FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE/March 11, 1996 CONTACT: Kim Smith [202/651-7027] Carolyn Keen Lewis Named Director of American Nurses Credentialing CenterWASHINGTON, DC -- Carolyn Keen Lewis, PhD, RN, an accomplished administrator and respected nursing leader, has been appointed director of the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) effective immediately, announced American Nurses Association (ANA) Executive Director Geri Marullo, MSN, RN. ANCC, a subsidiary of the ANA, was established to certify nurses and accredit organizations using the professional organization standards of nursing practices, nursing services, and continuing education. Lewis, 47, has been with ANCC since 1993, where she has been a program manager and senior administrator. During her time there, programs have grown and ANCC now holds a position of national leadership in credentialing. She also serves as a member of the Trilateral Initiative for Nursing (United States, Mexico, and Canada) and is the president of the Virginia Rural Health Association. As ANCC director, Lewis will continue to work to improve the quality of health care for the American public through the promulgation of high standards of nursing practice, services, and nursing. "The current trends toward health care reform and the increased demand for the protection of the health care consumer certainly enhances national and state interest in credentialing. The credentialing of nurses will continue to mature within the context of the changing climate for health care," said Lewis. Lewis has held a variety of positions during her 22 years of experience in the nursing profession. Before her arrival at ANCC, Lewis held a position as a staff nurse for the medical unit at Mount Vernon Hospital, Alexandria, Virginia, a consultant in management and nursing administration for Maldan Management Corporation, Washington, D.C., and a faculty member of the School of Nursing at George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia. Lewis received her PhD in nursing with a concentration in health policy in 1993 from George Mason University. She received her MSN and BSN from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Lewis was also a Commonwealth Fellow for the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia. She has served on boards and committees on local and state levels. She currently serves as chair of the curriculum committee at Northern Virginia Community College and is a member of the Technical Advisory Committee for the District of Columbia State Board of Education. She has also served as chair of the state legislative committee of the Virginia Nurses Association and chair of the Education Committee of Mount Vernon Hospital. In 1990 she served as a member of the U.S. Health Care Delegation to the Soviet Union to discuss rural health care. Lewis is a member of the Virginia Nurses Association, Sigma Theta Tau, the National Rural Health Association and the American Public Health Association. The American Nurses Credentialing Center was established to promote and enhance public health by certifying nurses and accrediting organizations using the professional organization standards of nursing practices, nursing services and continuing education. ANCC is the national program that leads organized nursing in the number and scope of its certifications examinations. It certifies nurses in both general and specialty practice areas. In addition, it is the only program that program that provides accreditation of agencies, organizations, health facilities, schools, and others who offer or approve continuing education courses for registered nurses.
|
