Co-Founder of the Institute for Interactive Patient Care to Join Board of Largest Nurse Credentialing Body

SILVER SPRING, MD--(Marketwire - Jun 21, 2011) - David W. Wright, of Lorton, VA, the co-founder and president of a nonprofit organization focused on engaging patients in their own care through technology, has been appointed to a two-year term on the board of directors of the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the world's largest nurse credentialing organization.

ANCC, which certifies nurses in dozens of specialty health care areas, such as cardiac rehabilitation or gerontological nursing, is a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association (ANA), the nation's largest professional nurses organization. ANCC recognizes health care organizations for promoting safe, positive work environments through the Magnet Recognition Program^®, Pathway to Excellence^®, and Pathway to Excellence in Long Term Care^™ Programs, and accredits providers of continuing nursing education.

Wright co-founded the Bethesda, MD-based Institute for Interactive Patient Care, which aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of patient and family engagement in improving health outcomes, primarily through technology used by both clinicians and patients. Wright is also Chief Outcomes Officer of the GetWellNetwork, a health care technology company working to optimize the use of technology in hospitals to improve patient care. He previously served as a vice president in marketing and business development at Inova Health System and Alexandria Hospital.

On July 1, Wright begins his term on the 10-member ANCC board that sets goals, policies and long-range plans for the credentialing organization.

The ANA is the only full-service professional organization representing the interests of the nation's 3.1 million registered nurses through its constituent and state nurses associations and its organizational affiliates. The ANA advances the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the rights of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Congress and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.

The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), a subsidiary of ANA, offers credentialing programs for organizations and individuals who demonstrate quality and practice excellence. ANCC's internationally renowned credentialing programs certify nurses in specialty practice areas, recognize healthcare organizations for nursing excellence through the Magnet Recognition Program® and the Pathway to Excellence® Program, and accredit providers of continuing nursing education. In addition, ANCC's Institute for Credentialing Innovation® offers an array of informational and educational services and products to support its core credentialing programs.