Mary Zielinski, MHA, BSN, RN

Mary Zielinski is a strategic healthcare operations leader whose career uniquely bridges clinical nursing expertise and enterprise-level operational innovation. Based in Phoenix, she currently serves as a Nursing Operational Data Workload Coordinator at Mayo Clinic, where she plays a pivotal role in advancing workforce optimization, staffing analytics, and AI-enabled healthcare solutions. With more than a decade of healthcare experience spanning hospital administration, bedside nursing, and operational leadership, Zielinski has become recognized for her ability to transform complex healthcare challenges into scalable, data-informed strategies that improve both patient care delivery and workforce well-being.

Zielinski began her professional journey in hospital administration before returning to school to pursue clinical nursing, a decision that gave her a comprehensive understanding of healthcare systems from both operational and frontline perspectives. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University before later completing her Master of Healthcare Administration at University of Phoenix. Over the course of her career, she has held roles at leading healthcare institutions including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, Banner Health, and Mayo Clinic. Her clinical background includes extensive experience in oncology, hematology, hospice care, float pool operations, and high-acuity inpatient environments, where she developed a deep appreciation for the operational demands placed on frontline healthcare workers.

At Mayo Clinic, Zielinski has helped lead the development and validation of an AI-enabled Nursing Workload Measurement System designed to support predictive workforce planning and improve staffing alignment across inpatient, emergency, and ambulatory settings. Collaborating closely with clinical leaders, IT teams, data scientists, and executive stakeholders, she has contributed to initiatives that integrate workforce platforms, improve data governance, and translate analytical findings into actionable operational strategies. Her work reflects a strong belief that effective healthcare leadership requires balancing measurable operational data with the human realities of patient care, including the emotional and cognitive burdens faced by nursing staff during high-acuity and end-of-life situations.

Beyond operational innovation, Zielinski is deeply committed to supporting the future of the nursing profession through leadership development, research, and workforce advocacy. She has presented at nursing leadership conferences on financial acumen for nurse leaders and currently serves as principal investigator on a Mayo Clinic-sponsored qualitative research study examining the emotional, cognitive, and physical burdens experienced by nursing professionals. Her long-term vision centers on creating healthcare systems that not only optimize efficiency and patient access, but also protect the well-being and resilience of the clinical workforce. Through her combination of analytical expertise, clinical insight, and compassionate leadership, Zielinski continues to help shape the future of healthcare operations and nursing innovation.

• SUNY Downstate Medical Center - B.S.N., 2016
• SUNY Downstate Medical Center - B.S. in Healthcare Administration
• SUNY Downstate Medical Center - M.S. in Healthcare Administration

• RN
• MHA

• American Nurses Association
• Arizona Board of Nursing

Presenter at the Nursing Leadership Summit in May 2025 on financial acumen for nurse leaders. Principal Investigator on a qualitative research study sponsored by Mayo Clinic on understanding the emotional, cognitive, and physical burdens on nursing staff. Partnered over 18 months to create and validate an AI model for nursing workload measurement and staffing.