Nurse Practitioner • Association Executive • Clinical Operations Leader • AI Leader

Stephen A. Ferrara

DNP, RN, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, FNAP

CEO, AI + Nurse Academy AANP Past President Former Professor & Associate Dean (AI, Clinical Affairs)

I have led national and state nursing associations, including AANP, the voice of 461,000 nurse practitioners nationwide, with fiduciary oversight of multi-million annual budgets and a track record of membership growth, rebranding, and policy wins. I have also run clinical operations directly, leading a faculty practice of 5,000+ patients a year to patient-centered medical home recognition while building the systems, staffing, and quality infrastructure behind it.

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461K Nurse practitioners represented as AANP President

$30M Annual budget under fiduciary oversight

5,000+ Patients a year in the clinical enterprise I led

$2.6M Federal grants secured as Principal Investigator

25+ Years in primary care as a Family NP

50+ National keynotes and invited presentations

Background

About Stephen

I have spent 25+ years as a family nurse practitioner, primarily in primary care, bringing both clinical depth and a systems-level perspective to everything I do. Over that time, my work has expanded well beyond direct patient care to include health policy, nonprofit leadership, and the intersection of artificial intelligence and nursing.

At Columbia University School of Nursing, I held a continuous faculty appointment over a decade, advancing from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor to Professor and teaching health policy to DNP students. During that time I also held successive administrative roles. As Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs from 2014 to 2024, I served as the Chief Clinical Officer for the ColumbiaDoctors Nurse Practitioner Group, leading its rebranding from CAPNA to the Nurse Practitioner Group (NPG), expanding it to include house calls and integrated mental health services, and achieving Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) recognition. As Inaugural Associate Dean of AI from 2024 to 2026, I led strategic planning and integration of AI across research, education, and practice, established foundational AI literacy training reaching 280+ participants, and delivered 15+ national keynotes on AI to 1,000+ nursing faculty.

In October 2025, I launched AI + Nurse Academy, an online on-demand platform that gives nurses practical, accessible AI literacy education. Nurses make up the largest segment of the healthcare workforce, and they deserve real tools to engage confidently with AI in their practice.

I served as President and Immediate Past President of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), representing 461,000 nurse practitioners nationwide. As chief elected officer, I chaired the Board of Directors, provided fiduciary oversight for a $30M annual budget, and advocated for the Improving Care and Access to Nurses (ICAN) so NPs can practice to the top of our license and education.

I serve as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Doctoral Nursing Practice, a role I have held since 2015 at this PubMed-indexed journal, and previously served as Executive Director of Jonas Nursing & Veterans Healthcare and the Nurse Practitioner Association New York State.

At a Glance

25+ years in primary care as a Family NP

CEO & Founder, AI + Nurse Academy (2025)

15+ years leading national and state nursing associations

Past President, AANP

Fellow, American Academy of Nursing (FAAN)

$2.6M+ in HRSA grants as Principal Investigator

Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Doctoral Nursing Practice

Talks, Press & Podcasts

Speaking & Media

AANP Sizzle Reel

Signature Topics

AI Literacy for Nurses and Healthcare Professionals

Audiences leave with a practical framework for understanding AI tools, evaluating clinical AI applications, and building confidence to lead AI adoption in their organizations.

The Future of Advanced Practice Nursing

Audiences leave with a clear view of where NP practice is headed, what policy changes are reshaping scope of practice, and how NPs position themselves for leadership roles in a changing system.

Health Policy, Advocacy, and the NP Workforce

Audiences leave understanding how legislation shapes NP practice, what effective advocacy looks like at the national level, and how individual practitioners drive systemic change.

Nonprofit and Healthcare Executive Leadership

Audiences leave with actionable strategies for leading mission-driven organizations, managing boards and budgets at scale, and building the credibility that earns a seat at the table.

Book Stephen for Your Event

Available for keynotes, conference sessions, panels, and organizational workshops. Audiences include nursing associations, academic institutions, health systems, and technology conferences. Download the speaker one-sheet to share with your program committee.

Speaker One-Sheet Inquire for Availability

Upcoming Engagements

Keynote

LANP Annual Conference

Louisiana Association of Nurse Practitioners, New Orleans

September 10, 2026

Statewide keynote on where NP practice is headed and how AI reshapes the workforce.

Panel

Nursing Workforce 2.0: Powering Hospital Care in an AI-Enabled Era

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center, Washington DC

September 24-25, 2026

National panel on how hospitals staff, train, and govern nursing care as AI enters the workflow.

