For Immediate Release
Gwen Coverdale, 267-884-6328
CRANBURY, NJ – The Association of Chronic & Complex Care Nurse Navigators (ACCCNN) is proud to share that its Co-Founder and Co-Program Director Billie Lynn Allard, MS, RN, FAAN, has been named one of the 2023 PM360 ELITE 100 in the Master Educator category. Now in its 9th year, the PM360 ELITE (Exceptional • Leaders • Innovators • Transformers • Entrepreneurs) represent the most influential people in the healthcare industry today.
Ms Allard’s nomination was one of 500 submitted for this honor and candidates were evaluated and selected by the PM360 editorial staff based on their accomplishments; testimonials from their bosses, clients, and colleagues; and supporting evidence that reflects the impact of their efforts. A total of 100 winners across 19 categories were selected and profiled in PM360.
“I am honored to receive this prestigious award,” says Ms Allard. “This work represents the highlight of my career leading care transformation to better meet the needs of all patients by improving equity, access, and quality outcomes while decreasing cost. Empowering and educating patients to make informed decisions while partnering with integrated care teams lays the foundation for value-based care.”
“The life sciences and healthcare at large are constantly evolving industries that are always in search of better ways to care for and communicate with patients, and that change isn’t possible without people like this year’s ELITE 100,” says Anna Stashower, CEO and Publisher of PM360. “These individuals and teams are reshaping how things are done to make necessary improvements such as more convenient clinical trials for patients, shorter time to diagnosis for rare disease patients, the elimination of systemic barriers in media targeting, better care for glaucoma patients, greater attention paid to caregivers, expanding communication channels into dating apps, and much more. The impact of their work cannot be understated, and we are honored to recognize their contributions to our industry.”
A Transformational Leader and Educator
Throughout her career, Ms Allard has worked diligently to transform care delivery to better meet the needs of all patients. And she’s done this in ways that reduce cost, improve quality outcomes, and positively impact patient/provider satisfaction.
This skillset truly came to light after she joined Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) in 2011, following a lengthy stint with North Adams Regional Hospital where she served as Director of Emergency Nursing Services, Director of Cardio-Pulmonary Services, and finally Vice President of Patient Care Services. At SVHC, Ms Allard led the implementation of value-based payment strategies to improve population health, equity, and access to meet the Triple Aim—oftentimes having to convince leadership of the long-term value of this work despite the short-term risk to reimbursement.
As part of her efforts, Ms Allard mentored the team of clinical nurse specialists and partnered with colleagues across the organization, at community agencies, and external partners to secure grant funding to finance necessary programs. Her work culminated in the implementation of the health system’s Accountable Community of Health, an initiative that earned the 2017 ANCC Magnet Prize for Innovation and led the American Academy of Nursing to name Ms Allard an “Edge Runner” in 2018.
While at SVHC, she also developed partnerships with deans of nursing schools to establish clinical rotations and co-created an expanded curriculum for 2 area nursing programs. This innovative program, implemented in 2017, is now a recommendation for all nursing schools in the National Academy of Medicine’s 2021 report titled “The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity.”
For this, and all the programs implemented at SVHC between 2014–2020, the American Hospital Association awarded the organization its prestigious Rural Health Leadership Award in 2020.
Ms Allard was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 2019, and the next year she authored a book at the request of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society, titled Inspired Healthcare—A Value-Based Care Coordination Model.
Today, as an independent consultant, Ms Allard presents at prestigious national healthcare and nursing conferences; publishes regularly in peer-reviewed journals; and serves on the American Academy of Nurses Edge Runner Council, and as a care transformation, population health, and value-based care mentor to nurses and healthcare leaders across the country.
About the ACCCNN
The Association of Chronic & Complex Care Nurse Navigators (ACCCNN) was founded in 2022 to provide these professionals with the education, support, and empowerment necessary to drive transformative patient-centered care within their organizations and communities. Visit ACCCNN.org to learn more.