Cody Legler, DNP ‘14, is a proud SON alumni and chair of the SON Dean’s Advisory Council. He discusses his current professional role as a Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, as well as his career journey and the importance of his GW network.
“GW provided me access to a network of incredible GW School of Nursing faculty and transformation leaders, as well as access to a network of Nurse Leaders in my cohort from across the world in diverse roles with various ranges of experience.”
Cody Legler
DNP ‘14
Where did you grow up and how has your background influenced you today?
I grew up in the Milwaukee, WI area. My background of being exposed to healthcare inequities and access challenges in both inner-city and rural areas in Wisconsin provided me with a broad view and understanding of the complexities and opportunities in health care today.
Tell us about your current professional role and how it excites you.
In my current role as the Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer for Maimonides Health, I am responsible for overseeing the strategic, operational, and clinical success of nursing across the system. My role excites me because of the team I work with and the endless opportunities to advocate for nursing and advance the profession.
What accomplishment are you most proud of personally or professionally and why?
The impact of achieving the Pathway to Excellence designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) with my previous nursing team at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital. I served as Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer in the heat of the pandemic, in a complex community hospital located in a community with significant access to care challenges and social determinants of health challenges.
The Pathway to Excellence Program recognizes health care organizations with a commitment to establishing a healthy workplace foundation. Achieving the international recognition of that designation was so deserved by our incredibly talented nursing team, who provide incredible patient care each and every day. This recognition acknowledged the opportunity for our teams to excel through professional development opportunities, be recognized for their hard work, and work in a healthy environment.
Was there a standout course, professor, or organization from your time as a student that inspired your career path?
The founding Dean of the School of Nursing, Dr. Jean Johnson, was incredibly influential and transformational in broader academic nursing leadership while I was in my program. She is inspiring and always keeps the student and patient at the center of her vision and work.
What is your only-at-GW moment? In other words, what is an experience/opportunity you believe GW provided you access to?
GW provided me access to a network of incredible GW School of Nursing faculty and transformation leaders, as well as access to a network of Nurse Leaders in my cohort from across the world in diverse roles with various ranges of experience. The relationship I was able to cultivate through my GW network (for well over a decade now) with Dr. Mary-Michael Brown, a fellow DNP alumni, member of the Dean’s Advisory Council, GW adjunct faculty, and now retired MedStar Health colleague, was nothing short of extraordinary. She is a nurse, leader, and role model in the academic and practice space. She invited me to a GW networking event in 2019 with former Dean Jeffries, and it was through that experience that I was able to become a member of the GW SON Dean’s Advisory Council.
What is a piece of advice you would offer to students seeking to pursue your field of work?
Identify a mentor, more than one, all of which are in different phases of their career.
How do you give back to the GW community?
I have been a previous adjunct faculty member and am now the Chair of the Dean of Nursing’s Advisory Board. I also make annual philanthropic donations.
What is a fun fact about you that you'd like to share?
I am currently working with an incredible group of nursing faculty members, expert clinicians and leaders, in a founders working group, launching a new national professional nursing association.