June 2026
Tina
Malec
,
RN-BC, CPHIMS
WellSpan Health - Medical Group
York
,
PA
United States
Her career exemplifies nursing at its highest level: compassionate, brilliant, and transformative.
It is with profound admiration and heartfelt respect that Tina Malec is recognized with the DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award. Throughout nearly four decades of service, she has demonstrated unwavering dedication to nursing, uplifting patients, colleagues, and future nurses with her compassion, expertise, and leadership. Her career, spanning military service, bedside care, clinical education, informatics, leadership, and strategic consulting, reflects a life defined by service and a deep commitment to advancing the nursing profession. She has touched countless lives, strengthened teams, and inspired generations. She does not simply work in healthcare; she transforms it.
Excellence in Nursing Leadership
As Senior Director of Clinical Operations, she led with courage, clarity, and a deeply human-centered approach. Responsible for over 200 nurses and clinical support staff across two complex service lines with over 40 locations, she remained grounded in the belief that leadership begins with compassion and presence. Colleagues consistently described her as someone who “always shows up”, for difficult decisions, challenging conversations, and moments when someone needed steadfast support.
Her leadership is rooted in evidence-based practice and Lean methodology, which she applies to improve workflow, strengthen safety, and enhance the patient and clinician experience. She has developed standardized clinical workflows that improve consistency and quality across the system.
As a gifted mentor, she fosters a culture of shared decision-making, ensuring clinical leaders feel empowered and valued. Her role has expanded into leading and supporting strategic organizational projects, where she brings multidisciplinary teams together, synthesizes complex information, and aligns diverse perspectives toward common goals. She is widely regarded as a trusted problem solver across both administrative and clinical domains.
She has also presented her research and project outcomes at international, national, and local professional conferences, demonstrating her commitment to advancing nursing practice through dissemination of evidence-based innovations.
Professional Dedication and Informatics Expertise
Her devotion to excellence is reflected in her specialty certifications, including:
NEA BC – ANCC Advanced Nurse Executive, CPHIMS – Certified Professional in Health and Information Management Systems, and BCPA – Board Certified Patient Advocate.
These credentials highlight her mastery across leadership, technology, and patient advocacy. As Manager of Ambulatory Clinical Informatics, she served as a vital bridge between clinicians and emerging technology. She played a pivotal role in the systemwide Epic electronic health record implementation, ensuring safe, efficient workflows and intuitive documentation. Her colleagues praise her ability to translate frontline challenges into meaningful informatics solutions.
Education, Clinical Practice, and Military Service
She holds a master’s degree in nursing education and has shaped future nurses as adjunct faculty through clinical instruction, simulation leadership, and individualized mentorship.
Clinically, she has excelled in perioperative, orthopedic, neurosurgical, and progressive care settings, earning recognition through a Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Fellowship and nomination for the Excellence in Caring & Practice Award.
Her foundation in nursing began with honorable service in the United States Army and Maryland National Guard, where she earned multiple commendations for excellence and courage.
Conclusion
Her career exemplifies nursing at its highest level: compassionate, brilliant, and transformative. For her lifelong dedication and profound impact, she is truly deserving of the DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award.
Excellence in Nursing Leadership
As Senior Director of Clinical Operations, she led with courage, clarity, and a deeply human-centered approach. Responsible for over 200 nurses and clinical support staff across two complex service lines with over 40 locations, she remained grounded in the belief that leadership begins with compassion and presence. Colleagues consistently described her as someone who “always shows up”, for difficult decisions, challenging conversations, and moments when someone needed steadfast support.
Her leadership is rooted in evidence-based practice and Lean methodology, which she applies to improve workflow, strengthen safety, and enhance the patient and clinician experience. She has developed standardized clinical workflows that improve consistency and quality across the system.
As a gifted mentor, she fosters a culture of shared decision-making, ensuring clinical leaders feel empowered and valued. Her role has expanded into leading and supporting strategic organizational projects, where she brings multidisciplinary teams together, synthesizes complex information, and aligns diverse perspectives toward common goals. She is widely regarded as a trusted problem solver across both administrative and clinical domains.
She has also presented her research and project outcomes at international, national, and local professional conferences, demonstrating her commitment to advancing nursing practice through dissemination of evidence-based innovations.
Professional Dedication and Informatics Expertise
Her devotion to excellence is reflected in her specialty certifications, including:
NEA BC – ANCC Advanced Nurse Executive, CPHIMS – Certified Professional in Health and Information Management Systems, and BCPA – Board Certified Patient Advocate.
These credentials highlight her mastery across leadership, technology, and patient advocacy. As Manager of Ambulatory Clinical Informatics, she served as a vital bridge between clinicians and emerging technology. She played a pivotal role in the systemwide Epic electronic health record implementation, ensuring safe, efficient workflows and intuitive documentation. Her colleagues praise her ability to translate frontline challenges into meaningful informatics solutions.
Education, Clinical Practice, and Military Service
She holds a master’s degree in nursing education and has shaped future nurses as adjunct faculty through clinical instruction, simulation leadership, and individualized mentorship.
Clinically, she has excelled in perioperative, orthopedic, neurosurgical, and progressive care settings, earning recognition through a Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Fellowship and nomination for the Excellence in Caring & Practice Award.
Her foundation in nursing began with honorable service in the United States Army and Maryland National Guard, where she earned multiple commendations for excellence and courage.
Conclusion
Her career exemplifies nursing at its highest level: compassionate, brilliant, and transformative. For her lifelong dedication and profound impact, she is truly deserving of the DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award.