Dr. Julie Sochalski Appointed Director of Nursing in Bureau of Health, by U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services

August 30, 2010

It is with a great deal of pleasure and pride that I announce that Dr. Julie Sochalski has just been appointed Director of the Division of Nursing in the Bureau of Health Professions for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

This is phenomenal recognition of Dr. Sochalski’s research expertise and national impact in the area of health policy and health care workforce issues.

In this role, Dr. Sochalski will serve as the principal advisor to the Associate Administrator of the Bureau of Health Professions and to the Administrator of HRSA on national policy for nursing, research, practice, and education with the overall objective of improving the quality of health and nursing service across the nation.

Dr. Sochalski is uniquely qualified for this role considering her background as the AARP-AAN Senior Policy Fellow (2009); service, since 2006, as a member of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Health Care Cost Containment Council; service on the National Commission on Veteran’s Administration Nursing (2002-2004); and work as a Senior Scholar for HRSA.

To assume this important role, I have approved Dr. Sochalski’s request for a leave of absence (without compensation) from her academic role as an Associate Professor. We look forward to her return to this role in two years.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Sochalski as she assumes this highly important role that will play a significant part in implementing health care reform and that will help to define the future of nursing.

You can hear Dr. Sochalski’s unique perspective on nursing’s role in the future of health care at the Pennsylvania launching of the Future of Nursing report here in our School on Thursday, October 14, 3-5 p.m. in the Ann L. Roy Auditorium.