Kirsten Fazzino, RN, MSN, NE-BC, SCRN, CPA

Leadership:

• Oversight of Neuroscience Nursing at Hartford Healthcare including operations of the inpatient units (more than 200 FTEs and over $110M of inpatient revenue), the Neuroscience patient care pathways as well the access, growth and regulatory requirements for the Neurosurgical and Stroke Programs.
• Successfully hired, created and mentored a team of Nurse Managers, Assistant Managers and Nursing Professional Development Practitioners who grew into self-sufficient, engaged leaders that have been consistently recognized for their leadership and teamwork within the organization
• Led the Team in creating a Nurse development program which improved nurse retention and engagement resulting in an 82% decrease in turnover. The program was shared in multiple venues at HHC, awarded the full circle award at Hartford Hospital and was presented at several Nursing Conferences. This work was published in the Journal of Nursing Administration in April of 2024.
• Created and mentored a system Neuroscience Nursing Professional Development Committee. This team standardized education for the system and decreased the burden on the HealthStream system. Built a research study to evaluate and publish results. Presented the work at the AANN Advances in Stroke Care Conference.
• Directed multiple system wide planning efforts to recognize Neuroscience Nursing and celebrate Neuroscience Nurses Week including education for bedside nurses across the system.
• Implemented system wide Nursing certification review courses and doubled the number of certified Neuroscience Nurses
• Built relationships with and is a liaison for Neurologists, Neurosurgeons, consulting providers and APPs
• Visible Leader - Proactively Rounding with Staff and Patients fostering connection and community
• Participates in Ayer Neuroscience Institute system level meetings including the Integrated Strategic Operational and Financial Review (ISOF), Clinical Affairs and Business Unit Review (BUR)

Quality:

• Created and currently managing the Neuroscience Cluster Quality Improvement and Length of Stay Dashboard. Responsible for communicating results and creating intervention plans to address gaps
• Led the team to be the first cluster at Hartford Hospital to implement Nursing k-cards. Created and modified k-cards for specific Neuroscience Quality modalities and ensured standard work was followed
• Decreased HAPIs by 73% YOY by developing an accountability system for HAPI prevention on the inpatient units and recognized a cost savings (approx. $80k) for reportable events. This work was then presented in two separate Nursing conference poster presentations.
• Partnered with Infection Prevention on a plan to reduce CAUTIs on the North 9 Neuroscience Unit with no new CAUTIs reported since implementation
• Redesigned the Stroke Team at Hartford Hospital to work to improve quality measures and reportable successes

Financial/Growth:

• Project development, implementation and management for multiple quality, Clinical Care Redesign and improvement initiatives which expanded access, increased revenue and/or reduced waste. Examples include an initiative to innovate the levels of care at Hartford Hospital to allow cranial neurosurgical patients to bypass the ICU saving approximately $200,000 to date and eliminating at least 40 ICU patient days and the creation of a hospital wide system to reduce rental bed charges saving approximately $100,000 year.
• Created an Interdisciplinary Team to focus on improving Length of Stay (LOS) for Neuroscience resulting in improved metrics.
• Supervised and Collaborated with the Neurosurgery Program Manager to implement a Nurse Navigation model resulting in the growth of the DBS and Skull Base programs along with improved quality and LOS for these programs. Improved metrics include no patients lost to follow up since inception and a decrease in LOS of over 1.5 days.
• Led the team which developed the clinical and IT processes for the implementation of High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) at HHC allowing the System to be the first in CT to perform HIFU for Neurological conditions.

Community:

• Strike Out Stroke, Hartford Yard Goats, 2023 and 2024
• Stars Dancing for Parkinsons Planning Committee, 2024
• Medical Mission, Nursing Team, Hartford Region, 2023
• Planned Community Outreach to Educate on Stroke in Hispanic Population with the Vascular Neurology Team and Residents

Regulatory:

• Responsible for the continued readiness of inpatient units
• Participated and accountable for the Joint Commission accreditation visits for Comprehensive Stroke and Advanced Spine Certifications

Awards: Two-time recipient of the Full Circle Award at Hartford Hospital

• Primary Leader for a 29-bed unit composed of a 9-bed ICU and a 20-bed step down unit
• Oriented new nurse managers assuming positions on other units
• Implemented projects and supervised groups working to improve patient experience resulting in an improvement compared to prior scores.
• Reviewed budgets and ensuring fiscal responsibility for the unit. Procuring equipment as needed and working within capital budgets.
• Worked to improve staff engagement through development and review of new procedures and policies and ensuring current policies and procedures are followed by staff
• Membership in numerous committees including the System Level Clinical Practice Council, Central Region Clinical Practice Council, Critical Care Committee, Infection Control Committee, Fall Reduction Committee, Central Region Sepsis Committee, Stroke Committee and Length of Stay Review group

• Primary Leader for a 28-bed unit
• Responsible for the unit patient experience, quality and financial results
• Worked with interdisciplinary teams (Physicians, Social Workers, Case Managers, Pharmacists) daily to ensure that patient care was optimized and that safe transitions of care were made
• Completed the Advanced Lean Management Healthcare Training, implemented and sustained Lean Daily Huddles on the Nursing Unit and was the first Inpatient Unit in the Central Region to become a Bronze Certified Workgroup.
• Implemented several projects using Lean Principles which created improvements in many areas of quality (hand hygiene), performance (length of stay) and patient and employee satisfaction. Many were interdisciplinary projects with the Hospitalist group
• Worked with the team to successfully implement EPIC (EHR) at the hospital
• Developed Nursing Workflow, organized hospital wide education and assisted the interdisciplinary team to implement Tele neurology at Midstate
• Increased recognition for staff, including numerous Daisy Awards, Rose Awards and Nightingale Awards leading to increased staff engagement
• Member of numerous committees such as the HHC Clinical Practice Council, the Central Region Clinical Practice Council and the Stroke Team at Midstate
• Worked closely with the Stroke Coordinator to ensure goals were met and staff were educated. Actively participated in the Stroke accreditation process.

• Responsible for analyzing data in selected charts and inputting data for transmission to regulatory agencies
• Worked on an educational program for staff nurses regarding reportable measures
• Analyzed and Communicated quality and safety issues within the hospital
• Member of the Clinical Practice Council Leadership Committee and the Epic Nursing Adoption Team

• Managed patient assignments, ensured safe transfers, and collaborated with healthcare team members for optimal patient care.
• Communicated with other health team members such as Attending Physicians, Respiratory Therapists, Case Managers, Nutritionists and Social Workers

• Rotating charge nurse
• Responsible for patient care, documentation audits, and participation in quality control committees