Ellen-Marie Whelan, NP, PhD, FAAN, senior adviser at the Innovation Center, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Baltimore, was among 20 nurses from across the U.S. named by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as RWJF Executive Nurse Fellows for 2012. This group will participate in a three-year leadership development program, joining more than 200 nurse leaders who have participated in the RWJF Executive Nurse Fellows program since it began in 1998.

The program strengthens the leadership capacity of nurses who aspire to shape healthcare locally and nationally, according to a press release. Each fellow receives coaching, education and support to strengthen his or her ability to lead teams and organizations that are improving health and healthcare. The fellowship is supported through a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.