MOBILE, Alabama (Nov. 6, 2024) -- Following successful initiatives to improve patient access and care, Becker’s Hospital Review has named USA Health’s Vicki Curtis, MSN, RN, to its list of Chief Nursing Officers to Know for 2024. Curtis was named chief nursing officer at Children's & Women's Hospital in 2023.
“We are extremely proud Vicki has been recognized nationally for her role here,” said Debbie Browning, MSN, RN, CENP, CEO of Children’s & Women’s Hospital. “She is an exemplary leader who understands how evidence-based nursing practices and patient-centered care optimizes better outcomes for mothers and infants. Plus, she knows how to positively motivate her team to ensure our patients benefit from those practices every single day.”
With more than two decades of experience in women’s healthcare, Curtis has driven key initiatives at USA Health, including a partnership with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement to reduce perinatal and maternal morbidity, according to the Becker’s article.
Under her leadership, Children's & Women's Hospital was one of only five sites nationwide chosen for IHI’s program targeting postpartum care inequities for Black mothers, Becker’s noted, adding that Curtis also spearheaded new initiatives like the AdaptX data collection program and an at-home blood pressure monitoring system for new mothers at risk for pre-eclampsia.
The innovative “I Gave Birth” medical bracelet program, designed to improve postpartum care, has also been launched as a statewide pilot in Alabama following its implementation at Children's & Women's Hospital.
“Vicki cares deeply about the underserved and underinsured, and recently worked to create two new positions at Children’s & Women’s Hospital to fill gaps in community education, outreach, and behavioral health,” Browning said. “I know that our patients, their families and our hospital staff will benefit from her leadership for years to come.”