For Immediate Release
Deerfield, FL: July 15, 2023, Watson Caring Science Institute (WCSI) Founder/Director Dr. Jean Watson has awarded M. Brooks Turkel the prestigious Visionary Caring Science Leadership Award during the Caritas Community Conference in Boulder, CO. The award recognizes many contributions and accomplishments toward the advancement and legacy of Watson’s Caring Science.
“Brooks has been a visionary leader in supporting the Institute from its very beginning,” says Jean Watson. “As former President, he has continued to serve through his Board positions and enduring representation of Watson Caring Science in all its activities and programs, nationally and internationally.” She continues, “he is a treasured WCSI friend and colleague from its beginning, in ways that have advanced WCSI into the future.”
Brooks Turkel, CPA, FACHE, is currently a partner at Fuller & Turkel CPAs and Associates, LLP in Fort Lauderdale. He began his career in 1985 as a CPA with Ernst and Young (then Ernst and Whinney) in Fort Lauderdale. He has led hospitals and medical groups in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Massachusetts, and California including the development of programs for graduate medical education. He also led the installation of a Caring Framework based on Jean’s work at hospitals and medical education programs in Chicago, Philadelphia, Scranton, and Lancaster PA, touching over 5,000 nurses and 15,000 caring staff.
Brooks studied Chemical Engineering at Cornell University and earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting and Masters of Taxation from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton and his master of business administration in healthcare administration from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL. He is board certified in healthcare management as a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He currently serves as the Board Treasurer for the Watson Caring Science Institute. He was a regional policy board member for the American Hospital Association and past Treasurer for the International Association for Human Caring. Brooks has served on the boards of many community organizations including the Commonwealth Medical College, the Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, Lancaster Emergency Medical Services, the Central Pennsylvania Business Group on Health, and the advisory board of the Millersville University College of Science and Technology.
Brooks began his involvement with WCSI in 2006. He participated with CCEP Cohort 5, helped run the merchandise store, and assisted with whatever the leadership and the faculty needed (guided by his wife, faculty member and Watson Caring Science Postdoctoral Fellow, Marian C. Turkel, RN, PhD, FAAN). Over the years it has been his privilege to travel the world with Marian, Jean and WCSI supporting and presenting at events in Asia, Africa, Europe, Canada, and here in the US. In 2016, Brooks joined the WCSI Board and became its 3rd Board President. During the last few years there is particular pride in the stable financial performance, the creative expansion and outreach of CCEP, the initiation of the innovative leadership program, and the beginning of the formal recognition program. Brooks is particularly grateful for the support from the WCSI affiliates, his fellow board members, Julie Watson, Jean, and of course Marian, his wife of 30 years. He sends a great big thank you and a “Whoosh” to the Watson Caring Science Community.
Brooks Turkel is the 7th recipient of this award. Previous award honorees include the late Dr. Earl Bakken (2008), Founder of Medtronic and inventor of the First battery operated pacemaker; Dr. Anne Boykin (2009), theorist and Dean Emeritus of Christine E. Lynn School of Nursing at Florida Atlantic University; Dr. Jim D’Alfonso (2019), Executive Director, Professional Excellence & The Kaiser Permanente Nurse Scholars Academy and Honorary Doctorate in Caring Science; Chilean Nurse/Midwife Erika Caballero (2021), Academic Director UVISA and member of the International Council of Nurses (Region 6); Susan E. Mazer (2023), Chief Knowledge Officer and co-founder of Healing HealthCare System; and Dr. Joseph Giovannoni (2023), a Doctor of Nursing Practice, a Watson Caring Science Institute Postdoctoral Scholar, Caritas Coach® (Cohort 10), and Associate Faculty of WCSI.