Kaiser Permanente's Marilyn Chow Recognized for Nursing Excellence by Nurse.com

OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Marilyn Chow, RN, DNSc, FAAN, of Kaiser Permanente has been named the national winner of the 2011 Nurse.com Nursing Excellence Awards in the category of "Advancing and Leading the Profession." Sponsored by The Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nursing's Future, the awards program recognizes extraordinary contributions nurses make in the health care industry to patients, peers and the overall profession of nursing.

"We are extremely proud that Marilyn's contributions to Kaiser Permanente and the nursing profession are being recognized across America," said Bernard Tyson, president and chief operating officer, Kaiser Permanente.  "Marilyn's dedication and leadership help ensure Kaiser Permanente patients and their families receive the best care experience possible.  On the national stage, she inspires others to understand the importance of nursing to the future of health care."

The Nurse.com Nursing Excellence Award program has honored those who have made major contributions in the field of nursing for more than a decade. Award winners are recognized in six different categories including staff nurses, specialists, nurse practitioners, vice presidents, and nurse executives who work in various settings in health care. Chow, nominated by her peers for her leadership and expertise in advancing innovation and the regulation of practice and workforce policy, was chosen from a field of nine regional U.S. finalists.

"I am honored to be recognized among many of my peers who dedicate their lives to improving and growing this admirable profession," said Chow. "Thank you to my fellow nurses at Kaiser Permanente for their undying commitment to continually improving patient centered and family focused care."

At Kaiser Permanente and throughout her career, Chow has been a tireless advocate for the role of nurses in primary care, advanced practice and hospital-based care as well as advancing the use of innovation in nursing practice. Currently at Kaiser Permanente, Chow is vice president of National Patient Care Services. In this role, she works to integrate quality nursing care with the latest and most useful technologies, and has demonstrated that maintaining an excellent professional practice demands that nurses stay on top of the tools and resources that allow them to give patients the highest quality and safest care possible. She also has advocated for the innovative and expanded role of nurses as instruments to shape the future of health care in meeting the demands of health care reform at Kaiser Permanente and throughout the U.S. health care system.

Nurse.com publications (NurseWeek) currently circulate to approximately 1 million registered nurses nationally, and have a worldwide online presence. The awards will be featured in the Nov. 2011 print issue of NurseWeek.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 8.8 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: www.kp.org/newscenter.

For more information, contact:
Yasmin Staton, 510-625-3659, [email protected]

SOURCE Kaiser Permanente