Lourdes Health System Appoints New Chief Nursing Officer

Maria Lariccia Brennan, DNP, RN, CPHQ, has been appointed Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President, Patient Care Services for Lourdes Health System and St. Francis Medical Center. In her role, Brennan is responsible for patient experience, staff engagement, quality and performance, and professional practice models and care delivery systems.

Brennan comes to Lourdes and St. Francis from St. Joseph’s Healthcare System in Paterson, New Jersey, where she served as Vice President/Chief Nursing Officer. Prior to that, Brennan held nurse leadership positions at St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Center of New York, Meridian Health System and Capital Health System in Trenton.

Brennan received her Doctorate of Nursing Practice degree from William Paterson University and her Master of Science degree in Nursing from Hunter College in New York. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Pace University.

Brennan is a Certified Quality Health Care Professional and was recently elected as President of the Organization of Nurse Leaders – New Jersey chapter. She is also a member of the American Nurses Association and the New Jersey State Nurses Association.

An award-winning nurse with extensive healthcare leadership experience, Brennan has received the Organization for Nurse Executives New Jersey Nurse Executive Award, the Governor’s Award for Nursing Administration, the Nurse Empowerment Award, and under her leadership, her former organization received the American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet Prize.

Brennan’s work on regulatory compliance, business planning, mentoring and nurse recruitment and retention has been published in nursing trade journals and textbooks. She has presented her work at national and international conferences.