Good Samaritans Foundation recognizes Cole, Kearney
Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston Associate Professor Linda Cole, DNP, APRN, CCNS, CNE, CPHQ, FCNS, received a silver-level “Excellence in Nursing Award” from the Good Samaritan Foundation at its recent luncheon. Associate Professor Kelly D. Kearney, DNP, PMHNP-BC, was also recognized with a bronze-level award.
“Dr. Cole has consistently demonstrated excellence and embraced innovation in her teaching strategies, in her role as director of the post-master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program, and in her previous role as track coordinator of the MSN in nursing leadership program,” Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies Latarsha S. Cheatham, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, wrote in her nomination of Cole for the Good Samaritan award. “She has played a crucial role in redesigning Cizik School of Nursing’s DNP curriculum. As a result of these efforts, the curriculum has been streamlined and consolidated to reduce redundancy and improve efficiency.”
Cole has 47 years of nursing experience, including extensive work in critical care and nursing leadership. She earned her BSN and MS in Health Education (now considered a Master of Public Health) from the University of Southern Mississippi and later moved to Houston in 1982. She completed both her MSN as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Critical Care and her DNP at Cizik School of Nursing.
Before transitioning to academia in 2017, she worked at CHI Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, where she held various roles, from staff nurse to system-level director. During her time there, she implemented and expanded several programs, including a hospital-based advanced practice nursing program, nurse-run pain management and palliative care programs, and an integrative medicine program. Now, as a faculty member, Cole teaches in the DNP program, advising students on their quality improvement capstone projects, and she is the co-director of the DNP program.
Kearney, interim co-director of the DNP program, served as the track coordinator for the Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) track for eight years. Her interests include health care equity for patients with psychiatric disorders. She has taught at Cizik School of Nursing since 2016 and earned both her MSN and DNP degrees from the school after receiving her BSN from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
“Dr. Kearney has worked in the field of mental health throughout her career and has provided invaluable leadership and mentorship to our PMHNP students,” said Dean Diane Santa Maria, DrPH, MSN, PHNA-BC, FSAHM, FAAN. “Congratulations to both her and Dr. Cole for this well-earned honor.”
Watch the Good Samaritan Foundation video featuring Cole and other silver award winners.
Merve Erten
