Linda Burnes Bolton, DrPH, RN, former chief nursing officer of Los Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai, died Jan. 11 at age 76.
Dr. Burnes Bolton joined Cedars-Sinai as a labor and delivery nurse in 1971, later becoming the system's first advanced practice nurse.
During her tenure, Dr. Burnes Bolton held numerous leadership positions, including CNO and senior vice president and chief health equity officer. She also held the inaugural James R. Klinenberg, MD, and Lynn Klinenberg-Linkin Chair in Nursing.
Dr. Burnes Bolton led the system through five Magnet designations and made research and education a cornerstone of nursing at Cedars-Sinai, according to a Jan. 11 news release. She also worked closely with the Black Nurses Association, helping develop a community collaboration model adopted by more than 100 communities nationwide. She also advocated for policy changes to allow nurses to practice at the top of their license
"Linda Burnes Bolton's extraordinary leadership and vision made significant contributions to advancing healthcare and the nursing profession, not only at Cedars-Sinai, but across the nation," Tom Priselac, Cedars-Sinai president and CEO emeritus, said in the release. "She brought revolutionary approaches to patient-centered care, nursing education, community health education and healthcare policy that affected thousands of nursing professionals and millions of patients."
Peter Slavin, MD, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Health System, also acknowledged her lasting influence on the organization.
"I never had the privilege of meeting Dr. Burnes Bolton, but I know her extraordinary legacy is woven into the very fabric of Cedars-Sinai and will continue to shape its history for generations to come," he said.