Linda Burnes Bolton

Linda Burnes Bolton
2013 Excellence in Leadership Award winner Linda Burnes Bolton.

The 2013 recipient of the Excellence in Leadership Award from the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis is Dr. Linda Burnes Bolton, vice president for nursing, chief nursing officer and director of nursing research at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. As a nationally recognized nurse leader, Dr. Burnes Bolton clearly exemplifi es the school’s vision and mission with her commitment to improve access to health care and advancing nursing practice.

She most recently demonstrated her ability to effect change on a national level through her role as vice chair of the Initiative on the Future of Nursing Commission, a joint effort of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Institute of Medicine. The initiative resulted in the release of the IOM report, “The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health,” as well as the Future of Nursing Campaign, which seeks to identify solutions to challenges faced by the nursing profession as well as improve the quality of and transform how health care is delivered in the U.S. Dr. Burnes Bolton serves on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Board of Trustees.

Dr. Burnes Bolton, renowned for her innovative programs to improve both quality of care and the health of the community, is the recipient of numerous awards for her scholarly and world community service, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Organization of Nurse Executives in 2007. In 2011, she was named one of the top 25 women in health care by Modern Healthcare. An endowed nursing leadership scholarship was established in her name in 2011 at UCLA School of Nursing.

A past president of the American Academy of Nursing and the National Black Nurses Association, Dr. Burnes Bolton is also a member of the American Nurses Association, the Association of California Nurse Leaders, the American Public Health Association, the Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science, the National Black Nurses Association and the National League for Nursing. She is also a member of the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing National Advisory Council.

Dr. Burnes Bolton is an associate clinical professor at UC San Francisco School of Nursing and UCLA School of Nursing. She received her doctorate of public health in population health and behavioral science from UCLA School of Public Health.