Nursing Leadership

Nancy W. Gaden, DNP, RN, FAAN
Senior Vice President & Chief Nursing Officer

Nancy Gaden is a distinguished leader in nursing, serving as Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Boston Medical Center (BMC) since 2014. She played a key role in the clinical planning and execution of merging two campuses and led BMC to its first Magnet designation in December 2021. With prior CNO roles at Hallmark Health System and St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, Nancy's leadership has been recognized with numerous awards, including the ANA Massachusetts President’s Award in 2018 and the 2019 Excellence in Leadership Award from the New England Organization of Nurse Leaders. In 2020, she was honored with a Daisy Lifetime Achievement Award and a recognition from The Commonwealth Institute for advancing healthcare. Nancy holds a BS in Nursing from the University of Rochester, an MS from Boston College, and a Doctorate in Nursing Practice from Regis College. A Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, she also served as past President of the New England Organization of Nurse Leaders.
 

Kellie Smith, MSN, RN, NE-BC
Associate Chief Nursing Officer, Critical Care

Kellie joined BMC in the summer of 2014, having served as a nursing leader at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center. As part of the Hallmark Health System, she implemented a critical care eICU telemedicine program at Melrose-Wakefield Hospital and instituted an advanced practitioner program in critical care. She has spent most of her 30-year career as a staff nurse in the critical care arena, then moving on to nursing leadership. Kellie strives to ensure excellence in quality care grounded in partnerships among patients, families, and healthcare practitioners. She is committed to ensuring a just culture. Kellie received her diploma from St. Elizabeth’s School of Nursing, her BSN from Emmanuel College, and her MS in Nursing at Regis College. She also has her Nurse Executive Certification.
 

Cheryl A. Porter, DNP, RN, NE-BC
Associate Chief Nursing Officer, Medical Surgical Services

Cheryl's career at BMC began in 2005 as a staff nurse, and she has since taken on various leadership roles, including charge nurse, nurse manager, associate director, and director of medical/surgical. Her commitment to education and professional development is evident in her academic achievements. In 1994, she was awarded a Chancellor’s Scholarship, which she used to earn her BSN from U-Mass Boston. She furthered her education with an MS in Administration from Boston College, and 2019, she achieved her Doctor of Nursing Practice. Before joining BMC, Cheryl worked in Human Services Management for over a decade, where she integrated program management with finance and administration. Her accomplishments include developing and enhancing the financial skills of mid to senior-level managers and integrating program development with staff empowerment and education.
 

Diane Hanley, MSN, RN-BC, EJD
Associate Chief Nursing Officer, Professional Practice and Magnet Program Director

Diane Hanley has many years of nursing leadership experience in academic and community hospital settings. She focused predominately on developing professional nursing practice using the Magnet Recognition program and is committed to optimal outcomes for patients, families, nurses, and the community. Diane Hanley is the delegate for the Board of Medicine from the Board of Registration in Nursing. She received her baccalaureate degree from St. Anselm College, an MSN from Salem State University, and attained an executive juris doctorate with a major in healthcare at Concord Law School.
 

Carlos McCormack MS, RN
Associate Chief Nursing Officer, Emergency Services

Carlos joins the BMC Nursing leadership team as a passionate and dedicated healthcare leader with extensive experience in Emergency Services and Critical Care. For the last ten years, he has held senior leadership roles at Methodist Hospital in Southern California and the Medical Center of Aurora in Colorado. During this time, Carlos oversaw all aspects of the Emergency Services department, including administration, staff development, clinical quality improvement initiatives, and patient throughput. He is committed to continuing BMC's mission of providing excellent medical care in an environment that respects each individual’s right to dignified health care.
 

Maureen Fagan, DNP, FNP-BC, FAAN
Associate Chief Nursing Officer, Maternal Child Health

Maureen has spent most of her leadership career in senior leadership positions within Women’s Health - ambulatory and inpatient - at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Most recently, she served as Chief Experience Officer and then Chief Nurse Executive at the University of Miami Health System. In addition to her deep experience in operations, Maureen has a rich background in research, authoring or coauthoring more than twenty publications, the most recent of which are grounded in social determinants of health. In addition, she has been the keynote presenter at dozens of conferences, both regionally and nationally. 
 

