Maria Vezina, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

To leave an impactful legacy in an organization or field, a person must intentionally create meaningful experiences for others. These experiences can range from the simplest to the most complex, but people in the organization need to believe they matter.

Maria Vezina, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, is a nurse whose many decades of work in nursing leadership and education/professional practice are building a significant legacy at Mount Sinai Health System. “I believe the goals and mission of my role are to ensure that the profession of nursing is practiced in accordance with the core values of the nursing discipline, evidence-based practice, and regulations,” says Dr. Vezina.

Dr. Vezina is Vice President and Chief of Nursing Practice, Education, Advanced Practice Nursing Credentialing, and Nursing Labor Relations Partnerships for the Mount Sinai Health System. Her myriad responsibilities and multifaceted roles are difficult to summarize. But among other things, they include oversight of the various dimensions of professional practice of Mount Sinai’s registered nurses and advanced practice nurses.

“Even though I have responsibility for two levels of practice, my work with nursing education and professional practice is really a seamless approach because the standards of care we develop are based on the evidence and best practice,” says Dr. Vezina. “The work of nursing is foremost interdisciplinary, so we need to always work with our fellow administrators, physicians, physical therapists, pharmacists, social workers, and other team members to come together with standard work that is logical, measurable, and delivers on our mission of quality care and patient safety. It is when the scope of nursing practice is jeopardized, or contracts require clinical interpretation, that my labor relations partnership becomes critical so as to analyze fairly and thoroughly what the next steps need to be in these challenging situations.”

Dr. Vezina received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Hartwick College, Oneonta, New York, where she currently serves on the Board of Trustees. She received a Master of Arts in Nursing Education and Adult Health from New York University, and a Master of Education in Communications and Instructional Technology and a Doctorate of Education in Nursing from Teachers College at Columbia University. Dr. Vezina is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and the New York Academy of Medicine, where she holds a leadership appointment on the Nursing Section Committee. Appointed to the New York State Board of Nursing in 2015, she participates in moral standing/discipline hearings and peer assistance programs for New York State nurses. She is also board certified as an ANCC Advanced Nurse Executive.

Dr. Vezina oversees nursing education and professional practice for Mount Sinai nurses across all sites. “There is a consistent flow of information from an executive level to a bedside level each and every day,” she says. “Always clarifying the role and scope of nursing with other health care disciplines is a critical part of what I do.” She adds, “I believe my primary obligation is to instill accountability and provide expertise about the practice of nursing, which naturally flows into all the domains I am responsible for.”

Dr. Vezina is committed to the profession of nursing and finds herself constantly participating in the field’s advancement. “I belong to many nursing organizations, so I spend a great deal of time learning and listening to thought leaders,” she says. “I allocate time for professional memberships, service commitments, and liaisons with colleges of nursing. I rely on my strong external involvement in the health care/academic world to keep me knowledgeable and current in my role. I am also a veracious reader of professional journals and leadership philosophies but my true north is to ensure I listen to those who do the work.”

Dr. Vezina, who arrived at Mount Sinai 40 years ago, equipped with past experiences as a staff RN, undergraduate faculty member, and nurse practitioner, frequently comes across processes and policies she developed years ago. “It is nice to see your legacy still alive in pockets of the system,” she says. “It is very gratifying for me and is a very satisfying experience.”

Dr. Vezina was Senior Director of Nursing at The Mount Sinai Hospital from 2006 until 2014, when she became Chief Nursing Officer at Mount Sinai Morningside. She served in that role until 2021, when Beth Oliver, DNP, RN, FAAN, Senior Vice President, Cardiac Services, and Chief Nurse Executive at Mount Sinai Health System, offered her a newly created position to lead the development of a framework for system nursing practice.

“I want to share my expertise so we can learn together to design the highest standards for nursing practice and deliver exceptional care for our patients and the families we serve,” she says. “I also strive to provide nurses with the tools they need that allow them to deliver care that gives them pride and joy in work.”

