Gift advances nurse-led innovation at Duke Health
A trailblazing hospital executive who transformed large health systems and championed innovation, Nancy Schlichting, MBA, T’76, has spent her career elevating the role of nurses in delivering better care.
Now, together with her wife, Pam Theisen, Schlichting is extending that commitment through a $250,000 gift to establish the Nursing Innovation Fund at Duke Health — an investment designed to advance nurse-led models of care.
The Duke University Health System (DUHS) fund will support nurses in imagining, testing, and scaling new ideas that improve outcomes for patients and families, transforming carewhile also strengthening the profession. It reflects a shared belief that innovation, when led by those closest to care, can transform both patient and caregiver experiences.
“Over the years, the complexity of nursing has increased, along with the administrative burden,” said Schlichting, chair of the DUHS Board of Directors and a Duke University alumna. “Innovation is required to scale ideas so they can be applied across an entire health system. That’s exciting to me, because I’ve spent my whole life trying to improve healthcare, and nurses are at the center of it.”
At Duke, that work is already underway. A focus on innovation has helped position DUHS as a national leader in workforce development, AI-enabled care, and new models of care delivery. The Nursing Innovation Fund will build on that momentum by empowering nurses to lead change from within.
“Nancy’s leadership has always reflected a deep belief in this institution and in the people who make Duke Health exceptional. This gift from Nancy and Pam builds on that belief by investing in one of the most powerful drivers of innovation in healthcare, the people closest to patients and families,” said David W. Zaas, MD, MBA, the CEO of DUHS. “By creating a pathway for nurse-led ideas to move from the bedside into practice, this investment helps us build something that reflects both who we are and where we are headed as an academic health system.”
Schlichting’s healthcare leadership began when she became chief operating officer of Akron City Hospital at age 28 and has spanned more than 35 years. As former CEO of Henry Ford Health System, she led a major financial turnaround while advancing patient safety, customer service, and diversity initiatives, earning a reputation for operational excellence and bold leadership.
Among her many honors, one recognition stands out: receiving the Clara Ford Nursing Award from the nurses at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit acknowledging her exceptional support and advocacy. “That meant as much to me as anything,” she said.
Schlichting’s connection to Duke runs deep. Her first job after graduating magna cum laude from Duke in 1976 was working at Duke Hospital. Today, she serves on the Duke University Board of Trustees. As she celebrates her 50th reunion, she reflects on Duke’s progression with pride.
“Duke was amazing when I was a student, but what Duke has become today is extraordinary,” she said. “The health system and the university are deeply integrated, creating opportunities for collaboration across disciplines.”
That spirit of collaboration is central to the Nursing Innovation Fund. Nurses play a unique role in coordinating care — working alongside physicians, trainees, social workers, pharmacists, and others — while supporting patients and families during some of life’s most challenging moments.
“Typically, nurses are the quarterback of that team,” Schlichting said. “There is so much coordination required, and Pam and I hope that through innovation, we can make nurses’ lives easier and bring back the joy and rewards of nursing.”
Theisen, a social worker who spent four decades in healthcare, has seen that impact firsthand.
“As a social worker, I had the privilege of partnering with dedicated and compassionate nurses throughout my career,” Theisen said. “It is now my honor to help launch the Nursing Innovation Fund at Duke with Nancy.”
Inspired in part by Schlichting’s upbringing — her father was a nuclear engineer and inventor with multiple patents — the fund embraces innovation as a practical tool for solving real-world problems. It will support a range of nurse-led initiatives, from acute care improvements to new approaches in home-based and rural community care.
Terry McDonnell, DNP, ACNP-BC, RN, sees the gift as a catalyst for transformation.
“We are at a point of major transformation in healthcare, driven in part by advances in AI and technology,” said McDonnell, senior vice president and chief nurse executive for DUHS and vice dean for clinical affairs for Duke University School of Nursing. “Nurses sit at the intersection of these changes. Nancy and Pam’s gift will enable nurses to lead and, in collaboration with colleagues across Duke, to redesign how care is delivered.”
Through initiatives such as the Duke Care Innovation Collaborative, DUHS is piloting new care models on medical-surgical units, testing ideas in real time and applying what is learned across the health system, including at the new Duke Health Cary hospital.
“What will the hospital of the future look like? We are designing that right here at Duke,” McDonnell said.
For Schlichting, the answer begins and ends with nurses.
“Nurses are the heart of the hospital,” she said. “They provide clinical expertise and the human connection that patients and families need. They are among the best problem-solvers in the world.”
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