May 2023
Kathleen
Spangler
,
RN
Fort Belvoir Community Hospital
Fort Belvoir
,
VA
United States
She provides critical leadership during a time of rapid change and transition while maintaining a remarkable standard of nursing practice to ensure a ready medical force.
As the Director of Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, COL Spangler oversaw 3,500 military, civilian and contract personnel who cared for more than 41,000 beneficiaries in the National Capital Region. She was instrumental in developing and streamlining numerous initiatives that enabled the organization to enhance healthcare delivery, improve nurse and patient satisfaction, and provide comprehensive healthcare through an unprecedented period of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic. She expertly managed a rapidly and ever-changing healthcare environment always keeping patient-centered care at the forefront while guiding with compassionate leadership to all who served with her.
A Registered Nurse, COL Spangler is a strong nurse advocate and trailblazer who empowers and inspires her staff to lead from the front. Her positive energy is palpable, and her staff looks to her for her leadership and calm demeanor during times of high stress. During the COVID-19 pandemic response efforts, she led flawlessly, sending dozens of nursing and clinical support staff to numerous sites across the country that desperately needed COVID-19 support. She provides critical leadership during a time of rapid change and transition while maintaining a remarkable standard of nursing practice to ensure a ready medical force. COL Spangler laid the groundwork for FBCH’s transition to a new Electronic Health Record (EHR), MHS Genesis, ensuring the appointment of clinical peer experts, adequate space for staff training, and establishment of a logistics plan for incoming devices and equipment.
As a result of her leadership, FBCH went into the “go live” date with the highest staff training completion rate than any other military medical treatment facility, contributing to the flawless execution of the new EHR. Nursing and staff satisfaction is of the utmost importance to COL Spangler.
During her tenure, she established a Chief Experience Officer position dedicated to addressing staff issues, concerns, and morale. She improved the Executive Team connection to staff/team members by initiating the Director/Command Sergeant Major button on the FBCH Hospital Intranet, which was an electronic vehicle for anonymous feedback to the FBCH Executive Team on organizational issues. COL Spangler also improved Executive level communication within the organization, by providing consistent in-person presence at the front line via regularly scheduled leadership rounds. COL Spangler is a true DAISY Nurse Leader.
A Registered Nurse, COL Spangler is a strong nurse advocate and trailblazer who empowers and inspires her staff to lead from the front. Her positive energy is palpable, and her staff looks to her for her leadership and calm demeanor during times of high stress. During the COVID-19 pandemic response efforts, she led flawlessly, sending dozens of nursing and clinical support staff to numerous sites across the country that desperately needed COVID-19 support. She provides critical leadership during a time of rapid change and transition while maintaining a remarkable standard of nursing practice to ensure a ready medical force. COL Spangler laid the groundwork for FBCH’s transition to a new Electronic Health Record (EHR), MHS Genesis, ensuring the appointment of clinical peer experts, adequate space for staff training, and establishment of a logistics plan for incoming devices and equipment.
As a result of her leadership, FBCH went into the “go live” date with the highest staff training completion rate than any other military medical treatment facility, contributing to the flawless execution of the new EHR. Nursing and staff satisfaction is of the utmost importance to COL Spangler.
During her tenure, she established a Chief Experience Officer position dedicated to addressing staff issues, concerns, and morale. She improved the Executive Team connection to staff/team members by initiating the Director/Command Sergeant Major button on the FBCH Hospital Intranet, which was an electronic vehicle for anonymous feedback to the FBCH Executive Team on organizational issues. COL Spangler also improved Executive level communication within the organization, by providing consistent in-person presence at the front line via regularly scheduled leadership rounds. COL Spangler is a true DAISY Nurse Leader.