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Barbara Jordan, Chief Nurse Officer | Deborah Kolakowski, Service Chief, Oncology and Critical Care | Ann Marie Matlock, Service Chief, Medical Surgical Specialties | Jennifer Kramer, Service Chief, Nursing Operations | Julieanne George, Service Chief, Neuroscience, Behavioral Health and Pediatrics | Diane Walsh, Special Assistant to the Chief Nurse Officer | Rachel Coumes, Magnet® Program Manager
Barbara Jordan, DNP, RN, NEA-BC
Chief Nursing Officer
NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department
Academic Degrees
BSN, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA
MSN, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC
DNP, Waynesburg University, Waynesburg, PA
Email: Barbara.jordan@nih.gov
Phone: 301-496-8019
Biosketch:
Dr. Barbara Jordan, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, is the Chief Nurse Officer for the NIH Clinical Center. Dr. Jordan has been at the Clinical Center since 2013. She served as the acting Chief Nurse Officer for two years and has also been the Service Chief for Nursing Operations in the CC Nursing Department. When Dr. Jordan first came to the Clinical Center, she was the Service Chief for Neuroscience, Behavioral Health and Pediatrics. She previously served as the Vice President of Patient Care Services /Chief Nursing Officer for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Northwest in Seneca PA. Dr. Jordan has prior experience as the Clinical Director of Infection Control and Regulatory Compliance at UPMC St. Margaret and as Clinical Operations Director of the ICU/CCU at Duke Regional Hospital in Durham, NC. She has participated in a successful organizational Magnet® designation. Dr. Jordan has many years of additional critical care leadership experience in various hospital settings.
Dr. Jordan earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Waynesburg University in Waynesburg, PA, a Master of Science in Nursing with a focus in health care systems administration from The University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, NC, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. Dr. Jordan’s research interests are in relationship-based care and nursing leadership.
Deborah Kolakowski, DNP, MSN, RN
Service Chief
Oncology and Critical Care
NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department
Academic Degrees
BSN, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
MSN, Marymount University, Arlington, VA
DNP, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD
Email: dkolakowski@cc.nih.gov
Phone: 301-435-6186
Biosketch:
Dr. Deborah Kolakowski, DNP, MSN, RN, is currently the Nursing Service Chief for Oncology and Critical Care at the NIH, Clinical Center. She provides oversight of the operations, planning and advising of the inpatient, ambulatory and Day Hospital Oncology and Transplant Services, Procedure Service, Dowling Apheresis and Blood Donor Programs within the specialty practice of oncology and critical care.
Dr. Kolakowski earned a BSN from the University of South Carolina in 1979 and began her career as a critical care fellow at the George Washington University Medical Center (GWUMC). In 1982 she was the primary nurse for President Regan after the assignation attempt while he was in the Intensive Care Unit. She began her leadership career as the Neuroscience Nurse Manager at GWUMC while completing her MSN. In 1992, as the Executive Administrator for Patient Care Services she was responsible for the Oncology Program of Care, Neuroscience Centers of Emphasis, Neurological Institute and Sleep Disorders Program, General Surgery and Critical Care. In 1995, she led the American International Health Alliance initiative for GWUMC in Tallin and Mustamae Hospitals in Estonia. In 1996, Dr. Kolakowski served as the Interim Chief Nurse Executive providing strategic direction and oversight during the sale and partnership of GWUMC with Universal Health Services.
In 2000, Dr. Kolakowski began her career at the NIH CC as the Nurse Manager for Critical Care. Prior to assuming the responsibilities as Program Director for Advanced Practice and Outcomes in 2009, she led the strategic plan for implementation of the AcuityPlus Patient Classification System. She completed her DNP in 2013 with a research focus on identifying clinical based research nursing intensity measures that contributed to nursing workload. In 2013, she was selected as the Service Chief for Oncology and Critical Care Services. She is responsible for nursing services that support the research agendas for multiple Institutes including the National Cancer Institute and National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.
Dr. Kolakowski has held faculty appointments at the George Washington University Department of Health Services Management and Policy and recently as an adjunct faculty at the University of Maryland School of Nursing teaching a DNP Leadership Course and Practicum.
