UCHealth names two new chief nursing officers in northern Colorado

Kelly Tracer

Experienced leaders will take reins at Poudre Valley Hospital and Greeley Hospital

FORT COLLINS AND GREELEY, Colo. (Nov. 7, 2018) – UCHealth announced today that two highly accomplished and experienced nursing leaders have been tapped for chief nursing officer positions in northern Colorado.

Kay Miller has been named chief nursing officer of UCHealth Greeley Hospital, which will open in spring 2019. She will be replacing Julie Nunley, who will taking over the chief nursing officer position at UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins.

Miller is a familiar face in northern Colorado. She worked in various nursing and leadership positions at PVH for 24 years. In 2007, she was instrumental in helping open UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, where she served as the CNO until 2012 and led the organization in being the youngest hospital to be designated as a Magnet hospital, which is the gold standard of nursing excellence. Since 2015, she has been the CNO at UCHealth Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs, where she has played a significant role in rebuilding nursing services and dramatically improving quality and patient satisfaction.

“We are thrilled to have Kay back in northern Colorado,” said Marilyn Schock, the president of Greeley Hospital. “She sets the bar high for patient care and will help build and prepare a staff that is passionate about delivering the best care possible and an excellent patient experience.”

Nunley, who will be taking over the chief nursing officer position at PVH, joined UCHealth last year. She has been involved in the planning of operations, education, policies and hiring for the Greeley Hospital. She has more than 17 years of experience as an executive health care leader, including serving asCEO for Banner Baywood Medical Center and Banner Heart Hospital in Mesa, Arizona, as well as CNO at Exempla Good Samaritan Medical Center, where she was integral in opening the hospital in Lafayette, Colorado.

“Julie’s extensive leadership experience and commitment to continual performance improvement and staff development is exactly what we need to continue PVH’s great legacy of  nationally recognized nursing excellence and extraordinary patient care.” said Kevin Unger, the president and CEO of PVH and MCR.

Nunley will succeed PVH’s longtime chief nursing officer, Donna Poduska, who will retire in February, in her 50^th year working at PVH.

During Poduska’s half century at PVH, she has held positions of staff nurse, charge nurse, head nurse, vice president of patient care services, director and chief nursing officer. She has served important roles in helping PVH become a Magnet hospital, Malcolm Baldrige recipient, NDNQI Quality Award recipient and a Top 100 hospital. She also has served as president of the Colorado Organization of Nurse Leaders and a Magnet program appraiser since 2000.

Under Poduska’s leadership, PVH was re-designated as a Magnet hospital in September, making it one of just 11 hospitals in the world to have achieved the prestigious recognition at least five times.