Partnership, Philanthropy and Nursing Leadership Advance Community Health
Published on 10/04/2026
Bob Glick; Ronald Hickman, PhD, RN, ACNP-BC, FNAP, FADLN, FAAN, Dean and Ruth M. Anderson Endowed Professor, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University; JoAnn Glick, MSN; Eric W. Kaler, President and Morton L. Mandel Presidential Chair, Case Western Reserve University; Christine Alexander-Rager, MD, CEO and President, The MetroHealth System; and Candace Mori, PhD, RN, APRN, ACNS-BC, NEA-BC, ONC, System Chief Nursing and Patient Care Services Officer, The MetroHealth System and the JoAnn Zlotnick Glick Professor in Community Health Nursing.
The generosity of JoAnn and Bob Glick, combined with a unique partnership between The MetroHealth System and Case Western Reserve University's Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, is helping to advance nursing education, research and community health across Northeast Ohio through the JoAnn Zlotnick Glick
Professorship in Community Health Nursing.
On September 29, leaders from MetroHealth and Case Western Reserve University gathered at Harcourt House to install Candace Mori, PhD, RN, APRN, ACNS-BC, NEA-BC, ONC, as chair of the professorship, recognizing her leadership and the professorship's role in advancing nursing education, research and community health.
As the first professorship of its kind associated with a public safety-net health system, the position strengthens the connection between nursing education, clinical practice, research and community health while fostering collaboration between MetroHealth and Case Western Reserve University.
“We understand that health is influenced by far more than what happens during a medical appointment. Housing, education, transportation, nutrition, safety and opportunity all play important roles in determining health outcomes,” said Christine Alexander-Rager, MD, President and CEO of The MetroHealth System.
“The professorship brings nursing education, scholarship, leadership and research directly into an environment where community health challenges are understood firsthand every single day.”
As MetroHealth's Chief Nursing and Patient Care Services Officer, Dr. Mori leads professional nursing practice across the health system while helping to bridge academic learning and clinical care through the professorship.
"One of the things that makes Dr. Mori such an ideal holder of this professorship is her commitment to research, innovation and systems change," said JoAnn Glick, who, with her husband, Bob, endowed the professorship. "She brings the realities of today's healthcare environment into the educational experience, helping students understand not only how care is delivered, but how it can be improved."
Throughout the program, speakers highlighted the power of the MetroHealth and Case Western Reserve University partnership to prepare future nursing leaders, expand community-based learning opportunities and accelerate research that improves patient
care.
"What makes this partnership especially powerful is the opportunity it creates for nurses, students, faculty, health system leaders and university leaders to learn from one another and work together to improve the health of our communities," Dr. Alexander said. "When you combine the academic excellence of the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, the community-centered mission of MetroHealth, and the generosity and vision of JoAnn and Bob Glick, extraordinary things can happen."
Dr. Mori shared her vision for expanding collaboration between the two institutions, including strengthening nursing research and creating innovative clinical education experiences.
"Imagine nurse scientists working across both organizations to study questions that originate at the bedside, design and implement evidence-based solutions, and rapidly translate research into better patient care," Dr. Mori said. "That's where academic knowledge and clinical practice become truly inseparable."
The event also celebrated the impact of philanthropy in advancing patient care, education and innovation.
"Endowed professorships allow institutions to invest in talented leaders whose work influences patient care, education, research and innovation far into the future," said Dr. Alexander. "They create opportunities to explore new ideas, strengthen partnerships and develop the next generation of healthcare professionals."
To support the JoAnn Zlotnick Glick Endowed Fund in Community Health Nursing, please contact Kate Brown, President of The MetroHealth Foundation and Chief Development Officer at The MetroHealth System, at 440-592-1401 or kbrown@metrohealth.org. Or make an online gift at www.metrohealth.org/donate.