Claire Zangerle Named Chief Nurse Executive of the AHA and Chief Executive Officer of AONL

CHICAGO (November 7, 2024) - The American Hospital Association (AHA) today named Claire M. Zangerle, DNP, R.N., as senior vice president and chief nurse executive of AHA and chief executive officer of its American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL). In these roles, Zangerle will provide critical clinical expertise to the AHA, supporting key quality and workforce initiatives and ensure the perspective of nurse leaders is heard and addressed in public policy. She will also lead the work of AONL and the AONL Foundation for Nursing Leadership, Research and Education to advance excellence in nursing leadership for its 12,000 members. Zangerle succeeds Robyn Begley, who is retiring and has served in these roles since 2018.

"Claire has provided great counsel to the AHA and AONL as a board member and has been an unwavering advocate for nurses and nurse leaders her entire career," said AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack. "She is an accomplished leader, a strategic thinker, and understands how to build consensus. She will be a tremendous asset to the team."

Most recently, Zangerle served as Principal of CMZ Strategies, LLC, a consulting firm focused on nurse leader coaching and nursing organization strategy. She is the former chief nurse executive at Allegheny Health Network and CEO of the Visiting Nurse Association of Ohio. Zangerle spent several years at the Cleveland Clinic where she served in a variety of roles, including as chief nursing officer, director of quality and accreditation and director of preventive cardiology. She began her nursing career at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston.

"As a lifelong advocate for nurses and nurse leaders, I can't imagine a better way to continue this work than with these important roles," said Zangerle. "It is such a critical time in health care and as we reimagine our approach and care models, the voices of nurse leaders are essential. I'm honored to be a part of the AHA and AONL team and look forward to getting to work." Active on national and local boards, Zangerle serves on the editorial boards of Nursing Management and Nursing Administration Quarterly and the public board of Rasmussen University. She also serves on the advisory boards of AvaSure, Incredible Health, C-Plan, Simpli and the Texas A&M University School of Nursing. She is a former board of trustee member for the AHA and is a current member of the AONL Board of Directors.

Zangerle received her bachelor's degree in exercise physiology from Texas A&M University. She holds an associate degree of nursing from Houston Baptist University, a master's in business administration from Lake Erie College, a master's in nursing administration from Kent State University, and a Doctor of Nursing practice from Texas Christian University. She is certified as an Advanced Nurse Executive with the American Nurses Credentialing Center and a Fellow of AONL and the American Academy of Nursing.

About the American Hospital Association

The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which include nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks, other providers of care and 43,000 individual members. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the AHA website at www.aha.org.

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