Dr. Marketa Houskova

CEO American Nurses Association - California

Abstract Title:The Importance of Nursing Voices in Policy Innovation

Biography:

Dr. Houskova started with ANA\C as a volunteer being so passionate about nursing, public policy, and politics. Marketa was named ANA\C Government Affairs Director and later a State Director. In October 2017, Marketa was named Executive Director followed by being named the Chief Executive Officer in October 2023. Under Dr. Houskova’s leadership, ANA\C increased its membership by 300% over the last 7 years, became financially strong and stable by tripling its budget and investments, established ANA\C Advocacy Institute focused on Nurses in Policy and Nurses in Media Fellowship programs, created Nursing Students Ambassadors programs, developed nurses in media and advocacy messaging trainings, and spearheaded important projects such as ANA\C Mental Health Report, Racism in Nursing & Healthcare, Racism in Nursing Academia, and LGBTQI+ workgroups with finalizing its respective Reports. Marketa advocates on behalf of ANA\C members in the State Capitol, regulatory state agencies, and in US Congress. Dr. Houskova was born under the Communistic Regime in then-Czechoslovakia and immigrated to the United States via England and Canada to pursue her American Dream. While the Communist regime did not allow her to attend university, next to her nursing degree, double Bachelors in Political Science & Women’s Studies at CSUSM, dual track in Masters in Global Public Health Administration & Regional Development at University of Miami, she also completed her doctoral studies at University of San Francisco and obtained her Doctorate in Nursing Practice in Executive Leadership of Healthcare Systems. Marketa was actively involved in a number of political campaigns in the US and in Europe, received Internship and later Fellowship at the Office of the Vice-President of the European Parliament, and served as a political /campaign /global health advisor. Marketa is a member of several professional associations and serves on advisory boards.

Research Interest: