Employee-related

St. Peter’s Hospital recently promoted its Human Resources and Public Relations & Marketing directors to its Senior Management Team, announced President & CEO Nate Olson.

St. Peter’s Hospital recently hired two key individuals to help lead the organization as it strives to create a culture focused on creating a world class healthcare organization.

Ann Kjosa, RN, MHM, FACHE, has accepted the position of Chief Operating Officer/Chief eXperience Officer (COO/CXO) effective April 1. In addition, Heather O’Hara, RN, MSN, has been promoted to Vice President of Nursing.

The community will have the opportunity to meet three finalists for St. Peter’s President & CEO position at a public forum beginning at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 19, in the Hospital’s Education Center. 

First, the committee will speak about the selection process and then the finalists' names will be announced and they will introduce themselves. Those attending will also be able to provide their feedback to the Hospital’s Board of Directors.

Six candidates have been chosen from a pool of nearly 200 applicants for St. Peter’s President & CEO position. The candidates will be interviewed next week by a Search Committee with hopes of choosing a new leader by the end of November.

Candidates will be probed for how their experience relates to St. Peter’s needs, their strengths and weaknesses, motivation in seeking the position, key qualities, executive presence and communication style.  Two to three finalists will be selected by the committee.

St. Peter’s Clinical Nurse Educator Heather O’Hara was recently promoted to the hospital’s Manager of Staff Development. 

O’Hara has worked as a Registered Nurse in several positions at both St. Peter’s and Benefis in Great Falls since 1994.  She also taught at Carroll College as an Adjunct Professor from 2001-2003 and an Assistant Professor from 2003-2007. 

The nurse received her Bachelor’s degree from Carroll and her Master’s from Gonzaga University. She also serves as president of the Montana Board of Nursing.

Pathologist Maria Braman, M.D., will become St. Peter’s Vice President of Medical Affairs on November 1.  She is replacing Diane Pege, M.D., who recently resigned for health reasons.

"This is an important position in St. Peter’s efforts to continue to work more closely with its physicians and medical staff,” said Tom Gregg, interim President & CEO.  “Dr. Braman's background and experience make her an ideal candidate for the job. We are fortunate to have someone with her knowledge and familiarity of the hospital on staff and willing to assume this important position."

Kelli Cox, RN, has been hired as St. Peter’s Hospital’s new Clinical Patient Advocate. Her duties will include facilitating hospital patient relations and quality of care, acting as a liaison between patient, family and medical staff, and collecting and evaluating data about patient satisfaction and making suggestions for improvement, among other duties.

St. Peter’s Director of Nutrition Services Deborah Jones, R.D., L.N., was chosen by Montana Registered Dietitians as the 2012 Recognized Dietitian of the Year. She receives the award at the Montana Dietetic Association's Annual Business Meeting in Kalispell on May 9.

Dan Sullivan of Butte has been appointed St. Peter’s Vice President of Ancillary Services. He will provide overall leadership in the development and administration of ancillary services/programs in supporting the delivery of patient care.

Two St. Peter’s Hospice staff members attended the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association  Conference in Denver, Colo., from March 7 to 10.

Millissa Riggin, R.N., and Becky Rodrigues, M.S.W., learned the latest techniques in symptom management, basic palliative and hospice care, bereavement, pain control, and emotional issues.  Riggin has been a St. Peter’s Hospice nurse for four years and Rodrigues has been a social worker for two years.