Transforming Care: M Health Fairview leader Maria Raines named 2021 Notable BIPOC Executive
Chief Nursing Officer Maria Raines, MS, APRN, ACNS-BC, was recognized by Twin Cities Business for her work leading innovative COVID-19 care at Bethesda Hospital. She was named one of the magazine’s 2021 Notable Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) Executives.
When COVID-19 arrived in Minnesota, Maria Raines, MS, APRN, ACNS-BC, was working as vice president and chief nursing officer at M Health Fairview St. Joseph’s Campus in downtown St. Paul.
As the pandemic spread, her role changed to better care for the needs of the Twin Cities during an unprecedented time. In only two weeks, Raines helped transform M Health Fairview Bethesda Hospital – then serving as a long-term acute care facility – into one of the nation’s first and only designated COVID-19 hospitals.
Now, her innovative work during the pandemic and beyond has been recognized by Twin Cities Business. The magazine named Raines among its 2021 Notable Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) Executives. Raines was one of 32 people selected for the award, all of whom are leaders in their workplace and community.
As she equipped Bethesda to treat the state’s growing number of COVID-19 patients last spring, Raines prepared for the unknown. She hired and trained staff, developed new pandemic protocols and more. To do so, Raines drew on her background as a critical care nurse. Employee and patient safety were at the forefront of every decision as experts nationwide learned more about how the virus spread.
Part of the Bethesda model Raines helped establish depended upon M Health Fairview’s close partnership with the University of Minnesota Medical School. Med school researchers developed new patient care methods, which Raines and her team put to work in the hospital’s intensive care units. Bethesda’s ICUs had one of the best COVID-19 patient survival rates in the country.
Throughout her career with M Health Fairview, Raines has helped our system adapt to changing community needs. Last fall, she helped transition Bethesda once more – this time into a homeless shelter in partnership with Ramsey County. In preparation for this change, Raines oversaw the safe transition of all COVID-19 care from Bethesda to nearby St. Joseph’s.
“I want to remove barriers for the leaders on my teams. It’s important to me that they’re able to focus on supporting frontline workers,” said Raines. “Our nursing team is only successful when everyone is equally supported.”
This outlook has served Raines through over 20 years in nursing and will continue to inform her work in a new role; in January 2021 she became vice president and chief nursing officer for M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center and Masonic Children’s Hospital.
