Richmond Promise Welcomes Kaiser Permanente Richmond Medical Center COO/CNE Nicole Barnett to Board of Directors
RICHMOND, CALIF. — Richmond Promise Executive Director Christopher Whitmore announced today that Nicole Barnett, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nurse Executive for Kaiser Permanente’s Richmond Medical Center, will join the organization’s Board of Directors beginning this summer.
“Nicole brings years of lived and professional experience that embody the mission and goals of Richmond Promise,” Whitmore said. “She has a demonstrated passion for serving her local community and supporting young people, and I’m excited for the impact she will have as a member of Richmond Promise’s Board of Directors.”
Barnett grew up in Richmond, moving to the area when she was in middle school. She has worked for Kaiser Permanente in West Contra Costa County since 2008, when she was named Service Director for the Pinole Medical Offices, a satellite of the Richmond Medical Center. She was named as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nurse Executive for the Richmond Medical Center in March of 2022. In that role, she is accountable for patient quality, safety, and clinical performance for the licensed and acute care services.
Barnett is a graduate of Kennedy High School as well as the Contra Costa College School of Nursing. She also studied biology at Oberlin College, went on to complete her BSN, PHN and MBA degrees from Cal State Dominguez Hills, and earned a Doctor of Health Sciences degree from Nova Southeastern University.
She is also an experienced Board leader, having recently joined the Board for the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts. Barnett will soon conclude a stint as chair of the Planned Parenthood Northern California Board, and has also served on the board of the Global Alliance for Health and Women Healthcare Executives of the East Bay. She currently teaches nursing in the community college system, and speaks at nursing conferences on topics related to health equity.
“I took advantage of many school and community based programs that helped me to prepare for college and career,” Barnett said. “One of those was the Regional Occupational Program (ROP) at Richmond High, which provided me with training to become a state certified Nursing Assistant while still in high school. That exposure was a great foundation for my RN training at Contra Costa College.
“I love learning and teaching, I love nursing and I love my community. In my current role at Kaiser, I am responsible for ensuring high quality services to our patients and community and I cherish the partnerships we have with local primary care clinics, shelters, and nonprofit agencies that allow us to partner on strengthening the network of services for all Richmond residents. I am very proud and thankful to be serving my Richmond community both inside and outside the walls of the Kaiser Richmond Medical Center.”
Barnett will join the Richmond Promise Board of Directors for a term that begins in June of 2023. She becomes the 11th member of the Richmond Promise board.
