Merit Health River Region to Welcome New Chief Nursing Officer

12/27/2022

Vicksburg, MS – We are happy to announce that Laurie Morrow Neely, MSN, APRN, NP-C, will be the new chief nursing officer (CNO) at Merit Health River Region. She will be joining us officially on January 2, 2023.

Laurie is coming to us from Palm Beach, FL, where she serves as the CNO of HCA Florida JFK North Hospital. She has more than 20 years of experience in nursing and brings to us proven leadership in hospital and nursing operations.

Her recent accomplishments at HCA Florida JFK North Hospital include reducing nursing turnover by 15%, recruiting 75 new nurses to the hospital, and implementing the DAISY award to recognize nursing colleagues. She has also spearheaded the efforts in meeting or exceeded quality metrics.

Laurie is a native Mississippian from the Jackson area. She received her Bachelor of Science in nursing from the University of Southern Mississippi, and her Master’s of Science in nursing from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale-Davie, FL. She also holds a Post-Master’s Certification as an adult-gerontology registered nurse practitioner.

We are thrilled to have Laurie on our team and know she will be a great asset to our hospital and community.

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