November 26, 2018: Las Vegas, NV – Versant®, the only nurse competency‐based system to meet the needs of the entire health
system, today announced that its president Larissa Africa received the Healthcare Executive
award from I‐Help Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving and advocating for the
health of people in all communities.
“Versant has always been a strong advocate for the development of all nurses,” said Versant
President Larissa Africa, MSN, BSN, RN. “Nurses are at the front lines of providing safe,
effective, compassionate care, and through its programs Versant is dedicated to ensuring every
nurse, at every stage of their career receive the support, education and career development
they need to create better outcomes for the communities they serve.”
The I‐Help Foundation award is granted to those who are dedicated to creating pathways to
prosperity for underserved communities, improving the health of individuals through actions
that promote education, career development and equality.
“The work that Larissa and Versant do in communities all over the country aligns perfectly with
our mission at I‐Help,” said I‐Help Foundation Executive Director Tavonia Ekwegh, DNP, APRN,
PHN. “Up and coming female healthcare executives don’t often get the recognition they
deserve. Our selection committee recognized the work Larissa is doing at Versant to lead the
way on tackling the social determinant that is income disparity. Through access to educational
opportunities, Versant is ensuring that transitioning nurses have a clear and direct path to
becoming a competent RN or advanced practice registered nurse. Nurses are critical to ensuring
the health of our communities and Versant is well positioned to lead the way in transforming
how we educate and develop nurses in the future.”
“It’s an honor to be recognized for the work Versant is doing to give all nurses, not just new
graduates, the tools they need for their own personal career development, ensuring that our
communities always receive the best possible nursing care available,” said Africa.
About Versant
The only nurse competency‐based system for transforming the continuum of care, Versant is
focused on the assessment, remediation, validation and tracking of the competency of all
nurses. Using empirical evidence and robust data, Versant provides its partners with a
streamlined process for quantifying organizational performance. Since 1998, Versant has
helped its partners increase retention and nurse satisfaction through the development and
validation of nurse clinical, professional and leadership skills at the point‐of‐care. From new
graduate to advance‐practice registered nurses, Versant’s solutions meet the needs of the
entire health system.
