A professor at the Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing is being named a fellow of the prestigious New York Academy of Medicine, one of America’s oldest nonprofits for improving public health.
Associate Dean for Research and Rudin Professor of Nursing Melissa O’Connor will be inducted at a ceremony on December 1.
The honor exemplifies Hunter’s impact as an anchor institution and top training ground for nursing improving health equity in the city and state. Hunter was ranked third out of 210 nursing schools in New York and in the top 10% nationally by nonprofit news site RN Careers. Our master’s programs also were ranked among the best in the state by RegisteredNursing.org, a nursing-advocacy organization.
“We are delighted by this richly deserved honor for Dr. O’Connor and, by extension, our leadership team and faculty,” Joan Hansen Grabe Dean Ann Marie Mauro said. “As we build Hunter Nursing into a national powerhouse, her expertise in evidence-based methods and sustained commitment to frail older adults meets a critical need in New York and across the United States.”
O’Connor joins eight other Hunter-Bellevue faculty members who are New York Academy of Medicine Fellows.
O’Connor is among a small number of national nurse experts in the delivery of home-healthcare services to vulnerable older adults. She also specializes in informatics, gerontological nursing, and transitional care.
O’Connor came to Hunter earlier this year from Villanova University, where she served as the M. Louise Fitzpatrick Endowed Professor in Community and Home Health Nursing.
She is an inaugural Fellow with the Betty Irene Moore Fellowships for Nurse Leaders and Innovators, a highly competitive, national program dedicated to developing the next generation of nurse leaders and innovators. She also was named a Distinguished Educator in Gerontological Nursing by the National Hartford Center for Gerontological Nursing Excellence. She is a Fellow in the highly prestigious and selective American Academy of Nursing and Gerontological Society of America.
About the Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing
The Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing mission is to cultivate collaborative nurse leaders promoting wellness and championing health equity in diverse local and global communities through excellence in education, research, scholarship, and advocacy. Its vision is to shape nurse leaders advancing health equity for a thriving, healthier world.
About the New York Academy of Medicine
The New York Academy of Medicine is a leading voice for innovation in public health. Throughout its 177-year history, NYAM has uniquely championed bold changes to the systems that perpetuate health inequities and keep all communities from achieving good health. Today, this work includes innovative research, programs, and policy initiatives that distinctively value community input for maximum impact. Combined with NYAM’s trusted programming and historic Library, and with the support of almost 2,000 esteemed Fellows and Members, NYAM’s impact as a health leader continues.
