2026 APNA Annual Awards Recipient Profiles

Chizimuzo (Zim) Okoli, PhD, MPH, MSN, PMHNP-BC, FAAN

Nominated by Lora Peppard, PhD, DNP, PMHNP-BC

For Chizimuzo “Zim” Okoli, psychiatric-mental health (PMH) nursing is about seeing patterns of suffering and actively responding to create positive change. His passionate vision and innovative activism have advanced the scope and impact of PMH nursing through sustained national leadership, scholarship, and an unwavering commitment to service.

Catapulted into the field during his very first nursing school psychiatric-mental health nursing rotation, Zim saw the depth of human need. “I was drawn to the profound suffering people can have when living with mental and behavioral health challenges,” he said. “I decided right on that spot that I was at home in psychiatric nursing.”

Zim’s transformative contributions to PMH nursing span decades of clinical practice, research, education, leadership, and policy. A professor at the University of Kentucky (UKY) College of Nursing, and founder/executive director of the UKY BH WELL (Behavioral Health Wellness Environments for Living and Learning) program, Zim has built a career translating evidence into meaningful change and treatment for people with mental illness.

With a focus on addressing substance use, particularly tobacco use, among psychiatric populations, Zim explains, “Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death among those with mental illness, significantly reducing life expectancy. When individuals stop using tobacco, in addition to the physical health benefits, they also have lower depressive and anxiety symptoms – their mental health improves. It is hard work, but it’s extremely rewarding because I know we’re saving many lives.”

Zim’s research and bold, evidence-based innovations have helped behavioral health systems understand how tobacco use compromises recovery, interferes with medications, and worsens health outcomes. His leadership has expanded access to tobacco treatment for thousands of psychiatric hospital patients, increased clinician confidence, skills and engagement, and driven new community partnerships to shape smoke-free behavioral health facilities. This work is significant. Change like this challenges and disrupts longstanding norms and is more effectively integrating mental and physical health care interventions.

Zim also designs and implements unique wellness interventions for people living with mental health and substance use disorders, including community-based “Quit & Win” tobacco-free initiatives to encourage sustained cessation efforts. He emphasizes that implementation matters. “We often can see and know what works. We shouldn’t forget to actively work to translate those innovations into practice. Ultimately, we want to create impact, sustained impact that changes lives.”

This philosophy also shapes his role as an educator and mentor. Inspired by his mother, also a nurse educator, Zim teaches PhD students, works to create new professional pathways and publication opportunities, and mentors emerging PMH nurses, practitioners, educators, and scientists. He describes mentoring as one of the deepest joys of his work: walking alongside students from early uncertainty through theses, dissertations, graduation, and eventually independent leadership.

People know and experience Zim’s humbleness and heart with each interaction. His approach is consistently patient, relational, and identity-affirming. He works to foster the growth of emerging PMH nurses with generous, genuine support. He remembers a mentor telling him, “No matter what you choose to do, never forget you are a psych nurse.” That message stayed with him, and he now infuses the same kind of grounding into his students. “I’m able to always remind them who they are at their core,” he said.

In APNA, Zim “found his professional home” where he could serve. He stepped forward to serve on and chair the APNA Scholarly Review Committee for a few years , helping to review scientific content submitted for each annual conference. He served as APNA president, where he worked to guide the profession toward his vision of increased access, de-stigmatization, and evidence-based care. As president, Zim advanced IDEAS: inclusivity, diversity, equity, access, and destigmatization, values he describes as “undeniably essential pillars of PMH nursing”.

Zim actively elevates PMH nursing expertise through numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals and by delivering training and presentations all throughout the world. Zim’s recent scholarship as a Fulbright Specialist in Taiwan uniquely focused on migrant mental health and culturally responsive care for individuals, families, and communities.

Across every dimension of his career, Zim returns to a philosophy inspired by Florence Nightingale: when repeated patterns of need appear in society, they serve as a calling for nurses to act. For Zim, those patterns are not abstract. They are patients trying to recover, systems ready for change, students finding their voice, and communities in need of better care.

“When I see the patterns, there is meaning,” he said. “And if there’s meaning, there is purpose. Whatever I do to help address those issues, it’s a life worth living.”

Karen Corcoran, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, CHSE

Nominated by Katy Phillips, PhD, APRN, CHSE

Drawn toward meaningful work with people and purpose, Karen Corcoran’s first career in the business world led her to search for something more. “It was something I could do and was good at, but it never felt like home.” As a PMHNP educator, she now prioritizes infusing the personal into graduate-level psychiatric-mental health nursing.

Karen enrolled in Fairfield University’s second-degree nursing program and began her second career in oncology and end-of-life care. Karen shares that she “found meaning in the 2 AM chats with a family member, or sitting with someone who was dying, or just really scared.” At the same time, she recognized how little space healthcare systems leave for emotional presence and reflection. That realization shaped her doctoral work, her transition into psychiatric-mental health (PMH) nursing, and her leadership in PMH nursing education.

At Fairfield, her alma mater, Karen served as Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies, the PMHNP Program Director, and an Assistant Professor where she worked to integrate a grant-funded wellness curriculum into the PMHNP program.

During the pandemic, Karen prioritized wellness and emotional regulation for both students and practitioners. She worked to create classroom environments where students could process fear, grief, anger, and burnout while continuing their education as frontline nurses. She has since designed innovative curricula that incorporate mindfulness, resilience, self-compassion, and strengths-based practices in order to support clinicians and the patients they serve. “We want there to be a ripple effect, that students would learn these wellness skills, and share them with their families, with their communities, and with their patients,” she explains.

In 2025, Karen transitioned to serve as an Associate Professor of Nursing and Director of the PMHNP Program at the University of Saint Joseph where she focuses on curriculum development in graduate nursing education, specifically related to hybrid learning, competency-based education, simulation, telehealth, and wellness.

To help students move beyond textbook learning into realistic clinical experiences, Karen became a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE) to bring patient simulations and reflective practice into her classroom. “I’m a big believer in the power of having students try things out in a safe way, in real time,” she explains.

Mentorship has always played a central role for Karen, who began her PMHNP career as an APNA Board of Directors Student Scholar due to the support of an important mentor. She also credits serving on the APNA Education Council for helping her develop as an educator and leader. In turn, mentoring students and newer faculty members has become one of Karen’s greatest passions.

“PMH students are very inspiring and so brave. I want to make sure I’m giving them what they deserve in what they’re learning so they are prepared for the rigor of clinical practice.”

For Karen, graduate-level psychiatric nursing education is more than preparing students to prescribe medications or complete clinical tasks. It should include helping future clinicians remain grounded in empathy, purpose, and connection within increasingly demanding healthcare systems. As she explains, “I’m very committed to keeping it a humanistic discipline that remembers the whole person.”

Her personal philosophy is a guide for her work and her decisions: “Who am I? How am I called to serve? I’ve always drawn from that purpose, how am I serving?”

Jennifer Jimenez, DNP, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC

Nominated by Bethany Phoenix, PhD, RN, CNS, FAAN

With a vision to impact as many patients as possible, Jennifer Jimenez has had statewide impact on access to care by developing a professional community to help new PMH nurses to grow fully into their roles.

“I realized I could offer more to the psychiatric- mental health world beyond the patients on my schedule in a day,” she says. “I was always thinking, how can I help more patients? I found I can do that by teaching, encouraging, and empowering more mental health providers.”

This philosophy became the foundation of Jennifer’s leadership. As lead nurse practitioner for behavioral health services across a four-hospital health system, Jennifer oversaw continuing education, mentorship, and scheduling for advanced practice providers, while helping expand consult-liaison psychiatric services and supporting the development of new clinical programs.

During that time, she noticed that newly graduated psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners often enter practice without the structured support that’s available to physicians through residencies and fellowships. This inspired Jennifer to make workforce development a central focus of her doctoral work. When a proposed post-graduate PMHNP fellowship was not funded, she refused to abandon the idea and stepped forward to create the Psychiatric-Mental Health Consortium, an independent professional community designed to provide the mentorship, education, networking, and peer consultation that early-career clinicians need to succeed.

What began as a small gathering of 35 local colleagues has grown into a thriving professional network of hundreds of PMH nurses, students, therapists, and social workers across Indiana. Through monthly educational meetings, networking events, and annual psychiatric summits, the Consortium has secured sponsorships to help further expand this important resource for professional development and workforce retention.

“What inspires me is knowing if I help other providers, they are going to be able to help more patients.”

“I’m connecting preceptors with students, newly graduated NPs with mentors, and groups to bring professionals together. This concept can be replicated in other places to create even greater impact. It’s a lot of work, but the impact brings me a lot of joy.”

Her passion for service and leadership is also evident in other spheres such as her work to revitalize the APNA Indiana Chapter. She now serves in chapter leadership, working to expand educational opportunities and strengthen professional connections throughout the state to improve access to care, advance PMH practice, and explore innovative approaches to data sharing, crisis care, and treatment delivery.

As Clinical Assistant Professor and PMHNP Clinical Track Coordinator at Indiana University School of Nursing, Jennifer has enhanced curriculum content, guided the program’s transition from MSN to DNP education, and helped secure high-quality clinical placements for dozens of PMH nursing students each semester. She is widely recognized as a trusted mentor for those seeking career guidance, clinical opportunities, and professional support.

Whether teaching students, mentoring new clinicians, building thriving professional communities that strengthen the workforce, or caring for patients, Jennifer is leading the growth and advancement of PMH nursing.

Pedro Morante, DNP, PMHNP-BC, FNP-BC, LNC, FSIEN, FADLN, GERO-BC, Medsurg-BC, PMH-BC, APRN, EDS-C

Nominated by Rohzan Altre, BSN, RN

For Pedro Morante, the practice of psychiatric-mental health (PMH) nursing has been a calling shaped by his experiences growing up in the Philippines, where access to healthcare was often limited and mental health was rarely openly discussed. Those formative experiences inspired a lifelong commitment to making care more accessible, compassionate, and human-centered.

