Kennedy Health’s Helene Burns Re-elected to ONL NJ Board of Directors

The Berlin resident continues her service to the healthcare delivery system.

The following is a press release from Kennedy Health:

Helene Burns, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Chief Nurse Executive and Vice President of Clinical Services at Kennedy Health, has been elected for a second one-year term to the Board of Directors of the Organization of Nurse Leaders — New Jersey (ONL NJ), a statewide organization with more than 550 members that advocates on health care issues and policy, while empowering nursing leaders and aspiring nurse leaders through research, education and mentorship.

At Kennedy, Ms. Burns has overall responsibility for patient care services and nursing operations at the multi-hospital health system. Pursuing the Magnet® Journey with Kennedy Health, which she joined in 2008, Ms. Burns has played a key role in Kennedy’s impressive patient safety indicators and clinical outcomes through her positive, engaging leadership style. She has been instrumental in the development and success of several programs and services, including Kennedy’s accredited Bariatric Surgery Program, its American Heart Association “Get With the Guidelines” stroke care award program and its Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders (NICHE) Exemplar Designation for excellence in senior care at all three Kennedy hospitals.

Named one of the New Jersey Institute for Nursing’s “Divas and Dons” in 2012 for her extraordinary impact on the profession and the community, Ms. Burns has championed many key initiatives linked with both patient and employee satisfaction, including hourly nursing rounds, improved beside communication, nursing mentor programs, and shared governance councils. With more than 30 years of experience in the health care industry, Ms. Burns’ management experience includes seven years as Director of Nursing at Delaware County Memorial Hospital in Drexel Hill, PA, prior to joining Kennedy.

Ms. Burns earned both her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (1981) and her Master of Science in Nursing degree (1994) from Widener University in Chester, PA. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Nursing Practice from the University of Pittsburgh. A resident of Berlin, Ms. Burns is a board-certified Nurse Executive-Advanced through the American Nurses Credentialing Center.