Via Christi Health Hires New CNO

March 3, 2011 - PRLog -- After conducting a nationwide executive search led by healthcare leadership solutions firm B. E. Smith, Via Christi Hospitals Wichita, located in Wichita, Kan., has hired Linda Goodwin to fill the role of chief nursing officer. A seasoned healthcare executive with nearly 30 years of nursing leadership experience, Goodwin will assume her new duties at Via Christi on April 1, 2011.
“Via Christi decided to take its practice of nursing to an even higher level. They needed a healthcare executive with proven success in setting the direction and vision for leading-edge nursing, as well as serving as a catalyst and leader of the implementation of outcomes-driven care,” according to Kathy Noland, Ph.D., senior vice president of executive search for B. E. Smith, the leadership solutions firm that conducted the nationwide CNO search for Via Christi Hospitals Wichita. “Linda has the background to develop a nursing strategic plan that will take Via Christi’s nursing practice to the next level.”
Prior to joining Via Christi Hospitals Wichita, Goodwin served as CNO with Memorial Health System in Colorado Springs, Colo., where she had executive leadership responsibility for all patient nursing care departments, perioperative services and emergency services at the system’s three campuses, as well as its free-standing surgery center, cancer center and two urgent care facilities. Her career has included executive leadership positions at Salina Regional Health Center in Salina, Kan. and Hutchinson Hospital Corporation in Hutchinson, Kan.
Goodwin is a registered nurse and completed a master of science in nursing degree at Fort Hays State in Hays, Kan.; a master’s of business administration at Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, Kan.; and a bachelor of science in nursing degree at Marymount College in Salina, Kan. She also is a Board-Certified Nurse Executive, Advanced by the American Nursing Association and is certified as a Fellow-Healthcare Executive with the American College of Healthcare Executives, of which she also is a member.
About Via Christi Health, Inc. the parent corporation of Via Christi Hospitals Wichita:
Via Christi Health's history of serving the people of Kansas and the surrounding region dates back more than 100 years to the healing ministries of its founding congregations. Today, with more than 10,000 employees and nearly $2 billion in revenue, Via Christi Health is the largest provider of healthcare services in Kansas. The not-for-profit health system serves Kansas and northeast Oklahoma through hospitals and outpatient centers, senior villages and at-home services. Via Christi Health is affiliated with the Marian Health System and Ascension Health. For more information, please visit www.via-christi.org.
About B. E. Smith:
Founded in 1978, B. E. Smith is a full-service leadership solutions firm for healthcare providers. B. E. Smith’s comprehensive suite of services includes Interim Healthcare Leadership, Permanent Executive Placements and Consulting Solutions. The company is comprised of veteran healthcare leaders who partner with each client to create a solution that uniquely fits that client’s individual needs. B. E. Smith maintains the largest database of skilled leadership and interim executive candidates in the industry and recently placed more than 600 leaders into healthcare organizations worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.BESmith.com or call 877-802-4593.

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A leading provider of Healthcare Interim Leadership, Permanent Executive Placements and Consulting. B. E. Smith recently placed over 600 leaders into healthcare organizations worldwide. For more information, visit www.besmith.com or call 877.802.4593.