Assistant Professor of Nursing
Santa Ana College Nursing
August 2016 - March 2023
Nursing program semester lead responsible for planning, organization, and evaluation of effectiveness related to clinical and didactic components of the nursing program. Coordinate, develop, and evaluated student learning outcomes and end of program learning outcomes. Orient, mentor and evaluate adjunct faculty in their performance as part-time nursing faculty. Applied psychometric validity processes to evaluate nursing exam and test reliability resulting in exam question revisions for questions falling below standards.
Assistant Emergency Medical Services Director
County of Orange Health Care Agency
June 2012 - August 2020
Assistant Emergency Medical Services Director
2017-2020
Senior level director for county government with oversight, management and administration of comprehensive emergency medical services and health emergency management programs. Provided regulatory oversight, leadership and management of emergency medical services system including emergency communications, fire and law enforcement, ambulance transport providers, online medical control, definitive and specialty services, quality improvement programs, training institutions, and public information. Interpreted and applied EMS regulations, statutes, and policies. Provided oversite, leadership and operational control over health emergency management system including the agency operation center, medical reserve corps, local distribution center warehouse, disaster caches, points of dispending sites, planning and exercise, emergency monitoring systems and system level emergency disaster response. Responsible for the management of the financial and operational requirements of the Hospital Preparedness Program and Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program federal grants. Manage and administered $3.5M EMS program budget and $4.2M health disaster grant budgets. Managed and administered $80M special funding allocation.
Emergency Medical Services Systems and Standards Chief
2014-2017
Administration and oversight of a broad range of complex system planning, clinical operations and quality evaluation activities for the Orange County Emergency Medical Services (OCEMS) system. Regulation and oversight aspects of emergency services as they relate to medical systems and clinical standards by developing and implementing strategic initiatives based on local medical needs. Development and implementation of OCEMS program goals, objectives, policies and procedures that balance mandated services and community health needs. Measure program performance via continuous quality improvement methods to monitor trends, detect problems and identify and implement system improvement opportunities.
Emergency Medical Services Coordinator
2012-2014
Administration and oversight of Emergency Medical Services hospital facility designations inclusive of trauma, cardiac, stroke, children’s and emergency receiving centers. Monitor healthcare facility compliance with county, state and federal regulations. Develop and revise Orange County EMS healthcare policy. Support the EMS Medical Director and EMS Administrator in EMS system clinical standards evaluation and development of EMS System initiatives to advance clinical care and system operations.
Chief Tactical Flight Medic
Orange County Sheriff's Department
April 2014 - February 2019
Led development and start-up of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Air Support Unit Medical Search and Rescue Program. Program chief responsible for planning, organization, and evaluation of effectiveness of the advanced life support air rescue and tactical medical program. Provide continuous program evaluation and analyze issues impeding change, developing corrective actions to expedite change to assure continuity of services. Maintain clinical and operational standards using a continuous quality improvement approach to address program gaps. Practiced as a flight nurse and flight medic in the advanced life support air rescue and tactical medic program. Provide initial and ongoing medical, tactical and hoist operations training for new and current medical crews and ensure that all personnel meet county and OCSD standards. Management of information technology electronic patient care record systems and adherence to federal, state and local patient privacy laws. Function as air rescue medic, air rescue hoist operator and tactical medic providing clinical care and operational functions during mission deployments. Clinical Director for EMS CE Provider #30-0142. First year of operations savings of over $450,000.
Medical Manager
Air Methods- Mercy Air
February 2008 - December 2010 & January 2013 to August 2015
Registered Nurse-Flight Nurse
2008-2011 & 2013-2015
Responsible for providing high quality critical care including assessment, triage, and treatment utilizing standards and guidelines established by Air Methods/Mercy Air Medical Directors. Establish and prioritize patient care needed for safe transport of the critical patient to appropriate facilities and responsible for carrying out the mission and goals of the Air Methods/Mercy Air program assuring safety throughout the transport continuum.
Medical Manager
2010-2011
Responsible for domestic air medical and operational oversight of the California and Nevada region. Responsibilities include the coordination of clinical, aviation, maintenance and business development services for 17 bases to ensure operational, safety, and financial performance metrics met company standards. Ongoing evaluation and performance management implementations ensured a stable supply chain and the achievement of logistical needs for non-aviation, maintenance and clinical activities to remain operational. Provide ongoing support for operations through day to day leadership with a focus on building a culture at the local base level to support the organizations core values and mission. Other responsibilities include oversight of account and contract management with the company’s customer base as well as management of profit and loss and designated key performance indicators across all bases. This was achieved by working with the Regional Director and Regional Vice President in the development of annual organization plans and operational and capital budgets.
