Strengthening the Nursing Workforce for a Changing Healthcare Landscape

By Office of the President | Nov 18, 2025

Under the leadership of Dean Lori Escallier, Ph.D., RN, CPNP-PC, FAAN, Downstate’s College of Nursing is expanding its faculty at a time when nursing schools nationwide face educator shortages. Four recent appointments bring experience in clinical care, teaching, and community engagement, and support the College’s work in preparing nurses for New York’s evolving healthcare needs.

This expansion aligns with statewide trends in the workforce. New York continues to face shortages of registered nurses and nurse educators, as reported by the Center for Health Workforce Studies at the University at Albany. Brooklyn healthcare institutions see similar gaps, increasing the need for academic programs that strengthen pathways into the workforce. A recent analysis also shows that only about two-thirds of registered nurses licensed in New York State are actively practicing, and of those, 61 percent work in direct patient care.

Against this backdrop, Downstate is bringing in new faculty whose experiences support both education and workforce readiness. Jeannine Sherwood, Ph.D., FNP-BC, CWON, joins as Clinical Assistant Professor and Program Director of the RN–BS Program. A Downstate alumna and wound-care specialist with more than 25 years of experience, she focuses on evidence-based practice, resilience, and wound-care equity.

The College also welcomes Karen Broomes-James, DNP, RN, NPD-BC, CCRN-K, SCRN, PCCN, as Clinical Assistant Professor in the Master’s in Nursing Education program. Her role at the New York State Nurses Association involves leading policy, training, and professional-development initiatives across New York. Her previous work at Downstate included performance improvement, nursing informatics, and community education.

Another addition is Carissa Coccimiglio, DNP, FNP-BC, who serves as Clinical Assistant Professor in entry-level and medical-surgical courses. A Downstate DNP alumna, her clinical background includes long-term care, rehabilitation, hematology-oncology, and medical-surgical nursing. She continues to practice at the Brooklyn VA Medical Center, focusing on veteran advocacy, pressure injury prevention, and pain management. She pairs evidence-based instruction with frontline experience. Her quality-improvement project at Downstate’s Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease strengthened medication reconciliation for older adults.

Additionally, Ashlie D. Butler, DNP, PMHNP, PMHCC, Certified Doula, joins the faculty as Clinical Assistant Professor in Psychiatric–Mental Health Nursing. A psychiatric nurse practitioner at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, she brings experience in trauma-informed and reproductive mental-health care. She applies a mindfulness-based and social-justice framework in her teaching. As Board Chair of The Birthing Place Foundation, she advances culturally responsive maternal and perinatal care.

These appointments add breadth and depth to Downstate’s nursing faculty and support the College’s mission to prepare nurses who combine clinical skill with cultural awareness and patient-centered care. This collective expertise helps to address New York’s educator shortages and support Brooklyn’s ongoing need for a strong and diverse nursing workforce.

As the College expands its academic reach, Downstate continues to build a learning environment that equips future nurses to lead in a changing healthcare landscape and to advance the health of the communities they serve.