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The Making of Medicine

A New Dean for the School of Nursing

Please join me in welcoming Marianne Baernholdt, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, as the new dean of the School of Nursing beginning this summer. 

Dr. Baernholdt is an international scholar and nursing leader who has devoted herself to mentoring students and junior faculty in safety, quality, innovation and leadership. She comes to us from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Nursing, where she's the associate dean of global initiatives, the interim dean of research and a founding director of its Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization-Collaborating Center in Quality and Safety Education in Nursing and Midwifery.

She is also a former faculty member at both our School of Nursing and School of Medicine. During her previous stint here, her leadership roles included serving as director of global initiatives for the School of Nursing and director of its Rural & Global Health Care Center. 

“Dr. Baernholdt will provide the School of Nursing a holistic, global perspective on the most important issues in nursing,” said K. Craig Kent, MD, Chief Executive Officer of UVA Health and Executive Vice President for Health Affairs at UVA. “She is a scholar, a thought leader, an exceptional educator and an innovator in patient care and safety. She is everything we could ask for in a dean.” 

Dr. Baernholdt’s research focuses on how to define quality of care, as well as the factors that affect care quality in rural areas around the world. She is an expert in using large databases to track organizational, patient and clinician outcomes.  

She's also an outstanding, award-winning educator. UVA Executive Vice President and Provost Ian Baucom, PhD, the University’s chief academic officer, noted that Baernholdt has mentored countless students and junior faculty. “Dr. Baernholdt’s excellence in teaching and research has been well-recognized,” he said. “She is a best-in-class educator and mentor, and we are delighted she is bringing her wisdom and experience back to UVA.” 

When she starts Aug. 1, Dr. Baernholdt will succeed Pam Cipriano, PhD, RN, FAAN, as dean. During her more than 40-year career, Dean Cipriano has been a tireless advocate for quality, for increasing nursing’s influence on healthcare policy and for advancing the role and visibility of nurses. 

“I’m deeply grateful for Dean Cipriano’s years of outstanding service to the School of Nursing, and thrilled to welcome Dr. Baernholdt back to UVA,” University President Jim Ryan said. “She is truly at the forefront of her field, and brings a tremendous scope of knowledge and experience. It’s a wonderful homecoming.” 

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