American Academy of Nursing Recognizes Four Champions of Nursing as Honorary Fellows during its 50th Anniversary Year

The American Academy of Nursing (Academy) will officially name four distinguished champions of nursing as Honorary Fellows at the Academy’s Health Policy Conference, which is being held in Washington, DC on October 5-7, 2023. Noteworthy within their fields, these outstanding individuals; James Buchan, Michael McGinnis, Robert Rosseter, and Olga Yakusheva, have demonstrated extraordinary and sustained contributions to health care and the nursing profession throughout their careers.

Academy President Kenneth R. White, PhD, RN, AGACNP, ACHPN, FACHE, FAAN said:

“Each of these remarkable individuals has made incredible strides to advance health, uplift the nursing profession, and made a positive impact on improving the delivery of care. Interprofessional collaboration is key to finding innovative solutions to the most complex challenges in healthcare to ultimately improve quality and access. It is truly an honor to induct them as Honorary Fellows into the Academy this year, during our golden anniversary.”

This distinction is only given to dedicated leaders who have demonstrated a firm commitment to the nursing profession and to transforming health policy. Each individual selected for this recognition is a true champion of science, innovation, and leadership – signature pillars of the Academy – as well as proponents of the organization’s mission to improve health and achieve health equity by impacting policy.

James Buchan PhD, DPM, MA (hons), Senior Fellow, Health Foundation, London, has been a leader in the advancement of the global nursing workforce. Through his engagement in policy analysis, development, and implementation with an international and national lens, Dr. Buchan has inspired innovation across the health sector. In his over 30-year career, he has worked with many international organizations including with the International Council of Nurses, the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, to support transformative changes within health systems to address major issues facing health care today, including international nurse migration, the expansion of professional opportunities for nursing, and the evolution of nursing practice. Dr. Buchan has shaped international discussion around solving the challenges facing the global health system and the nursing profession.

Michael McGinnis, MD, MPP, Leonard D. Schaeffer Executive Officer, Senior Scholar, and Executive Director of the National Academy of Medicine’s Leadership Consortium, is an epidemiologist, physician, and global health policy leader and public health champion who has been a resolute proponent of amplifying nursing’s voice and leadership. Dr. McGinnis, through his past work with the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has led influential initiatives on disease prevention and promoting health and wellness. His stewardship of various health policies and programs continue to advance future care for patients. In particular, Dr. McGinnis launched the Healthy People initiative that sets data-driven national goals each decade for health and well-being, now in its fifth decade with Healthy People 2030. He also founded the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, and the NAM’s Learning Health System Initiative. His research driven approach, collaboration, and actions have directly led to the voice of nursing being central in advancing health policy.

Robert Rosseter, MBA, MS, Chief Communications Officer, American Association of Colleges of Nursing, has devoted his career to shaping the dialogue on academic nursing and elevating the profession. He has driven change by generating public interest to garner support for preparing a more highly educated nursing workforce through the advancement of doctoral nursing education, promoting the nurse faculty role, differentiating nursing’s terminal degrees, providing more federal support for nursing schools, and raising awareness regarding the critical link between nursing education and quality care. A champion for academic progression, he has demonstrated the empirical connections between baccalaureate-prepared nurses and positive health indicators such as lower mortality rates, decreased costs, and improved patient outcomes. Mr. Rosseter is an expert in persuasive storytelling and building awareness through strategic communication and meticulous data analysis of nursing higher education trends.

Olga Yakusheva, PhD, MSE, Professor of Nursing and Public Health at the University of Michigan School of Nursing, is an economist whose pioneering research focuses on the efficiency, effectiveness, and economic impact of nursing. Her novel publications have paved the way for the value-informed nursing practice model, which explores the convergence of nursing and economic theory for organizational transformation. She developed a new method to measure (via electronic medical records) outcomes-based clinician performance productivity to demonstrate the contributions of nurses on patient outcomes. She is a member of the Research Council of the American Nurses Association Enterprise, co-leading their new research priorities around framing and articulating the economic value of the profession. Dr. Yakusheva continues her collaboration with leading nurse scientists as Principal Investigator on several large federally funded studies to improve nurse staffing, reduce burnout, and support nurses’ professional development.

The Academy’s Health Policy Conference and Induction Ceremony, during which the 2023 Honorary Fellows will be celebrated, will be held on the evening of October 7, 2022 at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, DC. Learn more about the Academy and visit the policy conference website for more details.