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“The fellows program has given me a wonderful opportunity to collaborate and network with my peers in other states,” she says. “My mentor is Julia Graham Lear, director of the Center for Health and Health Care in Schools in Washington, D.C., and is the pioneer of the school-based health center movement, and an incredible resource.”

Miriam Perez-Cuevas, RN, MA, BSN, serves as division manager for Wesley Nurse Health Ministries, a program of Methodist Healthcare Ministries in San Antonio, and is in her second year of the fellows program. For her individual learning activity, she chose to work on improving pharmaceutical access among the working poor and underinsured.

“Many of the patients we see have chronic conditions and can’t afford the various medications they are prescribed,” she says. “We’re working to help members of the community learn how to navigate the system, and we’re working with pharmaceutical companies to identify how patients can qualify for free or discounted medications.”

Presenting her project within the fellows program has allowed her to receive feedback from an impressive roster of mentors.

“I work with two mentors, one a state senator and the other an executive at a pharmaceutical company,” she says. “They have both given me invaluable input on how I should approach my project and are able to help me see my work from a different perspective.”

Interacting with mentors

Fellows in the RWJ program each are assigned a mentor and have the opportunity to work closely with a team of nationally recognized leaders from the health care field and other sectors of the economy.

Marilyn Chow, RN, DNSc, FAAN, vice president, patient care services for Kaiser Permanente’s Program Offices in Oakland, Calif., has served as program director of the the Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellows program for the past seven years. “In addition to offering nurses the experiences, insights, competencies, and skills they need for executive leadership positions, the program gives nurses the chance to challenge themselves on a personal level,” Chow says.

Over the years, she has had many mentors who have helped her develop her own career path.

“My mentors have seen characteristics that weren’t obvious to me and have given me the support and encouragement to believe that anything I wanted to do in my career was possible,” Chow says.

Today, Chow is recognized nationally for her expertise in the regulation of nursing practice, workforce policy, and primary care. Her career has focused on promoting the role of nurses in primary care and advanced practice, and she shares these experiences with RWJ fellows.

With the next application date for new fellows approaching, Chow would love to see the program inundated with applications.

“Our program offers nurses the opportunity to take their skills to a new level and to make connections that wouldn’t otherwise be possible,” Chow says. “Nurses who don’t apply are neglecting the chance to realize their full potential.”

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