Post-Master’s Healthcare Leadership, Systems, and Policy Doctor of Nursing Practice Program

Samuel Teague, MBA, MSO, BSN, RN was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army during an August 14, 2025 ceremony at Eisenhower Hall’s Crest Hall, West Point. The Chief of the Primary Care Department at Keller Army Community Hospital, West Point, Lt. Col. Teague oversees more than 60 physician, nursing, and support staff across two clinics, responsible for delivering primary care for approximately 4,800 United States Military Academy Cadets and 8,000 beneficiaries in the West Point Community. Additionally, Lt. Col. Teague is the officer-in-charge of an innovative partnership with the USMA Robotics Department to develop medication delivery by drone on the West Point Garrison, which he presented at the MAC-SOS Conference at the University of Pittsburgh in September 2025. 

Robbie Freeman, ’24 DNP, MBA, RN was promoted to Chief Digital Transformation Officer at Mount Sinai Health System, where he leads enterprise-wide strategies to integrate products, aritifical intelligence, and informatics into clinical operations. He previously served as Vice President of Digital Experience and Chief Nursing Informatics Officer at Mount Sinai. Dr. Freeman also has been named Healthcare Innovation magazine’s 40 under 40 list for his contibutions in advancing digtial health.

Mandy Richards, ’24 DNP, RN, NEA-BC has been appointed President of Children’s Health at Intermountain Health. In addition to her role as the health system’s Chief Nurse Executive, Dr. Richards will be responsible for strategic expansion and advocacy of children’s health services across Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Utah.  Prior to her CNE role at Intermountain Health, Dr. Richards was the inaugural Chief Nurse Executive at Hartford Healthcare System.

Christopher Hardman, ’25 DNP, MBA, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, NRP, CMTE, FACHE was promoted to Chief Operating Officer of PHI Air Medical, a multistate medical air transport company, while he earned his Doctor of Nursing Practice degree in systems leadership. Previously Dr. Hardman held positions at PHI Air Medical including vice president, regional director and business operations manager.

Dustin Bass, ’23 DNP, MHA, RN, CEN, NEA-BC was promoted as Vice President of Patient Care Services, ECU Health, Greenville, N.C.

Marsha Sinanan, ’24 DNP, MBA, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, CPXP was promoted as CNO of Mt. Sinai West in NYC, and Mt. Sinai Morningside. Dr. Sinanan was recently awarded a Fellowship at the New York Academy of Medicine and will be inducted as a Fellow in the Academy of Nursing in November 2024.

Stefanie Generao, ’23 DNP, MSN, FNP-BC, former Director of Surgical APP Practice at YNHH, is currently the Chief of Quality Improvement of the Peace Corps health care delivery system.  Dr. Generao leads and directs the overall quality improvement functions of the Volunteer health Care Delivery System in over 60 countries.

Ron Yolo, ’21 DNP, MSN, MBA, RN, PHN was promoted to Region Chief Nursing Officer, California Dignity Health Hospitals at CommonSpirit Health. Dr. Yolo oversees the delivery and practice of nursing care and operations over 31 Dignity Health hospitals, the largest provider in the state, and he leads a workforce of more than 17,000 nurses.

Sylvia Martin, ’21 DNP, RN, NEA-BC, CPCHE accepted a position as Los Angeles County System Chief Nursing Officer.

Aries Limbaga, ‘17 DNP, MBA accepted a position as Chief Deputy Director-Operations Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, overseeing the core operations of second largest municipal health system in the nation, serving over 750K unique patients, with 23,000 employees and an operating budget of $9 billion.

MaryEllen “Mel” Hope Kosturko, ’22 DNP, MAHSM, RN, CENP began a new role as Executive Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer of Hartford HealthCare on December 27 after an extensive career at Yale New Haven Health that began in 1990 . Dr. Kosturko most recently served as the Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at Bridgeport Hospital. Dr. Kosturko is a 2022 graduate of the Healthcare Leadership, Systems, and Policy DNP Program where her work focused on post-Covid trauma and trauma-informed care for the nursing workforce. 

YSN recently caught up with a few current students and alumni to see how they are making a difference in their communities and applying the work of their DNP projects. 

DNP Students Secure Awards and Earn Recognition

Our expert faculty shape the world’s view of nursing, integrating evidence-based care into practice to meet our social mandate of better health for all people. They work closely with DNP students, mentoring students to develop innovative projects. DNP faculty are experienced in a range of nurse leadership roles from the clinical practice setting to the c-suite. 

program director: 

Mary Ann Camilleri, JD, BSN, RN, FACHE, FNYAM, FAAN

faculty who teach in the healthcare leadership, systems, and policy program 

Stephen Burrows, DPM, MBA, CPHIMS, FHIMSS

Joan Kearney, Chair, PhD, APRN, FAAN

Elizabeth Molle, PhD, RN

Anna-Rae Montano, PhD

David Vlahov, PhD, RN, FAAN

Ron Yolo, DNP, MSN, MBA, RN, PHN

healthcare system affiliate faculty

Michael Loftus, MBA, SVP and CFO, Jupiter Medical Center

Ena Williams, PhD, MBA, RN, CNEP

Practice-focused doctoral program

The Healthcare Leadership, Systems, and Policy Doctor of Nursing Program specializes in aggregates/systems and healthcare organizations. Combining Yale on-campus experiences with on-line coursework, it is tailored for nurses who already have  significant professional experience and work commitments. Through collaboration with our faculty, healthcare leaders, and policy advocates, our graduates go on to make an impact in many spheres of healthcare. Fields of study include healthcare system leadership, healthcare policy, population health and  informatics. An intense practice immersion known as a leadership immersion practicum is an essential component of the Yale Healthcare Leadership, Systems, and Policy Doctor of Nursing program and allows work to take place with health care and public policy leaders and experts. Each course builds upon knowledge required for the leadership immersion practicum and a final Yale Healthcare Leadership, Systems, and Policy Doctor of Nursing program project.

