The American Academy of Nursing recently selected Sarasota Memorial Hospital - Venice chief nursing officer Jean Marie Lucas, Ph.D., MBA, APRN, NEA-BC, to its prestigious 2020 Class of Fellows, a group of 230 distinguished nursing leaders from around the nation who have made significant contributions to health care. The Academy's fellows are regarded as nursing’s most accomplished leaders in education, management, practice and research. Fellows represent association executives, university presidents, chancellors and deans, elected officials, state and federal political appointees, hospital chief executives and vice presidents for nursing, nurse consultants, and researchers and entrepreneurs.

Lucas was named chief nursing officer of Sarasota Memorial’s new hospital in Venice in 2019.  Now under construction, the facility is scheduled to open in the fall of 2021. Previously, she served as associate chief nursing officer of Sarasota Memorial Health Care System's 839-bed flagship hospital in Sarasota. She was instrumental in the development and implementation of many programs to enhance patient care and quality, including a traumac center and the launch of disease-specific programs, integrative therapies, telehealth, behavioral health intervention team and other services. Lucas also has played a key role in nursing recruitment, training, research and professional development initiatives at SMH and regionally.