Christen R. Rios has been honored with the DAISY Nurse Leader Award on May 12, 2023. May 12 is a significant date in modern nursing, as we take time to reflect and honor the birthdate of Florence Nightingale. Christen has been with the Sierra Local Health Care District since January 2006. She was promoted to Director of Nursing for Surgical Services in May 2020.

Director Rios is recognized for her extraordinary leadership in surgical services, as well as her involvement in state and regional nursing leadership organizations. She serves on the Association of California Nurse Leaders (ACNL) Recognition and Scholarship Committee, as well as an elected role for the Nursing Leadership Coalition of the San Joaquin Valley (NLC). Christen has been key in reconstituting the Friends of Nursing (the non-profit arm of the nursing division of SVMC). In her short tenure of leading the Friends of Nursing, significant fundraising has been implemented and realized, and this week during Nurse’s Week, three recipients were awarded scholarships. This is the first time the non-profit has provided scholarships to college students.

Christen Rios is an Extraordinary Nurse that symbolizes the role of leader, mentor, innovator, and project manager.