Keynote

From Policy to Practice: AI Adoption for Nurse Practitioners

PCNP 2026 Annual Educational Conference, Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners, Bayfront Convention Center, Erie, PA

October 16, 2026

Statewide keynote connecting AI policy and regulation to what nurse practitioners can actually adopt in practice.

Past Engagements

Keynote

Arizona NP Symposium

Arizona Nurse Practitioner Council

July 24, 2026

Opening keynote on translating AI from headline to bedside for practicing nurse practitioners.

Workshop

Put AI to Work: Real Patient Care and Practice Problems, Solved Live

Arizona NP Symposium, Arizona Nurse Practitioner Council

July 24, 2026

Hands-on session solving real clinical and administrative problems live, using named tools with a neutrality disclosure.

Keynote

NPACE 2026 Cape Cod Conference

Nurse Practitioner Associates for Continuing Education, Seacrest Beach Resort, North Falmouth, MA

June 2026

Keynote for practicing APPs on hot topics with immediate clinical application.

Panel

Northwest Summit to Reimagine AI in Nursing and Healthcare

University of Washington, Seattle

May 2026

Panelist responding to research on AI adoption across nursing and health systems.

Keynote

AI in Action: Equipping NPs for Healthcare's Digital Revolution

New Mexico Nurse Practitioner Council Spring Conference

April 2026

Statewide keynote giving NPs a practical framework for evaluating and adopting clinical AI.

Workshop

AI in Health Professions Education

University of North Carolina at Pembroke, interprofessional health professions audience

April 2026

Interprofessional workshop for nursing and allied health faculty on integrating AI into curriculum.

Keynote

AI in Nursing Education: Basics, Ethics, and Risk Mitigation

Sketchy Medical

March 2026

Keynote covering foundational AI literacy, ethical guardrails, and risk management for educators.

Workshop

AI in Nursing Education

NOVA Southeastern University Speaker Day

March 2026

Workshop

AI in Nursing Education

Dominican University School of Nursing

February 2026

Workshop

Smarter Work, Stronger Impact: A Practical AI Workshop for NP Organizations

NP State Summit, Texas Nurse Practitioners

January 2026

Workshop helping state NP association leaders apply AI to operations, advocacy, and member services.

Keynote

AI in Healthcare: Future Implications

University of Michigan AI in Health Symposium, Ann Arbor, MI

2025

Keynote at a university-wide symposium on where AI takes clinical care over the next decade.

Keynote

Building Resilient Healthcare Teams

American College of Healthcare Executives Congress, Houston, TX

2025

Keynote to healthcare executives on sustaining teams through workforce strain and rapid change.

Keynote

AI in Nursing Education: Current State and Future Directions

American Association of Colleges of Nursing Webinar

2025

National webinar to nursing deans and faculty on curricular readiness for AI.

Keynote

Workforce Implications of AI in Health and Medicine

National Academy of Medicine, Washington, DC

2024

Invited presentation to the National Academy of Medicine on how AI reshapes the health workforce.

Keynote

AI and the Future of Healthcare Careers

AIMed24 Conference, Orlando, FL

2024

Keynote at a leading clinical AI conference on career pathways in an AI-enabled system.

Keynote

The Future of Advanced Practice Nursing

Florida NP Network Annual Conference, Orlando, FL

2023

Fireside keynote on scope of practice, policy momentum, and NP leadership.

Media

President of AANP: Dr. Stephen Ferrara

The Nursing Beat / Nurse.org

November 2024

Full-length feature profile on his presidency, priorities, and path to national nursing leadership.

Media

National Nurse Practitioner Week Satellite Media Tours

CBS News Baltimore and partner stations

2023 & 2024

National broadcast tour explaining how NPs fill healthcare access gaps, carried across CBS and partner stations.

Media

This Flu Season is the Most Severe Since 2009

PBS NewsHour

2018

National broadcast interview as the clinical voice explaining severity and prevention to a public television audience.

Media

Columbia Nursing's Stephen Ferrara Discusses Flu Outbreak

WNBC Today in New York

2018

Local news appearance advising New York viewers during a severe outbreak.

Podcasts & Audio Interviews

Podcast

LIVE at ViVE: AI + Nurse Academy

Nurse Rosa's Insights / Health Podcast Network

2026

Recorded live at a major health tech conference on why nurses need dedicated AI literacy education.

Podcast

Beyond Algorithms: Keeping Care Human in the Age of AI

Mindful Moments with Pedro Morante

November 2025

Conversation on preserving clinical judgment and human connection as AI enters care delivery.

