NPAO announces new CEO: Dr. Michelle Acorn
CEO NPAO Dr. Michelle Acorn
DNP, NP PHC/Adult, MN/ACNP, BScN/PHCNP, FCAN, FAAN, GCNC, FFNMRCSI, FQNI
The Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario (NPAO) is elated to announce Michelle Acorn as the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO). NPAO is catapulting 2024 off with a strong commitment to amplify access to healthcare by leveraging Nurse Practitioners (NPs) as capable, competent, collaborative, and valued health workforce providers and leaders to ensure we leave no Ontarians nor NPs behind.
Dr. Acorn is poised to execute her role in January 2024. Michelle has over 35 years of nursing, health systems, and leadership expertise locally, provincially, nationally, and globally with demonstrated influence and impact from the bedside, classroom, boardroom, and beyond. Dr. Acorn transitions to the NPAO CEO role from her inaugural Chief Nurse position with the International Council of Nurses since 2021 advancing global nursing and health policy. From 2018 to 2021, Michelle provided ministerial strategic leadership and expertise as the Provincial Chief Nursing Officer in Ontario, Canada. NP Acorn has served on the NPAO Board, as a past president and was awarded the NPAO Jerry Gerow Leadership Award in 2010.
Dr. Acorn was inducted as an inaugural Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Nursing (FCAN), Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN), Fellow of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland (FFNMRCSI, Ad Eundem), Fellow of the Queen’s Institute in the United Kingdom. Dr. Acorn has received prestigious recognitions including the Nurse Practitioner Association of Canada Award of Excellence (2023), Premier’s Award Nominee for Outstanding Scholars and Leaders (2022), Fleming College, Alumni of Distinction (2013), Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society, Nursing Leader (2003) University of Toronto, Arbor Volunteer Award (2020) and the Alzheimer’s Society, Community Partner Award (2010).
NP Acorn values and upholds all the NP advanced practice role domains. She is diploma to post-doctoral educationally prepared as a Doctor of Nurse Practitioner/ Nursing Practice, dually registered as both a Primary Health Care and Adult Nurse Practitioner, and a certified Global Nurse Consultant. Dr. Acorn’s diverse clinical expertise includes practicing in the Emergency, as a Hospitalist, innovating GAIN (Geriatric Assessment and Intervention Networks), and pioneering the most responsible provider (MRP) impacts of a NP–led model of inpatient hospital care as well as NP primary care models in corrections. NP Michelle continues to practice in the community enhancing care for health equity-seeking populations. Michelle is recognized as a credible clinician and thought leader, and for her leadership, mentorship, teaching, and scholarship locally to globally.
