Ann Cashion, PhD, associate professor and chair of the Acute and Chronic Care Department at the UTHSC College of Nursing, has been selected as a 2005 Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellow.
Ann Cashion, PhD, associate professor and chair of the Acute and Chronic Care Department at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) College of Nursing, has been selected to participate in a national fellowship program focused on leading the country”s healthcare system into the 21st century. She is one of 20 nurses in executive leadership roles nationwide selected as a 2005 Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellow.
Now in its eighth year, the three-year fellowship program is designed to strategically position the voice of nursing across many sectors of the economy in a healthcare system undergoing unprecedented change and challenges.
“Nurses must play a pivotal role in leading the redesign and success of health care now and into the future,” said Dr. Cashion. “The Executive Nurse Fellowship is an intensive opportunity to develop critical leadership skills, work with a nationally recognized team of coaches and instructors from within the healthcare industry, as well as from other sectors of the economy. I believe that through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation”s Fellowship, I will gain skills necessary to move my mission in genomics research forward within my institution, professional organizations and/or through the legislative process.”
Dr. Cashion is also director of the UTHSC College of Nursing Center for Health Evaluation and Lifestyle Promotion (HELP Center), which provides health promotion management and support for individuals with chronic conditions. She was recently presented the Founder”s Award from the International Society of Nurses in Genetics, and was one of 10 nurse scientists featured in the Johnson & Johnson Nurse Scientist video to promote nursing research through the National Institute of Nursing Research.
Additionally, Dr. Cashion is actively involved in redesigning nursing curricula to incorporate rapidly expanding genetics content. Her most recent National Institute of Nursing Research study, “Genetic Markers of Acute Pancreas Allograft Rejection,” examines specific genetic biomarkers for the ability to identify transplant recipients who are in sub-clinical stages of acute rejection.
After receiving her BSN in nursing from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Dr. Cashion completed her master”s degree at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, and her doctorate in nursing at UTHSC. She also completed post-doctorate work at Georgetown University and Cincinnati Children”s Hospital Medical Center.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and healthcare issues facing our country. As the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and healt care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 30 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and healt care of those it serves. Helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need