Letter of Welcome to Memorial Nursing from the CNO

From the Chief Nursing Officer

Greetings, and thank you for visiting our web page.

I am Shelley Perulfi, DNP, MA, RN, NE-BC, Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) at Memorial Hospital, part of BJC HealthCare. I have been in this role since January 2025, because I wanted to be part of Memorial Hospital’s focus on continuously improving the access and quality of care for our patients and the community in which I live.

As CNO, I am privileged to lead an exceptional team of nursing professionals—individuals who embody compassion, resilience, and dedication every day. Our hospital has been awarded the prestigious Magnet® designation for excellence in nursing, initially in 2008 and redesignated in 2013, 2018, and 2022. This honor was achieved through our nursing team’s commitment and pursuit of the highest professional nursing standards. It is a direct reflection of the excellence of our nursing staff, the stimulating and supportive practice environment, the quality care we provide to our patients and families, and the critical role our nurses play in transforming health care for our patients and communities.

I am proud to represent nursing at the executive level, ensuring our nursing voices, priorities, and experiences shape the strategic direction of our institution. Your commitment inspires innovation, elevates patient care, and sets the standard for excellence in nursing practice. To ensure I’m representing our nursing team effectively, I stay closely connected by making regular rounds, and attending huddles and staff meetings, in addition to spending time on the units to hear concerns and answer questions.

At Memorial, we have a unique two-campus hospital in Illinois, one in Belleville and the other in Shiloh. Nurses here are an essential part of the decision-making process as demonstrated through their leadership and participation in our Unit-Based Leadership Teams and Professional Governance model. These are both interprofessional structures governing the unit, unit-type, and hospital-wide practice environments. Our hospital-wide Nursing Services Professional Governance Councils focus on Quality & Nursing Practice, Professional Development, Research/Evidence-Based Practice, and Recruitment & Retention. Our nurses also participate in many BJC HealthCare system quality initiatives and councils. We partner with the WashU Medicine to provide key physician services, such as pediatric hospitalists in our Emergency Department, neonatologists in our Level IIE Nursery, cardiovascular surgeons, and intensivists in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). This relationship allows us to stay at the forefront of care and makes Memorial Hospital an exciting place to work. The opportunities for collaboration on Quality Improvement (QI) projects, research, and professional development are abundant.

Our nursing, hospital, and BJC resources are designed with our nurses in mind—from professional development opportunities and insights into our Magnet-recognized nursing programs, to tools that support nurses’ growth and success. This website is a space created to celebrate the incredible contributions of our Memorial nurses.

Nursing at Memorial Hospital is extremely rewarding. We have a fast-paced practice environment that is challenging and fulfilling. It is a great time to be a BJC nurse at Memorial. I absolutely love it here, and if you love nursing, I’m confident you will, too. Visit Nursing Careers at BJC to find more information on how to join our team of professionals who support our mission of providing exceptional health care and compassionate service to our community.

Thank you, Memorial Nurses, for all that you do. As nurses, you are the backbone of health care, and together, we will continue to lead, advocate, and inspire.

My best,
Shelley Perulfi, DNP, MA, RN, NE-BC
Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at Memorial Hospital