Southeastern Honors Sutton with Inaugural Award
- Category: In The News
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- Written By: Tonya Lowentritt
Southeastern Louisiana University’s College of Nursing has named President and CEO of North Oaks Health Michele K. Sutton, FACHE, the inaugural recipient of its Innovator of the Year Award. Sutton is pictured above, third from left, with College of Nursing Dean Ann Carruth, Southeastern President William S. Wainwright, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Eric Skipper, College of Nursing Assistant Dean Kenneth Tillman, and School of Nursing Department Head Lindsay Domiano.
The award was presented Aug. 28 during the College of Nursing’s Convocation and launches a new tradition recognizing healthcare leaders whose vision, collaboration and innovation advance healthcare education, strengthen the workforce and improve community health.
“We started this award to recognize healthcare leaders in our community who partner with us to provide exceptional nursing care,” explained Dean of Southeastern’s College of Nursing Ann Carruth. “As a leader, Michele has a long list of healthcare innovations to her credit, which have elevated educational experiences and earned numerous national and statewide awards and recognitions. We are so proud that she is our champion, and we are hers!”
Under Sutton’s leadership, North Oaks Health and Southeastern have expanded opportunities for nursing students by creating innovative pathways into nursing careers, including opportunities for students to work as nurse technicians while completing their education, a structured Nurse Residency Program and student stipends that help strengthen the workforce pipeline. The current semester alone reflects the strength of this partnership, with North Oaks hosting eight clinical groups, providing access to 18 preceptors and supporting five adjunct faculty members for the College of Nursing.
The award was presented to Sutton by Assistant Professor for Southeastern’s College of Nursing Coletta Barrett. She noted that Sutton exemplifies innovation through her abilities to see what could be, unite the right people together around that possibility, and the courage and leadership to turn an idea into meaningful and sustainable change.
“Michele’s expertise in innovation comes from the breadth of her vision—the ability to take what she has learned through decades of leadership at North Oaks, through partnerships with Southeastern and her community, through service alongside other healthcare leaders,” Barrett said. “She understands that innovation does not always begin with technology. Sometimes it’s a new partnership, a different way of developing our workforce, or asking a question no one has asked before. And sometimes innovation is simply having the courage to say, ‘We can do this better.’”
“I challenge each of us to follow Michele’s example,” Barrett continued. “Stay curious, challenge what can be better, bring people together, share what we learn and have the courage to act on a good idea.”
Recognized nationally and statewide for visionary healthcare leadership, Sutton has guided North Oaks through significant expansion while investing simultaneously in technology, workforce development, healthcare education, clinical excellence and community health, creating an organization recognized not simply for growth, but for impact.
