Nursing at UCHealth

Contributions of Professional Nursing

• Erin Brix, BSN, RN, Charge Nurse – Preoperative/PACU. Erin identified an opportunity to improve practices and reduce costs for the entire UCHealth system while improving the preoperative nasal decolonization swab process used to prevent surgical site infections (SSI). Not only is the new swab and process more comfortable for patients, it has provided cost savings of approximately $100,000 for all of UCHealth.
• Sarah Fahs, RN, Charge Nurse – Medical Surgical Unit. Sarah consistently demonstrates high work ethics and standards. She is a steadfast nurse, solidly committed to the best quality outcomes of all of the patients on the Medical Surgical Unit.

Director of Nursing: Courtney Hoffbauer, DNP, RN-BC, NE-BC

Hospital Recognition

• Joint Commission Disease Specific Total Hip & Knee Replacement
• DNV Accreditation: Stroke-Ready Hospital

Contributions of Professional Nursing

• Implementation of Robotically-Assisted Orthopedic Surgery Partial & Total Knee Mako program.
• Jessica Clute BSN, RN-ONC, Inpatient Unit Nurse Manager & Carol Mantilla BSN, RN-ONC, Orthopedic Nurse Navigator. Presentation accepted at National Association for Orthopedic Nursing Conference: Enhancing patient knowledge: A standardized discharge class for total joint replacement (May 22-25, 2021).
• Nicole Harding, MSN, RN – Case Management. As a case manager who supports long-term placement patients, Nicole was recognized for consistently helping her unit colleagues by working clinical nursing shifts on the floor, including night shifts.

Hospital Recognition

American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Pathway to Excellence^® designated: 2024.

Contributions of Professional Nursing

• Toni Moses, MS, BSN, RN, CEN, TCRN, CNML – Emergency Department. Toni helped implement the 5-step Discharge Process in the Emergency Department (ED). Incorporating this educational and methodical discharge format ensures each patient is provided with detailed information regarding their stay, their care, and necessary follow up. This process includes thorough review of the reason for the patient visit, role of the ED, tests conducted and results, safety to be discharged, and next steps outlined for the patient. The ED won the award for most improved patient experience results in fiscal year 2021.
• Hannah Pfeifer, MBA, BSN, RN, Charge Nurse – Emergency Department. Hannah recognized a need in the ED to educate RNs on how to board inpatients as the number of boarding patients increased over the last year with a lack of inpatient resources to board these patients. Hannah pulled together information from the nurses on what specifically they needed education, direction from the lead hospitalist, and quality measures to educate the nurses on proper interventions and nursing care on inpatients. Hannah also worked with the ED team to expand the Pediatric Observation (flex/overflow) unit to better board inpatients with the correct supplies and technology to accommodate this population. We saw an increase in RN understanding, more complete care for patients boarding in the ED, and a decrease in patient falls after the education.
• Wendy Overcash, RN, BSN, Clinical Nurse – Emergency Department. 2021 DAISY Award winner.

Hospital Recognition

• The Joint Commission’s Certificate of Distinction for Primary Stroke Centers.
• Inpatient epilepsy monitoring unit led by neurologists who are board certified in neurology and epilepsy to help diagnose and construct the best treatment plans.
• Level III Trauma Center.

Contributions of Professional Nursing

• Melody Stendahl, BSN, RN, Clinical Nurse – ICU / DAISY Award winner. Melody received the DAISY Award for her extraordinary care of a patient who required intubation. The patient had recently lost her mother and stated that Melody’s reassuring presence helped her feel safe and supported during this difficult time.
• Megan Reffel, BSN, RNC-NIC, CLC, Charge Nurse – NICU. Megan was recognized in the 1st Annual UCHealth Nursing Research Fellowship Completion Ceremony on June 9, 2021 for her research work titled “Nurse Perceptions of Neonatal Collapse on Postpartum Units.”

Hospital Recognition

• AHA Primary Stroke Certified 2018.
• ACEP Accredited Geriatric Emergency Department 2018.
• Level III trauma center 2017.
• Low Acuity Bariatric Center of Excellence 2021.

Contributions of Professional Nursing

• Heidi Bradley, MSN, RN, CENP, CNML, C-EFM, Director of Nursing/Critical Care, Acute Care, Birth Center, Respiratory Services, Wound Care. Heidi was a nominated for the 2020 Colorado Nightingale Award for nursing leadership and innovation in the support of breastfeeding mothers.
• Kaitlyn Fast, RN, PCCN, Registered Nurse, Intensive Care Unit / 2021 DAISY Award. Kaitlyn received the DAISY award for demonstrating gratitude to her patients by thanking them at the end of each shift for allowing her to care for them. Families feel honored to be cared for by Kaitlyn.
• Jenifer James, BSN, RN, IBCLC, Registered Nurse, Birth Center / 2020 DAISY Award. Jenifer was recognized for the extraordinary care she gives laboring and postpartum patients by creating a unique and meaningful birth experience for them. Jenifer builds relationships with her patients and their families to learn what is important to them and incorporates their needs into their care.
• Jeanine Snyder, BSN, RN, CCRN, Registered Nurse, Post-Anesthesia Care Unit / 2021 Colorado Hospital Super Hero Award. With a strong background in critical care nursing, Jeanine stepped up to assist the hospital intensive care unit caring for the hospital’s sickest patients. She quickly became a reliable clinical resource among the group and an extraordinary colleague.

Hospital Recognition

• American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet^® designated: 2010, 2016, 2021.
• Primary Stroke Center certification by The Joint Commission and American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.
• American College of Surgeons (ACS) Level II Trauma Center 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019.
• American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Get with The Guidelines-Stroke GOLD PLUS Quality Award with Honor Roll 2020 and Target Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.
• Beacon Award for Excellence (Silver level) 2009, 2011, 2014, 2017 for the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit.
• Cardiac Surgery Unit Advanced Life Support (CSU-ALS) Center of Excellence.
• Get with the Guidelines STEMI Receiving Center.
• Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders (NICHE) member since 2018.
• US News & World Report High Performing hospital.
• US News & World Report ranks Medical Center of the Rockies as the #2 hospital in Colorado in 2021.

