Gwendolyn Gardner
Belton,TX
Summary
Accomplished healthcare executive with 20+ years of leadership in multidisciplinary clinical operations, service line development, and strategic growth. Skilled in executing operational initiatives, revenue management, and driving performance improvement. Demonstrated success in implementing organization initiatives such as creating ED fast tracks, establishing epilepsy seizure monitoring units, and facilitating service line expansions. Successfully initiated a solid organ transplant program to increase access to healthcare and improve patient outcomes. Committed to aligning operational goals with organizational strategic priorities, improving efficiency, and exceeding patient care expectations. Excited to bring a wealth of experience in service line operations and transplant to Tampa General Hospital's dynamic environment and commitment to operational excellence.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Director of Pediatrics
St. David’s North Austin Children’s Hospital
01.2024 - Current
- Spearhead clinical operations for complex and chronic pediatric population, aligning clinical workflows with organizational goals to enhance patient satisfaction and financial performance
- Lead strategic initiatives, optimizing staffing models by 15% and improved efficiency
- Decrease ED length of stay by 30 minutes
- Pro-actively track and identify variances in productivity and P&L, improving reimbursement
- Created second triage area to improve patient flow
- Implemented direct bedding and new holding area
- Ensure full compliance with TJC, CMS, and state regulations
- Achieved zero major findings in 4 regulatory audits in last 12 month
- Created and implemented action plan while engaging stakeholders and C-suite leaders
- Expanded services while collaborating with providers and executive leaders
- Manage 100+ FTEs, implementing workforce planning strategies to drive employee retention and development
- Improved staff engagement from 62% to 80% in 6 months
- Increased pediatric cross trained, regional float pool utilization and PEMS providers
- Onboarded international and contract labor nurses, decreasing turnover by 60%
- Increased flexible scheduling and PRN nurses
Director of Nursing
McLane Children’s Hospital Baylor Scott & White
05.2021 - 11.2023
- Directed daily operations across multiple departments, coordinating care for a 45-bed med/surgical unit, PICU, Level 2 Trauma emergency department, and epilepsy monitoring unit
- Expanded dialysis treatments and coordinated staff education
- Expanded bed capacity by 10% to enhance seizure monitoring capabilities
- Improved staff engagement by creating unit-based council and increased staff involvement in hospital wide committees
- Created fast track to improve clinic flow, decreased LOS and improved efficiency
- Spearheaded financial strategies, reducing operational costs while improving patient throughput
- Managed P&L, managed capital request and assisted with price agreements, strengthened vendor relations and forecasted financial performance based on data and strong collaboration with supply chain
- Decreased premium pay by onboarding contract labor, expanding PRN nurses and diversifying skill mix
- Implemented process enhancements, improving patient satisfaction scores and outcomes
- Led survey readiness and site visit for Magnet Nursing Excellence designation and Level 2 trauma re-designation to ensure overall compliance and best practice
- Facilitated successfully TJC and CMS site visits with no major findings
- Enhanced collaboration with providers and executive stakeholders
Director of Transplant
Baylor Scott & White Health
05.2020 - 05.2021
- Managed multi-disciplinary complex transplant programs, ensuring optimal financial performance, appropriate trained staffing, support services and regulatory compliance
- Leveraged technology to track program metrics to ensure clinical excellence and 100% compliance
- Strengthen collaboration across multiple service lines and off-site services
- Led initiatives to restore transplant program compliance, successfully lifting probation status
- Led process optimization efforts, reducing recipient evaluation time by 30 days and increasing efficiency
- Created SOPs to ensure evident based practices and standardization across service line
- Improved organ placement time by improving communication and coordinated supplemental staff
- Expanded clinic space to improve patient access and improve RVUs
Divisional Director of Ambulatory Operations
Children’s of Alabama
08.2016 - 02.2020
- Managed multi-site outpatient operations, implementing growth strategies that enhanced patient access, staff engagement, financial viability while ensuring overall compliance
- Coordinated operations for large outpatient services and off-site clinics
- Expanded dialysis treatments for in hospital and home therapies
- Led quality improvement processes to reduce line infections, decrease wait times and improve access to healthcare
- Optimized staffing resources by adding seasonal contracts, international nurses, contract providers to decrease use of supplemental staff and decreased overall premium pay
- Led integration of new service lines, ensuring smooth transitions, and compliance with regulatory standards
- Coordinated care across multiple facilities and off-site providers to ensure compliance
- Established 6 bed outpatient infusion center, driving efficiency and improved patient experience and provider engagement
- Financial Sustainability and Revenue generation
- Negotiated payer contracts to ensure optimal reimbursement
- Expanded service lines and achieved Center of excellence designation from payors
- Led survey readiness and education to achieved Nursing excellence designation of Magnet
Administrative Director of Transplant Services
Children’s of Alabama
02.2004 - 02.2020
- Build and scaled a UNOS approved Solid Organ pediatric transplant program
- Secured CMS, TJC, and MPSC certification/ approval and maintained 100% regulatory compliance.
- Negotiated contracts with vendors to ensure strong financial performance
- Negotiated payor contracts and achieved center of excellence enhancing financial sustainability and revenue generation
- Established infrastructure with off – site services and vendors
- Built strong collaboration with providers, vendors and stakeholders
Education
Master’s - Clinical Psychology
Alabama A & M University
Normal, AL1999
Emergency Medicine (EMT-P) - Emergency Management
University of Alabama At Huntsville
Huntsville, AL1991
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
University of Alabama At Birmingham
Birmingham, AL1990
Skills
- Multi-Site Healthcare Management
- P&L Ownership & Financial Analysis
- Strategic Growth & Operational Optimization
- Leadership & Team Development
- Workforce Planning & Talent Strategy
- Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management
- Data analytics/KPI tracking and reporting
- Patient Experience & Quality Improvement
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Operations management
- Stakeholder engagement
- Operational efficiency
Certification
- Board-Certified Nurse Executive (NE-BC)
- Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN)
- Advanced Life Support (ACLS)
- Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
- FEMA – IS 0100
- Lean/Six Sigma Process Improvement trained
- Crisis Prevention Trained
- HCA Leadership Institute Academy
- Basic Life Support CPR/AED
- Active Texas RN License
Honors And Awards
- Birmingham Metro Magazine Excellence Nurse Award
- Children’s of Alabama Excellence in Leadership Nominee
- Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society
- Presidential Who’s Who Award
Timeline
Director of Pediatrics
St. David’s North Austin Children’s Hospital
01.2024 - Current
Director of Nursing
McLane Children’s Hospital Baylor Scott & White
05.2021 - 11.2023
Director of Transplant
Baylor Scott & White Health
05.2020 - 05.2021
Divisional Director of Ambulatory Operations
Children’s of Alabama
08.2016 - 02.2020
Administrative Director of Transplant Services
Children’s of Alabama
02.2004 - 02.2020
Master’s - Clinical Psychology
Alabama A & M University
Emergency Medicine (EMT-P) - Emergency Management
University of Alabama At Huntsville
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
University of Alabama At Birmingham
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