Awards

Bicentennial Medal - 2020

IU Indianapolis Spirit of Philanthropy Award - 2013

About Sonna Merk

As the first Chief Nurse Executive for Clarian Health Partners, Sonna’s achievements included consolidation of the Departments of Nursing, and the Departments of Perioperative Services, Respiratory Care, and Social Work under a single administrative structure across the three hospitals including Methodist, Indiana University, and Riley. Consolidation included standardization of staffing, policies, procedures, standards of care, orientation, roles and responsibilities, and compensation programs to ensure the success of the merger.

She was a founding member of Nursing 2000, a collaboration of nursing education and nursing practice to foster the profession of nursing, which is now part of the Indiana Center for Nursing which was formed to ensure the future of Indiana's nursing workforce. As the Associate Dean for Practice for the IU School Of Nursing, Dr. Merk collaborated with the Dean to ensure that the School had high priority for clinical placements at Clarian. She also worked with the Dean and the faculty to achieve representation of the School on Hospital system committees, and to achieve increased funding for joint initiatives including joint positions and a model of preceptor teaching. As a result of her support for the School, the annual Sonna Ehrlich Merk Distinguished Lectureship was established in 2000 and continues today. Dr. Merk received the Emily Holmquist Lifetime Achievement in Nursing Award from the School in 2005. She was also named as one of the School of Nursing's Top 100 Alumni Legacy Leaders. Sonna has established the Donald and Sonna Merk RISE Scholarship with her husband for the School of Nursing on the Indianapolis campus and she is establishing the Maryanne and Frank C. Springer, Jr. Nursing Scholarship for the School on the Bloomington campus.

Since her retirement, Dr. Merk has branched out as an entrepreneur and consults with clients on projects related to nursing administration and operating room nursing.