The Clinical Nurse Specialist Institute (CNSI) is pleased to announce the 2026 Class of CNSI Fellows. This is a highly prestigious honor and is only awarded to those members of the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) who epitomize the excellence of clinical nurse specialists as leaders of the nursing profession, staunch advocates for patients and families, and forerunners of innovations to improve the health of populations.
The new fellows will be inducted on Tuesday, March 10th, during the NACNS 2026 Annual Conference in San Diego, California. All NACNS members and conference attendees are welcome and encouraged to attend by purchasing guest tickets to the GALA Celebration & CNSI Induction Dinner event; available on the NACNS 2026 Annual Conference registration website.
The CNSI 2026 Class of Fellows are:
Sarah Andrews, DNP APRN ACNS-BC ANVP-BC RN ASC-BC CRRN SCRN PCCN-K CMSRN
Ascension Texas Network Stroke Program Manager
Ascension Texas, Austin TX
Matthew Beier, MS, RN, CNS-BC, APNP, CNOR
Perioperative Clinical Nurse Specialist
Children’s Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
Jennifer Bierbaum, DNP, RN, APRN-CNS, AGCNS-BC, CENP, CPHQ, GERO-BC
Director of Nursing Practice & Innovation
MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center, Clinton, MD
Casey Blalock, MSN, APRN, CNS, CPN
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Rady Children’s Health, San Diego, CA
Karrie Boss, DNP, RN, APRN, ACCNS-AG, CCRN, EBP-C
System Director Evidence-Based Practice
Summa Health, Akron, OH
Sarah Chilson, MSN, APRN, ACCNS-AG, ACNPC-AG, CCRN
Lieutenant Commander
Adult Gerontology Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist
United States Navy
Jacksonville, FL
Julie-Kathryn Graham, PhD APRN ACCNS-AG
Associate Professor, Nurse Scientist
San Diego State University, Sharp Healthcare, San Diego, CA
Karen Fotino, DNP, APRN, RN, AGCNS-BC, GERO-BC, MEDSURG-BC, CMSRN
Associate Clinical Professor
Northeastern University, Boston, MA
Amanda Golino, DNP, APRN, CCRN, CCNS, PMGT-BC, TCRN
Critical Care Clinical Nurse Specialist
Inova, Leesburg, VA
Ashley Hill, MSN, APRN, AGCNS-BC, CCRN
Senior Specialist Global Medical Affairs
Baxter International, Raleigh, NC
Jennifer Katlen, MEd, MSN, APRN, ACNS-BC, CCRN, GERO-BC
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital, Warrensville Heights, OH
Alyson Keen, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC
Nurse Scientist
Indiana University Health, Indianapolis, IN
Myra King, DNP, APRN-CNS, ACNS-BC, CCRN-CSC
APRN Manager
Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
Nora Love-Retinger, DNP, RN, CNS, CURN, OCN
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
Danilo Mendoza, DNP, MSN, APRN, ACCNS-AG, CCRN
Department Chief of Critical Care Nursing
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD
Erin Pope, DNP, RN, AGCNS-BC, AMB-BC
Connected Care Nurse Manager/Facility Telehealth Coordinator
VA Loma Linda Healthcare System, Loma Linda, CA
Christine Perebzak, MSN, APRN, PCNS-BC
Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist, Emergency Department
Akron Children’s Hospital, Akron, OH
Tiffany Rader, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BC, CMSRN
Manager Nursing Practice and Quality
Indiana University Health, Indianapolis, IN
Leasha Roy, MSN, MHA, APRN, ACCNS-AG, PCCN, CCRN
Clinical Nurse Specialist
ChristianaCare, Newark, DE
Kimberly Sanchez, PhD, RN, CNS, CCRN, ACCNS-AG
Nurse Scientist
Keck Medical Center of USC, Los Angeles, CA
Kathy Shaffer, DNP, APRN, NE-BC, AGCNS-BC, C-ONQS
Director of Nursing Practice – Ambulatory Care
Advocate Health, Charlotte, NC
Sheree Scott, PhD, RN, AGCNS-BC, CMSRN
Associate Professor
University of San Diego, San Diego, CA
Shelley Sherman Zapata, MSN, APRN-CNS, CEN
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Rady Children’s Health San Diego, San Diego, CA
Christine Slaughter, DNP, APRN-CNS, CCRN, CCNS, CV-BC
Cardiovascular Clinical Nurse Specialist
University of Kentucky HealthCare, Lexington, KY
Michael Szeliga, MSN, APRN, AGCNS-BC, CMSRN, CPHQ
Clinical Nurse Specialist
ChristianaCare, Newark, DE
Kimberly Wittmayer, MS, APRN-FPA, PCNS-BC, PMGT-BC, AP-PMN
Advanced Practice Supervisor
Advocate Children’s Hospital, Oak Lawn, IL
Please join us in congratulating our CNSI 2026 Class of Fellows!
In 2016, the CNSI was founded as an arm of the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS). Its goal is to develop and promote the charitable, educational, innovative clinical practice, and scientific purposes of NACNS. Today, the Clinical Nurse Specialist Institute is the 501(c)3 arm of the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists.