Deborah Gerber, San Juan Regional Medical Center's chief nursing officer, is retiring after nearly a quarter-century career at the facility.
The regional hospital's clinical director of nursing, Suzanne Smith, succeeds her Aug. 15.
"I've been under Deb's tutelage the
entire time, and it's prepared me to assume the role," Smith said. "I'm excited, but I'm nervous to step into her shoes and do a service to the community."
The position Gerber vacates oversees the nursing services to patients at San Juan Regional. The chief nursing officer also offers mentorship to the hospital's nursing staff and acts as a liaison among the physicians, nurses and with the hospital's board of directors.
"It's a leader for the services with a focus on quality, consistency and compliance," Smith said.
Gerber considers the change to be her retirement, but like many career workers, she will keep her hands in her profession.
"I'll be working for Herman Miller as a consultant," she said.
The national firm provides
health care products. Gerber said she will remain in Farmington.
"It's been a hard decision because I have spent a large part of my life here and I have a lot of friends in the organization," she said.
Her working career spans four decades, beginning in Wichita, Kan., and tailing off as citizen ambassador to China, a position awarded her by the American Organization of Nurse Executives last year.
Gerber watched the hospital grow from a two- to a four-floor facility with a tower during her years at San Juan Regional. The nursing administration offices occupy the hospital's original Labor/Delivery area.
Women's medical needs led the way for changes in how health care services are delivered.
"The national demand by families led the movement to health care delivery," Smith said, referring to the more family friendly options available to parents when a new baby joins them. "It's evolution."
Speaking to the liaison duties of the chief nursing officer, both women said another aspect of changes in the medical care delivery systems the hospital offers is the cooperative, collegial relationship between nurses and physicians, and the open lines of communication between the two groups.
"The hospital's medical staff has been very insightful in putting together guidelines that keep all of us to a higher standard," Gerber said.
Gerber's and Smith's nursing training taught them it is a privilege and an honor to care for patients. That training will go with Smith into her new position.
"Things change and evolve; I still get to do nursing and stay abreast of what's going on," she said. "Nursing administration is real nursing."
Reminiscing over her years at San Juan Regional, Gerber praised the hospital as a great organization that is progressing and filled with state-of-the-art equipment.
"I give a lot of credit to the hospital," she said.
San Juan Regional is San Juan County's largest employer, with more than 1,400 employees. Many of them — 475 total — are nurses.
Cornelia de Bruin: cdebruin@daily-times.com
Source :The Daily Times
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
San Juan Regional bids farewell to top nursing administrator: Smith to replace Gerber in lead role
Hospitals, nursing homes petition judge to slow Medicaid cuts
Attorneys for dozens of hospitals and nursing homes asked a Hinds County chancery judge today to slow the process of deep cuts planned for Medicaid, the health care program that serves hundreds of thousands of Mississippians.
Judge Patricia Wise said she would make a decision before Friday, when a hearing on the proposed cuts is scheduled.
Nearly 40 hospitals and 130 nursing homes want the hearing delayed until Medicaid officials provide proof of why they need to cut $375 million from a program that is not in immediate danger of running out of money. They also want more information on how the cuts would impact health care providers.
John Sneed, an attorney representing the hospitals, said Medicaid is in violation of state law because officials have not presented a detailed analysis of how the planned cuts would affect health care providers.
He said the impact of the cuts will be “devastating.” Providers have said the cuts will require some hospitals and nursing homes to shut down. They’ve also predicted that thousands of health care workers will be laid off, and doctors will stop seeing Medicaid patients.
“The consequences are so severe, the defendants must be required to do this right,” Sneed said.
Ricky Luke, a special assistant Attorney General representing the Division of Medicaid, said the agency’s summary of the impact of the planned cuts constitutes its analysis.
He also argued that courts are “not empowered to stop an administrative train wreck,” referring to the plaintiffs’ attorneys’ description of the planned cuts. Health care providers can legally challenge the cuts after they are enacted, he said.
Gov. Haley Barbour, a Republican, is threatening the cuts will go into effect next Wednesday unless lawmakers adopt a hospital tax plan as a long-term funding solution for Medicaid. Many Democrats want to include a cigarette tax hike, though, and the political stand-off has not been resolved.
Source :Hospitals, nursing homes petition judge to slow Medicaid cuts
Shortage in nursing field
Recruiting efforts are underway locally aimed at middle and high school students.
In 2006, the UNC-Wilmington School of Nursing developed Camp Brigade of Nurse Exploring Seahawks – Camp BONES for short.
The camp is two weeks during the summer and allows the students to shadow nurses at work.
This year 33 local students are involved in the camp, and this week they are at New Hanover Regional Medical Center learning about nursing and career possibilities.
Hoggard High School freshman Andrea Age said, "I want to be a cardiologist, at least that's what I was thinking. Now, I may want to be a nurse practitioner or a labor nurse."
That is just the reaction camp counselors are hoping for.
For more information call the School of Nursing at UNCW at 910-962-3784.
Source :Shortage in nursing field
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