My name is Pat Noga, and I am honored to ask for your vote for AONL President-Elect among a fantastic slate of candidates.
About Pat
I believe my unique background – as an accomplished nurse leader, as a policy expert, and as a strategic consensus-builder – is the best fit for the needs of today’s nursing profession and the fast-evolving priorities of AONL.
Nurse First. I have had the privilege of serving in nursing leadership positions over the course of 30-plus years, including at major academic medical centers, in community-based care, and in healthcare advocacy settings. My career as a nurse leader is marked by a passion for clinical quality and research, patient and worker safety, clinician mental health and wellbeing, and professional development and mentorship. I have a deep respect for the journey and commitment of every nurse leader.
Policy Expertise. As Vice President of Clinical Affairs at the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association (MHA), policy is deeply entwined in every aspect of my work. Each day, I am responsible for informing and analyzing policies that shape the future of care delivery and impact the lives of patients and clinicians. Integrating strategic approaches to strengthen the workforce, address workplace violence, and ensure coordinated care across the continuum are among my top priorities.
This influence extends to my service as a Board member of the Organization of Nurse Leaders – MA, RI, NH, CT, VT (ONL) and elected Board representative for AONL’s Region 1. This expertise will allow me to stay ahead of the curve on all the most important – often complex -- advocacy initiatives that AONL is leading.
Consensus-Building. In a complex and crowded healthcare environment, collaboration is one of AONL’s best assets in accomplishing its goals. The ability to convene experts across healthcare and drive consensus solutions on complicated issues is one of the hallmarks of my current role at MHA.
Divergent perspectives are common in the pursuit of solutions to complex problems. I serve as a nexus of coordination among hundreds of clinical, academic, community, and operational stakeholders and am proud of the tangible outcomes resulting from my leadership – including in critical areas of safety, wellbeing, and clinical practice.
This experience in consensus-building, association management, and cross-sector leadership positions me well to promote AONL’s priorities from day one.
Video Testimonials
Focus Areas & Solutions
Prioritizing Wellbeing
Nurses remain dedicated to their mission of patient care; they deserve safe work environments and satisfying roles. Their mental health and wellbeing must be at the heart of every conversation regarding the future of our profession.
As AONL president-elect, I will advocate for:
- Customized leadership development and support for nurses and leaders that approach wellbeing holistically and focus on healthy work environments to promote belonging and retention.
- Policies that address safe and healthy work environments for our caregivers, with a special emphasis on addressing workplace violence and meaningful violence prevention reform (such as the federal SAVE Act).
- Building community through engaging forums for nurse leaders to share their challenges, best practices, innovations, and opportunities for collective action in relation to professional wellbeing.
Living the DEIB Mission
As one of the most trusted and progressive professions in the nation, nursing leaders have an opportunity to set an example for the rest of healthcare – and all other sectors – on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. AONL has taken bold steps to advance DEIB.
As AONL president-elect, I will continue to advance the association’s DEIB mission by:
- Amplifying and providing a platform for the voices, stories, and perspectives of diverse nurse leaders.
- Promoting the DEIB Toolkit through infusion in AONL committees and immersion in AONL education opportunities, advocacy work, and community engagement efforts.
- Making DEIB a key feature of our workforce development strategies and policies, knowing that talented individuals have been marginalized and not elevated to meet their full potential.
- Continuing to underscore the connections between a diverse workforce and improved patient outcomes.
Supporting Pathways for the Next Generation
There is a critical shortage of nurses and health care providers across the nation, but there is no shortage of individuals with a desire to enter the profession. We have it within our power as an association to build upon community partnerships, champion new models for education and training, and reduce the barriers to entry for aspiring nurses and ongoing growth in healthcare.
As AONL president-elect, I will advocate for:
- Reducing regulatory “pain points” or antiquated policies that restrict entry and practice in harmful ways.
- Building upon our work with academic leaders and other strategic partners to advance models and collaborations that help alleviate workforce shortages.
- Infusing strategic loan forgiveness models, scholarship opportunities, apprenticeship programs, diverse recruitment efforts, and mentorship opportunities to support workforce development from every angle.
Driving Partnership & Consensus
Given the complexity of our current challenges, change will require collaboration and consensus building. It is hard – sometime imperfect – work, but AONL has an invaluable role to play in shaping our future. I know these are AONL’s greatest assets as it looks to build an even more vibrant nursing field.
As AONL president-elect, I will:
- Drive consensus solutions around members’ most pressing issues through listening, dialogue, and exhaustive consultation with stakeholders of all viewpoints.
- Establish AONL as a resource to national policymakers and other leading organizations as the nation addresses large-scale changes to healthcare.
- Forge even stronger collaboration and coordination among academic partners and leaders in all care settings across the healthcare continuum – from hospitals to community-based care and beyond.
Areas of Expertise
Through her career, Pat has led initiatives on every major topic relating to clinical leadership, including:
- Top clinical issues and best practices
- Quality and patient safety
- Safety and violence prevention
- Clinician engagement and wellbeing
- Nurse staffing
- Scope of practice
- Professional development and mentorship
- Workforce development and pipeline
- Case management
- Continuity of care and care coordination
- Emergency preparedness
- Crisis management