American Sentinel University and Colorado Hospital Association Name Aspen Valley Hospital Nurse February Colorado Health Care Star

– Award Recognizes Mary Salabounis at Aspen Valley Hospital as a Nursing Professional Making a Difference in Health Care Today –   

AURORA, Colo. – February 25, 2016 – American Sentinel University and the Colorado Hospital Association (CHA) named Mary Salabounis, RN, at Aspen Valley Hospital (AVH) as the February Colorado Health Care Stars Award winner. This award recognizes Salabounis, a member of the surgical department at AVH as an exceptional health care professional.

Colorado Health Care Stars is a statewide health care professional award recognition program sponsored by American Sentinel University and CHA. The program was launched in February 2015 to acknowledge clinical professionals in Colorado who exceed expectations in the delivery of health care.

Salabounis, formerly a seasonal nurse at AVH, has become an important member of the nursing team. Since arriving at AVH a few years ago, she has been a prominent member of the nursing staff bringing standardization to the surgical department.

“Mary is driven by a strong ‘can do’ attitude, and coupled with her ability to get the staff on board with improvements, she has become the go-to person for surgical knowledge at Aspen Valley Hospital,” says Elaine Gerson, Chief Clinical Officer at Aspen Valley Hospital District.

Gerson says that AVH taught all the surgical staff LEAN methodology to complete departmental improvements projects, but that Salabounis took this learning to heart and has become the team leader in the department and has been responsible for making small improvements that make a key difference in patient experiences.

As a result of her hard work and dedication, Salabounis was recently promoted to charge nurse.

“Our staff respects her; the medical staff appreciates her knowledge and skills, and the operating room has never hummed this smoothly until Mary was in charge. She is truly a valued and important health care star in our organization,” says Gerson.

Nominate The Next Colorado Health Care Stars WinnerNominate an exceptional clinical professional. Complete the nomination submission form at http://www.chacareercenter.com/Employers/Employer-Items/Colorado-Healthcare-Heroes.aspx

Each month CHA draws from the pool of nominees and chooses an individual that will be featured the following month on the CHA Career Center website, receive a $100 Visa gift card courtesy of American Sentinel University and be entered into a drawing at the end of the year for a monetary scholarship toward an accredited health care certificate or degree at American Sentinel University. 

“Engaged and empowered nursing leaders, like Mary Salabounis, play a crucial role in helping their health care organization achieve high-quality patient outcomes. We are proud to recognize Mary’s dedication to her surgical department and patients and the role that she plays in making a difference in their lives every day,” says Chris Wolfe, Director of Program Strategy and Alliances at American Sentinel University.  Learn more about American Sentinel University’s online degree programs at http://www.americansentinel.edu/nursing or call 866.922.5690.

About American Sentinel UniversityAmerican Sentinel University delivers accredited online degree programs in nursing (BSN, MSN, and DNP) and healthcare management (MBA Healthcare, M.S. Information Systems Management, and M.S. Business Intelligence and Analytics). Its affordable, flexible bachelor’s and master’s nursing degree programs are accredited by the Commission for the Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), of One Dupont Circle, NW Suite 530, Washington, D.C., 20036. The DNP program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) of 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, Ga., 30326. The University is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission, DEAC, 1101 17th Street NW, Suite 808, Washington, D.C. 20036, (202) 234-5100, www.deac.org

For required student consumer information, please visit: www.americansentinel.edu/doe

About the Colorado Hospital AssociationThe Colorado Hospital Association (CHA) represents 100 member hospitals and health systems throughout Colorado. CHA partners with its members to work towards health reform and performance improvement, and provides advocacy and representation at the state and federal level. Colorado hospitals and health systems are committed to providing coverage and access to safe, high-quality and affordable health care. In addition, Colorado hospitals have a tremendous impact on the state’s economic stability and growth, contributing to nearly every community across the state with 72,000 employees statewide.