ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - Elk Grove resident Dr. Paulina Van, Ph.D., RN, CNE, a nurse scientist and healthcare executive, has been recognized for her decades of service and impact in the field of nursing.

A longtime faculty member at Samuel Merritt University, where she serves as professor emeritus, Van received the institution’s Outstanding Service Award as part of the 2026 Health Impact Awards, presented April 3.

The Samuel Merritt University Health Impact Awards is an annual program honoring alumni, friends and students who have made significant contributions to health sciences or healthcare through professional work or community service.

During her nearly 40-year tenure at the university, Van has played a key role in advancing nursing education and strengthening the healthcare workforce. As principal investigator for two Health Resources and Services Administration-funded grants totaling more than $2 million, she helped expand the nursing pipeline and improve faculty and student performance in high-need communities.

Van also established the Dr. Paulina Van Perinatal Endowed Scholarship to support future nurses committed to equitable perinatal care. Her work across the university has focused on advancing evidence-informed practices that promote resilience, enhance well-being and reduce burnout among students and colleagues. She has also championed the integration of artificial intelligence in nursing education to better prepare students for an evolving healthcare landscape.

In addition to her academic leadership, Van is internationally recognized for developing the Model of Coping After Pregnancy Loss for Diverse Women, a framework used by more than 30 interdisciplinary research teams worldwide and widely cited in perinatal health literature. Her research integrates science, reflective practice and humanistic care to improve outcomes for mothers, families, students and clinicians.

Van brings more than two decades of experience in nonprofit healthcare and professional association governance. She serves as a board director for Hospice East Bay and as an advisor to the Chapters Health West Region Advisory Council.

She earned her Ph.D. in nursing from the University of California, San Francisco and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and the Academy of Diversity Nursing Leaders.