VCU Health hires inaugural associate vice president of advanced practice providers
The new position will oversee strategic initiatives to enhance the roles of highly trained members of the health system’s workforce.
February 17, 2025
Paula Brooks, DNP, MBA, FNP-BC, RNFA, FAPPex, will begin in her new role as the first associate vice president of advanced practice providers for MCV Physicians on April 1. (Enterprise Marketing and Communications)
By Adam Austin
Paula Brooks, DNP, MBA, FNP-BC, RNFA, FAPPex, will serve as the inaugural associate vice president of advanced practice providers for MCV Physicians, the medical practice for VCU Health. She will begin her new role on April 1.
As associate vice president (AVP) of advanced practice providers (APPs), Brooks will be responsible for setting the vision and strategic initiatives for the APP workforce in alignment with VCU Health System’s mission, vision, and priorities. In this role, she will collaborate with executive leadership and report directly to the president of MCV Physicians. The APP workforce includes highly trained members of the health system who manage and treat many conditions. They include nurse practitioners (NPs), certified clinical nurse specialists (CNSs), certified nurse-midwives (CNMs), and certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), to name a few.
Brooks’ responsibilities will include enhancing and advancing the roles of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and physician assistants (PAs), serving as an expert resource, and fostering an environment that promotes advanced practice and professional development across the health system.
Brooks brings more than 30 years of exemplary experience as a leader in health care settings. Most recently, she served as system director of advanced practice providers at Baystate Health in Springfield, Massachusetts, where she provided strategic leadership for a team of over 450 advanced practice providers. Prior to that, she held the position of director of advanced practice for advanced practice registered nurses at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Brooks is an active member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, the American Nurses Association, and Advanced Practice Provider Executives (APPex). She has also held board-level positions in several professional organizations. Her commitment to excellence extends to academia, where she has contributed to multiple academic journals.
Brooks earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science as a Family Nurse Practitioner from the University of Massachusetts. She later achieved a Doctor of Nursing Practice from the same institution. Additionally, she obtained a Registered Nurse First Assistant certification from Northeastern University and completed a Master of Business Administration with a focus on Healthcare Administration.
