November 2025
Tara
Jernigan
,
DNP RN NEA-BC
Director of Facility Activation
Northeast Georgia Health System
Gainesville
,
GA
United States
Tara’s partnership is invaluable in this work. I continue to be grateful for the depth of expertise that Tara exhibits in the nursing field, as well as in operational functions, culture, and environment of NGMC.
As a consultant collaborating with a client on Transition and Activation work in preparation for the opening of a new facility, having the opportunity to work directly with a client representative to coordinate the myriad activities that must take place is truly a gift. For this client representative to be a seasoned nurse within the organization who is, as we experience throughout our project planning, well trusted and connected across the system, is a huge bonus. This is Tara Jernigan. Tara plays a critical role as a nursing leader for expansions at Northeast Georgia Hospital System (NGHS) and continues, throughout the progress of the project through Go Live, to have an immeasurable impact.
It was evident the first time we were on the Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) Gainesville campus how connected Tara was. Tara said hello to nearly half of the staff, leaders, and providers that we passed in the hallways and knew people by name. Oftentimes, there was a question asked about their day-to-day work or even about their families, which highlights Tara’s level of engagement with the staff and colleagues around her.
In coordination with the design and construction teams, Tara helped to facilitate full-scale mockups of the most common rooms in the expansion – inpatient and emergency department (ED) rooms. Tara engaged 100+bedside nursing staff of four clinical areas to receive feedback on features such as nurse servers or footwall workspace – two areas that greatly impact the work of the nurse each time they enter the room. The ultimate goal of the inpatient and ED room design was standardization, and this was achieved through Tara’s collaboration with nursing staff and leaders to understand concerns, talk through opportunities to address, and outline steps forward. As transition and activation efforts continued, Tara’s keen ability to navigate the challenges of building a new space adjacent to existing space in communication, engagement, and facility planning shone through. Tara helped to bring together the departmental planning teams with the Simulation Team for Day in the Life and Mock Move, elevating the critical activities prior to Go Live.
Tara also actively engaged with community members, championing the opportunity for close to 70 members, participants of various advisory councils, to tour the construction mockup and provide feedback for consideration in the design. With the continuation of construction and transition and activation efforts, Tara’s keen ability to navigate the challenges of building a new space adjacent to the existing space in communication, engagement, and facility planning shone through. Tara challenged all teams to leverage the opportunity to enhance operational efficiency, throughput, and improve patient and staff experience, supporting “outside the box” thinking. Whether through full-scale mockups, operational planning, or engagement of the Simulation Team and standardized patients, Tara saw the project through from the physical design of the space to operations that improve and optimize care.
Tara’s partnership is invaluable in this work. I continue to be grateful for the depth of expertise that Tara exhibits in the nursing field, as well as in operational functions, culture, and environment of NGMC. Tara exemplifies the qualities honored by the DAISY Award through her exceptional leadership, creativity, and commitment to collaborative, patient-centered healthcare design. Her creative approach led to the development of user-centered spaces and processes that enhance patient outcomes, safety, and experience. By actively engaging patients, families, and staff in the design process, she ensured solutions were practical and meaningful. Without a doubt, Tara has made an extraordinary impact.
It was evident the first time we were on the Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) Gainesville campus how connected Tara was. Tara said hello to nearly half of the staff, leaders, and providers that we passed in the hallways and knew people by name. Oftentimes, there was a question asked about their day-to-day work or even about their families, which highlights Tara’s level of engagement with the staff and colleagues around her.
In coordination with the design and construction teams, Tara helped to facilitate full-scale mockups of the most common rooms in the expansion – inpatient and emergency department (ED) rooms. Tara engaged 100+bedside nursing staff of four clinical areas to receive feedback on features such as nurse servers or footwall workspace – two areas that greatly impact the work of the nurse each time they enter the room. The ultimate goal of the inpatient and ED room design was standardization, and this was achieved through Tara’s collaboration with nursing staff and leaders to understand concerns, talk through opportunities to address, and outline steps forward. As transition and activation efforts continued, Tara’s keen ability to navigate the challenges of building a new space adjacent to existing space in communication, engagement, and facility planning shone through. Tara helped to bring together the departmental planning teams with the Simulation Team for Day in the Life and Mock Move, elevating the critical activities prior to Go Live.
Tara also actively engaged with community members, championing the opportunity for close to 70 members, participants of various advisory councils, to tour the construction mockup and provide feedback for consideration in the design. With the continuation of construction and transition and activation efforts, Tara’s keen ability to navigate the challenges of building a new space adjacent to the existing space in communication, engagement, and facility planning shone through. Tara challenged all teams to leverage the opportunity to enhance operational efficiency, throughput, and improve patient and staff experience, supporting “outside the box” thinking. Whether through full-scale mockups, operational planning, or engagement of the Simulation Team and standardized patients, Tara saw the project through from the physical design of the space to operations that improve and optimize care.
Tara’s partnership is invaluable in this work. I continue to be grateful for the depth of expertise that Tara exhibits in the nursing field, as well as in operational functions, culture, and environment of NGMC. Tara exemplifies the qualities honored by the DAISY Award through her exceptional leadership, creativity, and commitment to collaborative, patient-centered healthcare design. Her creative approach led to the development of user-centered spaces and processes that enhance patient outcomes, safety, and experience. By actively engaging patients, families, and staff in the design process, she ensured solutions were practical and meaningful. Without a doubt, Tara has made an extraordinary impact.