Jul
28
2026
Visiting Nurse CIO Jacqueline Ralph-Blair Named Chair of Lewis College Advisory Board
Georgia State University’s Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing & Health Professions has named Jacqueline Ralph-Blair chair of its Advisory Board. This is a notable recognition of Jacqueline’s longstanding commitment to healthcare leadership, innovation and creating meaningful change in the healthcare arena. Below is Georgia State’s article naming this honorable appointment.
A College on the Rise
Ralph-Blair steps into the role at a moment of visible momentum for the college. Recent leadership appointments and faculty honors across Lewis College’s programs point to the depth of talent driving the college forward — momentum reflected throughout the college’s outcomes and growing national recognition.
That momentum shows up in the numbers, too. With health systems in Georgia and nationally facing persistent shortages of nurses, physical and occupational therapists, and respiratory therapists, graduate student enrollment in the college has climbed 39 percent since fall 2022 — growth in exactly the capacity the field needs.
Growth Without Compromise
The college’s outcomes have kept pace with its growth. The Doctor of Physical Therapy program has posted a 100 percent board exam pass rate every year since 2019 and its 2025 graduating class matched that pass rate, with four students posting perfect scores on the national board exam.
The Occupational Therapy Doctorate program has held a 100 percent pass rate since its first graduating cohort in 2024, and respiratory therapy students have a 100 percent national board pass rate, with the program’s bachelor’s and master’s degrees each earning national recognition from the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care.
U.S. News & World Report ranks the college’s online Master of Science in Nursing program No. 8 in the nation, its Doctor of Physical Therapy program No. 50 and its Doctor of Occupational Therapy program No. 53.
A Foundation to Build On
Ralph-Blair succeeds Charles Anthony “Tony” Smith, who led the board for nearly 8 years. During his tenure, the board deepened the college’s ties to the region’s healthcare community — work that helped strengthen the college’s partnership with Piedmont Hospital, expanding clinical placements, nursing scholarships and enrollment in the associate degree in nursing program at Perimeter College.
“Lewis College wants to formally recognize Tony for his many years of dedicated service as chair,” said Huanbiao Mo, dean of the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing & Health Professions. “His leadership laid a strong foundation for this board.”
“Congratulations on assuming the role of board chair,” Dean Mo told Ralph-Blair. “I am confident in your leadership, and I look forward to the momentum you will bring to this board in the years ahead.”
A Career Built on Innovation
Ralph-Blair brings more than two decades of leadership, experience and changemaking to the role. As chief innovation officer at Visiting Nurse Health System, Georgia’s leading nonprofit provider of home healthcare and hospice services, she leads multidisciplinary teams spanning finance; sales and marketing; compliance; and quality and education. Her background includes organizational transformation work — from mergers and acquisitions to launching new programs and services from the ground up — across both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors, work she’s applied to strengthen care delivery models and expand access to services.
In 2025, Modern Healthcare named her one of its Leading Women, citing her role using artificial intelligence and other technology to ease administrative burden on clinical staff and initiatives that improved employee turnover by 38 percent within VNHS’s Home Health division — the kind of workforce retention work that matters directly to a field already stretched thin.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the College of Mount Saint Vincent in New York City and a master’s degree in healthcare administration. Beyond her role at VNHS, she serves as subcommittee chair of Government Affairs for the Georgia State Association for Home Health and Hospice, is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives of Georgia and sits on the National Alliance for Care at Home’s Advisory Committee.
A Vision for the Board
“I am truly honored to introduce myself as the new chair of the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing & Health Professions Advisory Board at Georgia State University,” Ralph-Blair said. “I look forward to partnering with the board as we continue to support the college’s mission and advance Dean Mo’s vision for innovation, academic excellence and community impact.”
Ralph-Blair describes board service as more than attending meetings — an opportunity to help shape the future of healthcare by investing in the next generation of nurses and health professionals. Over her first several weeks as chair, she plans to meet individually with each board member to learn what draws them to the work and where their expertise and networks can make the most difference for the college.
“Our greatest strength comes from the collective expertise around our table,” she said. She’s asked members to be present and active in board meetings and initiatives, share their ideas, expertise and professional networks, identify partnership, mentorship and philanthropic opportunities on the college’s behalf, and serve as ambassadors for Georgia State and the college within their own professional and community circles.
“As your chair, my commitment is simple: to be engaged, accessible, transparent and action-oriented,” she said. “I want every member to feel valued, heard and empowered to make a meaningful contribution.”
“The vision Jacqueline has outlined reflects exactly the kind of engagement I hope to see grow within this board,” Mo said. “This board carries a wide range of skills, experience and perspective, and the individual conversations she’s planning will help position each member to contribute in the way that draws most fully on what they bring to the table.”
That blend of perspective is much of what makes Ralph-Blair well suited to lead the board. Her own career spans clinical nursing practice and executive healthcare leadership, for-profit and nonprofit systems, operational execution and civic advocacy — the same range Mo pointed to as central to the board’s ability to support the college’s work.
Reaching Beyond Campus
The college’s reach extends into the community and around the world. This spring marked the launch of its first Community Health Fair, and Dr. Nida Shaikh’s Georgia Food Access and Nutrition Security (GA-FANS) summit continues to grow as a statewide convening point.
That global reach now extends to the Caribbean as well. Dr. Veronica Rowe, an associate professor of occupational therapy and the first Fulbright Scholar in the college’s history, will use a 2026-2027 Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to expand stroke rehabilitation and occupational therapy training in Trinidad and Tobago beginning in spring 2027 — work aimed at improving outcomes in a country where stroke incidence ranks among the highest in the world.
“I believe we have an incredible opportunity to build upon the strong foundation established by those who have served before us while positioning the college for even greater success in the years ahead,” Ralph-Blair said. “Together, we can create new partnerships, expand opportunities for our students, strengthen community engagement and help shape the future of healthcare education.”
“I’m energized by this moment for the college,” Mo said. “I look forward to seeing what becomes possible when a board this engaged, under Jacqueline’s leadership, brings its relationships, expertise and generosity to bear.”