Podcast

NP POW: AI and NP Practice

The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, LWW

May 2025

Journal video interview on what AI changes and does not change in day-to-day NP practice.

Podcast

Nurse Practitioners and AI: A Potent Combination

HIMSSCast, Healthcare IT News

2024

Health IT industry podcast on why NPs are positioned to lead clinical AI adoption.

Podcast

Stephen Ferrara on AI and Nursing Practice

RN-Mentor Consulting Podcast

2024

Extended interview on AI literacy, safety, and the nursing workforce.

Podcast

The Evolving Role of Nurse Practitioners

Well Beyond Medicine, Nemours Children's Health

December 2024

Health system podcast on how the NP role expanded and where it heads next.

Podcast

Celebrating 100 Episodes

NP Pulse: The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner, AANP

2023

Milestone episode of AANP's official podcast, recorded during his presidency.

Podcast

Healthcare Policy: Keep On Keeping On

4NPs Podcast

2022

Conversation on sustained advocacy and how policy change actually happens.

Podcast

Leadership and NP Advocacy

HEALth Practitioner Show

2018

Early interview on building a leadership path in nursing and advancing NP practice authority.

Career

Professional Experience

My career runs along three tracks that reinforce each other: leading professional associations, running clinical operations, and building AI capability in nursing. Roles are grouped by track and listed most recent first within each.

Association & Nonprofit Executive Leadership

2012 – 2026 • Budgets to $30M • 461,000 NPs represented

American Association of Nurse Practitioners

Immediate Past President

June 2025 – June 2026

121K+Member organization BoardDirector

Served on the Board of Directors providing strategic guidance and leadership continuity for a 121,000+ member organization. Chaired ad-hoc committees and collaborated with the CEO on bylaws, policies, and national stakeholder engagements.

American Association of Nurse Practitioners

President

June 2023 – June 2025

461KNPs represented $30MAnnual budget 121K+Members

Served as chief elected officer of AANP and public representative for the nurse practitioner profession (461,000 NPs nationwide). Chaired the Board of Directors and provided fiduciary oversight of the 121,000+ member organization with a $30M annual budget. Elevated national visibility of nurse practitioners through media engagement and White House representation. Advocated for the ICAN Act to expand NP scope of practice nationwide.

Jonas Nursing & Veterans Healthcare

Executive Director

January 2020 – December 2022

150+Academic institutions 51%BIPOC representation $2M+Budget, zero deficit

Led national initiatives to develop nursing leaders and enhance healthcare for veterans across 150+ academic institutions. Redesigned the Jonas Nurse Scholars Program to prioritize nurses from underserved communities, achieving 51% BIPOC representation. Provided fiscal oversight for a $2M+ operating budget.

Nurse Practitioner Association New York State

Executive Director

January 2012 – December 2021

45%Membership growth NPMA 2.0Passed into law

Provided strategic leadership and operational oversight for a statewide professional association. Led successful passage of the NP Modernization Act 2.0 (2022) granting full practice authority to experienced NPs. Achieved 45% membership growth and led organizational rebranding.

Clinical Operations & Practice Leadership

2001 – 2024 • P&L ownership • Multi-site practice management

Columbia University School of Nursing

Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs (Chief Clinical Officer)

July 2014 – June 2024

5,000+Patients annually $2M+Clinical enterprise 15+Faculty practitioners PCMHRecognition achieved

Served as Chief Clinical Officer overseeing the ColumbiaDoctors Nurse Practitioner Group, the NP-led faculty practice serving 5,000+ patients annually. Led the rebranding from CAPNA (Columbia Advanced Practice Nurse Associates) and expanded the practice to include a house calls program and an integrated mental health component. Achieved Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) recognition. Managed clinical operations for 15+ faculty practitioners and led financial planning for a $2M+ clinical enterprise.

MinuteClinic of NY (Ferrara NP Family Health, P.C.)

President

August 2006 – March 2010

75Nurse practitioners led 7Clinic locations CVSHealth partnership

Established professional corporation for MinuteClinic operations across New York State. Led a workforce of 75 nurse practitioners across seven retail clinic locations in partnership with CVS Health.

Fordham University Student Health Services

Associate Director, Nurse Practitioner

July 2001 – August 2006

10,000+Students served 2Campuses covered 2xFacility capacity

Held clinical responsibility across both the Bronx and Lincoln Center campuses, serving a 10,000+ student population. Supervised clinical staff at both sites, developed campus health policies, and led the transition to an expanded facility that doubled clinical capacity.

