American Academy of Nursing selects Sprouse among a select group of leaders nationwide
Everett, Wash. [July 8, 2026] – The Providence family of organizations is pleased to announce that Mila Sprouse, EdD, MSN, RN, chief nursing officer for the North Puget Sound service area, has been named to the American Academy of Nursing’s 2026 Fellows. The academy lauds this honor on nursing leaders for their contributions to improving health outcomes and transforming healthcare for the future.
“I am deeply honored and grateful to be recognized by the American Academy of Nursing,” Sprouse said. “This fellowship is a pinnacle moment in my long nursing career, and I see it as a meaningful new platform to advocate for nurses, advance the practice of nursing and help shape the future of healthcare.”
Sprouse has served as the North Puget Sound’s chief nursing officer since 2024, where she leads nearly 3,000 nurses providing compassionate care at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett’s Colby and Pacific campuses, Swedish Edmonds and Swedish Mill Creek. Prior to Providence, Sprouse has held nursing management and leadership posts across the U.S. She is also the author of From Tomatoes to the Boardroom: The Courageous Rise of a Nurse Executive, which chronicles her life and career as a nurse leader.
Originally from the Philippines, Sprouse is committed to driving solutions for the challenges facing nursing and healthcare today. Her passion for problem-solving stems in part from time spent working for a medical device company, visiting hospitals to educate the patient care teams about the company’s devices.
“I’ve probably been in 90% of the hospitals across this country, listening to people tell me the challenges they have at hospital after hospital,” she recalled. “I felt like those challenges are not getting addressed and it’s the leaders that need to drive the solutions. I believed in my leadership and relationship-building skills, which was part of the reason I decided to go back to the hospital setting. If I want to impact the care of our patients across the country, I need to be closest to the people that are taking care of the patients.”
The Academy’s 2026 Class of Fellows reflects the powerful role nurses play in promoting health and well-being. These newest fellows are catalysts for change, using their clinical expertise and scientific knowledge to address patient needs and solve complex healthcare challenges.
Sprouse will be formally inducted as a fellow in October. She becomes the fifth Academy Fellow from the Providence family of organizations joining Providence Chief Nurse Executive Sylvain Trepanier, DNP, Providence North Division Chief Nursing Officer Renee Rassilyer-Bomers, PhD, Providence Saint John’s Health Center Nursing Director Marlon Garzo Saria, PhD, and Providence Environmental Stewardship Officer Elizabeth Schenk, PhD, RN, FAAN.
“I am thrilled to see Mila receive this well-deserved recognition from the American Academy of Nursing,” Trepanier said. “This honor reflects not only Mila’s exceptional leadership and commitment to advancing nursing practice, but also the caliber of nurses across Providence, whose expertise, compassion and dedication make Providence an extraordinary place to give and receive care.”
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