PARIS, TN – In ceremonies to award service recognition on Thursday, September 12, HCMC Administration recognized 80 people representing over 1,000 years of service for the organization. Included in this ceremony, HCMC recognizes a Department Director that is nominated to be honored as Director of the Year. This year’s recipients have tirelessly given their all to keep Henry County Medical Center at the top of its game. We are pleased to announce Jacki O’Brien for 2018 and Rhonda Crossett for 2019 Department Directors of the Year.
Jacki O’Brien, Director of Infection Control/Education, was recognized as 2018 Department Director of the Year for her accomplishments related to education and infection control including her recognition by the Tennessee Hospital Association for her presentation on Clostridium Difficile (Cdif) statistics for HCMC which were better than benchmark.
O’Brien has been with HCMC since January 2017. During her tenure here she has taken on many tasks to streamline our education process, review all infection control processes and policies as well as help with many other tasks involving our partners. She played a major role in helping with the success of our Benefits Fair and our annual Partner Screenings. O’Brien and her staff have devoted many hours to ensuring all the data was updated and correct to send out results to each partner and their spouses who screened.
O’Brien was recruited and relocated to Paris, TN from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She attended Waynesburg University for her bachelors and completed her Masters in nursing in 2008. She started her career as a nursing assistant in 1987, completed her associate degree and worked as a charge nurse, an adjunct faculty for Allegheny Community College and Waynesburg University, a nursing supervisor, a staff development coordinator, an infection preventionist at UPMC St. Margaret in Pittsburgh, and most recently System Director of Infection prevention in Marietta Georgia for Wellstar Health System, and Christus Health in Corpus Christi, Texas. All combined, she has worked in nursing and healthcare for 31 years.
Ronda Crossett, Director of Women’s Services at HCMC was named the 2019 Director of the Year. She was selected for her true servant leadership she displays within her department and at Henry County Medical Center. Through helping others, Crossett developed many understandings of how to best deliver care. She has been an instructor for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Team STEPPS program with a focus on patient safety and efficiencies.
She also has been an instructor for the HCMC’s LEAN Leadership team with a focus on efficiencies. She has utilized these programs to assist in her leadership skills and gain safety and efficiencies. Our outcomes for Perinatal Care have been outstanding in the industry, exceeding Tennessee and National averages. As an example, Elective Delivery care has been at 0% for the past 4 years, while State and National averages are 2%. And our C-Section rate has ranged from 18% to 24%, well under the National 32% rate.
Crossett has implemented many strategies from both Team STEPPS and Lean. As Director of her service line she has managed well productivity and operating margin for her service. Productivity has been 122% with turnover at just 6%. Also operating margin well exceeded budget, an actual of 34.9% compared to budget of 15.5%.
Crossett strives for our Women’s Services Programs to be the best. HCMC has been recognized by BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee as a Blue Distinction Center for Maternity Care as part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care Program. The recognition comes from the performance deliverance of the high quality outcomes stated above.
Last year, HCMC delivered an average of 25 babies per month. Now, HCMC is delivering 50-60 babies per month. When this became so burdensome on our Pediatric group, Crossett came through again with a solution. HCMC now has Neonatology services in-house with a 24 hour Special Care Nursery.
Crossett has been recognized by THA for Reduction in Early Elective Deliveries. She has been recognized by Henry County Medical Center as Department Director of the Quarter twice. She has served on the Perinatal Medical Staff Committee, the Quality Committee, as well as many other strategic service line committees. She has been a great mentor to several new Directors for us, assisting them with the knowledge of “how to’s” in today’s healthcare environment. And each day you will find her with a smile and finding her way through the hospital on her journey to give.
Crossett has served as Director of the Women’s Center since 2011. She has received a B.S. in Chemistry from Christian Brothers University, a B.S. in Nursing from University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, and a M.S.N. (Masters in Nursing) from Union University.
“It is exciting to work with such talented people like Jackie and Rhonda,” said Lisa Casteel, CEO at Henry County Medical Center. “Their leadership and dedication resonates throughout the organization and allows us to implement new services and programs for our patients and our employees.”
Henry County Medical Center continues to grow forward with excellent leadership like these two outstanding department directors who help manage and work with over 900 partners throughout our organization. This year HCMC celebrated two directors from two different years as we transition the time of year we host our Service Awards to accommodate our fiscal year.
For more information about HCMC or careers at HCMC, check out our website at www.hcmc-tn.org.
About Henry County Medical Center
Located in Paris, TN, Henry County Medical Center is a progressive, integrated healthcare organization committed to serving the healthcare needs of Henry County and the adjoining region. Including a 142-bed hospital and other facilities, the medical center provides a variety of outpatient services, as well as inpatient care. Additionally, HCMC owns and operates 7 provider clinics in various specialties. Henry County Medical Center is a county-owned and operated nonprofit institution. For more information: www.hcmc-tn.org.