Consultant at Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) (2023-01 – Present)
Provided infection prevention and control (IPC) consultation services, including organization-wide assessments, conducting gap analyses, delivering national training, and contributing to key industry publications.
- Identified high-level disinfection (HLD) risks across decentralized sites, recommended centralized oversight by a certified professional, and gained executive approval to implement safer, system-wide practices.
- Developed and delivered national webinars on healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance for local health departments, earning 92% positive feedback on content value and applicability.
Nurse III - Infection Preventionist at Kansas City Veterans Administration Medical Center (KCVAMC) (2018-01 – Present)
Oversee organization-wide infection prevention and control activities, including clinical data reviews, risk assessments, and quality improvement initiatives—reducing infection rates and leading COVID-19 response efforts—leveraging specialized expertise in sterile processing, reusable medical equipment, high-level disinfection and healthcare-associated infections.
- Established comprehensive reusable medical equipment (RME) reprocessing program by creating an organization-wide database, training site champions, and standardizing cleaning protocols, ensuring consistent, safe practices across all locations.
- Improved patient safety by reducing time to initiation of transmission-based precautions through a quality improvement project, achieving a statistically and clinically significant average decrease of 16 hours.
- Reduced CAUTI infection rates from 4.3 to 0.00 per 1,000 catheter days and sustained the improvement for over a year by building and leading a multidisciplinary team to identify root causes and implement targeted interventions.
- Creation of medical record abstraction/auditing /chronology for identification, review, and reporting of organizational risks related to patient safety and healthcare-associated infections.
- Instructor/Mentor for DNP students.
- Chair of the Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice committee
- Past Co-Chair of the VISN Infection Prevention Committee
Nurse III – Patient Safety manager (temporary detail) at White City Veterans Administration Medical Center (2024-01 – 2024-05)
Responsible for completing overdue root cause analyses and assisting with all other Patient Safety Manager and Infection Prevention duties.
- Completed overdue root cause analyses
- Collaborated with multiple disciplines to facilitate root cause analyses closure
- Mentored Infection Preventionist with outbreak management and risk assessments
- Provided collaboration and guidance for development of Patient Safety Forum
- Ensured/provided timely reports to senior leaders regarding patient safety issues/concerns
- Promoted engagement of others to facilitate problem solving initiatives
Director of Infection Prevention and Control and Employee Health at Swope Health Services (2015-01 – 2018-12)
Managed comprehensive Infection Prevention and Employee Health programs for 300+ staff at federally qualified health center.
- Responsible for budget and resource allocation.
- Secured executive buy-in for a new employee health program through compelling proposal outlining regulatory risks (OSHA fines, accreditation impacts) and service needs; hired FT nurse and established ongoing employee health services.
- Resolved critical sterile processing compliance gaps by researching training options, leading to certification program for staff members and improved regulatory adherence.
- Improved employee influenza vaccination rates from 47% to 93% by coordinating on-site and mobile immunization clinics across 12 locations; engaged internal champions, optimized clinic scheduling, and leveraged mobile resources to increase accessibility and participation.
Director of Quality at Signature Psychiatric Hospital (2013-01 – 2015-12)
Oversaw staff recruitment, onboarding, infection prevention, employee health, training, and quality/performance improvement initiatives for the launch of a new psychiatric hospital.
- Established comprehensive infection prevention and control program from inception, developing critical policies, implementing rigorous surveillance protocols, and achieving zero healthcare-associated infections during tenure.
- Reduced patient falls by 60% through systematic Failure Modes, Effects, and Analysis (FMEA) and targeted intervention strategies.
- Eliminated patient contraband incidents through systematic PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act) methodology, successfully reducing possession to zero and maintaining the improvement for two years.
- Served as liaison between clinical staff and executive leadership to ensure regulatory readiness and patient safety.
Nursing Instructor at William Jewell College (2008-01 – 2013-12)
Delivered comprehensive didactic (in person and online/virtual) and clinical instruction for diverse courses including Community Health Nursing, Nursing Professionalism and Leadership, Mental Health, Research Appraisal, Medical Terminology, and Fundamentals simulation lab.
- Expanded clinical training opportunities for community health nursing students by proactively identifying and securing new sites, increasing available locations from 5 to 12 and enhancing students' diverse clinical experiences.
- Initiated collaborative research opportunities with The Research Foundation of Kansas City, enabling fifteen nursing students to engage in research projects and earning the organization's Community Service Award in 2011.
Director of Education and Infection Prevention at Comprehensive Mental Health Services (2005-01 – 2010-12)
Responsible for Infection Prevention and Employee Education Programs
- Managed the Infection Prevention and Control program including budget oversight and resource allocation.
- Chaired Infection Control and Quality Committees.
- Developed audit tools that reduced medication errors by 35%.
- Led CARF survey readiness and ensured compliance with financial and operational standards.
- Delivered CPR, first aid, and Medication Aide training to over 200 staff and foster parents annually.