Dr. Vezina is committed to strong first impressions and strives to ensure new nurses at Mount Sinai feel welcome and special from day one of their arrival in the work world of nursing. “We don’t get a second chance to give a first impression,” she says. “We have a system centralized nursing orientation and following the completion of orientation, new graduate nurses follow into a Nurse Residency Program.” She adds, “Mount Sinai has also developed new graduate nursing fellowship programs with goals to insert more simulation opportunities for new graduates across all sites.” This commitment to refining that “first impression” is a work in progress.

Transferring knowledge and expertise define Dr. Vezina’s nursing presence. Her decades of service and leadership at Mount Sinai in professional nursing, patient experience initiatives, labor management collaboration, safety and regulatory compliance, financial stewardship, and performance improvement are unrivaled. “What I enjoy more than anything through all my experiences is to just give back from what I have learned—share it with others,” she says. “I will always advocate for nursing practice and look after the Mount Sinai community of nursing at all levels.”

Dr. Vezina comes from a French Canadian family whose relatives also include Georges Vézina, an early-20th-century goalie for whom the National Hockey League’s Vezina Trophy is named. The trophy is awarded annually to the league’s best goaltender. “Although I never played hockey, I often compare my role in nursing with that of a goalie, always protecting and defending the discipline of nursing (the goal line) and advocating for my team to win and achieve success,” Dr. Vezina says.

With her legacy of protecting and advocating for Mount Sinai Health System nurses, Dr. Vezina has achieved a very satisfying and rewarding place within her own professional career of nursing. “Giving back is what is most important to me today!” she says. “As the writer and minister Alan Loy McGinnis said, ‘There is no more noble occupation in the world than to assist another human being – to help someone to succeed.”

Jemilat Siju, DNP, MSN, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer for Ambulatory Care

Where can a nurse deliver culturally sensitive, age-specific nursing care for adult and pediatric patient populations while performing assessment, screening, patient education, and direct patient care? Ambulatory Care at the Mount Sinai Health System.

Jemilat Siju, DNP, MSN, RN, ANP-BC, OCN, is the Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer for Ambulatory Care for the Mount Sinai Health System. Dr. Siju says, “Care within the ambulatory setting is multispecialty and a place to learn and grow. If you are a nurse and looking for an exciting, collegial environment in which teamwork flourishes and nurses have a voice, ambulatory care is for you!”

Ambulatory care nursing is a unique realm of nursing practice that addresses health care needs for entire communities, population groups, families, and individuals. The ambulatory setting is not about delivering episodes of care, but rather, looking at the holistic patient.

Patients enter the ambulatory world with complex health issues they must grapple with while living in their communities and homes. Social determinants of health are at the forefront as each ambulatory nurse determines how the patient’s prescribed medical plan impacts the patient’s quality of life, well-being, and overall health in their home setting.

“In my role, I am trying to achieve an ideal ambulatory care platform that is a place where nurses feel empowered and have a voice, as the voice of the nurse is extremely important to  patient care quality and outcomes,” Dr. Siju says. “The goal is to create alignment and standardization across ambulatory, so that the care looks and feels the same as much as possible, regardless of what part of the Health System you are in.” She adds, “It is not cookie-cutter, but the core of the care we bring to our patients must be of the highest quality.”

The newly established Ambulatory New Graduate Fellowship Program at Mount Sinai immerses RN fellows in the growing ambulatory sector. The first cohort of students has started, with continuing plans to admit fellows twice a year.

“A nurse might be hired into pediatrics, but while in the fellowship program you get exposure to other ambulatory specialties—for example, adult health, ambulatory surgery, cardiology, etc.—with the aim of supporting you in discovering your true niche,” Dr. Siju says. “We are educating you in the classroom and providing built-in rotations where you may spend a day in the life of a cardiac nurse, even though you are working in pediatrics.”

Exposing new graduates in the fellowship program to ambulatory care helps them identify personal strengths and their desires for professional fulfillment. Dr. Siju says, “We can facilitate the process for new graduates to find their niche—sometimes we think we know what specialty we would like to work in, but later find out that we are built to do something else. Ambulatory Care at Mount Sinai supports you in finding your professional niche.”

