Erin N. Coons

CHFN-certified cardiovascular leader with 20+ years of driving clinical, financial, operational, and strategic improvements across hospitals, ambulatory networks, and multisite cardiovascular service lines. Expert in HF program redesign, analytics-driven decision support, care-continuum optimization, and high-stakes C-suite consulting for systemwide cardiovascular performance. Proven ability to reduce variation, strengthen reliability, and deliver measurable value through evidence-based pathways, disciplined performance frameworks, and enterprise-level cardiovascular consulting implementation.

Trusted cardiovascular strategist with a proven record of enterprise performance improvement, executive advisory services, and system-wide care transformation across hospitals and ambulatory networks through disciplined consulting leadership.

Adjunct Nursing Faculty – Cardiovascular Nursing & Health Systems Leadership - Highline College & Seattle Pacific University - Des Moines, WA

(2022-03)

Direct hands-on cardiovascular demonstrations (vital signs, glucose checks, stroke/MI recognition), reinforcing high-reliability clinical practice and bedside decision-making.

• Strengthen workforce capability by teaching HF clinical reasoning, risk stratification, and interdisciplinary communication, aligning curriculum with national cardiovascular quality measures.
• Integrate consulting-level systems thinking into coursework, preparing emerging nurses to lead cardiovascular quality, operations, and care-delivery transformation across complex care environments.
• Deliver evidence-based HF, care-coordination, and population-health instruction, improving competency in managing multimorbid cardiac populations through structured, outcomes-focused learning.

Healthy for Life Facilitator – Community Health & Cardiovascular Consulting - American Heart Association, Puget Sound Division - Seattle, WA

(2020-05)

Integrate real-time assessments and medication reviews into workshops, strengthening self-management behaviors that reduce ED utilization and preventable readmissions.

• Direct cardiovascular consulting support to partner organizations, guiding adoption of evidence-based prevention strategies and strengthening community-level health outcomes.
• Deliver analytics-informed cardiovascular risk-reduction education, improving population-level literacy in sodium reduction, medication adherence, and early symptom recognition.
• Expand cardiovascular prevention reach by building strategic, multi-sector partnerships with employers, nonprofits, and community organizations to accelerate adoption of evidence-based practices.

Clinical Nurse Specialist – Cardiovascular Systems & Consulting Leadership Strategy - Overlake & Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center - Bellevue, WA

(2021-09 - 2022-03)

Advanced cardiovascular systems consulting for leaders, accelerating adoption of high-reliability practices.

• Implemented post-PCI and cardiac rehab pathways that improved time-to-enrollment and reduced readmissions.
• Standardized HF workflows across units, reducing variation and aligning care with CMS, Joint Commission, and GWTG measures to elevate system-wide consistency and operational reliability.
• Integrated emerging cardiovascular research into residency curriculum and competency pathways, improving system-wide reliability and performance through evidence-driven practice.
• Directed rapid-response HF and stroke COVID protocol development, strengthening accreditation compliance and operational performance across high-acuity settings and multidisciplinary teams.

Clinical Practice Consultant – Cardiovascular Systems & Strategy - 1099 Independent Practice - Newcastle, WA

(2020-05 - 2021-09)

Advised executives on HF program strategy using financial, quality, and operational data to guide resource planning, multisite implementation, and long-range performance planning.

• Delivered targeted cardiovascular consulting analyses that informed executive decisions on system redesign, multisite performance improvement, and enterprise-level prioritization.
• Led cardiovascular consulting engagements across hospitals and ambulatory networks, translating evidence-based guidelines into standardized pathways, workflows, and performance frameworks.
• Directed workflow redesign initiatives using analytics and Lean methodologies to reduce variation, improve reliability, and elevate cardiovascular performance across complex care environments.

Cardiovascular Liaison Nurse Consultant – Clinical Integration & Strategy - Kaiser Permanente Bellevue Medical Center - Bellevue, WA

(2019-05 - 2020-05)

Developed telephonic triage protocols that improved early intervention and reduced ED utilization.

• Directed cross-clinic operational decisions with targeted HF analytics to strengthen multisite performance.
• Maintained a 2.8% HF admission rate across a large, diverse population through proactive symptom management, refined risk stratification, and sustained longitudinal oversight.
• Systematized HF case management across 34 primary care + cardiology clinics, creating standardized workflows, documentation tools, and smart phrases to strengthen cross-site consistency.
• Performed real-time assessments, medication reviews, and symptom triage, modeling high-reliability HF practice and mentoring staff across multisite settings to reinforce consistent clinical execution.

Cardiovascular Consulting Director – Heart Failure Program Manager - PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center - Vancouver, WA

(2015-04 - 2019-05)

Developed business cases supporting cardiovascular program expansion and resource allocation decisions.

• Launched and scaled 4 evidence-based HF programs across Bellingham, Longview, Vancouver, and Springfield.
• Decreased mortality by 63% by implementing evidence-based protocols and early deterioration recognition models.
• Systematized HF program across 10 hospitals in 3 states, aligning with CMS, Joint Commission, and GWTG measures.
• Directed enterprise HF consulting initiatives that accelerated system-wide adoption of high-reliability cardiovascular practices, strengthened organizational performance, and advanced integrated care delivery.
• Reduced HF readmissions by 32% in 15 months through redesigned transitional care workflows, optimized follow-up pathways, targeted cross-continuum coordination, and strengthened post-discharge reliability.

Charge Nurse – Cardiovascular Operations & Consulting - Pontiac General Hospital - Pontiac, MI

(2005-05 - 2015-04)

Led interdisciplinary coordination to reduce delays and maintain high standards of safety and quality.

• Mentored staff through mock codes and core cardiovascular competencies, strengthening team readiness, high-acuity decision-making, and discipline

MSN/Ed

RN