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Disciplines: Mediator and Consultant
Donna Gage is a Principal with BMC Associates. She was intimately involved in complex, multiyear negotiations with one of the largest unions in the country for many years as a nursing executive. With BMC, she resolves conflicts among co-owners in family and non-family businesses, as well as among all levels in healthcare organizations, from managers to board members. (See Focus on Health Systems, Institutions and Practices.) She has an extensive strategic and operational background in complex academic medical centers and integrated delivery systems and broad experience in the successful implementation of organization-wide clinical information systems. As part of her BMC role, she guides all aspects of BMC’s work in the healthcare field. She consults to healthcare executives on leading transformational change initiatives in all types and sizes of healthcare systems and practices.
Between 2014 and 2016, Donna was on extended leave from her BMC position while she served as Chief Nursing Officer for the U.S. Veterans Health Administration. In her role as the VA’s senior nurse executive, she oversaw more than 90,000 nursing service personnel in the country’s largest integrated health care system with over 1,700 facilities, including more than 160 hospitals. She worked across disciplines to achieve full practice authority in three of the four APRN categories in the VA, which will provide improved access to care for all veterans.
Prior to being a BMC Principal from 2012 to 2014, Donna served as the Chief Nursing Officer at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and the Penn State Hershey Medical Center. At Penn State Hershey, she established an organization-wide nursing department and led the organization to Magnet designation. Donna has written numerous articles and been a frequent guest editor for Nursing Administration Quarterly.
- Principal, BMC Associates, 2016-present.
- Adjunct Faculty Member, The Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, 2015-preent.
- Chief Nursing Officer, U.S. Veterans Health Administration, Washington, DC, 2014-2016.
- Principal, BMC Associates, 2012-2014.
- Chief Nursing Officer, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC, 2011-2012.
- Chief Nursing Officer, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, 2000-2011.
- Director and Manager, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, 1988-2000.
- Nurse Practitioner and staff nurse, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 1981-1988.
EDUCATION
2010 Ph.D., Nursing, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA.
1985 M.S., Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
1981 B.S., Nursing, The College of New Jersey, Trenton, NJ.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Board Certified in Nursing Administration, American Nurses Credentialing Center
Member, American Organization of Nurse Executives
Member, American Nurses Association
Member, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing
Member, Editorial Board of Nursing Administration Quarterly