Academic, AI & Entrepreneurial Leadership

2014 – Present • $2.6M+ HRSA funding as PI • Founder

AI + Nurse Academy

CEO & Founder

October 2025 – Present

Founded and lead AI + Nurse Academy, an online on-demand platform delivering AI literacy education for nurses. The Academy equips the nursing workforce with practical knowledge to engage confidently and safely with AI in clinical settings.

Columbia University School of Nursing

Professor & Inaugural Associate Dean of AI

July 2024 – April 2026

280+Trained in first year $2.6M+HRSA funding as PI 200+Students reached

Led AI strategy and integration across research, education, and practice for 200+ students and 80+ faculty. Established foundational AI literacy training reaching 280+ participants in the first year. Served as Principal Investigator on HRSA-funded initiatives totaling $2.6M+. First non-physician elected to ColumbiaDoctors Board of Governors Executive Committee.

Ferrara Consulting Group LLC

Principal

2023 – Present

Consulting, speaking, and advisory practice focused on healthcare AI, nursing workforce strategy, health policy, and nonprofit leadership. Available for keynote engagements, organizational consulting, and advisory board roles.

Recognition

Honors & Awards

2023

New York City Power 100

City & State New York

2023

Notable Leaders in Healthcare

Crain's New York Business

2020

Fellow, American Academy of Nursing (FAAN)

American Academy of Nursing

2018

Distinguished Fellow, National Academies of Practice (FNAP)

National Academies of Practice

2015

Fellow, New York Academy of Medicine

New York Academy of Medicine

2013

Fellow, American Association of Nurse Practitioners (FAANP)

American Association of Nurse Practitioners

2013

Clinical Excellence Award

Montefiore Medical Center

2012

New York State Award for Excellence

American Association of Nurse Practitioners

National Leadership

Service & Appointments

July 2026

Vice President

American Board of Nursing Artificial Intelligence (ABNAI)
Executive Board officer of the first credentialing body for nurses and AI. ABNAI establishes standards, education, and certification to prepare nurses to safely and effectively integrate artificial intelligence into clinical practice.
2026 – Present

Task Force Member

AACN Emerging Technologies in Nursing Task Force
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. The task force shapes how AI, digital health tools, informatics, simulation, and virtual learning environments inform nursing education, research, and practice across academic nursing nationally.
April 2026

Think Tank Participant

ANA Inaugural AI in Nursing Practice Think Tank
American Nurses Association. Contributed to consensus findings on AI risks, accountability, algorithmic bias, and nurse-led guardrails. The resulting consensus report set near-term actions on AI literacy, policy advocacy, and cross-sector collaboration for the 5 million registered nurses ANA represents.
2021 – Present

Expert Panel Member

American Academy of Nursing Primary Care Expert Panel
Active member of the AAN expert panel on primary care, advising on national workforce, policy, and practice issues that shape primary care delivery and the nurse practitioner role.

Industry Advisory

Advisory Boards

July 2026 – Present

Nurse Advisory Board Member

Hippocratic AI
Safety-focused generative AI company building healthcare agents for non-diagnostic patient-facing tasks. The nurse advisory board informs clinical safety, workflow integration, and product direction.
July 2026 – Present

Advisory Board Member

NurseVetted
Independent, nurse-led standard for evaluating AI tools in healthcare. The advisory board provides strategic guidance on framework, platform strategy, and industry positioning.
2026 – Present

Clinical Advisor

Altitude
AI platform that strengthens the clinical decision-making and training of nurse practitioners in primary care. Featured in STAT News in October 2025 with a $5.4M seed round led by Lerer Hippeau.

Affiliations

Professional Memberships

American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)

American Nurses Association (ANA)

American Organization of Nurse Leaders (AONL)

American Society of Association Executives (ASAE)

National Academies of Practice (FNAP)

Nurse Practitioner Association New York State (The NPA)

DNPs of Color

Journals

Editorial Leadership

2015 – Present

Editor-in-Chief

Journal of Doctoral Nursing Practice (formerly Clinical Scholars Review)
Indexed in PubMed, Emerging Sources Citation Index (Web of Science), Ovid, and Scopus. Articles cited in Nursing Outlook, Journal of Professional Nursing, Nurse Educator, and Issues in Mental Health Nursing.
2012 – 2022

Editor-in-Chief

Journal of the Nurse Practitioner Association New York State
Official quarterly publication with a circulation of 3,800 per issue.

