UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The American Organization of Nurses Executives (AONE) presented its Lifetime Achievement award to Penn State alumna Gail Latimer during its annual meeting in San Diego in April.
AONE, a professional nursing organization whose 9,000 members span the globe, offers leadership and professional development, advocacy, and research to advance nursing practice and patient care, promote nursing leadership excellence, and shape public policy for health care.
The AONE Lifetime Achievement Award honors a member of AONE who is regarded by the nursing community as a significant leader and who has held leadership positions in AONE and other professional organizations.
Latimer has served as a member of the AONE board of directors and chair of the AONE Foundation Board. She also served as president of the Pennsylvania Organization of Nurse Leaders. She is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and the American Academy of Nursing and completed the Johnson & Johnson/Wharton Fellows Program in Management for Nurse Executives at the University of Pennsylvania.
A 1983 Penn State graduate earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing, Latimer currently serves as Chair of the College of Nursing's Dean's Advisory and Development Council and is a member of the University's Global Advisory Council. Previously, Latimer received the College of Nursing’s Shirley Novosel Outstanding Nursing Alumni Award and was a 2009 Penn State Alumni Fellow.
In addition to receiving the AONE Lifetime Achievement Award this year, Latimer will be presented with the Penn State Distinguished Alumni Award in May. The Distinguished Alumni Award is the highest honor bestowed by Penn State upon an alumna or alumnus. The award salutes the achievements of outstanding alumni whose "personal lives, professional achievements, and community service exemplify the objectives of their alma mater."
“Gail has consistently been available as a resource for the college and an advocate for our work and for Penn State,” said Laurie Badzek, dean of the College of Nursing. “She is the epitome of a Penn State nurse.”
Latimer is an independent healthcare consultant and formerly the Chief Nursing Officer for Siemens Corporation. During her tenure at Siemens Corporation, she was a leader in creating clinical information systems; she continues to be a strong advocator for clinical IT use across the world.
“Health care technology,” Badzek said, “specifically health information technology and the electronic medical record, provides the platform for the collection of big data that will be helpful in solving the complex problems facing health care today.”
In 2014, Latimer established the Gail E. Latimer Trustee Scholarship in the College of Nursing to help nursing students with financial need.