Health Policy Newsletter

Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Health Policy Committee Newsletter, your dedicated source for the latest updates, insights, and actions in health policy impacting nurses and healthcare delivery across California.

The Health Policy Committee is dedicated to shaping health policy through education and the dissemination of information to influence legislation affecting nursing and healthcare. Guided by a clear purpose and collaborative structure, the committee comprises a Chairperson, Co-Chair, Board Liaison, Secretary, and committed members. Together, we work to provide expert advice and actionable recommendations on health policy matters to the ACNL Board and our members.

We aim to keep you informed on key policy developments, share in-depth analyses of emerging issues, and offer opportunities to engage in shaping the future of healthcare. Our goal is to empower nurse leaders with the knowledge and tools necessary to drive meaningful change in our communities and beyond.

We are excited to embark on this journey with you, united by a shared vision for a stronger, more equitable healthcare system. Thank you for joining us in advancing nursing leadership in health policy.

The Health Policy Committee Members:

Mary Lynne Knighten, Chair

Surani Hayre Kwan, Co-Chair

Nicholas Breeland, Board Liaison

Mojgan Bashiri, PolicyEngage Coordinator

Carolyn Bogard

Jessica Cheverie

Karen Descent

Bri DuBose

Joyce Eden

Ijah Egwuonwu

Susan Engle

Angela Flowers

Steve Garcia

Beverly Holland

Polly King

Dahlia Maldonado, Secretary

Alice Martanegara

Kailin McGowan

Diane Morey

Denise Robinson

Anjeleena Singh

Anne Marie Watkins

Carina Menjivar

Shiloh Williams

Kimberly Long

Sheree Lowe, CHA Liaison

*** Newsletter produced by Dr. Mary Lynne Knighten and Vanessa Kerr ***

Each year, the committee collaboratively creates goals to guide work throughout the year. Our goals are aligned with the ACNL Strategic Plan and help ensure we produce actionable outcomes. The 2025 goals are:

1. Launch the C. Duane Donner Health Policy and Advocacy for Nurse Leaders Certificate Program
2. Implement formal new member orientation and engagement process
3. Create education process for ACNL members on PolicyEngage Tracker (ACNL website)
4. Health Policy Newsletter twice/year
5. Faculty compensation initiative
6. Continue subcommittee infrastructure/work
7. Engage HP members as liaisons to report at Chapter meetings
8. Offer quarterly podcasts

Dr. Mary Lynne Knighten is a board certified nurse executive with 38+ years of progressive management experience in leading patient care operations, developing staff, building clinical programs, improving patient satisfaction and quality outcomes, mitigating cost inefficiencies, controlling budgets, ensuring regulatory compliance, educating, conducting research, and negotiating contracts for major medical centers and teaching hospitals and has educated in RN-to-BSN and DNP students at private faith-based Universities.

Dr. Knighten is a recognized expert, international speaker, and published author in the area of leadership, palliative care, patient-and family-centered care, patient/family engagement, health policy, and faith community nursing. Health Policy publications include:

Knighten, M. L., Bivona-Tellez, C., Dower, C., Hayre-Kwan, S., Montgomery, M., Morey. D., Okoh, G., & White. J. (2021, January 7). Charting a new course: Developing advocacy skills in California's nurse leaders. AONL Voice of Nursing Leadership.

Knighten, M. L. & Goldfarb, S. A. (2024, September).How nurses can impact social determinants of health and health outcomes by voting. ACNL DEI Newsletter.https://secure.smore.com/n/2wzxg-september-dei-newsletter?ref=email(o

Dr. Knighten earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice in 2012 from the University of San Francisco’s Executive Leadership program. Her expertise in patient- and family-centered care (PFCC) has resulted in sustainable PFCC practices, policies, and programs, including creating Patient Family Faculty roles for interprofessional education, engaging Patient Family Advisor roles to partner with organizational leaders for co-design, and sustaining robust Patient Family Advisory Council activity. She regularly consults with organizations regarding PFCC.

Dr. Knighten currently is Associate Professor in the Doctoral Programs, DNP Program Director, and DNP Residency Coordinator at Azusa Pacific University. She has served in consulting roles as Project Director for the HealthImpact Perioperative Specialty Nurse Training Project and at California State University, Northridge in the Department of Health Sciences, Health Administration Program, and is a leadership consultant for ANA Enterprises, the Children’s Hospital Association of Kansas, and various hospitals, health systems, and community-based agencies. She is a frequently invited guest lecturer at UCLA, CSUN and Cal State LA for the last 19 years. She has served as an Advisor, mentor and committee member for DNP students at six universities. She has been a member of ACNL since 2011 and has chaired the Health Policy committee since 2019. Under her leadership the Health Policy Committee was awarded the first Team DAISY Award for Nurse Leaders.

