We are thrilled to announce the newest members of our Advocacy Institute Fellowship Class of 2025! This year, we welcome a dynamic group of nurse advocates who are poised to drive impactful policy changes and advance the future of nursing.
In this fourth cohort of our flagship program, our Fellows will embark on a journey to refine their advocacy skills and utilize ANA\California's extensive network. Over the year, they will collaborate with influential coalitions, media, and political leaders to champion sustainable changes that will benefit the nursing profession and the communities we serve.
Meet our new Fellows below and join us in celebrating their commitment to shaping the future of nursing advocacy.
Veteran's Health Campaign
Fellow: Lance Rounkles MSN, RN, PMH-BC, CNML, NE-BC
Bio: I am a Registered Nurse, Air Force Veteran, and transformational leader with over 18 years of clinical leadership and expertise dedicated to serving Veterans. I am an organized, effective, and engaging leader with a long-standing record of outstanding management, relationship-building, and creative problem-solving skills.
I have a demonstrated talent for developing interdisciplinary staff and building committed teams. My leadership style is direct, motivated, and nurturing, focusing on growing and developing people to achieve results in challenging and opportunistic situations while also building consensus and buy-in from both internal and external stakeholders. I possess strong people, career development, and mentoring capabilities, along with excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills. Additionally, I have highly developed mediation and investigation skills.
Fellowship Deliverables
Coordinate an intake process assessment with nursing and informaticist leaders in California.
Assist in data analysis and make recommendations with veteran health experts.
LGBTQIA+ Equity in Nursing Campaign
Fellow: Misty Cahoon MSN, RN, NPD-BC
Bio: Misty brings 21 years of nursing experience in patient care, quality improvement, leadership, and education. She completed her undergraduate studies in Psychology and Nursing at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and earned her Masters of Nursing degree from the University of Texas Arlington. Currently, she is pursuing a Doctor of Nursing at the University of Ohio.
For the past 8 years, Misty has been dedicated to education and is certified as a Nurse Professional Development Specialist. She currently serves as a program co-coordinator for the Rising Nurse Leaders Program, where she focuses on nurturing the next generation of healthcare leaders. Misty is deeply committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, and she actively contributes as the education officer for UC Davis Medical Center’s Pride Employee Resource Group. Additionally, she is an engaged member of the UC Davis Health Staff Advisory Committee on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, the Vice Chancellor’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Council, and is involved at a national level through her work with the Association for Nursing Professional Development’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.
Fellowship Deliverables
Coordinate a pilot with nursing and healthcare leaders in California and New York.
Assist in data analysis and recommendation formation with LGBTQIA+ equity experts.
Fellowship Alumni:
2024 - Dr. Bri Dubose PhD, MHI, RN
Nurses in Media Campaign
Fellow: Dr. Deborah Finn-Romero DNP, RN, PHN, CNE, PACT
Bio: Dr. Deborah Finn-Romero DNP, RN, PHN, CNE, PACT is faculty at the California State University, Sacramento School of Nursing. Her areas of specialty are Structural and Social Determinants of Health, community health, cultural humility, ethics, leadership and public policy. Dr. Finn-Romero is an inaugural member of the National League of Nursing’s SDOH Leadership Academy.
As an active advocate of health equity in all levels of nursing and nursing education, she has been a contributor to the American Nurses Association\California’s Racism in Nursing Education Taskforce and serves as an ANA mentor. Dr. Finn-Romero has published and presented on interprofessional community partnerships focused on improving health outcomes for vulnerable populations, addressing racism in nursing education, integrating implicit bias training into nursing curriculum and other topics. She is an author in the newly released book, Nurse Leaders Driving Health Equity – Tackling Social and Structural Determinants published in cooperation with the National League of Nursing.
Nurses in Media Fellowship Deliverables
Connect with nursing leadership and communication departments to advocate for proposed recommendations.
Engage in conversations with media & PR experts regarding barriers to nurses in media.
