At the LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Nursing, leadership isn’t limited to clinical care or academia. It extends to the highest levels of organizational decision-making, where nurse leaders bring heart, humanity and strategy to every boardroom table. For Renée Zimmerman, RN, MBA, MSN, Vice President of Clinical Services, Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System; Jamie Wiggins, PhD, MBA, RN, FACHE, FAAN, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Arkansas Children’s; and Lindsey Casey, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, Manning Family Children’s, leadership isn’t just about titles. It’s about service, influence and an unwavering commitment to better care.
These School of Nursing alumni are now guiding major health systems through complexity and transformation. Their stories reveal how a strong nursing foundation, shaped by the School of Nursing’s mission of excellence in education, practice, research and public service, prepared them to lead with authenticity, resilience and vision.
Making Impacts – Bedside to Systemwide
When Zimmerman first stepped into the LSUHSC-NO School of Nursing, she wasn’t dreaming of the C-suite.
“I was so bright-eyed and fresh,” she says. “I knew I wanted to be a nurse. I thought maybe one day I’d be a charge nurse or help with policies. Formal leadership wasn’t on my radar.”
A few years into her nursing career, her mindset began to shift. She discovered that every step of her journey was laying the groundwork for something bigger. Her passion for teamwork, policy development and improvement led her naturally to broader leadership opportunities.
Zimmerman credits her leadership course during her final semester at the School of Nursing as a major turning point.
“That class gave me a foundation that I still draw on today. It didn’t just teach leadership as a skill; it taught it as a professional responsibility,” she says.
She also absorbed the school’s values deeply.
“The emphasis on patient-centered care and collaboration has stayed with me. Even now, every decision I make comes back to the patient. That’s what I learned at the LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Nursing.”
After relocating to Baton Rouge post-Katrina, she joined Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System in 2009.
“From the beginning, their mission resonated with me. We care for each other, and we see it as a privilege to care for our community,” Zimmerman says.
Now, as Vice President of Clinical Services, Zimmerman influences care across populations. Having always wanted to help as many people as possible, this role lets her rise to the challenge every day.
“Nursing leaders bring a patient-centered perspective to the C-suite. We help balance business decisions with what truly matters: improving care, access and outcomes,” she says.
Building Bridges From the Bedside to the Boardroom
Dr. Wiggins also didn’t set out to become an executive. He started as a pediatric ICU nurse, drawn by a love for science, problem-solving and people.
“My mom was a nurse, so that influenced me,” he says. “But I saw myself pursuing advanced clinical roles. It wasn’t until a nurse executive asked me to manage a critical care database that I discovered leadership.”
Dr. Wiggins’ success in that project sparked a trajectory that would take him from bedside clinician to Chief Operating Officer of a major pediatric health system.
He came to the School of Nursing to pursue his PhD while serving in leadership roles at Children’s Hospital New Orleans.
“I was named CNO there after my first semester,” he says. “The school’s flexibility and support were game changers. Dean Porche, Dr. Denise Danna and others became not just professors, but mentors and colleagues.”
Dr. Wiggins has helped launch transformative programs.
“With LCMC Health and LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, we started the only in-state Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Acute and Primary Care programs. We built a model of academic partnership that still shapes how I lead today.”
At Arkansas Children’s, his mission is clear: championing kids and their families.
“Every leadership step I’ve taken has expanded my ability to influence care,” he says. “And I still use the principles I learned at the School of Nursing. Their openness to new ideas, their encouragement to lead boldly – that changed me. Leadership isn’t a title. It’s a commitment to show up, grow and make an impact. Every nurse has something to offer at the leadership table.”
Leading With Grit and Grace
Casey didn’t begin college knowing she’d become a nurse, but she did know she wanted to work with kids.
“Children have always brought me joy,” she says. “When I discovered nursing, it just felt right.”
She was accepted into the LSUHSC-NO School of Nursing and poured her energy into learning. Her drive and dedication earned her the honor of graduating as the valedictorian. The leadership spark came a little later.
“Five years into bedside nursing in the pediatric intensive care unit, I stepped into a Unit Director role. That’s when I really found my voice,” she says.
Looking back, Casey realizes the signs were always there. “Even early on, I was drawn to charge nurse roles and improvement projects,” she says. “The School of Nursing gave me the foundation to walk into high-acuity care settings with competence and confidence.”
Her leadership journey at Manning Family Children’s unfolded step by step, as she moved from Unit Director to Senior Director of Critical Care to AVP of Hospital Operations and eventually to Chief Nursing Officer.
“It wasn’t part of a master plan,” Casey says. “I just focused on doing a great job wherever I was, and doors opened.”
She stepped into the CNO role at a challenging time.
“Post-pandemic, nursing shortages were at their peak. But I believed in the team and the mission. I knew the road would be tough, but I raised my hand because I love this place,” she says.
Casey also draws strength from her family and from moments that remind her why the work matters.
“In 2021, I was at a baseball game with my kids when a player was struck in the eye by a pitch. He collapsed, and the ambulance took him to our hospital. I remember thinking, ‘No matter how hard it gets, this is why we do what we do,’” she says. “My children and the kids in our community are my why. I work hard every day, so they have access to the best care possible.”
Scaling Compassion: The Nurse’s Role in Leading Health Systems
These three alumni prove that nurse leaders belong in every room where decisions are made. From policy to patient care, from mentorship to metrics, they embody the School of Nursing’s vision of improving global health through leadership and service.
Their stories reflect not just personal achievement, but a legacy of care that begins in classrooms and continues into every boardroom. At LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Nursing, nurse leadership isn’t an aspiration. It’s an expectation – and a promise.
