American Academy of Nursing Designates Exemplary Nursing Allies as Honorary Fellows

Honorific Titles to be Presented to Kate Judge and David Vance at the Health Policy Conference

Washington, DC (August 9, 2024) — The American Academy of Nursing (Academy) will officially designate Catherine (Kate) Judge, BA, and David Vance, PhD, MGS, MS, as Honorary Fellows at the Academy’s Health Policy Conference, which is being held in Washington, DC on October 31 – November 2, 2024. Ms. Judge and Dr. Vance are being honored for their extraordinary and sustained contributions to health care and the nursing profession throughout their careers. 

“Ms. Judge and Dr. Vance are prime examples of nursing allies. Leaders in their fields of philanthropy and neuropsychology, respectively, they leveraged their immense skills and expertise to support and advance our profession.” said Academy President Linda D. Scott, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FADLN, FNAP, FAAN. “Their drive to establish interprofessional partnerships to work towards a more equitable health care future is admirable and it is a privilege to welcome them as Honorary Fellows of our organization.”

The Honorary Fellow designation is reserved for leaders who have demonstrated unwavering dedication to advancing the nursing profession and to supporting the Academy’s mission to improve health and achieve health equity by impacting policy through nursing leadership, innovation, and science.

Catherine (Kate) Judge, BA, Executive Consultant, American Nurses Foundation has tirelessly cultivated a culture of philanthropy in nursing, raising over $62 million to advance the profession, in her position leading the foundation as Executive Director for twelve years. Notably, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Judge launched the Coronavirus Response Fund for Nurses, the largest public disaster relief campaign for nurses, raising over $30 million over the course of 18 months. During her tenure at the foundation, Ms. Judge was instrumental in leading many successful projects and collaborating with partners to provide funding and programming to countless nurses, healthcare organizations, and the general public. These programs ranged from the Reimagining Nursing Initiative, a Nurse Well-Being: Building Peer and Leadership Support program, serving as executive producer on a documentary film Defining Hope highlighting nurses providing end of life care to patients, and a first of its kind study on nursing and philanthropy. Ms. Judge has raised the visibility of nursing and advanced financial support for the profession, directly benefiting health care nationwide.

David E. Vance, PhD, MGS, MS, University Professor and Director of Grant Regulatory and Review Processes, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, is an internationally renowned scholar and leader in neuropsychology, neurocognitive aging and remediation, who has collaborated with nurses for over two decades. Serving as a mentor and research partner, Dr. Vance has a pristine record of creating lasting interdisciplinary partnerships. Dr. Vance’s unique contributions have advanced the knowledge, science of healthy aging, and treatment of individuals living with the complexities of the HIV disease, as well as other chronic conditions such as cancer and Alzheimer’s. Dr. Vance’s work in cognitive training has contributed to developing treatment guidelines for cancer survivors with “chemo brain.” These cognitive training programs are now available at no cost in all public libraries and are provided through Medicare in over 40 states. Additionally, Dr. Vance’s research has contributed to clinical guidelines for neurocognitive screening which have been implemented in the HRSA Ryan White Program that serves 50% of the nation’s individuals living with HIV/AIDS.

The Academy’s Induction Ceremony will be held during the Health Policy Conference on the evening of November 2, 2024 at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, DC. This event is a special tribute to celebrate the power of nursing’s impact and the partnerships nurses create with individuals like Ms. Judge and Dr. Vance. Learn more about the Academy and visit the policy conference website for more details.

###

About the American Academy of Nursing
The American Academy of Nursing serves the public by advancing health policy and practice through the generation, synthesis, and dissemination of nursing knowledge. Academy Fellows are inducted into the organization for their extraordinary contributions to improve health locally and globally. With more than 3,000 Fellows, the Academy represents nursing’s most accomplished leaders in policy, research, administration, practice, and academia.

Contact: Caroline Kane | 202-777-1173 | ckane@AANnet.org

View PDF Version