Dr. Surani Hayre-Kwan is an experienced healthcare executive skilled in operations, interprofessional practice, clinical education, and quality improvements. She is an expert in nurse and Advanced Practice Clinician professional practice and has 32 years of experience in ambulatory, acute, and academic settings.

Dr. Hayre-Kwan has practiced as a Family Nurse Practitioner for 23 years at the Russian River Health Clinic in Guerneville, CA. She is an adjunct associate professor for the Department of Nursing at Samuel Merritt University.

Dr. Hayre-Kwan has a 25-year history with the California Association for Nurse Practitioners, serving in board positions for over 18 years at the state and local levels as president, president-elect, conference chair, and the health policy and practice committee. She served a term as the Northern California representative for the national NP organization, the American Association for Nurse Practitioners. She has been a member of the Association of California Nurse Leaders for 14 years and serves the organization as the co-chair of the Health Policy Committee.

She completed a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at Samuel Merritt University, a Master of Science in Nursing, a Master of Business Administration, and a Family Nurse Practitioner certificate at Sonoma State University, and she is a nationally certified NP in Family Practice.

Dr. Hayre-Kwan has been recognized as a Fellow in the American Association for Nurse Practitioners and the American College of Health Care Executives.

She is an active board member for several community-based non-profit organizations focused on community health and wellness.

Nicholas Breeland, MSN, RN, NE-BC, is a dedicated advocate for nursing practice and health policy. He has served the ACNL Health Policy Committee for four years, holding roles as secretary, co-chair, and currently, board liaison. Nicholas also represents the San Diego region on the ACNL Board of Directors and in his professional role, works as the Director of Clinical and Ancillary Services at Sharp Coronado Hospital. His passion for addressing critical issues impacting nursing has been ignited by his involvement and mentorship within the ACNL Health Policy Committee.

Mojgan Bashiri, DNP, MHA/MSN, RN is the system Nursing Director in the Office of

Nursing Affairs at LA County Department of Health Services with more than 30 years of

unmatched system-wide experience across nursing, clinical, and operational leadership.

She has held key positions advocating for policies that safeguard patient rights, address

health disparities, and advance innovative care models that drive measurable

improvements in outcomes. Her background spans Perioperative Services, Value

Analysis, Supply Chain, Nursing Informatics, Quality Management, and specialty

care—making her one of the few nursing leaders in DHS with such broad-based

proficiency. She has led strategic initiatives such as the implementation of Nursing

Leadership at Housing for Health’s Pomona site, the Patient Falling Star Program,

Restraint Prevention, Staffing Effectiveness, and Organ Procurement with One Legacy.

She is well-versed in policy development, regulatory interpretation, and staffing plans.

In her current role, Mojgan oversees system-wide nursing recruitment, retention and

recognition, nursing affiliate agreements, nurse-sensitive indicators, nursing leadership

in the EDIA Committee, and system-wide professional development focused on

competencies and qualifications.

Her passion for patient care improvement, combined with a data-driven mindset and a

strong foundation in quality and performance, naturally led her to health policy and

advocacy. She believes that involvement in policy development is not only a leadership

responsibility—it is a strategic imperative. “Nurses are the largest segment of the

healthcare workforce, and those in executive roles bring a valuable, practice-grounded

perspective that is often underrepresented in policymaking circles.”

Mojgan is a firm believer that nurses must be at the forefront of translating real-world

insights into scalable, evidence-based solutions. Her active involvement in the Health

Policy Committee of ACNL has deepened her understanding of the policymaking

process and amplified her commitment to advocacy. She played a key role in selecting

and implementing ACNL’s Policy Tracker, a vital tool that informs members and

supports collective nursing advocacy. She continues to manage the Tracker and

ensures it remains accessible and relevant for all members. “When policy is shaped

through the lens of nursing—guided by data and grounded in quality outcomes—it not

only enhances patient care but fortifies the very systems that sustain it”

Dahlia Maldonado, BSN, RN, MEDSURG-BC, has served as Secretary of the ACNL Health Policy Committee for the past year and currently represents California as a National Health Policy Fellow with the American Nurses Advocacy Institute.

Previously, Dahlia was an Advocacy Institute Fellow with the American Nurses Association\California, where she played a key role in developing a guide designed to engage nurses in advocacy. She is also an active member of the Nurse Leaders in Advocacy program within the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL), a national network of ambassadors working to advance federal healthcare policies.

In addition, Dahlia serves on the Policy and Advocacy Committee for the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, where she advocates for policies addressing healthcare issues affecting the Hispanic community. Her commitment to shaping healthcare policy continues to drive her efforts in advancing nursing advocacy at both the state and national level.

Email: info@acnl.org
Website: https://www.acnl.org/
Location: 180 Promenade Circle suite 300, Sacramento, CA 95834, USA
Phone: 916-779-6949