About - Virtual Nursing Academy

About Virtual Nursing Academy

Hospitals nationwide are exploring virtual nursing as a way to mitigate workforce challenges, enhance patient outcomes, and boost care efficiency. At the Virtual Nursing Academy, we’re your partner in building and launching your virtual nursing care models efficiently—without the common pitfalls.

As the premier self-directed online program, the Virtual Nursing Academy empowers and enables hospitals to build, launch and optimize their virtual care delivery model. Join our program and discover the tips that have helped dozens of hospitals and health systems thrive. Set your virtual nursing model into motion and revolutionize your care delivery today!

Meet Your Faculty

Bonnie Clipper

DNP, MA, MBA, RN, CENP, FACHE, FAAN

Founder

Dr. Clipper is a nurse futurist, pioneer in virtual nursing, nationally recognized thought leader in building cultures of innovation, and global speaker. Bonnie was among the first to revolutionize how virtual nursing care is practiced and delivered in hospitals and created the Virtual Nursing Academy to deploy virtual nursing across the country.

Meet the Advisory Board

Naomi Fox

DNP, RN, NPD-BC, CCRN

Director of Education

Naomi Fox is registered nurse, certified in nursing professional development (NPD) and critical care. She has been a nurse for 16 years with clinical experience in a step down, burn intensive care, intensive care, and cardiothoracic intensive care setting. As an NPD specialist, she has worked as a critical care, telemetry, and medical-surgical NPD practitioner, an NPD department coordinator, nurse residency program director, and as the administrative director of an NPD department in a large teaching hospital. She is an adjunct instructor in the Center for Professional Development, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, School of Nursing. Her current role is the director of education for the Association for Nursing Professional Development which serves over 8000 members nationally and internationally.

Debra Raupers

MSN, RN, CENP

CNE

Debra “Deb” Raupers, is Executive Vice President, Chief Nurse Executive for Guthrie. Deb is a Senior Nurse Executive with over 30 years of diverse health care experience. She is a leader with demonstrated ability to improve patient safety and quality outcomes while improving the patient experience and practice environment. During her career, Deb led Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital in the attainment of Magnet accreditation, recognizing nursing excellence, and was part of the leadership team for the construction of the new Guthrie Corning Hospital. Deb has her Master of Science in Nursing from University of Phoenix, is certified in Executive Nurse Practice and is an active member of the American Organization of Nursing Leadership.

Michelle Rizor

BA, MHSA, SHSMD

Virtual Health and Digital Platforms Director

Michelle Rizor serves in a dual role as the virtual health and digital platforms director at Corewell Health, Michigan's largest integrated health system. She is committed to creating innovative interventions that meet the complex needs of the community and the changing healthcare landscape. Prior to 2020, Michelle served on Corewell Health's strategic growth and development team for more than three years, focusing on clinical service line and enterprise strategic planning. Michelle earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Michigan State University and her Master of Health Services Administration degree from the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

Kara Tomlinson

DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC

Executive Director, System Care Delivery and Innovation

Kara Tomlinson is the Executive Director of System Care Delivery and Innovation at Nebraska Medicine (NM), where she oversees care transitions and the operational functions of the Innovation Design Unit (IDU). The IDU serves as a dynamic patient care environment dedicated to piloting new models of care and driving innovation.

In her role, Kara has overarching accountability for coordinating new care delivery models across the health system. She collaborates with key stakeholders at NM and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) to foster innovation and transformation in care delivery across the continuum.

With a wealth of leadership experience in healthcare, Kara spearheads NM's care delivery redesign efforts, providing strategic leadership and oversight for the health system’s long-term vision and initiatives. Kara's background as a nursing leader includes extensive experience in both Acute Care and Ambulatory Services. She is actively engaged in Professional Governance activities, utilizing evidence-based design and best practices to achieve optimal outcomes and efficient resource use. A dedicated advocate for the nursing profession, Kara is a member of multiple nursing organizations and continuously champions the advancement and recognition of nurses within the healthcare system.

