Interim & Permanent Leadership for your Oncology Department

Archie Drake is a Vice President of Leadership Excellence with HealthLinx. In this role, he is responsible for strategically improving hospital outcomes through our proven process of aligning areas of outcomes risk with agreed upon deliverables to move the targeted outcomes in the right direction to increase profitability and improve patient care. Archie is a healthcare leader with more than 25 years of nursing and operational experience in the acute care hospital setting. Key experiences include all aspects of hospital operations, strategic planning, and patient care services including Critical Care, Trauma, and Surgical Specialties. He is known as a high-performing leader who uses a visionary approach, creative thinking, and positive relationships with employees, physicians, and management to achieve positive service, quality, and financial outcomes.

Strengths
Archie’s strengths include an insatiable desire for operational success, a passion for clinical excellence, and a focus on patient safety. He achieves high-performing outcomes by leading and engaging teams across all disciplines within organizations.

Background
Prior to joining HealthLinx, Archie served in clinical and leadership roles in a number of facilities ranging from rural safety net hospitals to large urban academic medical centers, including:

• Urban Level I Trauma Center, tertiary medical center with large graduate medical education program.
• Multi-hospital system in suburban setting, accredited in Trauma, Chest Pain, Stroke and Orthopedics.
• Regional comprehensive medical center, part of a faith based organization.
• Rural hospital that served a two-county area of 35,000, with inpatient and outpatient services.
• Private physician-owned acute care hospital, providing specialized surgical care in an inpatient and outpatient setting

Select Accomplishments

• Successfully led ER throughput teams that focused on initiatives throughout the facility. Developed and implemented pre admit testing, patient disposition, centralized scheduling, and staffing protocols.
• Managed multidisciplinary teams to develop and implement service line programs that were fully accredited and produced market share growth.
• Employed team building initiatives that improved nursing engagement scores and reduced overall voluntary nursing turnover.
• Implemented Perioperative Services throughput initiatives in collaboration with the medical staff leadership that increased surgical services capacity and physician experience.
• Maintained financial operations within budgets and targets. Implemented a variety of expense reduction and productivity enhancement strategies.

Education

• Amberton University, Masters Business Administration, Strategic Leadership
• University of Texas at Arlington, Bachelors of Science, Nursing
• Texarkana College, Associates Degree, Nursing

Gina Boring, MSN, RN, NE-BC has over 30 years of nursing experience that includes emergency nursing and Magnet® Project Director roles. She has consulted on successful initial and redesignation Magnet® applications, including one that received an international award. Gina is a nationally recognized expert and lecturer on Magnet® and has authored several papers on Magnet® designation. She is board certified as a Nurse Executive through the American Nurses Credentialing Center and is a member of the Ohio Nurses Association, the American Nurses Association, the American Organization of Nurse Executives, and Sigma Theta Tau, International.

Gina’s Outcomes
• Currently coordinates and facilitates partnerships between designating facilities and the HealthLinx Nursing Excellence team
• Partnered with multiple organizations for successful document submissions and site visits
• Consulted for and mentored a successful international Magnet Designation® recipient
• As a project director, led her organization to initial Magnet® designation
• Contributed as a writer for successful Magnet® designation and re-designation documents
• Authored several articles and papers on Magnet® designation
• Lectured nationally on topics including shared governance, peer review, quality indicators, nursing research, Magnet® document content and layout, and Magnet® site visit preparation

Other Outstanding Outcomes
• Established, implemented, and evaluated an organizational shared governance model
• Designed and implemented a front line peer review process to promote professional development
• Developed the schematic representation of an organizational professional practice model for a designated facility
• Designed and implemented a nursing research academy to promote the generation of nurse researchers and new knowledge
• Mentored nurse researchers preparing documentation for assignment of scientific merit and Institutional Review Board approval
• Served as National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators site coordinator for a 500+ bed teaching hospital with 1,600 RNs
• Coordinated and promoted annual RN Satisfaction Surveys with >90% response rates

Career Summary
A nurse leader with extensive experience in project development, shared governance, and strategic planning, Gina, who is master’s prepared and board certified through the ANCC, is a respected mentor and group facilitator with excellent communication skills.

Professional Experience
• Currently Senior Vice President, Nursing Excellence at HealthLinx
• 1983-2009 Aultman Hospital, Magnet Project Director (2003-2009), Emergency Department Educator (2001-2002), Emergency Department Staff RN (1983-2001)
• 2006 and 2007 Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Adjunct Faculty
• 1982-1983 Riverside Methodist Hospital, Coronary Care Unit Staff RN, Columbus Ohio
• 1981-1982 Aultman Hospital, Med-Surg Staff RN, Canton Ohio

Education
• 2007 Master of Science in Nursing, Walden University
• 2005 Bachelor of Science in Nursing, University of North Alabama, Florence Alabama
• 1981 Associate of Science in Nursing, Grace College, Winona Lake Indiana

Professional Affiliations/Appointments
• 2009: ANCC Continuing Education Task Force: Abstract Reviewer
• 2006-present: Sigma Theta Tau, International
• Member of the Ohio Nurses Association, the American Nurses Association, and the American Organization of Nurse Executives

Publications
Author of several published articles and white papers on ANCC Magnet Recognition Program®. Also reviewed and authored the 2nd edition of a resource manual on assessing and achieving the esteemed ANCC Magnet Recognition Award®.