Ann Marie Matlock, DNP, RN, NE-BC
Service Chief
Medical Surgical Specialties
Interim Service Chief
Neuroscience, Behavioral Health & Pediatrics
CAPT, United States Public Health Service
NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department
Academic Degrees
BSN, Salisbury State University, Salisbury, MD
MSN, Nursing Administration, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD
DNP, George Washington University, Washington D.C.
Email: amatlock@cc.nih.gov
Phone: 301-435-5679
Biosketch:
Dr. Ann Marie Matlock, DNP, RN, NE-BC, is currently the Nursing Service Chief for Medical Surgical Specialties. Dr. Matlock provides oversight of the operations, planning and advising of the programs of care within her specialty areas. She works closely with the multidisciplinary teams within her service and directs the agenda for the medical surgical programs regarding clinical research nursing.
Dr. Matlock earned a BSN in Nursing from Salisbury State University in 1991, a MSN from the University of Maryland in 2003 and a DNP from the George Washington University in 2013. In addition, she earned a Certificate in the Business of Nursing from Johns Hopkins University in 2001. She is board certified through the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Nurse Executive. She began her career as an ICU fellow at the Washington Hospital Center where she worked in a variety of critical care settings before coming to the Clinical Center in 2000. At the Clinical Center she began her career as a Senior Clinical Research Nurse in the Medical Intensive Care Unit. In 2006 she became the Nurse Manager for the Medical Telemetry unit and assumed responsibility for opening the Special Clinical Studies Unit in 2009. In 2007, she joined the United States Public Health Service and is currently serving at the rank of Captain. In 2013, she was selected as the Service Chief for the Medical Surgical Specialties service. She has published several articles and provided presentations on a variety of topics. Her DNP capstone project focused on Family Caregiver Training.
Jennifer Kramer MSN, RN, NEA-BC
Service Chief
Nursing Operations
NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department
Academic Degrees
AS Nursing, Montgomery College, Takoma Park, MD
BSN, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD
MSN, Walden University, Minneapolis, MN
Email: jennifer.kramer3@nih.gov
Phone: 301-435-8161
Biosketch:
Jennifer Kramer is the Nursing Service Chief for Nursing Operations at the Clinical Center. Jennifer provides oversight of the operations, planning, and advising of the programs of care within her areas, including IR, PACU, OR, Recruitment, Outreach & Workforce Management, Staffing & Workforce Planning, Float Pool, and the Sterile Processing Service.
Jennifer’s nursing career began in 2000 after earning an A.S. in Nursing from Montgomery College and training as a clinical nurse on the Medical-Oncology unit at Medstar Montgomery Medical Center. In 2003, Jennifer earned her BSN from the University of Maryland and transitioned to MedStar Washington Hospital Center as an ICU Fellow, caring for complex trauma and surgical cases. Later promoted to Assistant Nursing Director of the SICU, Jennifer was instrumental in the implementation of a self-scheduling and nurse retention program, as well as clinical initiatives such as CLABSI reduction. Her efforts were recognized with MedStar’s “Exceptional Nurse Manager” award in 2012.
In 2013, Jennifer transitioned to ICU Manager at Frederick Health Hospital, where she and her team earned the AACN Beacon Award. After completing her MSN in 2016, with a focus in Leadership & Management, she became the Manager and then Director of Emergency and Respiratory Care Services. Jennifer led mission-critical teams through the COVID-19 pandemic, during which time she was voted “2021 ED Nurse of the Year”.
Between 2021 and 2024, Jennifer served as the Executive Director of the Emergency Department, Forensics, Observation, and Vascular Access at Carroll Hospital, part of LifeBridge Health. During this time, her team’s innovations significantly improved ED wait times, propelling them to one of the top rankings in the state. In 2024, Jennifer’s team was honored with the MD Patient Safety Center Circle of Honor award.
Deeply inspired to join the NIH Clinical Center, Jennifer plans to pursue her DNP and enhance her impact on the organization’s mission and vision.
Julieanne George MSN, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, CNML, NC-BC, CCRN-K, PCCN-K
Service Chief
Neuroscience, Behavioral Health & Pediatrics
NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department
Academic Degrees
BSN, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
MSN, MBA, Grand Canyon University, Phoenix, AZ
Email: julie.george@nih.gov
Phone: 301-480-1456
Biosketch:
Julie George is the Nursing Service Chief for Neurosciences, Behavioral Health and Pediatrics (NBHP) at the NIH, Clinical Center. Julie provides oversight of the operations, planning and advising of the programs of care within her specialty areas. She works closely with the multidisciplinary teams within her service and directs the agenda for the neuroscience, behavioral health and pediatric programs regarding clinical research nursing.
