Scripps La Jolla Names New Chief Nursing Executive

La Jolla – Mary Ellen Doyle, R.N., B.S.N., M.B.A., has joined Scripps Health as the new Vice President/Chief Nurse Executive for Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla. Doyle was chosen following a nationwide search that spanned several months and produced a field of highly-qualified candidates. Years of experience and unique credentials made Doyle the clear choice for the Chief Nursing Executive position.

A seasoned health care executive, Doyle brings an impressive background to Scripps La Jolla, including vast experience in several areas of nursing practice, as well as research, mentoring, education, evidence-based standards of nursing care, and Magnet education. From her early days as a staff nurse in the high risk obstetrics rooms of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Doyle has risen through the ranks of clinical and hospital administration at a number of institutions, including Saint Luke’s Health System, Veteran’s Administration Medical Center in Prescott, Ariz., and the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, Colo.

Doyle comes to Scripps La Jolla from Saint Luke’s Health System in Kansas City, Missouri, where she served as the System Chief Nursing Officer for the last two years and as Vice President/Chief Nursing Officer for Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City for nine years before that. During her tenure at Saint Luke’s, the health care system was awarded the Missouri Quality Award, the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award, and Magnet Recognition for nursing. Doyle was also instrumental in establishing a system Chief Nursing Officer position and implementing Nursing Practice Councils.

“We selected Mary Ellen for her proven track record in building and strengthening ties between nursing and other clinical departments to promote quality patient care and high employee satisfaction,” says Gary G. Fybel, chief executive of Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla.

“My focus at Scripps La Jolla is to facilitate the advancement of professional nursing practice and to provide support to the nursing staff, with the ultimate purpose of improving the quality of patient care, and retaining and attracting exceptional clinicians,” says Doyle.

Doyle has her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Arizona State University and a master’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in health care from Avila University in Kansas City. Her work has been published in the Journal of Innovative Management; the American Hospital Association Workforce Ideas in Action 2; Beyond Leading and Managing, Nursing Administration for the Future; and Targeting Caregivers to Involved Physicians in Practice, Clinical Practice Guidelines.

Through her career, Doyle has served on the boards of Saint Luke’s College of Nursing, the Missouri Organization of Nurse Leaders, the VHA National Nursing Advisory Council, and several other organizations. She is a member of the American College of Health Care Executives and the American Organization of Nurse Executives.

Contact: Lisa Ohmstede
Phone: 858-626-7142
E-mail: Ohmstede.Lisa@scrippshealth.org