Pat Sheyka

After 53 years of service in health care, Patricia Sheyka, RN, MSN, Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) for Gila Regional Medical Center (GRMC), has announced that she will retire at the end of August.

Sheyka has served in her current role since 2014, leading nursing and numerous clinical departments and staff during the recent financial turnaround at GRMC. During her tenure, she established a distinguished record of service as the champion of several initiatives that significantly improved patient care.

Before coming to GRMC, Sheyka led several transformational initiatives aimed at improving care quality and patient safety. Not only did she develop a Center for Business Health but also played a key role in developing an integrated disability program for those she served.

€œPat €™s passion for Gila Regional, and her commitment to the profession of nursing have had a tremendous impact on our caregivers and our organization, € Brian Cunningham, GRMC Chief Executive Officer, said. €œHer accomplishments in improving care, recruitment of quality nurses and improving the patient experience have had an incredible effect on patient care at Gila Regional. We are extremely appreciative of her service and wish her the best in retirement. €

€œI €™m really going to miss working with all our caregivers, physicians and volunteers who every day make a big difference in people €™s lives. € Sheyka said. "I have had incredible experiences in these 53 years as a nurse. This is not just a new chapter for me; this is also a new chapter for Gila Regional, with the landscape of our health care system continuing to evolve. As I look forward to the new experiences in store for me, I also look forward to following GRMC €™s continued success."

Upon initial dialogue about her retirement, GRMC started their search for a new CNO. €œWe had very qualified candidates for this important position at Gila Regional, € Cunningham said. €œAfter a very rigorous interview process which included physicians, nurses, caregivers and members of our board we are excited to announce that Peggy White has accepted the position as Chief Nursing Officer. €

Peggy White

White brings a solid background of experience in nursing and patient care. Her initial focus will be on the further implementation of the Gila Nursing Excellence system, an innovative approach to retention, recruitment and the patient experience.