Nursing ambulatory fellows rotate through several specialties with advanced team members, including rounds with Infection Prevention and learning about their preventive role in ambulatory care. Towards the end of the program, RN fellows have an opportunity to work with nursing leadership on a departmental quality improvement project or an evidence-based practice project to advance their leadership and research capabilities. In addition to the fellowship program for new graduate nurses, Mount Sinai has a robust supportive clinical environment for our experienced nurses as well.

She continues, “Nurses get an enriched experience in ambulatory care. Patients are still complex enough with their health care needs and nurses can address what happens to them in their community and how this impacts their health and access to care.”

Dr. Siju says, “I went through nursing school the long route—starting in an associate degree program, then obtaining my bachelor’s and then master’s degrees. When doing my associate degree, I worked as a nursing assistant on a surgical floor and really thought I wanted to be a surgical nurse; I loved it and I loved the nurses. But one day the Chief Nursing Officer looked at me and said, ‘You will be a great oncology nurse,’ and I thought if she saw that in me, then why not?” Following 18 months of work in oncology, her nurse leader suggested she consider a role in nursing leadership and so she did, working as a nurse manager for two years and growing in leadership experience since.

Dr. Siju joined Mount Sinai in 2012 as Nurse Manager for Mount Sinai Beth Israel’s Oncology Ambulatory Infusion Program and transitioned into ambulatory care in 2017. She pioneered the Nurse Leadership Course for the Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing and serves as an adjunct faculty member.

Dr. Siju has worked for Mount Sinai longer than any other employer because, she says, “Mount Sinai has created a growth pathway for me. When I feel like I need to continue growing and want something to keep me on my toes, Mount Sinai has been successful in making that happen for me. Every time I have felt like I needed to grow, I have had an opportunity here to do so. Many others have invested in my professional growth, and I am committed to paying it forward by doing the same for others. I look forward to an opportunity to work with you in ambulatory care.”

Robin Ferrer, MBA, MSN, RN, Vice President of Emergency Services

Patients sometimes experience the Emergency Department (ED) as a place where things are uncertain, unexpected, and people may look and behave strangely—a bit like Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking-Glass,” Robin Ferrer, MBA, MSN, RN, likes to say.

“Emergency Departments are the looking glass into the hospital,” Mr. Ferrer, Vice President of Emergency Services for the Mount Sinai Health System, says, “and for some people, their impression of the Mount Sinai organization lies with that visit to one of our emergency departments.”

Mr. Ferrer joined Mount Sinai Health System in early 2021, as New York was continuing to experience COVID-19 hospitalizations and illness while facing the challenge of vaccinating millions of people. Mr. Ferrer oversees clinical operations and nursing personnel across all Emergency Departments for Mount Sinai Health System. His leadership role advocates for the advancement and improvement of Emergency Services. “I think the pandemic had a big impact on our front lines, particularly the ED, where we are the first receivers of patients. One week was managing COVID-19 and the next week was managing something entirely different,” he says. “The biggest challenge for staffing in the ED is at the nursing level, by virtue of what nurses do—being primary caregivers at the bedside, managing most of the services and treatments, getting patients to their CT scans and X-rays, hooking up IVs, making sure medications are given and orders are completed.”

Mr. Ferrer, who also serves as an adjunct professor at the College of Mount Saint Vincent, teaching Business and Health Care Administration, is committed to helping others move forward. “My ultimate goal as a leader is to enable other people to be successful. I have always said, when I don’t feel myself doing that, I should question why I am in leadership.”

Mr. Ferrer frequently references two population groups he is responsible for: patients and staff. “Successfully taking care of staff and the environment where they work will result in positive patient outcomes.” He adds, “Patients are ultimately the beneficiaries of every decision we make. I want to be sure when we make a decision, that it is grounded in principle and the patient will benefit from the outcome, and our staff will feel the decision represents a step in the right direction.”

