Amy Wilson, MSN, BSN, RN, has accepted the newly created position of Ascension Senior Vice President, Clinical Operations, effective March 11. She will have System-level responsibility for organizing, planning, directing and evaluating all nursing services functions and care delivery models. This includes Nursing, Pharmacy, Laboratory, Nursing Quality and related areas.
One of her key responsibilities will be helping to implement a new Ministry Market leadership model as Ascension transitions from dyad leaders to triad leaders, adding the expertise of local Chief Nursing Officers to those of Chief Clinical Officers and Chief Operating Officers as Ascension delivers compassionate, personalized care to all with special attention to those who are struggling. She will partner with Ministry Market triads to ensure operational consistency and alignment and serve as a key stakeholder in improving retention and building a strong, engaged and collaborative culture for registered nurses and interdisciplinary care teams.
“Amy’s tremendous breadth of experience in both clinical and operational areas, coupled with her dedicated servant leadership, make her an ideal choice for this new role,” said Karen Springer, Executive Vice President, Healthcare Operations. “I’m looking forward to her contributions as a member of the senior leadership of Ascension.”
Since January 2017 Wilson has served as Chief Nursing Officer for Ascension Saint Thomas Health in Nashville. In this role she has worked closely with the Chief Clinical Officer and Chief Operating Officer dyad leaders to ensure that nursing, medical and operational strategies are aligned and performing efficiently and effectively. While at Saint Thomas, she led the implementation of its Nursing Transformation Unit, creating an environment in which nurses can lead the improvement of their own workplace efficiency and satisfaction. She also developed the Bedside Practice Council, a group of nurses serving as the governing council of nurses across Saint Thomas Health, and led the redesign of the Saint Thomas Health Nurse Residency Program, which allows new nursing graduates to start their career with the proper mentorship and skills seminars to be successful and confident.
Earlier she served at Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital Pensacola, part of Ascension Florida, in a dual role as both Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Operating Officer. As COO and CNO, she was responsible for all nursing practice-related functions, as well as the operations of the hospital, financial management for the organization, and the oversight of ancillary departments, facilities and contracted departments.
Prior to joining Sacred Heart, Wilson spent six years at The Children’s Hospital of Alabama in Birmingham. She joined Children’s in 2006 as the Director of the Stem Cell Transplant Unit and was later named Director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. In 2011, she became the Director of Performance Improvement and Accreditation, overseeing the Performance Improvement, Medical Staff Services and Continuing Medical Education departments.
Wilson received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Alabama at Huntsville and her Master of Science in Nursing, with an emphasis on Quality Improvement and Outcomes Management, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is a certified professional in healthcare quality and a Six Sigma Black Belt. Active in the community, she serves on the board of the American Heart Association – Nashville and of Alive Hospice, and previously was a board member for Autism Pensacola and on the leadership advisory council for the School of Nursing at the University of West Florida.
