Gay L. Landstrom

Gay L. Landstrom, Ph.D., RN, NEA-BC, FAONL, FAAN, FACHE, PCC, serves as Assistant Dean, Chief Nurse Administrator, and Professor of Nursing in Cornerstone University’s School of Health, Science & Technology. A nationally recognized nursing leader, researcher, and pioneer in health care innovation, she has spent her career advancing nursing leadership, technology-enabled care, and new models of care delivery. At Cornerstone, she is applying that pioneering vision to prepare a new generation of nurses for a health care profession being reshaped by innovation, emerging technologies, and evolving models of care.

Dr. Landstrom holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Nursing from the University of Michigan and a Master of Science in Nursing Administration from the University of Illinois Chicago. Combining scholarly expertise with executive leadership experience, Dr. Landstrom has held executive leadership positions with some of the nation’s largest health care organizations, including Trinity Health, Ascension, and Dartmouth Health. As Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer for Trinity Health, she provided leadership for nursing practice across 101 hospitals, continuing care, hundreds of ambulatory clinics, and approximately 33,000 registered nurses. Her work has influenced workforce development, patient safety, health care quality, leadership development, virtual nursing, and innovative care delivery models that continue to shape the profession nationwide.

Highlights of her leadership include:

• Designing and launching an enterprise-wide virtual nursing model and virtual safety attendant program serving patients across a national health system.
• Developing innovative care delivery models that integrate virtual and bedside nursing and have been deployed across thousands of hospital beds.
• Building leadership pipelines, mentoring programs, and workforce development strategies that prepare nurses and nurse executives for long-term success.
• Leading the development of graduate nursing education pathways, nursing research fellowships, and academic-health system partnerships.
• Publishing and presenting nationally on virtual care, emerging models of care delivery, health care transformation, patient safety, staffing, leadership development, and the future of nursing practice.
• Delivering invited keynote presentations on topics including virtual nursing, health care innovation, care delivery transformation, and the evolving role of nursing leadership.

At Cornerstone, Dr. Landstrom is helping expand health care partnerships and prepare graduates for a profession being transformed by innovation, emerging technologies, and new models of care. Students gain exposure to the leadership practices, clinical innovations, and health care trends shaping the future of nursing.

Equally essential, she helps students understand how a Christ-centered view of humanity informs patient care, ethical decision-making, leadership, and service. Grounded in the conviction that every person is uniquely created in the image of God, she encourages future nurses to combine clinical excellence with compassionate care as they serve individuals, families, and communities.

Community Service

Dr. Landstrom has served extensively in professional, nonprofit, educational, and health care leadership roles. Her service includes appointments to state, national, and health care system boards, advisory councils, and research initiatives. Notable service includes the State of Michigan Certificate of Need Commission, Institute for Innovation Executive Council, Hallmark Health Care Solutions Executive Board, Trinity Assurance Board of Directors, and multiple nursing workforce and patient safety initiatives. She has also served as a guest lecturer for the University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania, and other nursing programs.

Outside of health care, she is an active member of the Holland Symphony Orchestra, where she performs as piccolo and third flute.