Mr. Ferrer grew up in New York City in what he describes as a “pretty dire situation.” As a child he was sent to the Milton Hershey School in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and now sees that experience as a buttress for his personal journey towards leadership and a desire to help and support others.

“Milton Hershey School is where I learned leadership skills and discipline. I didn’t know anyone when I arrived, but I found myself surrounded by an army of people willing to help and support me to be successful,” he says. “I understand we all have a story, and we need to take a moment to listen and appreciate where people come from and how their past has enabled their future. That resonates with me most.”

Mr. Ferrer started as a bedside nurse in the Emergency Department at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center and quickly felt a gravitation towards leadership. After completing his Master of Business Administration from the College of Mount Saint Vincent in New York City, Mr. Ferrer spent the next 15 years in leadership roles. As Director of Operations at NewYork Presbyterian Hospital, Mr. Ferrer managed multiple service lines and departments, including the Adult Emergency Department, Psychiatric Emergency, Outpatient Psychiatry, Respiratory Therapy, Hemodialysis, and the Pulmonary Function Lab.

Giving people a chance and reflecting on his own experience of having others provide strong mentorship and guidance has influenced Mr. Ferrer’s belief that new nurse graduates can be successful starting their career in the Emergency Department. He says, “Before I started, there was some hesitancy about taking new graduates into the ED.”

When Mr. Ferrer inquired about that hesitancy, the response was almost always the same: they don’t have experience. “I said to myself, these new graduates just finished school and are bursting with excitement, ready to go, and hungry for an opportunity. Why don’t we just provide appropriate onboarding and training so they can be a part of our team?”

Fast forward 18 months, and the Mount Sinai Emergency Department Nursing Fellowship program now boasts of a 98 percent retention rate. This 24-week program includes simulations, online modules, and hands-on training. Fellows are paired with an experienced registered nurse from the ED staff and work with nurse preceptors. Mr. Ferrer believed new graduate nursing students could successfully transition to practice in the ED. “The driving force was putting together a robust curriculum so after six months nurses would feel comfortable and safe with the resources around them.” He continues, “We are going into our fifth cohort and have 32 people who started this month across all of our emergency departments who are new graduates from all over the country.”

“Give people an opportunity and a chance and set them up for success, and you will be astounded by how well people do just by giving them that opportunity.”

Kristin Lewicki, RN, BSN

Kristin Lewicki, RN, BSN, is a staff nurse at The Mount Sinai Hospital and recently received a letter of praise from a grateful patient’s family member:

“I would like you to know of the above-and-beyond, excellent care that my husband has received from Ms. Lewicki. He is very ill, and his case is complicated. Throughout this and previous stays, he has had the great good fortune to be under the care of Nurse Lewicki for a majority of the time. I can say with complete honesty that never, in any other hospital, has he ever had such compassionate and professional and thorough treatment as hers. She cares for his physical and medical needs seamlessly, while also sensitive to the human being as an individual. I know when he is cared for by her, he is in the safest, most capable hands. Ms. Lewicki is a gem, and I’m so thankful your hospital put her in our path to be a bright light in a long, rough journey for my husband and our family.”

Destiny R. Campbell, MSN, RN, Interim Nurse Manager Oncology, echoes these words. “Kristin has a heart of gold and goes above and beyond to ensure her patients feel welcomed, safe, and heard.”

Kristin is humble when responding to these words of praise. “I’m beyond grateful to be recognized and honored by such a prestigious medical health system,” she says. “When you work with the best, you show up and bring your best! I love being a nurse and offer my heart and soul to every patient and peer. My job brings many challenges—physically, mentally, and emotionally—but the rewards of human connection are beyond everlasting. My patients have made being a nurse a gift that I can share.”

Priscilla Samuel, DNP, FNP-BC, RN

According to a report by the Institute of Medicine, the demand for health care services is increasing significantly. The U.S. patient population continues to grow, age, and become sicker, while a nationwide shortage of primary care physicians is projected to more than double by the year 2030. Fortunately, advanced practice nurses (APNs) represent the largest growing segment of our country’s primary care workforce and a ready solution to ensuring access to high-quality care.