What are the differences between the Yale Healthcare Leadership, Systems, and Policy Doctor of Nursing program and PhD?

The Yale Healthcare Leadership, Systems, and Policy Doctor of Nursing program prepares nurse leaders for evidence-based practice in patient care, education, policy, and executive roles. This requires competence in translating research into practice, evaluating evidence, applying research in decision-making, and implementing viable innovations to change practice within and across the spectrum of health and healthcare systems.

PhD programs are designed to prepare nurses for careers as research scientists in areas such as academia and other research-intensive environments. They prepare nurse scholars to conduct research that advances theoretical foundations of nursing and health care. PhD programs provide for the knowledge and skills in theoretical, methodological and analytical approaches for the discovery of knowledge in nursing and healthcare.

Curriculum and Courses

The post-masters DNP program in Healthcare Leadership, Systems and Policy is a 3-year part time hybrid program. All required didactic coursework is completed in the first 2 years. Emphasis is placed on knowledge development consistent with the mission of YSN “better health for all” and contributes to increasing healthy life spans, reducing health disparities, improving the quality of health care, and shaping health policy.  

Please refer to the left hand column to view the latest Program of Study PDF.

Upon completion of the program, the graduates will:

1. Demonstrate success in the areas of health systems leadership and executive practice. They will possess knowledge and practical leadership skills, acquired both here on campus and in the field.

2. Identify and analyze various leadership principles and practices as they impact and shape executive healthcare practice.

3. Understand large-scale system change with both an in depth and broad perspective on the healthcare delivery system.

4. Possess the business and financial acumen necessary for modern healthcare executive practice and systems leadership.

5. Show expert knowledge of quality improvement, innovation and implementation science, and policy and their place in our modern healthcare system.

6. Demonstrate success in translational science designed to use the knowledge and skills gained during their coursework and practical experiences. Graduates will have expertise in using evidence-based principles, analytical approaches, project design, and methodology in their Doctor of Nursing Program Projects.

Yale Healthcare Leadership, Systems, and Policy Doctor of Nursing Program (DNP) is a 3-year program designed for mid-career nurses who wish to become innovative healthcare leaders. Building on previous education and experience students gain practical leadership skills and focus new knowledge in the areas of management, policy and leadership. The hybrid program combines online coursework with regular visits to the Yale campus. 

The part-time schedule is tailored for nurses who have major professional experience and work commitments. Students should expect to spend 12 hours a week on their doctoral studies. 

Eligibility Requirements

Eligible applicants must hold a master’s degree in nursing or a related field (e.g. MPH, MBA, MHA) and a current, active and unencumbered license to practice as a registered nurse in the United States. (Connecticut licensure is not required.) If the applicant’s BS degree is not in nursing, the master’s degree MUST be in nursing. The deadline for submission of proof of licensure is August 1 prior to the start of the first semester of the Leadership DNP program.

Please note: the Post-Master’s DNP is not available to applicants who reside outside of the United States. 

The application materials include:

• Online NursingCAS application 
• Non-refundable application fee
• Personal Statement
• Resume/CV
• Official transcripts of all your previous academic work
• Three letters of recommendation
• Writing sample​

International Transcripts

International transcripts must be evaluated by credentialing agency World Education Services or SpanTran. This includes a course-by-course evaluation, as well as a certified English translation of all non-English transcripts. International applicants should also review: International Applicants Information.

Scores from either the TOEFL or the IELTS will be required of non-native speakers of English who have not received either a bachelor’s or master’s degree from a U.S. institution of higher learning.

Letters of Recommendation

Three letters of recommendation submitted electronically through the online application system. They may be from clinical, academic, and/or professional references.

Writing Sample

The writing sample may be an example of academic writing (a thesis or praxis), an opinion piece or editorial, or article or research paper.  Although we are most interested in having a sense of your academic writing, you may also submit professional writing from a newsletter or professional organization.

Papers with Multiple Authors

If you submit a paper with multiple authors, please provide an explanation of your contribution to the writing (i.e., what sections you personally composed).  Likewise, if you submit a writing sample which does not clearly indicate your own authorship (such as an organizational policy statement), provide an explanation of your own contribution to the writing.

apply today

Students are eligible for financial aid. Students must fill out applications at FAFSA.gov. For further information, please visit the YSN Financial Aid website or contact YSN Financial Aid. 

Please review federal limits to student loans for graduate students. Depending on a student’s current balance in federal student loans, they will find they are eligible for different types of both federal and private loans.  

• Come to a Virtual Information Session
• Contact the Program Manager, Colleen Colbert
• Contact Admissions