Dana Byrum, vice president of Patient Care Services at ECU Health Bertie and Chowan hospitals, and Christina Miller, vice president of Nursing Strategic Operations, were both recently awarded the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) Nurse Executive Fellowship, a prestigious and selective year-long program for nurses who are new to an executive or senior leadership role. This is the first time any ECU Health team member has represented the system as an AONL Fellow, let alone two, and they join a group of only 25 leaders from across the country.
Dana Byrum
Byrum has been with ECU Health for 29 years, and she began her career working in medical records and then as a nursing assistant before going to school to become a nurse.
“There was a nursing leader, Vicky Blanchard, from the MedSurg unit who would come talk to me in medical records,” Byrum said. “She was so kind and engaging, and she suggested I get certified as a nursing assistant to see if I might like nursing. I did, and when I graduated with my RN, she hired me. She was really the first who invested in me.”
That investment has paid off. With her newer role as vice president, Byrum said the AONL Fellowship presented a great opportunity to gain experience and develop critical executive competencies such as executive presence and communications, innovation and change leadership and governance relations.
“Participation in the AONL Nurse Executive Fellowship will provide me with the chance to learn from innovative practices across the country while sharing the exceptional work happening here at ECU Health,” Byrum said. “Our vision is to become the national model for rural health, and this program helps us understand what that looks like by building connections, exchanging ideas and translating insights into improved clinical outcomes. It’s not just about learning – it’s about collaboration, creating lifelong relationships and showcasing ECU Health’s leadership in rural health innovation.”
Christina Miller
Miller graduated from nursing school in 1998, and the Duplin County native has worked as a nurse and leader in acute hospital settings in eastern North Carolina for the past 25 years. She was recruited to ECU Health to continue to serve her local community.
Miller has since served in a leadership capacity at ECU Health Duplin Hospital, was promoted to vice president of Patient Care Services, and she now serves as the vice president of Nursing Strategic Operations for ECU Health. The AONL Nurse Executive Fellowship is a great opportunity for continued leadership growth and development, and to continue to support the mission and vision of ECU Health, Miller said.
“It offers a huge connection with nurse leaders across the country,” she said. “We connect well with local and regional leaders, but this gives us a chance to spread our wings and see what strategies are being deployed in other places.”
The year-long fellowship offers education in strategic planning, innovation and change leadership and governance, as well as information about national-level policy where nurse leaders learn how to advocate and lead big process changes.
In addition to in-person fellowship retreats, which will happen in Chicago and Washington, D.C., fellows will attend the AONL Annual Conference in the spring, participate in one-on-one coaching with a mentor and establish a supportive network of peers.
“You leave [the fellowship] with 25 colleagues you have collaborated with, and this peer group moves forward together,” Miller said. “You grow a new skill set and learn from leaders across the nation.”
Christina said this fellowship is key in developing her abilities as a nurse leader – something ECU Health has supported her in and will inform the work she does with the system.
“We lead the nursing voice in eastern North Carolina,” she said. “Trish [ Baise, ECU Health chief nursing executive,] empowers us to advocate for nursing for the region, state and nationally. The more we learn, network and support our organization, the more we are able to attract and retain talent.”