Christiana Care names Richard Cuming chief nurse executive

Richard G. Cuming, Ed.D., MSN, RN, NEA-BC, has been named Chief Nurse Executive at Christiana Care Health System. He begins on August 1. A highly experienced and nationally respected nurse leader, Cuming joins Christiana Care from the Philadelphia-based Einstein Healthcare Network where he served as chief nurse executive and vice president for Health Care Services.
At Einstein, Cuming oversaw the operations and strategic direction of nursing services, perioperative and emergency services at Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia, Einstein Medical Center Elkins Park, MossRehab, Einstein Center One and Willowcrest, a skilled nursing center. He collaborated on nursing practice and standards for Einstein physicians.
“We are thrilled to welcome Ric Cuming as the first Chief Nurse Executive at Christiana Care,” said Janice E. Nevin, M.D., MPH, president and chief executive officer. “Ric is a transformational leader who will build on the nursing excellence that has earned Christiana Care two Magnet designations, many other nursing honors and recognitions and accolades from our patients and families. Ric’s leadership will support our goals of optimal health, exceptional experience and organizational vitality in service to our community.”
In an era of great change in health care, nurses are “essential partners in both strategy and operations,” said Dr. Nevin. “Reporting directly to me, Ric will lead our extraordinary nursing staff in setting strategic imperatives and guiding change to ensure evidence-based care is translated into daily nursing practices through the health system to best serve our patients and families.”
Prior to joining Einstein in 2014, Cuming served as a nursing executive for operations management in the Performance Management and Innovation Department at Tenet Healthcare Corporation. He also served as senior vice president and chief nursing executive at the Jackson Health System in Miami.
This fall, Cuming will be inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. AAN Fellows are the most accomplished leaders in nursing education, management, practice and research.
“I am honored to be joining this exceptional team of nurses to further their track record of excellence in Delaware and in the nation,” said Cuming. “I look forward to partnering with the extraordinary nurses at Christiana Care to further elevate our profession in service to our patients, their families and the community we will all share.”
Cuming is board-certified as an Advanced Nurse Executive by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. He sits on the editorial board of the AORN Journal of the Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses, where he served on the national board of directors, and is a member of several professional organizations including the American Nurses Association and the American Organization of Nurse Executives.
Cuming is a 2015 alumnus of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Executive Nurse Fellowship Program. He earned his diploma of collegial studies in nursing at John Abbott College in Montreal, his bachelor of science in nursing from the University of Ottawa, his master of science in nursing at the University of Miami and his doctorate in adult education and human resource development with a minor in advanced nursing administration from Florida International University.
He presents and publishes on nurse empowerment, nurse leadership and evidence-based nursing practice.