The Foundation, ANA, and the American Academy of Nursing Announces Cheryl Killion as the NAM Distinguished Nurse Scholar-in-Residence
SILVER SPRING, MD — Cheryl Killion, PhD, MA, MS, RN, FAAN, has been selected as the 2022-2023 National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Distinguished Nurse Scholar-in-Residence. Supported for nearly 30 years by the American Nurses Foundation (the Foundation), the American Nurses Association (ANA), and the American Academy of Nursing (Academy), the Distinguished Nurse Scholar-in-Residence is a year-long immersion experience for an Academy Fellow to leverage their expertise and play a prominent role in health policy at the federal level while engaging in interprofessional collaboration with scholars at the NAM.
Operating under a Congressional charter, the National Academy of Medicine is a premier institution that provides evidence-based solutions and offers comprehensive policies to advance public health and address health inequities, such as the Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity report. Through these reports and their work, NAM is advancing recommendations on critical health issues to the forefront of the public’s attention as well as to policymakers’ agendas. The Distinguished Nurse Scholar-in-Residence position provides a crucial nursing perspective to better support the public’s health.
Dr. Killion is an Associate Professor at Case Western University’s Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing. Her anthropological background influences her research, which studies the impacts of social determinants of health – in particular the effect of housing, or lack thereof, on health outcomes. She studies the disproportionality of poor individuals, people of color, and marginalized populations who experience chronic conditions such as obesity, hypertension, and poor maternal health outcomes. Dr. Killion seeks to utilize her time at NAM to further consider the intersection between housing instability and maternal morbidity and mortality in order to promote policies that will improve health equity.
“I am honored to be selected as the Distinguished Nurse Scholar-in-Residence at NAM, as this role will provide an opportunity for me to leverage my research on maternal health outcomes among the housing insecure into evidence-based policy proposals,” said Dr. Killion. During her time as the NAM Distinguished Nurse Scholar-in-Residence, Dr. Killion will maximize the opportunity for interprofessional collaboration to continue her work examining the social determinants of health and maternal health outcomes in the United States.
“The Academy’s partnership with NAM, particularly through the work of the Distinguished Nurse Scholar-in-Residence, helps to reinforce the Academy’s mission to improve health and advance health equity by impacting policy through collaboration. Selection to this post enables our Fellows to use their nursing lens to chart a course for improved health outcomes through policy. We are thrilled that Dr. Killion has been selected for this prestigious appointment,” said Academy President Kenneth R. White, PhD, RN, AGACNP, ACHPN, FACHE, FAAN.
“The widespread effects of housing insecurity and instability of all forms on maternal health outcomes requires ongoing research and policies to examine and address this longstanding issue,” said American Nurses Foundation Executive Director Kate Judge. “This makes Dr. Killion’s work particularly timely, especially as disadvantaged populations continue to experience the economic distress caused by COVID-19. She is a shining example of how nurses are bridging the gap between contemporary nursing practice and health policy.”
The review committee responsible for selecting this year’s Distinguished Nurse Scholar-in-Residence included Academy Board member Pamela R. Jeffries, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN; ANA President Ernest Grant; Foundation Executive Director Kate Judge; and NAM Director of Health Policy Fellowships and Leadership Programs Gregg Margolis, PhD.
To learn more about application process and the NAM Distinguished Nurse Scholar-in-Residence program, visit www.aannet.org.
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About the American Nurses Foundation
American Nurses Foundation was founded in 1955 as the charitable affiliate of the American Nurses Association, and our mission is to transform the nation’s health through the power of nursing. America’s 4.3 million nurses comprise the largest body of healthcare professionals and they are ideally positioned to be the best role models, educators, and advocates of health, safety, and wellness. The Foundation invests in advances in research, education, and clinical practice that empower nurses to transform healthcare and improve lives. Our programs strive to elevate the image of nurses and the improve their overall health; ensure that nurses can practice to the full extent of their training; strengthen nurses’ leadership skills to serve as full partners in healthcare decision-making and improvement; and generate new knowledge and policy through nurses’ scholarly research and practice. To learn more about the Foundation’s programs, visit givetonursing.org.
About the American Nurses Association
The American Nurses Association (ANA) is the premier organization representing the interests of the nation's 4.3 million registered nurses. ANA advances the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting a safe and ethical work environment, bolstering the health and wellness of nurses, and advocating on health care issues that affect nurses and the public. ANA is at the forefront of improving the quality of health care for all. For more information, visit www.nursingworld.org.
About the American Academy of Nursing
The American Academy of Nursing serves the public by advancing health policy and practice through the generation, synthesis, and dissemination of nursing knowledge. Academy Fellows are inducted into the organization for their extraordinary contributions to improve health locally and globally. With more than 2,900 Fellows, the Academy represents nursing’s most accomplished leaders in policy, research, administration, practice, and academia.