residents. Prior to her appointment to Governor Healey’s cabinet, Secretary Walsh served as CEO of the Boston Medical Center (BMC) health system for 13 years, overseeing an annual operating revenue of $6 billion. The BMC health system is comprised of a 514 bed, academic medical center that is the primary teaching affiliate of Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, as well as WellSense Health Plan, a Medicaid Managed Care Organization, and Boston HealthNet, a network affiliation of 14 community health centers. Before her time at BMC, Secretary Walsh served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Chief Operating Officer for Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, and at Massachusetts General Hospital in positions including Senior Vice President of Medical Services and the MGH Cancer Center. Prior to her tenure at Mass General, she held positions in a number of New York City hospitals including Montefiore, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, Saint Luke’s – Roosevelt Hospital Center and the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation. 

ONL Business Meeting

The ONL Business Meeting offers a chance to learn more about the core work of ONL to advance nursing leadership and support nurse leaders. Members of the ONL Board and staff provide insight into what ONL has been working on and share key updates about upcoming programs, member benefits, opportunities to get more involved with ONL, key policy and legislative activity in our region, and recent developments and key topics impacting nursing practice and nursing leadership. The Business Meeting is also a forum in which ONL recognizes and celebrates our members' recent milestones and achievements.

Nursing is Political: How Nurse Leaders Can and Should Engage

Nurse leaders have unique skills and perspective to share. Sharing that perspective on boards and with elected officials is critical to sustain our profession, influence policy decisions, strengthen our institutions, and improve the health of the patients and the communities we serve. In this how-to session, Dr. Lisa Summers will share how nurse leaders can be intentional about building relationships within organizations, with community leaders, and with legislators, and will speak to the need for more nurse leaders in elected office. Participants will learn how to elevate and amplify their voice and impact through increased civic engagement and what they can do to increase the representation of nurses in elected office.

Lisa Summers, DrPH, MSN, BSN, RN
Co-Founder and President
Healing Politics

Dr. Lisa Summers is co-founder and president of Healing Politics. She sees Healing Politics as the culmination of a career that was grounded in clinical care and education before expanding to policy and advocacy. Lisa practiced clinically for 20 years as a nurse and midwife and held faculty positions in schools of nursing and medicine before shifting to health policy work. She spent 11 years at the American College of Nurse-Midwives, where she was Director of Professional Services, and held policy positions at the American Nurses Association and Centering Healthcare Institute. She has spoken and written widely on healthcare policy and advocacy and, for 10 years prior to co-founding Healing Politics, taught health policy at Yale School of Nursing.