UF selects 2 Jacksonville nursing leaders as alumni of the year

Two nursing leaders from Jacksonville were honored as the 2010 University of Florida College of Nursing Alumni of the Year during the college’s recent spring commencement ceremony. For the first time in the award’s history, the college selected two alumni of the year to be recognized in honor of the College of Nursing’s Jacksonville Campus’ 30th anniversary.

Each year, the UF Nursing Alumni Council honors a nursing graduate who has made outstanding accomplishments and service to the nursing profession. For 2010, the council has selected two alumni from the Jacksonville area who have both contributed greatly to the health care of Jacksonville: Diane Raines and Carolyn Johnson.

Raines is the senior vice president and chief nursing officer for Baptist Health and Johnson is the vice president of patient care services for Wolfson Children’s Hospital, a part of the Baptist Health System.

“We are extremely proud to honor these two outstanding nursing leaders as the 2010 Alumni of the Year,” said Kathleen Ann Long, Ph.D., R.N., dean of the UF College of Nursing. “It is fitting that this year we commemorate our Jacksonville campus’ 30th anniversary and are able to recognize the innumerable contributions that both Ms. Raines and Dr. Johnson have made to health care and nursing in Jacksonville. We are extremely proud to count them as UF College of Nursing alumni.”

Raines received her master’s degree in nursing from UF in 1983 and currently oversees the five-hospital nursing divisions in their focus on quality patient care. She is responsible for the education and leadership development for the health system. Under her leadership, Baptist Health received Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center — one of the largest health systems in the country to receive this status signifying the highest quality nursing care.

Raines has served at Baptist Health for 32 years in a number of nursing and administrative roles, including as a cardiac rehabilitation nurse, director of business development, vice president of corporate communications and senior vice president of organizational effectiveness.

“I’m so pleased that Diane is receiving recognition for the outstanding leadership she has provided during her career,” said John Wilbanks, a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and, chief operating officer of Baptist Health. “Diane’s key role in leading Baptist Health to Magnet designation is just one example of her commitment to the highest standards of the nursing profession.

Johnson received her bachelor’s degree in nursing in 1972 and master’s degree in nursing from UF in 1979. In spring 2009, she became one of the members of the first Doctor of Nursing Practice graduating class at UF. She oversees the delivery of quality nursing care in the 180-bed Wolfson Children’s Hospital.

Johnson is an officer of the health system and represents the hospital’s nursing staff, participates in community activities and programs and is actively involved in the strategic plan of Baptist Health. Under her leadership, the hospital has maintained an average turnover rate under 10 percent and patient satisfaction scores above the 75th percentile in all nursing areas. Prior to this, she served as a director of nursing at Wolfson for 14 years.

“We are so proud of Carolyn for her achievement,” said Larry Freeman, an administrator with Wolfson Children’s Hospital. “She is a great leader who has worked tirelessly to enhance the quality of the experience for our children and their families. At the same time, she provides the leadership to provide an academic environment in which future nurses are trained and educated at Wolfson.”