Chief Nursing Officer named for UF Health system

Press release from UF Health

BY DOROTHY HAGMAJER

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Janice Walker, D.H.A., MBA-HCM, B.S.N., R.N., has been named the first system chief nursing officer, or CNO, of the UF Health clinical enterprise. She began Jan. 19.

In her new role, Walker will work to strengthen UF Health’s systemwide approach to nursing and clinical operations, providing executive leadership for nursing and key clinical support services across inpatient, ambulatory, and post-acute settings.

“Nurses need to have the time to connect with patients,” Walker said. “And this time comes from their workflow and their work burden. Easing this — allowing us to stay connected to why we became nurses — brings back the joy.”

She will work closely with the system’s regional CNOs and partner with clinical, operational, and academic leaders to advance high-quality, safe, and efficient care, support workforce strategy, and drive system integration and standardization.

Walker will also collaborate with Shakira Henderson, Ph.D., D.N.P., M.S., M.P.H., EMBA, dean of the UF College of Nursing and system chief nurse executive for UF Health, to enhance academic-practice alignment and support the next generation of nurses.

Walker brings extensive experience in leading nursing strategy across large, complex health systems. Most recently, she was system vice president and regional chief nurse officer for Advocate Health’s Southeast Region, where she led nursing operations across North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. Her leadership contributed to improvements in workforce stability, quality outcomes, virtual nursing innovation, and systemwide alignment.

Previously, she held senior executive nursing roles at Baylor Scott & White Health, the largest integrated not-for-profit healthcare system in Texas. While at Baylor Scott & White Health, she was executive vice president and chief nursing executive and the executive lead for systemwide pharmacy, laboratory, radiology, and regulatory/accreditation operations.

Walker is a nationally recognized speaker on clinical recruitment and retention, transformational nursing leadership, and advancing quality through accreditation programs that support care for at-risk populations. Her published work has covered topics such as achieving zero patient harm, candidate-centric nursing recruitment and retention strategies, workplace violence prevention, and interdisciplinary team collaboration.

“My experience has underscored that you don’t make decisions about nurses without nurses,” Walker said. “I look forward to us becoming an aligned nursing infrastructure so we can drive outcomes and take care of our staff, in turn allowing them to take better care of our patients.”

In addition to a doctorate in healthcare administration, she holds an MBA in healthcare management and a Bachelor of Science in nursing and is a Nurse Executive Advanced – Board-Certified leader.