Sheila P. Burke, M.P.A., R.N., of Baker Donelson has been awarded the Nurse Leader Award by The DAISY Foundation.
The Nurse Leader Award was created "to shine a light on those who do not typically have direct patient care as part of their work" and has been used to recognize positions such as nurse managers, directors, assistant managers, charge nurses, educators, preceptors, and patient flow nurses. The DAISY Foundation and HealthImpact consider nominees who have been submitted by their peers and coworkers, and who have helped to create and foster an environment where compassionate, skillful care thrives.
A strategic advisor based in the Firm's D.C. office, Ms. Burke is the chair of Baker Donelson's Government Relations and Public Policy Group. After earning her B.S. in nursing from the University of San Francisco, she continued her education and attained her M.P.A. from Harvard University. She has served in a variety of prominent leadership roles throughout her career, including as Chief of Staff to former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, Deputy Staff Director of the Senate Finance Committee, Secretary of the Senate, Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer of the Smithsonian Institution, and Executive Dean of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She also previously served as a member of the board of directors of the Bipartisan Policy Center, as chair of the Kaiser Family Foundation Board, and as a member of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) from 2000 until 2007.
Ms. Burke is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN), National Academy of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, and National Academy of Public Administration. She was a member of the Georgetown University Board of Visitors for the university's School of Nursing and Health Studies from 2003 to 2022. Ms. Burke is a former member of the Board of Regents of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and she has served in various capacities for the National Academy of Medicine, including serving as the chair of the Nominating Committee. Ms. Burke was named one of Washingtonian's "Most Influential People in Washington" in 2022 and 2023.
The DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Foundation was established as a means to express gratitude to nurses with various programs that recognize the extraordinary compassion and skillful care that they provide to patients and their families. In addition to its awards programs, The DAISY Foundation also participates in grant funding to further develop, evolve, and promote best nursing practices when treating patients with immune system disorders and assisting their families.