Julie earned a Master of Science in Nursing as well as a Master’s in Business Administration with a dual focus in administration from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix Arizona, and her Bachelors of Science in Nursing at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Julie is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. She previously served as the Senior Director of Adult Critical Care and Neuroscience Service Line at Inova Health Systems, Fairfax Medical Campus. Julie is also active with the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses where she serves on the Leadership Development Committee as well as the Virginia Nurses Association supporting nursing excellence in the workforce. Julie provides support as an active mentor in healthcare within several professional organizations. Julie has additional prior experience as Clinical Director of Interventional Cardiac Admission and Recovery Unit, and as a Nurse Manager in a variety of operational roles. Julie has also served as a Clinical Research Nurse as well as a Research Nurse Specialist within the Lymphoma Team in the National Cancer Institute. Julie’s research interest are in authentic leadership, mentoring, and team building.
Diane Walsh, MS, RN
Special Assistant to the Chief Nurse Officer
NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department
Academic Degrees
BSN, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
MS, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD
Email: DWalsh@cc.nih.gov
Phone: 301-402-2363
Biosketch:
Diane Walsh, MS, RN, is the Special Assistant to the Chief Nurse Officer for the NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department. As the Special Assistant to the Chief Nurse Officer she serves as the principal advisor to the Chief Nurse providing authoritative advice to her and other senior-level officials in regards to nursing program issues.
Ms. Walsh earned her BSN from the University of Florida in 1982 and her MS in Nursing with a Certificate in General Administration from the University of Maryland in 1993. Ms. Walsh was a recipient of a National Health Service Corps Scholarship and began her professional career as a Commissioned Officer in the U.S. Public Health Service in the Indian Health Service at the Ada Indian Hospital in Ada, Oklahoma. As a Staff Nurse at the Ada Indian Hospital from 1982-1987, she worked in various areas of the hospital including the Medical Surgical Unit, OB-GYN, Special Care Unit and Emergency Room. In 1987 Ms. Walsh transferred to the National Institutes of Health, Clinical Center Nursing Department Cardiac Surgery Step-down unit as a staff nurse. Since that time she has functioned in various roles in the Clinical Center including Nurse Manager, Nurse Consultant and now the Special Assistant to the Chief Nurse Officer. Ms. Walsh retired as Captain from the U.S. Public Health Service in 2012 after 30 years of service.
Rachel Coumes, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CPPS
Magnet® Program Manager
NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department
Academic Degrees
BS, Kinesiology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA
BSN, Shepherd College, Shepherdstown, WV
MSN, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
Email: rachel.coumes@nih.gov
Phone: 301-480-7017
Biosketch:
Rachel Coumes, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CPPS, is currently a Nurse Consultant within the Office of the Chief Nurse, with the primary responsibility of overseeing the NIH Clinical Center’s Magnet Accreditation journey. Ms. Coumes has served the Clinical Center Nursing Department in a number of roles, which include neuroscience nurse intern, clinical research nurse, senior clinical research nurse (clinical nurse educator). In addition to these roles, Ms. Coumes served as a central educator in the Office of Nursing Professional Development, where she coordinated several staff development offerings and served as the coordinator for the Clinical Research Nursing Residency Program from 2013-2019. Ms. Coumes currently collaborates with a number of teams within the department as the CCND Nurse Wellness Committee leadership sponsor, the editor for the CCND Newsletter and the team lead for the CCND Annual Report. Additionally, Ms. Coumes oversees the ANCC Success Pays Program, and is an advocate for professional certification.
Ms. Coumes graduated with a BS in Kinesiology from James Madison University in 1993. She obtained a BSN from Shepherd College in 2002 and went on to earn a MSN (Adult Clinical Nurse Specialist) in 2013 from the University of Arkansas. Ms. Coumes is currently Board Certified in Nursing Professional Development, and has previously held certifications as a Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse and as an Adult Clinical Nurse Specialist-Board Certified.