Awa Jones, R.N., B.S.N., has become the new manager of pediatrics at City of Hope.

Jones already is a City of Hope veteran, joining the hospital’s staff in 1998 after receiving her bachelor’s degree in nursing from USC. Pediatrics is familiar territory for Jones, as well, since she served as a staff nurse in the unit during her first three years at the Medical Center before transferring to the intensive care unit (ICU).

"Awa is regarded as a strong clinical nurse, is customer-oriented and approaches her work from a team perspective," said Richard Zucker, R.N., M.S.N., clinical director of pediatrics. "Awa's many years as a clinical nurse here at City of Hope will be very valuable in her new role."

As manager of pediatrics, Jones joins the Medical Center’s Patient Care Services Leadership Team. She also is responsible for a broad array of duties in the group, covering everything from supervising and coaching employees to leading performance improvement initiatives.

"She's going to bring an unbelievable amount of skills back to pediatrics," Zucker said. "She was exemplary in the ICU, and it’s fitting that she is furthering her career and being promoted from within into a management position."

Jones looks forward to the challenges ahead. "I'm really excited. I had been in the ICU a long time, but I always felt like pediatrics was my home," said Jones, who served as a pediatrics resource nurse in the ICU. "Everybody has been so welcoming. They know that I already know City of Hope and hem/onc, so there’s a sense from others here that they know they’re working with someone who’s not naïve to their concerns."