Medical Base Supervisor
2009-2010
Responsible for a base operation in San Diego County ensuring clinical and operational functions complied company and San Diego Emergency Medical Services standards. Ensure fiscal responsibility at the base level for staffing, equipment, supplies and other operational costs. Apply continuous quality improvement initiatives and ensure adherence to clinical standards. Coordinate hiring, voluntary and involuntary separation of employment with corporate human resources. Represent Air Methods/Mercy Air in public relations and safety in-services to improve awareness of program capabilities and scope of care. Lead and coordinate activities or medical staff and medical operations.
Program Director Post Baccalaureate Registered Nurse Residency
VA Tennessee Valley Health System
July 2020 - Present
Program director responsible for planning, organization, and evaluation of effectiveness related to clinical, informatics, evidence-based practice, and administrative processes for nurse residency programs. Evaluate program and analyze issues impeding change, developing corrective actions to expedite change and assures optimal use of resources. Coordinate and provide formal and informal didactic and experiential learning activities with a focus on veteran centric healthcare. Developed facility level standards and program infrastructure to ensure successful Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) site survey and accreditor evaluation for initial PB-RNR CCNE accreditation. Provide ongoing maintenance and development of program for future certification and accreditation processes. Implement curriculum reflecting evidence-based practice. Support the organizations mission and vision through planning, organizing and evaluation of program effectiveness. Developed program objectives and standards to integrate PB-RNR Nurse Residents into TVHS Shared Governance Unit Based Councils and Central Governance Councils.
MY EXPERIENCE
Clinical Manager
Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center
April 1997 - June 2012
Management/Leadership
1998-2002 & 2010-2011
Responsible for leading healthcare operations and coordination and direction of patient care. Develop staffing schedules to maximize unit operations while maintaining productivity in line with unit expectations. Align unit operational objectives with hospital strategic goals. Implemented multidisciplinary approach across service lines to address clinical improvement efforts and policy development. Apply evidence-based practice to improve standards of care and patient safety. Practiced as a registered nurse in the emergency department, trauma, rapid response team, cardiovascular catheterization and electrophysiology labs.
Clinical- Registered Nurse Cath Lab/EP Lab/ER/Trauma
1997-2012
Provide patient care in multiple clinical settings including cardiovascular catheterization lab, cardiovascular electrophysiology lab, rapid response, emergency department and trauma. As clinical nurse, provided oversight and development of continuous quality improvement processes and acted as clinical educator to develop and maintain clinical competency for peers. Ensures clinical standards are achieved to applicable standards and developed and revised guidelines and procedures to standardized clinical care functions. Function as an Orange County Mobile Intensive Care Nurse (MICN) providing online medical control for Orange County Paramedics within the emergency medical services system. Cardiac cath lab nursing care including assessment and care of the patient during diagnostic and interventional cardiac cath lab procedures, electrophysiology studies, ablations and device implants.
Trauma Clinician & Cardaic Cath Lab RN
Orange County Global Medical Center
April 2021 - March 2023
Per Diem Registered Nurse clinical position. Provide nursing care including assessment, pre-op, intra-op, and post-op care of the patient during diagnostic and interventional cardiac cath lab procedures, electrophysiology studies, ablations and device implants for Cardiac Cath Lab. Provide trauma clinical patient care as a registered nurse in a fast-paced trauma program. Assignment to critical care and trauma section of the emergency department to provide care for the highest acuity level patients. In trauma and cardiac cath lab, responsible for administration and familiarity of sedation and anesthesia pharmacological agents and management of simple to complex clinical airway presentations.
Trauma Clinician & Emergency Department RN
St. Mary Medical Center
March 2015 - August 2017
Per Diem Registered Nurse clinical position. Provide emergency and trauma clinical patient care as a registered nurse in a fast paced emergency department. Assignment to critical care and trauma section of the emergency department to provide care for the highest acuity level patients. Ensure emergency and trauma care is achieved to applicable standards. Function as a Los Angeles County Mobile Intensive Care Nurse (MICN) providing online medical control for Los Angeles County Paramedics within the emergency medical services system.
Correctional Medical Services Registered Nurse
County of Orange
June 2000 - August 2001
Provide clinical patient care as a registered nurse in in the Orange County Sheriff’s Department jail system. Assignment to all five jail complexes on a rotational schedule to ensure correctional patient care is achieved to applicable standards. Function as an educator for the Deputy new hire medical orientation course.
Emergency Department Registered Nurse
Fountain Valley Regional Hospital