Nurses in Media Fellow Alumni:
2024 - Kristy Fillmore MS(c)N, RN, NPD-BC, CPHQ
2023 - Alicia Truelove MSN, RN, CV-BC, NPD-BC
Artificial Intelligence in Nursing Campaign
Fellow: Dr. Jet Role, DNP, RN, LHIT
Bio: Jethrone "Jet" Role is the Director of Supplemental Staffing Network at Loma Linda University Health and an assistant professor at Loma Linda University, School of Nursing. He is also the CEO/Founder of Jetformatics Healthcare Solutions, LLC, an informatics consulting service.
Jet began his professional career as a medical/surgical/telemetry nurse and later transitioned to the ICU, working at the bedside for 8 years, where his passion for improving nursing care processes took root. In 2014, he was accepted into the Nursing Leadership Residency program at Loma Linda University Health, a 2-year program designed to prepare bedside nurses for leadership roles. During this program, he completed his master’s in nursing administration at Loma Linda University, marking the beginning of his career in management and leadership.
As Jet continued to merge innovation with leadership in his management approach, he pursued a DNP in Nursing Informatics at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, where he also earned a professional certification in Leadership in Health Information Technology. The completion of his DNP solidified his commitment to using informatics and data science in healthcare management and operations.
Jet continues to advance nursing informatics through research, publications, and participation in data science and informatics focus groups. His current research focuses on nursing burden and workload, as well as the impact of technology, including automation and AI, on nursing workflows and processes.
Fellow: Milena Mardahay, BSN, RN, CGRN
Bio: Milena "Millie" is a forward-thinking nursing leader with a vision centered on innovation and advocacy to transform healthcare. With over 14 years of experience in endoscopy, gastroenterology, and perianesthesia care, Milena is dedicated to integrating advanced technology, including AI, to improve patient outcomes and safety.
Her advocacy work is deeply rooted in raising awareness and reducing colorectal cancer rates, particularly in younger populations, addressing obesity management, and promoting the integration of AI in GI nursing and endoscopy. Milena is also passionate about reducing environmental pollution in healthcare, particularly the use of plastics, and advocates for leveraging AI to create sustainable practices. An expert in EHR conversions and the implementation of new systems and builds, Milena ensures that nurses are equipped to manage the latest technological advancements.
Beyond her clinical expertise, Milena is committed to public service, having served as a commissioner for cultural arts, where she led initiatives to enrich community life. As the founder of the American Society of Endoscopy Nurses and Associates (ASENA), an organization dedicated to advancing the specialty of endoscopy nursing through education, advocacy, and professional development, she continues to push for excellence in nursing practice and leadership, driving progress and innovation in the healthcare field.
Artificial Intelligence in Nursing Fellowship Deliverables
Engage in conversations with executive nurse leadership and AI experts to discuss AI’s impact on nursing workflows.
Develop an advisory team of nursing and AI leaders.
Ongoing Campaigns and Future Fellowship Opportunities
Racism in Nursing & Racism in Nursing Education Campaign
Fellowship Alumni:
2024 - Dr. Loleater Gibson
2023 - Carla Stanley MBA-HCM, BSN, RN, FACHE, HCM-BC, NEA-BC
2023 - Dr. Fatima Arastu DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, CNEn®, Caritas Coach®
2022 - Carter Todd MS, MBA, RN, NE-BC, CCRN
Mental Health in Nursing Campaign
Fellowship Alumni:
2024 - Tracy Holder BSN, RN, NBC-HWC, CCFP, RYT-200
2023 - Gilanie De Castro MSN, RN, OCN, NE-BC, CNML
2023 - Rebekah Dzida MSN, RN
2022 - Carolyn Dueñas MBA, RN, RNC-OB
Advocacy Institute Campaign
Fellowship Alumni:
2024 - Dahlia Maldonado BSN, RN-BC
2023 - Rachael Viale MSN, RN, CCRN
Interested in becoming an ANA\California Advocacy Institute Fellow?
We're looking for nursing advocates who demonstrate a passion for policy development and advocacy.
Visit our Fellowship page to apply or for more details.
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