Michelle Hereford, MSHA, RN, FACHE, joined University Hospitals as Chief Nursing Executive in April 2021, an incredibly difficult time for nurses and caregivers around the world. Since then, she and her team have put initiatives in place that have bolstered nursing at UH and improved patient care.

Michelle’s success and appointment to the inaugural Ethel Morikis Endowed Chair in Nursing Leadership were recently celebrated at the conclusion of the UH Nursing Leadership Conference at Cuyahoga Community College Corporate College East on May 20, 2026.

Former UH Board Chair John Morikis and his family established the chair in 2019 to honor the legacy of his late mother, who was a nurse and nurse educator for many years.

“This chair is very personal to my siblings and me,” John explained. “We were all shaped and guided by an incredible woman who turned to nursing when she was widowed at a young age. While she started nursing to care for her family, she quickly learned that it was also an opportunity for her to care for others as well.”

“It is a tremendous honor as a nurse to be honored by the family of another nurse and a true privilege to hold an endowed position bearing Ethel Morikis’ name,” Michelle said.

Over the last five years, Michelle and her team have made remarkable progress in strengthening nursing at UH. Their initiatives have decreased nursing turnover while increasing recruitment in hard-to-recruit areas. Last fall, they helped launch the Connected Care Team at UH Lake West Medical Center, making it one of the first hospitals in the country to have a whole-hospital virtual nursing program.

They’ve also worked with area nursing schools to develop the talents of existing caregivers and grow the nursing pipeline by creating promotional pathways for nursing assistants and other non-nursing caregivers. That pipeline has been extended into area high schools through the incredibly successful UH Future Nurse Academy, an immersive summer experience for high school students interested in getting into the nursing field.

“While we have accomplished much, there is still a lot to do,” Michelle explained. “Virtual caregiving is a priority. In order to remain at the top, UH has to do the things no one else is doing to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. We must also continue our pipeline growth strategy. It is important we are prepared to provide care for the next 160 years."  

“As board chair, I was involved in many discussions involving Michelle and what I always heard was, ‘She can get it done,’” John said. “It’s that type of leadership that really inspired my family and me when we first talked about creating this chair.

“Nursing is so important. Their actions every day make a difference in someone’s life. We are so grateful to Michelle and all of the nurses at UH for the work they do and the impact they make on this community. It’s an honor to be a small part of that.”