After immigrating to the United States, Pedro began his nursing career at the bedside, where he came to a crucial realization: “I realized that not all pain is visible. Beyond the wounds, the diagnoses, and the recovery plans, there were stories, grief, trauma, and struggles that medication alone couldn’t reach.”

That realization led him to a career in PMH nursing and to eventually founding the PsychUp Mental Health Clinic in Valencia, California. PsychUp serves patients across the lifespan, combining evidence-based care with innovative approaches such as precision psychiatry and pharmacogenomics. Pedro’s work is grounded in a holistic philosophy that ensures every patient feels valued, heard, and supported.

Pedro has emerged as a leading advocate for precision psychiatry, championing this individualized approach to mental health treatment. He has incorporated pharmacogenomic testing and emerging technologies into his clinical practice to help identify and tailor effective treatment strategies for patients. For Pedro, innovation is not simply about adopting new tools, it is about improving lives. He explains, “We need to make sure we know how to treat our patients well in the most precise way.” By combining scientific advances with compassionate, relationship-centered care, he is helping ensure treatment that is personalized, effective, and accessible for the individuals and families he serves.

Beyond the clinic’s walls, Pedro cares for uninsured or underinsured patients through his new PsychUp Mental Health Foundation. This new initiative reflects his core belief that mental health care should be available to everyone, regardless of their circumstances.

“Looking back, I’m most proud not just of what I’ve built, but of what it represents, a full-circle journey of teaching, healing, and giving back in a way that hopefully makes the path a little easier and lighter for others.”

A passionate educator and advocate, Pedro also hosts the Mindful Moments podcast, where he engages in conversations about mental health, leadership, and wellness. He also sees innovation, technology, and responsible use of AI as potential opportunities to expand access to mental health care, while still keeping care deeply personal.

Pedro emphasizes that building a variety of platforms is the most effective approach to addressing gaps in mental health care and nursing development. Together, his efforts create a continuum of impact that spans patient care, workforce development, mentorship, education, and community outreach.

Pedro underscores that helping people feel seen, heard, and supported on their journey toward healing motivates him the most, explaining, “I’m a simple guy, an immigrant from the Philippines, but I’m driven by a mission to make mental health care much more accessible.”

Heeyoung Lee, PhD, PMHNP-BC, FAAN

Nominated by Jung-Ah Lee, PhD, MN, RN, FAAN, FGSA, FADLN

For Heeyoung Lee, psychiatric-mental health (PMH) nursing has always been about seeing the whole person. An associate professor and chair of the Department of Health & Community Systems at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, Heeyoung has built a career that bridges research, clinical practice, and education, all in service of improving the lives of people living with serious mental illness. Her work has earned national recognition, including serving as principal investigator on nine funded studies and authoring more than 60 peer-reviewed publications focused on schizophrenia, substance use disorders, and serious mental illness.

With a path that began in South Korea, Heeyoung was inspired seeing her older sister’s meaningful work as a nurse and followed in her footsteps. While working on a community-based rehabilitation project for adults with mental illness, she caught a glimpse of what her future could be. She notes, “there is a lot of great work nurses can do, independent of doctors.” That realization led her to pursue her PhD in the United States and later to become both a nurse scientist and PMH nurse practitioner.

Today, Heeyoung is one of the few nurse researchers specializing in schizophrenia, a mental illness that remains greatly underrepresented in nursing science. Her research focuses on integrating physical and mental health care, particularly for individuals with this serious mental illness. She says, “Research shows that life expectancy for people with serious mental health conditions can be shortened by 10 to 25 years due to chronic medical conditions. I want to improve a patient’s daily life and understand how interventions can be more effective for this particular patient population.” Her work examines how nurses can integrate physical and mental health care to improve overall health outcomes through prevention, education, and treatment optimization.

Heeyoung shares, “I want everyone know what nurse scientists, especially those in mental health nursing, can do. It’s not only behavioral research, we are also doing drug trials with a team.” Her current work includes a nurse-led clinical trial examining treatment options for individuals with schizophrenia and prediabetes, helping expand the role of PMH nurse practitioners in integrated care.

Equally important to Lee is her role as an educator, teaching and mentoring graduate students in the PMH nurse practitioner program – even encouraging future nurses to embrace multiple professional identities. “I’m an educator, but I’m also a researcher, and I’m also a clinician. It’s not a separate thing. It can all come together.” For Heeyoung, each role strengthens the others: clinical practice inspires research questions, research generates evidence, and teaching helps translate discoveries into better care.

Heeyoung remains grounded in what she finds most rewarding. “When I see that patient actually grow and recover, that’s one of the most meaningful aspects of my work,” she explains. She feels similar pride when former students develop successful careers as psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners, educators, and researchers.

Throughout it all, Heeyoung has remained motivated by a simple but powerful principle: passion.

“If you have a passion about what you’re doing, that’s the motivator, passion keeps you moving forward.”