Connect

Learn how his "behaviors contribute to a culture where safety, dignity, and healing are prioritized."

For "unwavering respect for nursing, dedication to shared goals, profound commitment to exceptional patient care" and more — UVA Health University Medical Center’s William Brady, MD,  FACEP, FAAEM, has earned a 2026 Friend of Nursing Award.

Every year, UVA Health University Medical Center Nursing Professional Governance Organization (NPGO) bestows two such awards: one recognizes a physician — the other, a non-physician — partner or team.

Recipients meet the following criteria::

• Demonstrate role modeling behaviors that enhance nursing and interdisciplinary partnerships.
• Contribute to achievement of nursing strategic plan goals and initiatives. 
• Proactively engage nursing colleagues as partners.
• Contribute to a culture of patient safety and a positive patient experience (applies to clinical-based nominees).

UVA Health University Medical Center Associate Chief Nursing Officer Veronica Brill, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, and Jennifer “JT” Hall, MSN, RN, CNL, Director, UVA Health University Medical Center Nursing Professional Practice, Magnet® Recognition Programs, surprised Dr. Brady with the award.

Hall nominated Dr. Brady, who also serves as Professor of Emergency Medicine and Cardiovascular Medicine and The David A Harrison Distinguished Educator at UVA School of Medicine, and as Professor of Nursing at UVA School of Nursing:

"I am honored to nominate Dr. Bill Brady for a 2026 Friend of Nursing Award. In every interaction, he exemplifies the values of partnership, respect, and shared purpose that define exceptional interdisciplinary collaboration.

"Dr. Brady consistently demonstrates a deep commitment to nursing colleagues and to the delivery of safe, compassionate, and patient-centered care. Dr. Brady models behaviors that elevate teamwork across disciplines. He communicates with clarity and respect, actively seeks nursing input, and creates an environment in which every team member’s expertise is valued.

"Examples include his leadership of the organizational-wide Resuscitation Committee. He advocates for nursing-centered interventions when opportunities for improvement are identified. One example of this is a situation in which a supply was needed during an emergency event and not readily available in the standard emergency supply inventory within the practice area.

"Dr. Brady collaborated with nurses to utilize root cause problem solving to evaluate the event and propose a countermeasure, which included a tailored solution to stock the item in the specific practice location, but not spread this stocking change widely as it would not be applicable to every practice area. This demonstrates how he collaborates with nurses to tailor process improvement efforts in a meaningful way. These actions set a standard for collaboration that others emulate.

"Dr. Brady also plays a strategic role in advancing nursing priorities across the organization. He has supported improved mortality data in his leadership in the Resuscitation Committee where he works closely with nursing. His partnership has directly contributed to measurable improvements such as outperformance of national mortality rates for in-hospital cardiac arrest, as a result of improvement and outperformance of American Hospital Association (AHA) recommendations for metrics including time to pads, time to first drug, time to airway, chest compression fraction, and time to first shock.

"Side note: Dr. Brady frequently takes a moment during presentations to recognize and praise nurses who work closely with him on initiatives. Rather than waiting to be approached, Dr. Brady actively engages nursing partners as equalcontributors to patient care, demonstrating the practice of relationship-based care. He routinely engages nurses in problem-solving. One example of this is Dr. Brady’s close collaboration with the Critical Care Subcommittee nursing representative and other clinical nurses to improve the ordering process for code medications. This work is ongoing, but Dr. Brady has been steadfast in his dedication to advocating for the voice of nursing in this challenge for more than a year. This proactive approach strengthens trust, enhances communication, and ensures care decisions reflect the full interdisciplinary perspective.

"Through his leadership and collaboration, Dr. Brady has a direct and positive impact on patient safety and experience. He consistently reinforces safe practices such as not only focusing on opportunities to improve after an emergent event, but also caring for the team members involved. His partnership extends to community agencies external to UVA Health, as he serves as a liaison with local EMS [emergency medical services] agencies.

"These behaviors contribute to a culture where safety, dignity, and healing are prioritized. It is evident to all who interact with him that these consistent behaviors are not only demonstrated in his relationships with nurses, but apply to everyone, and are purely a part of who Dr. Brady is as a person.

"Dr. Brady embodies the spirit of the Friend of Nursing Award through unwavering respect for nursing, dedication to shared goals, and a profound commitment to exceptional patient care. It is a privilege to work alongside him, and I wholeheartedly recommend Dr. Brady for this recognition!"