Throughout Mount Sinai Health System, APNs have been successfully integrated into team-based models for the past 30-plus years as part of a continuous effort to enhance quality, safety, and patient satisfaction. They have proven their role as essential to delivering the best of patient care. They help improve access to care, add efficiency to workflows, and provide continuity of care and specialty-based expertise, while minimizing duplication of clinical effort and promoting the appropriate and timely use of the team members.

The Mount Sinai Health System today employs more than 900 advanced practice nurses. Given this large and growing presence, in 2022, Beth Oliver, DNP, RN, FAAN, Chief Nursing Executive for the Health System, appointed Priscilla Samuel, DNP, FNP-BC, RN, as Vice President of Advanced Practice Nursing for the Mount Sinai Health System.

The current health care landscape further highlights the value these providers bring to the communities they serve. “Mount Sinai has seen the number of practicing advanced practice nurses grow from 15 nurse practitioners in the 1990s to 900 advanced practice nurses in 2023,” says Dr. Samuel. “This increase in APNs requires centralized coordination to manage core functions and provide support and resources in the key areas of service, engagement, safety, quality, stewardship, and innovation. My focus is on establishing a framework to help guide advanced practice nurses in prioritizing enterprise-wide initiatives, achieving system and departmental goals and metrics, and furthering their own professional and personal career aspirations.”

In addition to providing strategic direction and developing organizational strategies, Dr. Samuel is responsible for advocating, promoting, and elevating APN practice. “The key is to create a sustainable infrastructure that supports APN excellence,” says Dr. Samuel, “And developing a leadership model is a vital component.” For example, since joining Mount Sinai, she has promoted director-level APN leadership roles at two Health System sites, The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai South Nassau, to address the particular needs of these professionals within their respective practice environments.

Mount Sinai continues to recognize the value and impact of integrating advanced practice providers (APPs) into the innovative team-based care models, and in January 2022 established the Center for Advanced Practice. “Both my Physician Assistant (PA) counterpart, Heather Isola, and I are working closely to strategize and provide guidance toward developing an environment in which APNs and PAs are supported, valued, and empowered,” Dr. Samuel says.

“Our overarching goal is to become a center of excellence and a national model for advanced practice provider practice. The Center is designed to provide comprehensive support to all Mount Sinai APPs, while ensuring a systemwide standard of care and practice by blending practice, education, research, and professional growth. The objective is to facilitate pathways for career development, expansion of clinical expertise, and the capturing of productivity,” says Dr. Samuel. “We also support advocacy for these professionals to practice at the top of licensure and leverage the unique versatility of APPs to better meet the needs of our continually evolving health care ecosystems.”

“Mount Sinai advanced practice nurses are poised to be leaders in advancing health care delivery in the United States,” says Dr. Samuel. “I stepped into my role fully recognizing the vital role of a collaborative leadership team.”

She adds, “The Chief Medical Officer, Chief Nursing Officer, advanced practice provider clinical leads, as well as medical and nursing, quality, human resources, and medical staff services leaders play critical roles in supporting and advancing the APN role within our organization. I am humbled by the tremendous support I continue to receive from both nursing and medical leadership in developing a centralized model for advanced practice nursing at Mount Sinai. The future is bright.”

Pathway to Leadership

Dr. Samuel brings vast clinical and leadership experience to her role. She is a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner and holds a Master of Science in Nursing from Columbia University and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Case Western Reserve University. She previously served as an Associate Dean for Nurse Practitioner Clinical Affairs at the Hofstra Northwell School of Graduate Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. There, she was one of the founding members and architects of a national model for an innovative graduate nursing education program. Unlike at traditional programs, students improve their critical thinking and clinical skills through a unique curriculum that includes problem-based learning, small group sessions, and experiential hands-on learning. Dr. Samuel also served as the first corporate director for advanced practice nursing at Northwell Health, New York State’s largest health care provider and private employer, with more than 20 hospitals and more than 850 outpatient facilities.