ORLANDO, FL | March 8, 2023
The Lung Association’s Local Leadership Board of Directors, which has 14 members, helps lead the organization in its mission to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease. The purpose of the Board is to raise the Lung Association’s profile in the community, advocate for lung health, and increase resources to fund local programs and services. Board members work alongside the Lung Association’s Central Florida team to foster diversity, equity and inclusion in our practices, programs, and processes, as well as help to guide the Association’s local initiatives and services, public policy, research, and revenue generation.
“Laura will be an incredible asset to our local work at the Lung Association. Her insight and experience are critical to our work in the community.” said Andrew Irvin, Local Leadership Board Member, American Lung Association in Central Florida. “We are honored to welcome Laura into this important role and look forward to continuing our vital mission work with her leadership.”
Clifton, now with Orlando Health, was not always in healthcare. “I see nursing as my second career,” shares Clifton. “Prior to my nursing career, I was a Director of Operations for a Fortune 500 company for 14 years. When the organization restructured, and they asked me to move to Texas I declined. Florida is my home, so I decided to go to nursing school.”
Clifton earned a bachelor’s in organizational behavior management from Rollins College, a bachelor’s in nursing from UCF, and a master’s in healthcare administration from Queens University. Today, Clifton is an Oncology Certified Nurse and a Board-Certified Nurse Executive (NE-BC) by the American Nursing Credentialing Center.
For the past five years, Clifton has been handling day-to-day operations for seven outpatient clinics and providing strategic direction to 31 healthcare providers at Orlando Health. Recently promoted to Senior Director of Medical Oncology Practices, Clifton supports over 200 team members. Clifton states, “The most rewarding part of my job comes from cultivating team members and allowing them to grow in our organization, along with coming to work every day and being able to make a difference in the lives of those living with cancer.
When Clifton is off work, her hobbies include gardening, travelling, and raising standard poodles for service and therapy work at the hospital. Clifton states, “I am excited to be involved with the Lung Association as I have seen firsthand through working at the Orlando Health Cancer Institute how common lung disease is – close to 237,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year and the national average of people alive five years after a lung cancer diagnosis is 25%. If we can create opportunities for more screenings, we will have more chances to save lives.”
To learn more about your eligibility for a lung cancer screening please visit SavedByTheScan.org.
The Lung Association in Central Florida conducts much of its work with money raised at fundraisers throughout the year. On May 13, the organization will host their annual LUNG FORCE Run/Walk Orlando at Baldwin Park’s Harbor View Park. Learn more by visiting LUNGFORCE.org/Orlando. And to stay up to date on local news and events, please follow us on Facebook @alafcentral and Instagram @americanlungcfl.
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