Baptist is pleased to announce Mary Ellen Sumrall as the system chief nursing executive (CNE) and chief nursing officer (CNO) for Baptist Memphis.
Sumrall has been with Baptist for 34 years, beginning as an emergency department charge nurse at Baptist Golden Triangle, where she would later become director of emergency services and CNO. She also developed the first nurse residency program at Baptist Golden Triangle, and helped lead the hospital to achieve numerous Hospital of the Year awards and Leapfrog Patient Safety “A” ratings on every survey since 2012.
Sumrall served as interim CNE after Susan Ferguson retired in May 2021.
As system CNE, Sumrall will oversee all nursing operations for Baptist. As CNO for Baptist Memphis, she will develop and implement all nursing and related patient care activities for the hospital.
“I am pleased to welcome Mary Ellen as the chief nursing executive for Baptist,” said Jason Little, president and CEO of Baptist Memorial Health Care. “She has consistently done an outstanding job as the nurse leader for Baptist Golden Triangle, which has received national recognition for its quality care. Her commitment to excellence and delivering high-quality, safe care makes her the best candidate to lead our nursing team now and into the future.”
Sumrall earned her nursing degree from the University of Mississippi and her master’s degree in nursing administration from Union University. She is board certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as an advanced nurse executive.