Academic Training

Education

2012–2013

Certificate, Health Information Technology for Clinician Leaders

The George Washington University, Washington, DC
2009–2011

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Pace University, New York, NY
1999–2000

Master of Science (MS), Family Nurse Practitioner

Pace University, Pleasantville, NY
1998–1999

Bachelor of Science (BS), Nursing

Pace University, Pleasantville, NY
1992–1996

Bachelor of Science (BS), Biology

Pace University, Pleasantville, NY

Funded Research

Grants & Funding

$1,000,000

Advanced Nursing Education, NP Residency Integration Program (ANE-NPRIP)

Principal Investigator • HRSA • September 2020 – April 2026
Community Healthcare Network, New York City
$1,159,201

Collaborative Access for LGBT Adults (CALA Program)

Principal Investigator • HRSA • July 2017 – September 2020
Integrated behavioral health services at ColumbiaDoctors NP Group with interprofessional team
$500,000

Advanced Nursing Education, NP Residency (ANE-NPR), T14HP33198

Principal Investigator • HRSA • July 2019 – April 2026
Partnership with Bassett Healthcare Network

Total funding as Principal Investigator: $2,659,201

Scholarship

Selected Publications

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

2026 Martinez-Hollingsworth, A., Lee, T., Bravo, L., de la Rocha, M., Kondo, M., Plass, P., Ferrara, S., Nakagawa, K., Inzunza, Z., Scherer, M., & Talamantes, E. From data extraction to collaboration: Building equitable artificial intelligence partnerships in community health. Health Affairs Forefront. July 8, 2026.
Health Affairs ↗
2026 Ferrara, S. A., & Topaz, M. Artificial intelligence in pediatric practice: Controversies, policy, and practical pointers for nurse practitioners. Journal of Pediatric Health Care.
PubMed ↗
2025 Reading Turchioe, M., Pepingco, C., Ronquillo, C., Ferrara, S. A., Topaz, M., Austin, R., & Lytle, K. Education, empowerment, and elevating nursing voices: Nursing informatics leaders' perspectives on the path forward with artificial intelligence in nursing. Nursing Outlook, 73, 102484.
PubMed ↗
2025 Ferrara, S. A. Loretta Ford: A "Guiding Light" for Nursing Education and Practice. American Journal of Nursing, 125(5), 9.
Journal ↗
2024 D'Avanzo, P., Shourya, S., Brin, M., et al. Identifying key factors to PrEP initiation and persistence among YMSM. AIDS Education and Prevention, 36(1), 33–47.
PubMed Central ↗
2023 Martsolf, G., Kandrack, R., Ferrara, S. A., & Poghosyan, L. The impact of the New York Nurse Practitioner Modernization Act on employment of nurse practitioners in primary care. Inquiry, 60, 469580231171333.
PubMed ↗
2023 Naqvi, I. A., Strobino, K., Li, H., et al. Improving patient-reported outcomes in stroke care using remote blood pressure monitoring and telehealth. Applied Clinical Informatics, 14(5), 883–891.
PubMed ↗
2022 Naqvi, I. A., Strobino, K., et al. Telehealth After Stroke Care pilot randomized trial of home blood pressure telemonitoring in an underserved setting. Stroke, 53(12), 3538–3547.
PubMed ↗
2021 O'Donnell, M. R., Grinsztejn, B., Cummings, M. J., et al. A randomized double-blind controlled trial of convalescent plasma in adults with severe COVID-19. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 131(13).
PubMed ↗
2021 Weisberg, S. P., Connors, T. J., Zhu, Y., Baldwin, M. R., et al. Distinct antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 in children and adults across the COVID-19 clinical spectrum. Nature Immunology, 22(1), 25–30.
PubMed ↗
2021 Ferrara, S. A. Now, More Than Ever, Let's Listen To and Support Our Nurses. Health Affairs Blog.
2015 Ferrara, S. A., & Burke, R. E. Latent tuberculosis infection and treatment in a healthcare worker. The Nurse Practitioner, 40(7), 10–15.
Journal ↗

Book Chapters

2014 Cumulative Trauma Disorder; Low Back Pain. In Primary Care (2nd ed.), pp. 618–636, 650–655. Springer.
2010 Eliminating Cost Barriers for Patients and NP Practices. In Public Health Nursing: Practicing Population-Based Care, p. 351. Jones & Bartlett.

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Let’s Connect

Whether you are interested in speaking engagements, academic collaborations, media inquiries, or AI + Nurse Academy, I welcome the conversation.

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