Piñon

Piñon Management Continues Support of Colorado Culture Change Coalition

Beth Irtz, Piñon Management’s Chief Life Enhancement Officer, was elected to serve as President of the Board of Directors for Colorado Culture Change Coalition in January 2007. CCCC has grown into one of the leading national Coalitions for Culture Change and has been recognized nationally for its success in creating a strong multi–stakeholder forum. Past–President, Nancy Schwalm, Piñon’s Director of Business Development, was recognized for her four years of leadership of CCCC at the January 26, 2007 meeting. On hand to honor Nancy were CCCC founders Virginia Frasier, former Colorado State LTC Ombudsman, and Carmen Bowman, past CDPHE Surveyor and current owner of Edu–Catering consulting services. Nancy will continue as an Officer on the CCCC Board as Past President. Re–elected from Piñon Management to serve on the 2007 CCCC Board of Directors are Jeff Jerebker, CEO, Karen Scheaffer–Murphy, LCSW, Secretary of the Board, Mary Fuentes, Director of Finance – Board Treasurer, and Judy Mitchell, CNA, Christopher House, a Piñon–managed facility.

Nightingale Board Appointment

Mary Ann Terry, Piñon Quality Improvement Nurse Specialist, has been appointed to serve on the Board of the Colorado Selection Committee for Nightingale Awards for Nursing Excellence. Ann Kelly, Director of Nursing at Piñon’s North Star Community has also served on the Committee and is the current Chairperson. The Nightingale Event was established in 1985 as a tribute to the professional excellence of Colorado’s registered nurses. The Nightingale Award was conceived to honor nurses whose contributions to human caring have gone beyond the cutting edge of the nursing profession. As the primary fund-raiser for the Colorado Nurses Foundation, the goal of the event is two–fold: 1) to recognize outstanding Colorado nurses for their excellence in human caring, and 2) to raise funds for scholarships for nursing education in a time when there is a critical shortage of nurses. Using proceeds from last year’s event, the Colorado Nurses Foundation awarded $25,000 in nursing scholarships in December 2006.

United Veterans Committee Honors Nancy Schwalm

Nancy Schwalm, NHA, Director of Business Development, was the honored recipient of the 2006 Distinguished Service Award for her leadership work at the Colorado State Veterans Home at Fitzsimons by the United Veterans Committee of Colorado at their annual Banquet held on April 15, 2007. Nancy has served as the Interim Administrator at the Colorado State Veterans Home for nearly two years and served in assuring the facility’s service to its Veterans, ongoing management stability, census growth, successful regulatory compliance, and financial profitability.