Ann Kurth, who has served as dean of the Yale School of Nursing for seven years, will step down at the end of the fall semester to assume a new position as president of the New York Academy of Medicine. Dr. Kurth, an epidemiologist and clinically trained nurse midwife, will be the first nonphysician to lead the academy in its 175-year history.
Since its founding just before the start of the Civil War, The New York Academy of Medicine has been a vital source for effective and, often, radical thought and action regarding the healthcare and public health problems that affect people in New York City and beyond. The organization has also been a leader on issues including school health, healthy aging, eliminating health disparities, and addressing the current pandemic through an equity lens.
During her tenure as dean of the Yale School of Nursing, Dr. Kurth, who is also the Linda Koch Lorimer Professor of Nursing, worked with faculty members to develop new educational offerings in recognition of the need for more advanced practice nurses, nurse scientists, and nurse leaders. The school launched a clinical doctor of nursing practice degree and added the pediatric acute care nurse practitioner specialty. Students in the master’s program can also now select a concentration in gender and sexuality health justice.
“It has been a deep honor to have had the opportunity to come back and serve as dean of the School of Nursing over the last seven years,” Dr. Kurth said. “The community’s incredibly committed and creative faculty, students, staff, and alumni have made possible all that the school has accomplished. I have been grateful for the opportunity to engage with so many wonderful collaborators and supporters, and I am proud of the steps the school has taken to advance our mission of better health for all people — and the planet. Together, we have led the school into a better place for tomorrow.
Dr. Kurth is a graduate of Princeton University in New Jersey. She earned a master of public health degree from Columbia University, a master’s degree in nursing from Yale Univerity, and a Ph.D. from the University of Washington.