Contributions of Professional Nursing

• Toni Moses MS, BSN, RN, CNML, CEN, TCRN, Level IV – West Greeley ED / 2024 MCR Magnet Nurse Award for Transformational Leadership. Toni is a charge nurse at the West Greeley ED. She implemented a positivity board that helps unite all departments through personal connection, recognition, appreciation and humor. Her work has positively impacted staff practice environment. She serves as the pediatric readiness and vent champion and encourages staff to work together to improve other key patient care elements which have positively impacted patient outcomes. Toni developed and implemented a project focused on Mass casualty response for the freestanding ED. She exemplifies integrity and compassion through her work as a peer support. She is an exceptional leader, described as the glue bringing all departments together, and has created a positive environment resulting in improved staff retention. 
• Ashlyn Vander Wel BSN, RN – Cardiac Unit / 2024 MCR Magnet Nurse Award for Structural Empowerment. Ashlyn is a clinical nurse in the Cardiac Unit. She is the unit’s skin champion and regional skin committee representative. This role ensures the voice of the clinical nurse is represented and heard. Ashlyn has developed a fun and engaging method of sharing best practices with her team through ‘Ashlyn’s Skin News Network’. Because of her prevention efforts, the Cardiac Unit has gone over 6 months without a HAPI occurrence. Ashlyn also serves as a primary and core preceptor, guiding, mentoring and role-modeling nursing professional practice for new graduates, new nurses and nursing students. Her expertise and professionalism have been vital components in providing a positive experience for her colleagues.
• Bernie Reidel BSN, RN, CAPA, CPAN – Professional Development / 2024 MCR Magnet Nurse Award for Exemplary Professional Practice. Bernie a Clinical Nurse Educator for Perioperative Services. She champions education and training for perioperative nurses to recognize Malignant Hyperthermia. Her work arms nurses with the knowledge and competence to identify, assess, and respond to this rare phenomenon. She streamlined supplies and equipment across departments and promotes an environment for quicker response times. Bernie has been praised for her knowledge, passion for great patient care, and equipment standardization as a best practice recommendation for other organizations to follow. Bernie’s passion for ensuring nurses are well prepared to care for patients during their recovery speaks volumes. Bernie is described as a mainstay of the perioperative departments, an incredible clinician, and a tireless advocate for both staff and patients through the countless hours she devotes to their professional development.
• Angela Caldwell BSN, RN, VA-BC – Vascular Access Team / 2024 MCR Magnet Nurse Award for New Knowledge, Innovations, and Improvements. Angela works as a vascular access nurse. She has taught, mentored, and precepted clinical nurses and provides insights into this specialized role. She identified a need for enhanced training for ultrasound guided IV placement in the absence of the vascular access team. She helped develop and implement a training for clinical nurses to learn this technique. Using the most up-to-date evidence-based practices, she has revamped the approach to this training, improving educational content and skill validation checklists while decreasing inefficiencies in training time and costs. Angela’s work will soon expand beyond the northern region as she prepares to lead a system-wide standardization of this training. This work has enhanced patient safety by ensuring patients have the most appropriate IV access. Angela’s dedication supports clinical nurses in practicing autonomously and with enhanced levels of nursing practice.
• Aaron Brack RN – Surgical PCU / 2024 MCR Magnet Nurse Award for Empirical Outcomes. Aaron is a nurse in the SPCU. He serves as the unit’s unit based council chair. He has guided the council in focused efforts and goals surrounding early mobility. Aaron measure the SPCU and created the ‘Everybody Moves’ movement. These visuals have helped staff understand the importance and impact early mobility has on nursing quality indicators and patient outcomes. Since focusing on early mobility, the SPCU has had 100% adherence to mobility goals. The team has shown great engagement and the success of the initiative is a direct reflection of Aaron’s support and guidance. He recognizes the importance of quality metrics and keeps them top of mind for the UBC. Aaron has been a great resource by sharing his knowledge and expertise with others.
• Michelle Breese BSN, RN – SANE Program Nurse Manager / 2024 Magnet Nurse Leader Award. Michelle has been the nurse manager of the SANE program since fall 2023. Under her leadership, the program has demonstrated transformational growth and serves patients beyond what was offered in the past. Her efforts have resulted in the expansion of community stakeholders including education that increases program awareness and offers resources to high school and college students. She has acquired additional resources and equipment for the program including community clinic space for non-acute pediatric exams and implemented evidence-based protocols and screening tools for specific populations. Michelle regularly shares current information with her team including knowledge gained from attending case reviews through Larimer and Weld Counties. Her efforts have resulted in a remarkable 109% volume growth of the program and have addressed community care gaps patient needs as they navigate vulnerable and difficult situations. She is described by her team as a passionate leader, phenomenal educator and fearless patient advocate.

Hospital Recognition

MHC: Memorial Hospital Central / MHN: Memorial Hospital North

• American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet^® Designated: 2023.
• ACC National Distinction of Excellence HeartCARE Center.
• ACC Chest Pain with Primary PCI and Resuscitation Accreditation; MHC.
• ACC Chest Pain with Primary PCI and Resuscitation Accreditation; MHN.
• ACC Electrophysiology Accreditation.
• ACC Transcatheter Valve Certification.
• Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) at MHC and MHN in Adult Transthoracic Echocardiography.
• Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) at MHC and MHN in Vascular Extracranial Cerebrovascular Testing, Peripheral Arterial Testing, Peripheral Venous Testing.
• Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) at MHC and MHN in Nuclear/PET: Myocardial Perfusion Imaging.
• Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) at MHC in Nuclear/PET: Positron Emission Tomography.
• Best Regional Hospitals in U.S. / US News & World Report 2020-21.
• MHC The only designated Level I Trauma Center in Southern Colorado.
• MHN Level II Trauma Center.
• MHC The only Comprehensive Stroke center in Southern Colorado.
• MHN Primary Stroke Center.
• MHC 5N Renal AMSRN PRISM Awardee.
• Outstanding Achievement Award for the Oncology service line, American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer.
• Rehab Patient Care Unit (RPCU) Awarded “Top Performer.”
• Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG): Memorial’s Cancer Medicine and Oncology Clinical Trials team have been recognized as being in the top 1 percent for accruing to SWOG oncology research trials.

Contributions of Professional Nursing

• Lisa Simmons, BSN, RN, CCRN, Memorial Central Campus Intensive Care Unit/ 2021 Clinical Excellence Award for Exemplary Professional Practice. Lisa is a leader in the ICU and widely regarded as a role model by both critical and acute care nurses.  Lisa is being nominated for the work that she’s done to build the Critical Care Outreach (CCOR) Nurse into the respected position that it is today.  The role was developed due to the high census and higher acuity of patients that were being held outside of ICU waiting for an ICU bed.  Lisa had been a charge nurse in the ICU and was eager to be the first to fill that role.  Very quickly she was put in contact with the Virtual Health Center so that she could establish a relationship and build a communication structure whereby the CCOR nurse would round on the patients in the hospital who were at highest risk for deterioration based on surveillance done by Epic.  The CCOR nurses will also communicate to the VHC which patients need to be on a ‘watch list’. Shortly after the role began the pandemic begun.  Lisa was instrumental in rounding on all of the COVID patients and having, what turned out to be with many, the last conversations with them.  There’s no data that we can collect that would capture the value that her calm, expert presence meant.  Lisa developed the code response for our COVID patients and had it approved through incident command.  She used the Centers for Disease Control guidelines as her reference. Lisa is the definition of exemplary professional practice.
• Codi Wingo, BSN, RN, CEN, Memorial Central Campus Emergency Department/FY2022 DAISY Award. Codi was nominated for the DAISY award by a patient’s family for the care and support she provided to not only the patient but the entire family unit. The patient’s mother stated that Codi’s care and attention was extraordinary on what turned out to be the worst day of her life. Codi was involved in the patient’s care in the Emergency Department but her attention quickly turned to the patient’s family; ensuring their safety and well-being during a critical time. Codi was noted to be compassionate and skilled in her care delivery and made a lasting impact on this family.

Hospital Recognition

• Critical Access Hospital.
• CDPHE designated Level IV Trauma Center.
• DNV designated Acute Stroke Ready Facility.

Hospital Recognition

• American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet^® Designated: 2000, 2004, 2009, 2014, 2018, 2023.
• Primary Stroke Center certification by The Joint Commission and American Heart Association / American Stroke Association.
• American Heart Association / American Stroke Association Get with The Guidelines-Stroke GOLD PLUS Quality Award with Honor Roll Elite 2020 and Target Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.
• Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders (NICHE) member since 2018.
• American College of Surgeons Bariatric Surgery Center Network (ACS BSCN) Accreditation Program – Bariatric Center of Excellence. Re-designated in 2015.
• Patient Centered Medical Home, Level 3 – Family Medicine Center, National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
• Healthgrades America’s 100 Best Hospitals 2020.
• Watson Health Top 100 Hospitals (Teaching Hospitals) 2021.
• US News & World Report High Performing hospital.
• US News & World Report ranks Poudre Valley Hospital as the #4 hospital in Colorado.

Contributions of Professional Nursing

• Kristin Cox BSN, RN – Cancer Center of the Rockies / 2024 Magnet Nurse Award for Transformational Leadership. Kristin is a role model as a change agent and encourages openness to new thinking. She listened to staff who wanted to write a proposal to work from home. Kristin took the time to truly listen and understand their perspective and then helped create a proposal that could be shared with leaders. Staff were able to share the proposal with leadership and are now moving forward with work from home plans as proposed. Kristin’s leadership has led to improved team morale, decreased turnover rates (0% for the last 10 months) and an increase in innovative change for the team and department she serves. Through these measures she is also positively impacting patient experience and contributing to quality patient care. She continues to be an integral part of the Oncology Service Line as a whole and a role model for all nurses.
• Ashley Glaubke BSN, RN, ONS – Medical Oncology / 2024 Magnet Nurse Award for Structural Empowerment. ​​​​​​​Ashley has brought compassion, empathy, and strength to her role as an oncology nurse and her passion for this population is unequalled. Ashley developed competencies and a standardized practice for advancing the skills of current and new oncology nurses. One of the goals was to have 90% of current oncology nurses “level-up” using her tiered system. Since starting the project, she accomplished a rate of 90.6%. Ashley collaborated with the Radiation Officer to create education and best practice guidelines for patients treated with I-131. Her work helped ensure regulatory guidelines and hospital standards were met and 100% of staff were trained this year. Additionally, Ashley is working with hematology oncology partners on a new drug to be offered in Northern Colorado and provide staff education for the high-risk treatment. Ashley is highly respected by her peers and is a resource for other nurses.
• Myla Simeon BSN, RN – Orthopedic Unit / 2024 Magnet Nurse Award for Exemplary Professional Practice. Myla is a nurse on the Orthopedic unit. She has role modeled leading patients and their families to a beter hospital experience. She has a calm, reassuring presence and is an excellent communicator and educator. She advocates for family concerns to problem solve best outcomes including timely recognition and management of the patient status changes. Myla effectively deescalates patient or family anxiety with her warm smile and listening ear. She has sharpened her clinical skills over the years and performs assessments and procedures efficiently and expertly, giving patients confidence in the care they are receiving. Myla is a core preceptor and the nurses she works with were able to integrate faster, they performed at a high-level once orientation was completed. Myla’s positivity, smile and can-do attitude are infectious. She is also an accomplished marathon runner who has competed from Berlin to Tokyo. Her tenacity is inspiring!
• Erin Liebman DNP, RN, APN, AGNS-BC – Professional Development / 2024 Magnet Nurse Award for New Knowledge, Innovations, and Improvements. Erin is a Clinical Nurse Specialist bringing evidence-based practices into the behavioral health arena. She worked to bring together a multi-disciplinary team to assess the current treatment team process and made sure nurses were involved. She created a schedule to rotate providers and care coordinators through the units and sent out surveys weekly to gather feedback from staff.  This project resulted in a decrease in treatment team time, and an increase in staff and nursing satisfaction. Additionally, Erin researched and implemented a fall scale for psychiatric adult patient populations and is working to validate the scale for adolescent populations. Erin also led work on safety huddles at MCR and PVH to increase collaboration when there is a difficult patient. These huddles have helped keep patients and staff safe.
• Daphne Dubach BSN, RN-BC – Float Pool / 2024 Magnet Nurse Award for Empirical Outcomes. Daphne is a clinical nurse with the Float Pool. She led the implementation of a Discharge Suite at PVH. This project helped address capacity challenges that resulted in patient boarding in the ED. She conducted a literature review that showed a delay in admission to an inpatient unit could result in an increased risk for adverse events. Daphne proactively addressed barriers to the project’s success by creating staff education and presenting at multiple meetings. During the 3-month Discharge Suite pilot, length of stay for patients was decreased by 15 minutes which resulted in improved patient flow to inpatient units and decreased wait/hold times for PACU and ED admissions.
• Erin Stewart BSN, OCN, RN-BC – Cancer Center of the Rockies / 2024 Magnet Nurse Leader Award. Erin is an innovative and transformational nurse leader. She is a trailblazer in a specialty environment where innovative nursing models are emerging for oncology nurse navigators and RN care managers. Erin makes sure data and outcomes are visible to her team, a practice that positively impacts key performance measures. She has worked to determine the impact of two ambulatory oncology roles which has revealed both positive outcomes and top barriers. The work Erin and her team are doing daily has resulted in reduced ED visits and readmissions and positive trends are being sustained. Erin has revolutionized demonstration for the impact of oncology nursing specialty roles. Erin is a compassionate leader with focus on patient-centered care, and she uses data-driven excellence to demonstrate nursing impact on patient outcomes.

Hospital Recognition

• #1 US News and World Report in Colorado for 11 years in a row, most recently in July 2022.
• American College of Cardiology (ACC) Accreditation Services™ Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI 2022.
• American College of Surgeons (ACS) Level I Trauma Center 2018, 2023.
• Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) Level I designation 2018.
• American Heart Association (AHA) “Get with the Guidelines” Gold Plus, Target Stroke Elite Honor Roll, and Target Stroke Advanced Therapy Honor Roll 2022.
• American Heart Association (AHA) Comprehensive Stroke Center 2021.
• American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet^® Designated: 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2020.
• American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Prize^® Recipient: 2004.
• American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Nurse of the Year Award^® Recipients: 2011, 2013, 2016, 2023.
• American Burn Association (ABA) Verified Burn Center 2021.
• American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) Beacon Award of Excellence: Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit 2015
• Baby-Friendly USA, Inc. Baby Friendly^® designation 2023.
• Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accredited Post Baccalaureate Nurse Residency Program 2019.
• National Cancer Institute (NCI) Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The Joint Commission (TJC) Certifications

• Inpatient Diabetes Advanced Certification 2022.
• Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification 2021.
• Ventricular Assist Device Certification 2022.
• Palliative Care Advanced Certification 2022.

Contributions of Professional Nursing

• Alison “Ali” Farmer, BSN, RN-BC Level III – Radiology CAT Scan / 2023 UCH Magnet Nurse of the Year Award for Exemplary Professional Practice. As a part of her Level III credential project Ali worked to decrease turnaround times for patients requiring CT scans for chest pain. Working with provider stakeholders, nurses, radiologists and CT techs, Ali developed a nurse driven protocol that allowed nurses to practice at the top of their scope to deliver metoprolol to patients who met certain criteria. This nurse driven protocol bypassed the need to call a provider for metoprolol each time a patient’s heart rate exceeded the rate for the scan. She also worked to enhance the CT Cardiac Wizard ordering template, providing the necessary information to the ordering provider about the need for Metoprolol as a pre-procedure medication. Ali also worked with CT manager and schedulers to set realistic scanning time frames for patients and implemented a pre-procedural phone call process ensuring patients received instructions and prescriptions if they required metoprolol prior to their scan. This process decreased the amount of IV metoprolol that was given, reduced wait times for patients and streamlined the communications with providers. Ali continues to monitor our progress and will adjust as necessary. Ali is deserving of this award because of her commitment to improving care for patients, for elevating nursing practice and strives to improve patient safety.
• Anne Behring, BSN, RNC-MNN, C-EFM – Mother Baby Unit / 2023 UCH Magnet Nurse of the Year Award for Transformational Leadership. Anne is the UCH nursing representative for the statewide Colorado Perinatal Care Quality Collaborative (CPCQC), a group who is working to advance best practices and improve outcomes in maternal and infant health, including maternal substance use disorder; and substance exposed newborns. Because overdose in Colorado is one of the top 2 maternal health-related killers, Anne partnered with the Colorado Naloxone Project to equip patients with Narcan when discharging home at no expense to the patient or the hospital. With an AIM to prevent narcotic-related overdose deaths, Anne partnered with pharmacy to create a workflow for medication storage and distribution to patients. Due to Anne’s advocacy, and tenacious follow through, she was successful in getting Narcan available for OB mothers as they discharged home. While outcomes are difficult to obtain, there is no doubt that having postpartum moms have access to Narcan is saving lives. Anne’s work in this project exemplifies what nurses are capable of though interprofessional collaboration, dedication to patient safety, and implementing evidence-based practice. Anne has dedicated her entire career to improving patient outcomes in the OB patient population and exceptionally passionate about her work with Narcan. This is one of many reasons why she is deserving of the Magnet Nurse of the Year Award!
• Christine Foote Lucero, MSN, RN, CEN, SANE-A, SANE-P, AFN-C – Emergency Department-Forensics Program / 2023 UCH Magnet Nurse of the Year Award for Structural Empowerment. Christine has been instrumental in changing statewide legislation and has testified at the State Capital to open up more options and resources for those affected by violence. Her testimony has aided in the passing of two House Bills, providing the framework for domestic violence reporting and expanding the use of victim’s compensation funds to victims of strangulation. Christine has made a name for herself as an expert witness in domestic violence, forensic nursing, strangulation, sexual assault, and injury. She has also opened the first outpatient follow-up clinic in the state of Colorado for patients to return to UCH after an initial forensic exam. Christine’s dedication to the local community, the state of Colorado, and the nurses in the FNE program are awe-inspiring and unparalleled. Her passion for this patient population is contagious, and she mentors her team to fight for those affected by violence with the same rigor. Christine ‘s life’s work has made a tremendous impact in the field of forensic nursing and on the lives of those affected by violence.
