Tonya Goodin

Doctor of Nursing Practice–prepared Chief Nursing Officer with more than 20 years of progressive nursing leadership experience across rural, community, and regional healthcare organizations. Proven executive leader with expertise in nursing operations, quality improvement, patient safety, regulatory compliance, workforce development, and strategic planning. Recognized for developing high-performing teams, leading transformational change, improving organizational performance, and advancing professional nursing practice through evidence-based leadership, mentorship, and collaboration.

Chief Nursing Officer – Critical Access Hospitals - Ephraim McDowell Fort Logan Hospital & James B. Haggin Hospital

(2023-01)

Serve as Chief Nursing Officer for two Critical Access Hospitals within the Ephraim McDowell Health system, providing executive leadership for approximately 150 nursing FTEs across Emergency Services, Acute Care, Swing Bed, Surgical Services, Wound Care, and Obstetrical Services (through February 2026). Responsible for nursing operations supporting two emergency departments with a combined annual volume of approximately 23,000 visits while leading quality, patient safety, regulatory compliance, workforce strategy, and patient experience initiatives.

• Led successful 2026 triennial regulatory surveys at both critical access hospitals with no Condition-level findings.
• Implemented Purposeful Nurse Leader Rounding, increasing patients' likelihood to recommend from 23% to 81% and overall hospital ratings from 18% to 69%.
• Increased the average Culture of Safety score across both hospitals from 66% to 77%.
• Led a system-wide initiative across both Emergency Departments to standardize bedside medication barcode scanning, achieving and sustaining 95% compliance.
• Eliminated nursing agency utilization through workforce stabilization and recruitment strategies.
• Partnered with nursing leadership, education, and human resources to develop and implement a system-wide Nurse Residency Program.
• Standardized leadership rounding, staffing practices, and operational processes, reducing nursing department overtime by 5%.
• Mentor nurse leaders through executive coaching, succession planning, leadership development, and performance accountability.

Vice President of Quality - Frankfort Regional Medical Center

(2021-01 - 2023-12)

Provided executive oversight for quality improvement, patient safety, infection prevention, regulatory compliance, accreditation, clinical documentation, and performance improvement.

• Led a successful 2023 triennial regulatory survey with no Condition-level findings.
• Reduced mortality index from 1.30 to 0.80 through predictive analytics and multidisciplinary care strategies.
• Achieved top-tier performance in harm reduction across 187 HCA hospitals.
• Improved SEP-1 compliance from 40% to 73%.
• Achieved Primary Stroke and Total Joint Disease-Specific Certification recertification.
• Presented evidence-based C. difficile reduction strategies to more than 200 Kentucky Hospital Association members.
• Collaborated across 18 facilities to standardize regulatory readiness and quality improvement initiatives.

Director, Infection Prevention & Employee Health - Frankfort Regional Medical Center

(2019-01 - 2021-12)

Provided executive leadership for infection prevention, employee health, regulatory compliance, surveillance, and hospital epidemiology programs. Partnered with physicians, nursing leadership, and interdisciplinary teams to improve patient safety, reduce healthcare-associated infections, and ensure compliance with Joint Commission and CMS standards.

• Achieved zero CLABSI events beginning February 2019 and eliminated CAUTIs during multiple reporting periods through evidence-based prevention strategies.
• Reduced Foley catheter utilization by 1,463 line days and central line utilization by 2,220 line days through daily multidisciplinary review and de-escalation practices.
• Reduced hospital-acquired Clostridioides difficile infections from 11 to 2 within one year.
• Implemented multidisciplinary infection prevention rounds and organization-wide infection prevention dashboards to improve surveillance and accountability.
• Led implementation of standardized hand hygiene and infection prevention practices through collaboration with the Nursing Practice Council.
• Served as Infection Prevention lead during the 2020 Joint Commission triennial survey, resulting in no high-level infection prevention findings.

Director, Inpatient Services - Frankfort Regional Medical Center

(2017-01 - 2019-12)

Directed nursing operations for more than 80 FTEs across inpatient services with responsibility for clinical operations, workforce engagement, quality outcomes, patient experience, and financial performance.

• Increased employee engagement from 29% to 60% within one year through focused leadership development and associate engagement initiatives.
• Reduced registered nurse turnover from 56% to less than 20%.
• Reduced overall department turnover from 43% to less than 30%.
• Implemented purposeful nurse leader rounding and associate rounding to strengthen engagement, retention, and operational performance.
• Supported successful Primary Stroke Disease-Specific Certification through interdisciplinary collaboration and regulatory readiness.

Director of Operations - KYOne Health – Medical Center South & Jewish Hospital Shelbyville

(2015-01 - 2016-12)

Provided operational leadership for two community hospitals with responsibility for clinical operations, emergency department performance, physician collaboration, strategic planning, and financial stewardship.

• Increased patient satisfaction by 20%.
• Increased Emergency Department visits by 10%.
• Improved organizational quality performance by more than 35%.
• Reduced operating expenses by more than $150,000 through redesign of operating room call coverage and premium pay practices.
• Partnered with physician recruitment to improve hospitalist coverage while reducing professional salary expense.
• Established a Primary Stroke Program in collaboration with the University of Louisville.
• Implemented Lean methodologies that improved Emergency Department throughput and reduced patient wait times.

Director, Medical-Surgical & Post-Surgical Services - Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center

(2010-01 - 2015-12)

Directed nursing operations for medical-surgical and post-surgical inpatient services while leading patient experience, orthopedic and spine service lines, workforce development, and quality improvement initiatives.

• Maintained patient experience scores in the 80th percentile.
• Reduced incremental nursing overtime by approximately 200 hours per month through staffing optimization and operational redesign.
• Led implementation of bedside shift report across multiple inpatient units to improve communication and patient engagement.
• Chaired Orthopedic and Spine Committees while leading successful recertification of nationally recognized Total Joint and Spine programs.
• Organized the annual Orthopedic & Spine Symposium, providing continuing education for multidisciplinary healthcare professionals and strengthening community partnerships.
• Served on the Magnet Nursing Practice Council and Clinical Effectiveness Team to improve patient experience, service recovery, and professional nursing practice.

Clinical Manager, Emergency Department - Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center

(2008-01 - 2010-12)

Managed Emergency Department operations, staffing, scheduling, quality improvement, and professional nursing practice while supporting a high-volume emergency care environment.

• Played an integral leadership role in achieving the organization's initial Level III Trauma designation.
• Implemented a nursing peer review process to strengthen professional accountability and staff development.
• Directed daily staffing, scheduling, and operational performance of the Emergency Department.

Registered Nurse – Medical-Surgical, Intensive Care & Emergency Department - Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center

(1999-01 - 2008-12)

Provided direct patient care across medical-surgical, intensive care, and emergency department settings, establishing the clinical foundation for progressive leadership and executive nursing practice.

• Achieved top-tier performance in harm reduction across a 187-hospital division.

Disease-Specific Care Program Reviewer - The Joint Commission

(2015-01 - 2021-12)

Selected as a national consultant to conduct Disease-Specific Care Certification reviews for healthcare organizations across the United States. Evaluated organizational compliance with The Joint Commission standards, assessed evidence-based clinical practice, and provided executive consultation to strengthen quality, patient safety, and regulatory readiness.

• Conducted more than 100 Disease-Specific Care certification reviews across the United States.
• Evaluated orthopedic, spine, sepsis, stroke, and other specialty programs for compliance with Joint Commission standards.

Doctor of Nursing Practice - DNP

Master of Health Administration - MHA

Registered Nurse - RN