Dr. Jacqueline Cassagnol, PhD, MSN, RN, PMC
An award winning nurse scientist, accomplished nursing administrator, and professor, Dr. Jacqueline Cassagnol earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing at Pace University, received a Master of Science Degree in Nursing Administration, and a Post Master Degree Certificate in Nursing Education from Mercy College. She is the founder and president of Worldwide Community First Responder (WCFR), Inc. She is also a founding member and past vice-president of the Greater Nanuet Chamber of Commerce, a board member of People to People, a Rockland Community Emergency Responsive Team (CERT) member, a Leadership Rockland (LR) member, a Haitian American Nurses Association (HANA) member, a Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc. member, an Alpha Eta National Honor Society member, and a Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) Honor Society of Nursing member. She was elected Nanuet Patch Mayor in August 2018. She is currently a clinical associate professor at Pace University, and the STTI Upsilon Chapter mentorship program chair at New York University.
As a result of Dr. Cassagnol’s experience in preparing for and assisting with victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, she founded WCFR, a non-profit organization, to provide health education, first aid, and disaster-preparedness training. She has presented locally, nationally, and internationally at nursing conferences about WCFR and its collaboration with other non-profit organizations to improve global health outcomes. In addition, she has presented at International Research Congress Conferences in China, South Africa, and Ireland regarding health education and disaster preparedness projects that she initiated through WCFR in the United States and Haiti.
Dr. Cassagnol has been recognized with numerous distinguished awards for her community services. She was honored as a “Rising Star” by the Rockland Economic Development Corporation at the organization’s 13th Annual Forty Under 40 Reception. She was also honored as the first “Safe Community Award” winner by Volunteer New York at the organization’s 35th Annual Volunteer Spirit Awards Breakfast Benefit; as “Nurse of the Year” by March of Dimes at the organization’s Fifth Annual Nurse of the Year Gala in New York; and as the “Nurse of the Year and President’s Choice Award” winner by HANA of Rockland County, Inc. at the organization’s Seventh Annual Scholarships & Fundraising Awards Gala in New York; and as “Founding Member” by the Greater Nanuet Chamber of Commerce in New York.
Additionally, Dr. Cassagnol was highlighted in the “Spirits of Nurses’ Week” by Rockland County Times in May 2017, named “Hudson Valley Hero” in June 2017, and featured “Making an Impact in Rockland” by the Journal News in November 2017. She was inducted in the “New York Academy of Medicine” in November 2018, won the first “Haitian American Young Citizen of the Year” award from the US Haitian Chamber of Commerce, Inc in March 2019, named ”New York Yankees Hero” and honored as ”2019 Caribbean American Healthcare Award” recipient in June 2019, featured in the November 2019 issue of Good Housekeeping Magazine as a ”Hometown Hero”, and won the ”Jefferson Award Bronze Medal of Honor” from Pace University in November 2019. Dr. Cassagnol went on to win the ”Jefferson National Award” known as the ‘Nobel Prize for Public Service’ from Multiplying Good in September 2020, was named a ”Healthcare Hero” by Schneps Media in October 2020, won a ”Research Grant” for her PhD research study “Haitian Nurses’ Perceptions about Disaster Preparedness and Disaster Nursing” from STTI NYU Upsilon Chapter in May 2021, and named a finalist for “Nurse Leader of the Year” in the 2021 Nurse.org ICON Awards in December 2021. Recently, she was inducted into the ”Mercy College Alumni Hall of Fame” and received Mercy College’s ”Alumni of Distinction Award” in February 2022, honored by Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick for Black History Month with the “Black Excellence and Leadership Award”, and honored by Assemblyman Mike Lawler for Black History Month with a citation in February 2022. Most recently, she was awarded the Amelia A. Gould Fellowship Grant for PhD in Nursing Students at Pace University in January 2023.