Michelle Lucatorto is a graduate of the Veteran’s Health Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program.  The Veterans Affairs Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Awareness Module VA CALM is a year long mindfulness-based stress reduction program based upon the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn.  Michelle developed the Veterans Health weekly mindfulness practice program, Mindful Mondays.  Since 2021 Michelle has coordinated 2 weekly 15-minute mindfulness sessions every Monday, both leading the mindfulness sessions and the coordination of guest leaders.  Michelle has developed a whole health tool kit for front line nursing managers and provides whole health training for nursing units on request.  As an avid yogi, Michelle is currently studying to become a yoga instructor.

Dr. Lucatorto is a retired nurse practitioner. She began her career as an intensive care unit nurse. After earning a master’s degree as a Neuroscience Clinical Nurse Specialist, she had oversight for training and clinical care for a neuroscience ICU, stroke unit and an orthopedic surgery unit. She then earned a master’s degree as a Family Health Nurse Practitioner and held a joint clinical position in a University of Pittsburgh Internal Medicine Practice and a professor in the School of Nursing. Dr. Lucatorto joined the Veterans Health Administration in 2006 and held Quality Management and Data Analytic positions while maintaining a clinical practice. She earned a doctorate in nursing in 2010. She retired in 2024 from the position of National Associate Director of Nursing Analytics. Over the years, Dr. Lucatorto has earned many awards including the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses “Article of the Year” in the Journal of Neuroscience Nursing. She was awarded the outstanding NP student for her class at the University of Pittsburgh. While practicing as an NP at the University of Pittsburgh, she received many awards for high quality clinical practice including the prestigious Gold Star of Carew Award. Dr. Lucatorto was served as Principal Investigator and Coinvestigation in several studies and has numerous peer reviewed publications. During her career she was active in the American Association of Nurses, and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners serving on committees and presenting at conferences. Dr. Lucatorto has designed data dashboards, created quality measures, contributed submissions for additional SNO MED Terminology and implemented national evidence-based initiatives. Dr. Lucatorto can be found running, hiking, biking knitting, reading, petting her loving dog Betty, and spending time with family and friends.

Dr. Lucatorto was responsible for the national implementation of an ADA endorsed oral care initiative which focuses on the delivery of daily oral hygiene to inpatients by nurses. The key to the success of the program is the collaboration of nursing and dental services in the VA.

Dr. Lucatorto has no financial relationships relevant to this presentation to disclose.

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