SACRAMENTO – Last week Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger replaced six of his seven appointed members to the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) to ensure the board fulfills its mission of protecting patients.

The governor’s appointments secretary, John Cruz, notified the three current gubernatorial appointees whose terms recently expired and Schwarzenegger announced the following six new appointments to the board.

“It is absolutely unacceptable that it takes years to investigate such outrageous allegations of misconduct against licensed health professionals whom the public rely on for their health and wellbeing,” Schwarzenegger said.

Schwarzenegger appointed the following individuals.

 

Ann Boynton, 47, of Sacramento, is currently the managing director at Manatt Health Solutions. Previously she served as undersecretary for the Health and Human Services Agency from 2006 to 2008. In 2005, Boynton served as chief deputy cabinet secretary in the Office of the Governor. She was previously deputy director for external affairs at the Department of Toxic Substances Control from 2004 to 2005. Throughout her career, she has consulted for more than a dozen state government entities including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Consumer Affairs and the Department of Health Services. Boynton is a Democrat.

Judy Corless, R.N., 58, of Corona, has served as clinical nursing director at the Corona Outpatient Surgical Center since April 2009 and previously served as a staff nurse for labor and delivery from 2007 to 2008 and staff nurse in the emergency room from 2001 to 2007 at the Corona Regional Medical Center. Prior to that, she served as executive manager and charge nurse for Joe D. Corless, M.D. from 1979 to 2001 and a staff LVN for Cummins, Kozak and Gilman from 1977 to 1979, the UCI Medical Center from 1971 to 1972 and the Santa Ana Community Hospital from 1970 to 1971. Corless is a Republican.

Jeannine Graves, R.N., 49, of Sacramento, has served as a staff nurse for the Capitol Surgical Associates since 1995. She also serves as a staff nurse for the Mercy San Juan Medical Center, a position she’s held since 1997. Graves is a Republican.

Richard Rice, 60, of Imperial Beach, is retired. He previously served as chair of the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board from 2007 to 2008. Prior to that, Rice served as undersecretary at the Labor and Workforce Development Agency from 2005 to 2006 and served as acting undersecretary and communications director from 2003 to 2005. He previously served as a public information officer for the Division of Occupational Safety and Health within the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) and as deputy director for DIR. Rice is a Republican.

Catherine Todero, Ph.D., R.N., 57, of La Mesa, has served as director and a professor for the school of nursing at San Diego State University since 2006. She previously served as an associate dean for the college of nursing at the University of Nebraska Medical Center from 1989 to 2006. Prior to that, Todero held several academic appointments in the colleges of nursing at the University of Nebraska and Creighton University. She has also served as an administrative director at the Family Health Care Center from 1993 to 1998 and as a staff nurse in the intensive care units for St. Joseph Hospital in Omaha, NE in 1979 and the University of Nebraska Medical Center from 1972 to 1974. She also served as a captain and staff nurse in the U.S. Army Reserve Nurse Corps from 1979 to 1983. Todero is a Republican.

Katherine Ware, R.N., 50, of Davis, has served as a nurse practitioner for vascular and endovascular treatment for the Vascular Center Clinic at the University of California, Davis (UCD) School of Medicine since 2006. She previously served as a nurse practitioner for internal medicine at the Sutter Medical Group in Sacramento from 2005 to 2006. Prior to that, Ware served as a clinical nurse for the UCD School of Medicine from 1992 to 2004 and held the same position at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Diego and then Sacramento from 1987 to 1995. Ware is a Democrat.

These positions do not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem.

The BRN is a state governmental agency established by law to protect the public by regulating the practice of registered nurses. The board is responsible for implementation and enforcement of the Nursing Practice Act: the laws related to nursing education, licensure, practice and discipline. The Nursing Practice Act created a nine-member Board which serves as the BRN decision-making body. Of the nine-member board, seven are appointed by the Governor and two public members are appointed by the legislature.