To say Juli McGinnis is an exemplary nurse leader is a huge understatement. Juli McGinnis has a Ph.D. in nursing, the Nurse Executive Advanced board certification, and holds a Six Sigma Black Belt, illustrating her as a transformational leader in the nursing profession. 

Juli is a formidable advocate for the Magnet Recognition Program as an effective change agent in elevating nursing practice. Juli’s advocacy includes empowering front-line staff nurses as the most effective way to transform cultures. Shifting from a “top-down” model to a true nurse-driven structure speaks volumes to improve patient outcomes, increase staff accountability, and increase engagement in nursing practice. Juli worked to develop Magnet internal and external resource toolkits to support the Kaiser Permanente (KP) SCAL and Hawaii Medical Centers (SCAL/HI) in establishing nursing-shared governance structures.

For more than a decade, Juli’s vision, passion, support, and tireless work to align best practices within KP SCAL/HI nursing has paid off. Her advocacy, support, and partnership contributed to 9 Magnet-designated Medical Centers in the SCAL/HI region, in addition to 2 hospital re-designations and several upcoming applications. 
Juli’s transformational leadership extends beyond developing frontline nurses to all nursing leaders. Beginning in 2015, Juli has spearheaded several comprehensive nursing leadership development programs, graduating north of 100 nurse directors and managers across the KP SCAL/HI region. The programs focused on business strategies, HR and human relations, performance improvement, nursing innovation, and technology, culminating in executive presentations by all graduates to senior leaders. The presentations demonstrated their application of knowledge in their various settings. Approximately 22% of program graduates received job promotions within 12 months of program completion. The program’s successes elucidate her beliefs, “We get what we pay attention to,” focusing on the principle of succession planning in the Kaiser Permanente SCAL/HI region.

Juli is the epitome of a life-long learner. As a consummate scholar, Juli obtained her Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing from Azusa Pacific University. Additionally, she has published her work in the Journal of Nursing Care Quality entitled “Associations and Predictive Pathways Between Shared Governance, Autonomy, Magnet Status, Nurse-Sensitive Indicators, and Nurse Satisfaction A Multisite Study.” Juli is the primary author of a pending article submission highlighting the KP SCAL/HI regional transformational approach to achieving Magnet designation utilizing high-reliability organization implementation strategies. 

Juli has presented and co-presented numerous posters and podium presentations across the United States, highlighting her great work. The presentations occurred at such events as the KP National Quality Conference, AONE Conference, ACNL, and NLN Conference to name a few. A few of her presentations include “Building a Culture of Excellence,” “Innovating Delivery Models to Sustain the Total Force,” and “Nurse Knowledge Exchange Plus: Human-Centered Implementation for Spread and Sustainability.” Juli is involved in multiple professional organizations and has been previously recognized internally and externally by multiple entities. Due to the enormity of her life’s work, she has received numerous awards, including the Association of California Nurse Leaders (ACNL) Nursing Excellence in Clinical Practice, the KP Quality Professional Fellowship – IHI Fellows Award, AVATAR “Blue Sail Innovation Award” for NKEplus “shift hand-off,” Kaiser Permanente National Nursing Excellence Pin Award for Professionalism & Excellence, and the Kaiser Permanente SCAL Region Patient Care Services Workplace Warrior Award.

Juli advocates for the improvement of patient care delivery through collaboration in establishing the KP SCAL/HI regional Shared Decision-Making Council, her volunteerism to work on the frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic, and her partnership with the regional Patient Advisory Council. She identified the opportunity to reinvigorate the Shared Decision-Making Council in the SCAL/HI regional setting. The council launch and sustainability have shown to be a huge success. Clinical bedside nurses from each regional Medical Center join nurse leaders, educators, and labor union representatives to collaborate on strategies to elevate nursing practice. The Council empowers frontline nurses to challenge the status quo and transform their nursing culture through research, committee involvement, participation in peer feedback, and peer education. 

Juli’s Kaiser Permanente legacy will continue to live on through her landmark works, building structures, and processes foundational to nursing at all levels.  As a director, Juli has exhibited exemplary characteristics as she developed each team member. To her team, she is a mentor, a guide, and a friend, leading with compassion, empathy, and patience. She has nurtured transformational leadership in each of us. Her team is committed to fostering the culture of nursing excellence that she promoted during her tenure at Kaiser Permanente. We are honored to recognize her with the DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award.