AHICAdvocate

The chair of the AHIC transition committee is a nurse. Ms. Lillee Smith Gelinas, RN, MSN (Co-Chair) Ms. Gelinas, R.N is vice president and chief nursing officer at VHA. As a member of VHA's Clinical Affairs leadership team, she supports efforts aimed at system wide achievement of clinical excellence that focus on several key areas including: evidence-based improvement, effective leadership development, clinical team collaboration, enhancing physician/hospital relationships and making the business case for quality. She also works extensively with both health care organizations and VHA's 18 local offices to 'close the quality gap' through VHA's clinical agenda. Ms. Gelinas spearheaded the formation of the VHA Nursing Initiative that provides direction to help health care organizations improve patient care delivery. Ms. Gelinas earned her bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Southern Louisiana in Lafayette and a master's degree in nursing, with honors, from the University of Pennsylvania, where she also studied at the Wharton School of Business.