Posted on September 20, 2002 at 10:14 a.m.

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Mary Nash, Ph.D., executive director of UAB Hospital, received the Outstanding Nurse Administrator Award for Service from the Alabama State Nurses Association. She received the award during a ceremony held September 12 in Montgomery.

“Mary Nash has advanced the science of nursing in Alabama,” said Karen Pakkala, MSN, RN, executive director of the Alabama State Nurses Association. “She has a created a culture of excellence that is truly the gold standard of nursing.”

Last March, UAB Hospital attained recognition as a “Magnet” hospital, a designation of excellence awarded by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. UAB Hospital is the only hospital in Alabama to hold Magnet status.

Nash joined UAB Hospital in 1994 as an associate executive director and chief nursing officer. In 1999 she was named senior associate executive director and in 2000, she became the hospital’s chief operating officer. In August, she became executive director of UAB Hospital.

Before joining UAB, she was vice president for patient care services at the Detroit Medical Center. From 1980 to 1990, Nash held various leadership positions at Sinai Hospital in Detroit. She began her nursing career in 1974 at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

She received her BSN from Northern Michigan University and a master's degree in nursing administration from the University of Detroit. She also holds an MBA from Michigan State University and a Ph.D. in nursing from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Nash is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing. She holds an advanced certification in nursing administration from the American Nurses Association and is a member of several professional organizations, including the American College of Healthcare Executives, the American Organization of Nurse Executives and the American Nurses Association.