Kristin Whitehead, MSN, RN, is a EVP Organizational Excellence with HealthLinx. She has 26 years of healthcare experience in Prehospital/Emergency/Critical Care Services, Magnet®, and executive leadership. Kristin has extensive knowledge and experience as a Magnet® Program Director and in clinical/business operations including performance improvement, customer satisfaction, revenue/productivity enhancement, cost reduction, throughput/patient flow, and human resources. She is a proven leader with intense focus on building positive physician relationships, cultivating staff engagement, and leading change. Kristin is board certified as a Nurse Executive through the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and she is a member of the Texas Emergency Nurses Association and the North Texas Organization for Nurse Executives.

Outcomes
• Built strategic alliances with ED, Acute Care and Perioperative teams resulting in 85th percentile patient satisfaction in ED, improved throughput (reduced ED LOS by 20%), and implementation of change management concepts (rapid cycle testing).
• Defined strategy/business plan for Wound Care/Ostomy Services resulting in generation of revenue stream increase of 100% and increased volume by 50%.
• Engaged employees resulting in satisfaction of 90th percentile for 4 consecutive years.
• Achieved ANCC Beacon Award- Gold level in 2015 for performance excellence in the Critical Care Unit (lead writer)
• Implemented sepsis program in collaboration with Joint Commission Centers for Transforming Healthcare (CTH), won “Quality and Innovation Award” in 2014 and realized a 24% reduction in mortality rate equating to 38 lives saved in one year.
• Oversaw nursing quality as the NDNQI Site Coordinator leading to outcomes in CAUTI, CLABSI, HAPU, and falls that outperform the Magnet® mean by more than 50%.
• Led Trauma Program to increase in patient census by 29%.
• Implemented Concussion Program/Clinic that quadrupled initial volume projections.
• Created “DART” (Discharge, Admission, Resource, and Transport) team that has been nationally recognized for best practices around admissions, medication reconciliation, and throughput.

Career Summary
Kristin is a high-performing nurse executive with 26 years of healthcare experience including 10 years in Prehospital, Emergency and Critical Care Services and 16 years progressive leadership. She is certified as a Nurse Executive and has extensive experience as a Magnet® Program Director for both initial and re-designations.

Experience
• Currently: Vice President Nursing Excellence, Analytics, Healthlinx, Columbus, Ohio
• 2015: Chief Nursing Officer, Select Specialty Hospital, Plano, Texas
• 2002-2015: Associate CNO (2013-2015), Director ED/EMS Services/ICU/Trauma/Central Monitoring Unit/Concussion/Clinical Decision Unit/Wound and Ostomy (2010-2015), Director Nursing Administration (2010-2015), Magnet® Program Director (2008-2015), Manager Acute Care Services (2007-2008), Manager Trauma Services/Emergency Services Educator (2002-2007)
• 1997-2002: Emergency Services Charge Nurse
• 1994-1997: Emergency Services Staff Nurse
• 1990-1994: Paramedic

Education
• 2016: Anticipated graduation, Doctorate in Nursing Practice, Texas Christian University
• 1997: Masters of Science in Nursing &Masters of Business Administration, University of Phoenix
• 1994: Bachelors of Science in Nursing, University of Texas at Austin
• 1990: Associates in Paramedicine

Professional Affiliations/Appointments/Honors
• 2015: Golden Key International Honour Society, Texas Christian University
• 2014-2015: Magnet® Program content reviewer/subject matter expert for podium/poster submissions
• 2010: Great 100 Nurse, Texas

Publications/Research
• Research Principle Investigator, January 2015: Humpty Dumpty Sat on the Wall: Identifying Why our Low Risk Patients Fall.
• Research Co-investigator, November 2014: Research study of nurses at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano: A Re-Evaluation of Interruptions and Distractions during Medication Preparation and Administration.
• Research Co-investigator, March 2012: Research study of nurses at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano: Evaluation of Interruptions and Distractions during Medication Preparation and Administration.
• Lead writer/editor for Texas Award for Performance Excellence (2008), Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award (2008), & Magnet® Designation Applications (2010 & 2014)

Julie Berry, founder and CEO of HealthLinx Executive Search, has specialized in healthcare executive search for over 20 years. Since the company’s founding in 1997, HealthLinx has grown into a healthcare solutions firm focused on mitigating risks and improving hospital outcomes through high-performing leadership and culture – and ultimately improving hospital financial performance and quality of patient care. What began out of the basement of her apartment has evolved into the nation’s top Nursing & Leadership Excellence partner. HealthLinx is the only firm in the world which offers Executive Search, Transitional Leadership, and Nursing Excellence consultation for both Magnet® and Pathway to Excellence® designations.

Julie has personally partnered with hospitals of all sizes on hundreds of successful searches, and she has overseen nearly one thousand completed searches in hospitals all over the country.

Julie holds a Juris Doctorate degree from Capital University Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from The Ohio State University. As a lawyer and an expert in her field, Julie is considered a valuable resource to both her clients and candidates, and a valuable consultant to her peers.

Matt joined HealthLinx as a Board Member in 1997, and in 2001 he was hired in his current capacity as COO.

His driving focus is simple: improved outcomes for client facilities through high-performing leaders and culture.

“Every day my goal is to set the standard for performance in our market. That means we provide the best leaders [both Transitional and Permanent] faster than any other organization. Our numbers tell the story. Currently, our Leadership Excellence Solution produces well over one million dollars in Positive Financial Impact and we complete these projects in 120 days. That’s unheard of. Most competitors are in facilities for 3 to 4 times as long.

“Further, when a facility pursues Magnet® or Pathway to Excellence® designation, we make sure they receive designation 100% of the time.

“When a facility has a great culture and great leaders, they possess a competitive advantage unmatched by their competitors.”

Matt holds a Juris Doctorate from Capital University Law School, a Masters of Business Administration from Capital University, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from The Ohio State University.