As a new leader at Cooley Dickinson Hospital, my first priority has been listening to staff, physicians and community partners. What I have heard consistently is a deep pride in the care delivered here and a shared desire to strengthen our foundation for the future.

Our focus is to build on this proud legacy by supporting the people who deliver care, aligning leadership to the work at hand, and strengthening systems that enable excellent outcomes. These efforts are made possible through strong executive partnership. Under the leadership of our hospital president and chief operating officer, Kevin Whitney, Cooley Dickinson remains committed to empowering our nursing and clinical teams and sustaining the structures that allow high-quality, patient-centered care to thrive.

Strengthening nursing leadership structure

To support the increasing complexity of health care, Cooley Dickinson has revised its inpatient nursing leadership structure to better align leadership oversight with the scope and intensity of care delivered across the hospital.

This structure enables leaders to focus intentionally on quality improvement, staff development, patient safety, and workforce engagement, supporting proactive work that strengthens outcomes and sustains excellence at the bedside.

Investing in the workforce and safe staffing

Our people are our greatest strength, and Cooley Dickinson has made meaningful investments to support safe staffing and workforce sustainability.

These include competitive wages, an expanded nursing resource pool, and a weekend enhanced-pay program. This approach rewards staff who prefer weekend work, while offering greater flexibility and fewer weekend commitments for others.

We are strengthening the nursing and staff workforce pipeline through academic partnerships. Earlier this year, the hospital partnered with Greenfield Community College to launch a central sterile processing technician training program taught by Cooley Dickinson’s central sterile supervisor Marlene Gonzalez. All three graduates were hired into full-time roles upon completion.

Additional partnerships include collaboration with Bay Path University to train patient care assistants, with students paid during training and hired upon completion. This fall, Cooley Dickinson will partner with the MGH Institute of Health Professions to bring an accelerated nursing degree program to our campus. Supported by Mass General Brigham tuition reimbursement and hospital grant support, the first cohort will begin in September.

To further support safe staffing, the hospital is using predictive workforce planning tools to anticipate future needs and proactively align resources.

Advancing research, leadership development

Aligned with Mass General Brigham’s commitment to research, Cooley Dickinson is exploring academic partnerships that expand nursing research and evidence-based practices. This ensures that care is guided by the best available evidence while generating new knowledge that benefits our community.

Leadership development aligns with one of Mass General Brigham’s systemwide priorities for 2026. Cooley Dickinson is investing in educational opportunities for front-line and senior leaders. In partnership with the Massachusetts Hospital Association, interdisciplinary teams will participate in the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Healthy Work Environment Clinical Scene Investigator Academy.

A clear vision for quality and the future of nursing

These investments in leadership, workforce and systems are translating into measurable results. Cooley Dickinson is a top-quartile performer on several quality outcome measures, as measured by Vizient. These achievements reflect strong interdisciplinary collaboration and physician partnership, including the leadership of Associate Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sundeep Shukla. The hospital has also achieved Joint Commission certification as a primary stroke center.

Looking ahead, our goal at Cooley Dickinson is to leverage technology and emerging applications of artificial intelligence to support clinical decision-making and promote timely escalation of care. Nursing teams also will engage in strategic planning to shape a three-year roadmap aligned with hospital and system priorities using the Magnet framework. While the professional practice model is still in development, this work will be done collaboratively with front-line nurses and leaders to guide practice, growth and shared accountability.

The future at Cooley Dickinson Hospital is purposeful, people-centered, and grounded in excellence, and we are building it together with our exceptional staff and community.

Chika Anueyiagu is the chief nursing officer at Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton.