Nursing Update
New Director of Behavioral Health Service Line
Tracee Hendershott
CNO
I am pleased to announce that Pat Kearns MSN, RN-BC, PHN has accepted the Director of Behavioral Health Services here at West Valley. Pat has diverse work history with over 15 years of experience as a Director of Nursing in a 99 bed behavioral health wellness and recovery center.
Pat shared with me that he is most looking forward to working with the staff and building on the excellent program foundation already in place. He is also looking forward to incorporating additional training in the areas of therapeutic communication, motivational interviewing and patient-centered care.
Pat is not only passionate about patient care, but he is a writer and has published multiple books including 6 novels and 2 bilingual children’s books. In addition, Pat and his wife spent time in a small village in Guatemala where they started education and nutritional programs for children.
Please help me congratulate Pat on his new role here at West Valley!
NICU Simulation Labs
We are excited to announce we will be working with Northwest Simulation Alliance & Idaho Simulation Network to bring 2 days of training for our WVMC staff this October. This training will focus on improving hands on skills, teamwork, and communication during our low frequency neonatal resuscitations. Sim training is a platform to practice and enhance performance and we are proud to be able to offer this to our interdisciplinary team here at WVMC.