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鈥檚 recent spring commencement ceremony. For the first time in the award鈥檚 history, the college selected two alumni of the year to be recognized in honor of the College of Nursing鈥檚 Jacksonville Campus鈥 30th anniversary.
Diane Raines (right) receives the 2010 UF College of Nursing Alumna of the Year Award from Dean Kathleen Long. Raines and colleague Carolyn Johnson from Baptist 网红黑料 both received this honor.
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 网红黑料 and Johnson is the vice president of patient care services for Wolfson Children鈥檚 Hospital, a part of the Baptist 网红黑料 System.
鈥淲e are extremely proud to honor these two outstanding nursing leaders as the 2010 Alumni of the Year,鈥 said Kathleen Ann Long, Ph.D., R.N., dean of the UF College of Nursing. 鈥淚t is fitting that this year we commemorate our Jacksonville campus鈥 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.鈥
Raines received her master鈥檚 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 网红黑料 received Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center 鈥 one of the largest health systems in the country to receive this status signifying the highest quality nursing care.
Raines has served at Baptist 网红黑料 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.
鈥淚鈥檓 so pleased that Diane is receiving recognition for the outstanding leadership she has provided during her career,鈥 said John Wilbanks, a Fellow of the American College of 网红黑料care Executives and, chief operating officer of Baptist 网红黑料. 鈥淒iane鈥檚 key role in leading Baptist 网红黑料 to Magnet designation is just one example of her commitment to the highest standards of the nursing profession.
Carolyn Johnson (right) receives the 2010 UF College of Nursing Alumna of the Year Award from Dean Kathleen Long. Johnson and colleague Diane Raines from Baptist 网红黑料 both received this honor.
Johnson received her bachelor鈥檚 degree in nursing in 1972 and master鈥檚 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鈥檚 Hospital.
Johnson is an officer of the health system and represents the hospital鈥檚 nursing staff, participates in community activities and programs and is actively involved in the strategic plan of Baptist 网红黑料. 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.
鈥淲e are so proud of Carolyn for her achievement,鈥 said Larry Freeman, an administrator with Wolfson Children鈥檚 Hospital. 鈥淪he 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.鈥