Lisa Zani, MSN, RN, NE-BC
Associate Chief Nursing Officer, Innovation, Retention & Care Redesign

Lisa Zani, MSN, RN, NE-BC, joined BMC in 2017. She is the Associate Chief Nursing Officer for Innovation, Retention, and Care Redesign. Previously, Lisa was the ACNO of Maternal Child Health and held various senior nursing leadership positions in Massachusetts. Lisa earned her BSN at Simmons University and MSN at Regis College. Additionally, she is certified in Nursing Leadership. 
 

Stephanie Martinez, MBA, BSN, RN, CPHQ
Associate Chief Nursing Officer, Care Continuum

A seasoned nursing leader, Stephanie Martinez, has been a part of BMC since 2001. Her journey at BMC began as a staff/charge nurse in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab. Over the years, she has demonstrated her leadership skills, transitioning into roles such as Quality Improvement Project Specialist and Manager in the Quality & Patient Safety department. In 2015, she took on the responsibility of Nurse Manager. Before her tenure at BMC, Stephanie gained diverse experience, including med/surg and critical care travel RN experience, ambulatory cardiovascular specialty, and primary care affiliated with Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Stephanie thrives in a fast-paced learning environment and instills the same values in her team. She values teamwork, professionalism, and a patient-centric approach among her staff. Moreover, she is a staunch advocate for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion across the organization.
 

Rebecca Hayes, DNP, RN, RNFA, CNOR
Associate Chief Nursing Officer, Perioperative Services

Rebecca joined BMC in 2018, having served as Nursing Director of the Menino and Moakley operating rooms. As Associate Chief Nursing Officer for Perioperative Services, Rebecca oversees the Integrated Procedural Platform areas and the Central Processing department. She is committed to excellence in patient care and achieving optimal outcomes through evidence-based practices. Before her time at BMC, Rebecca held various advanced clinical and leadership roles at Mount Auburn Hospital. Rebecca earned her BSN and MHA from Boston College, an MSN from Southern New Hampshire University, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Chamberlain University.
 

Patrick Rhault, MHA, BSN, RN, NE-BC
Associate Chief Nursing Officer, Ambulatory Services

Patrick was the former Nursing Director for General Internal Medicine/Primary Care, where he partnered with the medical and operations leadership to advance many of the department’s strategic initiatives. In addition, he has accomplished many things with his nursing team, including work with telephone triage, leadership development, succession planning, and significant quality improvement for our accountable care (ACO) patients. Before working at BMC, Patrick was at Providence Community Health Centers as an Assistant Director for several service lines. Patrick began his career as an inpatient nurse but quickly fell in love with the opportunity that outpatient nurses have to impact patients’ lives.
 

Geralyn Saunders, MSN, RN
Chief Nursing Information Officer

As a leader in the field of nursing informatics, Geralyn has managed multiple clinical implementations in her 45-year career at Boston Medical Center. As Chief Nursing Information Officer, she has been a key leadership team member who first installed the Epic Electronic Health Record. She now drives enhancement to workflows that impact nursing practice. Along with the Informatics team, they leverage automation to drive changes. Geralyn and the Informaticists have led the nursing informatics council for ten years. This shared governance group optimizes Epic and end-user workflows with modifications driven by BMC’s clinical nurses. Geralyn has both a BS and MSN from Boston University School of Nursing.

Karri Davis, DNP, RN, NE-BC
Associate Chief Nursing Officer, Practice, Quality and Education

Karri Davis, DNP, RN, NE-BC, has been appointed Associate Chief Nursing Officer (ACNO) for Practice, Quality, and Education at BMC. With a distinguished career in nursing leadership, Karri brings a wealth of experience in professional practice, education, and performance improvement. She previously served as the Director of Nursing Education and Excellence at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, where she successfully guided their Magnet journey. Her career also includes the role of Director of Nursing Excellence at Lahey Hospital, complemented by her extensive experience as a Clinical Nurse Specialist and Educator at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center and Yale New Haven. Karri holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Quinnipiac University, a Master's degree in Education from the University of Hartford, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Fairfield University. Acknowledged for her significant contributions to the nursing field, she has received numerous professional awards and has authored over 30 publications and presentations.