Anne Veno

DNP, MBA, RN, LNHA

Director, Patient Care Services

Anne H. Veno is the Director of Virtual Nursing, Health Policy and Allied Health Education for Norton Healthcare, a not-for-profit hospital and health system in Kentucky and Southern Indiana. She has over forty-two years of adult, pediatric, public health, acute & post-acute care, advocacy, teaching and nursing leadership experience. For over 20 years, Anne has been a board member of the Kentucky Board of Nursing. Since 2018, she has led a system level focus on innovation in education and technology as a part of intentional healthcare delivery redesign to include developing virtual nursing services and the strategy to scale across the system. Anne earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree from the University of Kentucky, a Master of Business Administration from Bellarmine University and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Spalding University.

Michelle Williams-Rivers

Ph.D., MSN, RN

Executive Director

Michelle Williams-Rivers, is the Executive Director of the Medical Division at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. She started her career as a new graduated nurse at Cedars. Throughout her career, she has worked in critical care services attending to critically ill patients. She partners with her colleagues and works alongside her nurses to ensure appropriate care and education is being delivered. Since 2014, Michelle has been operationally responsible for care coordination for patients, disease management, and clinical performance improvement for staff.

Michelle is originally from Los Angeles, California. She earned a B.A. in Psychology from California State University, Long Beach, an MSN in nursing leadership from Western Governors University, and a Ph.D., in nursing from Walden University. She enjoys participating in community service activities helping underserved populations.

In 2016, she completed two fellowships in leadership, one in the LA Chamber of Commerce and the other in the American Organization of Nurse Leaders (commonly referred to as AONL). Michelle is the recipient of the organization’s president’s award and the award for clinical transformation. She has received accolades from her patients, staff, and physicians who work alongside her. Today Michelle consults with fellow healthcare professionals nationally and in the community and serves as a mentor to those who wish to become nurses as well as nurses who are interested in becoming leaders in the healthcare industry.

Blaise Nieve

PhD, RN, CMSRN, NEA-BC

Clinical Nurse IV

Blaise Nieve is a registered nurse with certifications as a Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse (CMSRN) and as a Nurse Executive Advanced – Board Certified (NEA-BC). With over a decade of experience spanning the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and the United States, his clinical expertise includes renal dialysis, adult medical-surgical nursing, pediatrics, geriatrics, and adult general-medicine step-down care.

As a nurse educator, Blaise has served as a licensure examination reviewer, clinical instructor, RLE supervisor, and Nursing Program Chair in the Philippines. He is currently an adjunct faculty member at the Graduate School - School of Nursing, San Pedro College. In his clinical role, Blaise is a Clinical Nurse IV at Duke University Hospital (DUH), where he is actively engaged in various initiatives as a DUH Geriatric Resource Nurse Champion, a member of the DUH Age-Friendly Health Systems Steering Committee, and a member of the Duke University Health System (DUHS) Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Council. He also serves the community as the Assistant Secretary and Co-Chairman of the Public Relations, Promotions, & Archives Committee for the Philippine Nurses Association of North Carolina.

Blaise holds multiple academic credentials, including a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from San Pedro College, a Master of Arts in Nursing with a specialization in Clinical Management from Davao Doctors College, a Doctor of Philosophy in Education major in Educational Leadership from the University of the Immaculate Conception, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing from San Pedro College.

A recognized leader and advocate for evidence-based practice, Blaise has completed a leadership fellowship through the Philippine Nurses Association of America iLDP Program. He is also a fellow in the Clinical and Translational Research Ethics Fellowship Program at the Medical University of South Carolina and a participant in the DUHS Evidence-Based Practice Fellowship Program, sponsored by the DUHS Nursing Research and EBP Department, DANCE, and DUSON. He also serves as a CMSRN Director of the Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Board (MSNCB).