Baltimore, Md. - The Baltimore Alliance for Careers in Health Care has recently named Lawrence F. Strassner, vice president of patient care and chief nursing officer at Franklin Square Hospital Center, to its board of directors.

With Franklin Square Hospital since 2004, Strassner is responsible for inpatient and outpatient nursing services. His focus on quality has earned the hospital a "world class" employee satisfaction rating, according to scores measured against the Watson Wyatt database of health care organizations. Under his leadership, nursing care has consistently exceeded average ratings nationally and has garnered excellent ratings locally. The hospital has twice received the Medicare Excellence Quality award in 2008 and 2010.

During his tenure, Strassner has established strong relationships with nursing schools in the area in an effort to advance nursing professionals at Franklin Square and to help the hospital develop a stable core of nurses. He has significantly reduced registered nurse turnover and vacancy rates and has increased nurse certifications and raised the number of nurses who hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Previously, Strassner served as Suburban Hospital's director of critical care nursing and cardiology services and has held similar positions at Harbor Hospital Center and The Johns Hopkins Hospital. He also worked in health care consulting for Arthur Anderson and Cap Gemini Ernst and Young.

Strassner earned a doctorate in health administration from Warren National University, Cheyenne, Wyoming, a MS and BS from the University of Maryland at Baltimore, an AA in nursing from Essex Community College and is a licensed RN in the State of Maryland.

He is an active member of several professional organizations, including the American Nursing Association and the Maryland Organization of Nurse Executives where he is currently serving as president. Strassner often speaks on nursing issues locally and nationally.