2025 (Inaugural Year)
Emory Healthcare
Monique will be using the granted funds to attend the 2026 American Nursing Informatics Association (ANIA) Annual Conference in Boston, Massachusetts, to gain knowledge about what current healthcare systems are doing to support the nursing workload and flow, while continuing to increase patient engagement and satisfaction.
Upon receiving the grant, she stated, “I am honored and grateful to be selected as the recipient of the Karlene Kerfoot Grant. This award is truly an investment in furthering my knowledge and voice as a nurse leader in clinical informatics. Specifically, this grant enables me to attend the upcoming American Nursing Informatics Association (ANIA) conference this spring. I am excited to engage with national leaders, absorb new research, and learn innovative processes from subject matter experts across the country. I intend to disseminate what I learn locally at my institution, thereby directly augmenting my clinical research, projects, and care for patients, and contributing to broader organizational advancements. As a first-time attendee, I plan to leverage this opportunity to seek avenues for direct involvement with ANIA leadership, ensuring I can maximize my contribution to the field”.
Hartford Healthcare
Colleen will be using granted funds to attend the 2026 American Nursing Informatics Association (ANIA) Annual Conference in Boston, Massachusetts to advance her professional development in nursing informatics and healthcare innovation.
Colleen added after grant notification, “Receiving the Karlene Kerfoot Nursing Leadership in Technology Grant provides an incredible opportunity to attend the 2026 ANIA Annual Conference, where I will engage with national experts, explore emerging technologies, and gain insights into best practices in nursing innovation. I am deeply grateful for this recognition and look forward to leveraging the knowledge gained to drive system-wide advancements in virtual nursing, ambient AI integration, and workflow optimization—while strengthening nursing’s role in shaping the future of healthcare with a patient-first approach”.
New York-Presbyterian
Mary Joy will be using the funds granted for a professional certificate in data science from Purdue University to deepen her expertise in applying AI to nursing workflows, allowing for enhanced patient safety, equity, and personalized care.
When asked what receiving this grant meant to her, she told us she was “Deeply honored to receive the Karlene Kerfoot Education Grant. This support means more than advancing my education—it’s a commitment to lead with purpose, ensuring technology serves humanity. I’m excited to use this opportunity to champion ethical AI and ensure nurses remain at the heart of compassionate, equitable care. As I often say, ‘True leadership is about inspiring transformation—turning vision into reality while lifting others along the way.'"