• Desirea “Dezz” Ulibarri, MSCIT, BSN, RN-BC – Orthopedics Unit / 2023 UCH Magnet Nurse of the Year Award for New Knowledge, Innovations and Improvements. In August 2022 Dezz was tasked with implementing an innovative care delivery mode entitled Partners in Care, on the Orthopedic Unit. This models joins nurses, nursing assistants, Patient technology techs, mobility techs, and other patient support roles to work closely together to care for a group of patients during their shift. Dezz’s leadership was instrumental in creating workflows to help guide practice; socializing, championing, and spreading the vision of Partners in Care. She leveraged the innovators and early adopters on the unit to help socialize the change, created a culture of psychological safety and opened up various platforms for communications for staff feedback. Because of Dezz’s leadership and the support from the amazing staff on Orthopedics and their dedication to leading the way for innovative care delivery models, the Ortho unit saw significant quality improvements in every nurse sensitive indicator during their pilot period, including; ZERO falls with injury, ZERO CAUTI, ZERO CLABSI, and a significant reduction in HAPI. Congratulations to Dezz for leading the way implementing this vison on the Orthopedics Unit!
• Gladiz Martinez, MS, APRN, AGCNS-BC, CMSRN – Transplant Center / 2023 UCH Magnet Nurse of the Year Award for Exemplary Professional Practice. Gladiz’ strategy for reducing disparities in transplantation was to develop a culturally competent program that would evolve as the specific needs of the Hispanic or Latino patient populations continue to grow. Interventions included increasing language-appropriate access, educational materials, hospital navigation in Spanish and conducting patient support groups. Through the use of multiple, innovative interventions, Gladiz helped develop a holistic approach to improving the patient experience and patient outcomes by successfully utilizing EHR systems and data analysis between different institutions to increase access for Hispanic patients with kidney failure. Gladiz planned and helped facilitate bi-monthly support groups for patients and family members to address multiple topics, such as fundraising, health insurance, expectations on all phases of transplant, live donation, and patient testimonials. Speaking their language, along with understanding their culture, including diet, lifestyle habits, religion, and social life, has proven successful and helps eliminate barriers for this patient population to seek health care when they desperately need it. In 2021, referrals increased by 36% and evaluations increased 64%. With the support of this program through 2022, we have placed 107 patients on the kidney transplant waitlist and transplanted 86. With Gladiz’ leadership, we now support and empower our Hispanic patient population to navigate a very complex system and ensure them equal access to life-saving transplantation. Gladiz has also been nominated for the ANCC National Magnet Nurse of the Year Award for 2023!
• Kari Freed, BSN, RN, AMB-BC – Outpatient Infusion / 2023 UCH Magnet Nurse of the Year Award for New Knowledge, Innovations and Improvements. Kari worked to develop an innovative care delivery model called “Curbside Care” for patients receiving prolia – an IM medication for patients with osteoporosis. Kari noted an opportunity to improve care for these patients right from their car, eliminating the need to been seen in the outpatient infusion center. Kari’s dedication to this project has been remarkable as she worked with multidisciplinary teams from across the system from regulatory, finance and billing, to IT, space planning, and patient scheduling. Since the launch of this model, it has grown to include the delivery of five additional medications and the list continues to grow along with the opening of a second location. Because of her work, innovating thinking, and perseverance, Curbside Care has reduced appointment times for prolia patients from an average of 60 minutes to 6 minutes and has increased access to appointment times for patients receiving infusion in the Outpatient Infusion Center.
• Rachel Musenero, BSN, RN, AMB-BC – Neurology Clinic / 2023 UCH Magnet Nurse of the Year Award for Transformational Leadership. As an ambulatory care nurse, Rachel provides patient and family care in multiple formats, over the phone, in the clinics, through the patient portal, and in email. Through this work she recognized the impact of verbal violence on the physical and emotional well-being of healthcare workers and patients. She took the initiative to develop scripting that equips healthcare workers with practical, effective, and safe responses to verbal violence. Her work has been incredibly successful educating teams about the prevalence of verbal violence against healthcare workers in our organization, and she increased verbal violence reporting by 1433%. Her work has fostered a culture of safety and respect when caring for our patients, and staff feel more empowered to speak up about incidents of verbal violence. Her work has had a ripple effect, influencing positive change in the healthcare industry beyond our organization. Rachel’s commitment to improving the lives of her colleagues and patients is admirable and is worthy of the Magnet nurse recognition. She has made a significant contribution not only to her to her clinic, but UCH, and recently has been accepted to present her work in April during the National AAACN Conference on Orlando Florida and has been selected to receive the AAACN Writer’s Award for 2022.
• Sonja Welter, BSN, RN, CPAN – PACU / 2023 UCH Magnet Nurse of the Year Award for New Knowledge, Innovations and Improvements. Over this past year, Sonja has been an integral part in developing and rolling out the Gastric Sleeve Same Day Discharge (SDD) program in the PACU. She collaborated with multi-disciplinary teams to develop a SDD Gastric Sleeve order set for PACU, as well as a PACU SDD Gastric Sleeve operational workflow and PACU SDD Gastric Sleeve Tip Sheet for RNs to use as a resource when caring for these patients. Without this program, many patients would have had to wait months to have their life-changing surgery. Additionally, in April of 2022, Sonja readily took on the integration of implementing remote patient monitoring for gastric sleeve patients in collaboration with the virtual health center. She worked closely with the Virtual Health team and providers to ensure the workflow would meet the needs of the, the patients, providers, nurses, and the Virtual Health team. Since the SDD Gastric Sleeve program was initiated, dozens of patients have successfully discharged, saving unnecessary admissions and reducing the length of stay from 1 day to 0.

Hospital Recognition

• CMS 5-star rating in 2021
• ED certified as Level III Trauma Center 2018 (recertified 2019)
• Top 20 Rural & Community Hospitals 2019, 2021
• Top 100 Rural & Community Hospitals 2019, 2020, 2021
• 100 Great Community Hospitals 2018, 2019

Contributions of Professional Nursing

• Michelle Bazile, RN, Med/Surg Resource Nurse and Orthopedic Nurse Navigator; Julie Friese, RN, Med/Surg and ICU; Mary Oamek, RN, Med/Surg and ICU; and Dan Tydeman, RN, OR, moved to Level III in UEXCEL, UCHealth’s Focus on Nursing EXcellence in Clinical Practice, Education and Evidence-Based Practice, and Leadership program, taking an active role in contributing to the improved patient outcomes, education and management (2021).
• Liz Graham, RN, a labor and delivery nurse and lactation specialist at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center in Steamboat Springs, is passionate about her role in supporting women’s health. She was recognized in November 2020 with a Daisy Award for the outstanding care she delivers to patients.
• The Joint Commission recognized a collaborative effort by nurses, physicians, infection prevention, pharmacy, lab and environment services teams on the patient care unit at YVMC for their multi-disciplinary approach and implementation of streamlined processes in the reduction of hospital-onset C. diff. (September 2020)