Paul Leon Inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Santa Ana, CA — National Healthcare & Housing Advisors is pleased to announce that CEO, Paul Leon, RN, BSN, PHN, FAAN, has been selected to be a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (Academy). Induction into the Academy is a significant milestone in a nurse leader’s career in which their accomplishments are honored by their colleagues within and outside the profession. Fellows are selected based on their contributions and impact to advance the public’s health.
The Academy is a policy organization and an honorific society that recognizes nursing's most accomplished leaders in policy, research, practice, administration, and academia to advance equitable solutions to the nation’s most complex health care challenges. Academy Fellows, from over 40 countries, hold a wide variety of influential roles in health care. Induction into the Fellowship represents more than recognition of one's accomplishments within the nursing profession. Fellows contribute their collective expertise to the Academy, engaging with health leaders nationally and globally to improve health and achieve health equity by impacting policy through nursing leadership, innovation, and science.
Leon is the Chief Executive Officer and founder of National Healthcare & Housing Advisors (NHHA). NHHA was formed with the mission to integrate healthcare and homeless services across the nation through advisory services and implementation practices. Areas of expertise include medical respite/recuperative care, integrated solutions to address the housing crisis, advanced data analytics, medical billing, and recruitment and workforce equity through nursing. NHHA has assembled a top-notch executive team and subject matter experts with years of success and achievement in the company’s key service areas, especially medical respite and recuperative care that includes medical monitoring, counseling and case management for people experiencing homelessness who are medically vulnerable.
Leon’s career serving vulnerable populations spans four decades, benchmarked by his work as a critical care nurse, the launch of Orange County's inaugural Street Medicine team, and his 15-year tenure as the President and CEO of Illumination Foundation (IF), a nonprofit organization he founded in 2008, whose mission is to disrupt the cycle of homelessness.
He established the organization as a uniquely healthcare-focused homeless services provider, leading innovative healthcare and housing solutions. He pioneered their Recuperative Care/Medical Respite Program to manage the discharge of homeless patients from hospitals, making it the largest provider of Recuperative Care in the United States. As Mr. Leon retired from the organization, Illumination Foundation was recognized as one of the top ten nonprofit organizations in Orange County, California.
Leon serves on several advisory committees, including the UC Irvine School of Nursing and the Mental Health Association of Orange County. He conducts classes for leading institutions such as the USC School of Social Work, and UCI’s School of Medicine. He consults with CHOC’s Residency Program and the Kaiser Family Resident Program, and serves on the Board of Directors for the National Health Care for the Homeless Council (NHCHC).
Prior to his induction into the Academy, he was named a Senior Fellow of the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, an initiative of the AARP Foundation, AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, was name one of ten AARP Well-Being Champions to “recognize those championing change across America in the areas of health and well-being” and in 2019, he won the AARP Purpose Prize Award, which honors “extraordinary people ages 50 and older who’ve dedicated their lives to serving others in creative and innovative ways.” Leon’s innovative work has also been recognized by the PIMCO Leadership Circle Award and the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award.
“I am honored to be a lifelong champion for the ever-growing issues of poverty, homelessness, and healthcare. Our work will highlight integrative strategies modeling best practices in housing, healthcare, and homeless services delivery as we help build the future of housing and healthcare.” -Paul Leon
Through a competitive, rigorous application process, the Academy’s Fellow Selection Committee reviewed nearly 400 applications to select the 2023 Fellows. The 2023 Fellows represent 40 states, the District of Columbia, and 13 countries.
Paul and the 2023 inductees will be recognized for their substantial, sustained, and significant contributions to health and health care at the Academy’s annual Health Policy Conference, taking place on October 5 – 7, 2023 in Washington, DC during the Induction Ceremony on the evening of October 7. This is a historic year for the Academy as the organization is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Once the newest Fellows are inducted, the Academy will be comprised of more than 3,000 leaders who are experts in policy, research, administration, practice, and academia that champion health and wellness, locally and globally.
About the American Academy of Nursing
The American Academy of Nursing serves the public by advancing health policy and practice through the generation, synthesis, and dissemination of nursing knowledge. Academy Fellows are inducted into the organization for their extraordinary contributions to improve health locally and globally. With more than 2,900 Fellows, the Academy represents nursing’s most accomplished leaders in policy, research, administration, practice, and academia.
About National Healthcare & Housing Advisors
NHHA is a leading firm offering nationwide advisory services and integrated solutions to address the housing and healthcare crisis for vulnerable populations. With over 20 years of hands-on experience, NHHA pioneers innovative pilot programs, integrates data-driven outcomes, and creates cost-saving solutions for hospitals, payers, and health systems and social impact investing to create a housing pipeline, addressing the myriad needs of these populations through a proprietary integrative system of care treating the social determinants of health of each individual.
