LaVaugn Reeves
Buffalo
Summary
Innovative and results-driven nursing leader and psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP-BC, board eligible) with over a decade of progressive experience in emergency medicine, psychiatric crisis intervention, interventional cardiology, and stroke care. Adept at leading multidisciplinary teams, driving clinical quality, and navigating regulatory compliance across high-acuity hospital environments. Dual-licensed as a Registered Nurse and Master Social Worker, bringing a unique biopsychosocial lens to patient care and organizational leadership. Proven track record of developing policies, improving throughput, mentoring staff, and spearheading successful accreditation initiatives. Passionate about trauma-informed, equitable, and person-centered care.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Director of Emergency, Psychiatric Emergency Interventional Cardiology and Stroke Services
Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center
Niagara Falls
09.2024 - Current
- Oversees operations across Emergency, Psychiatric Emergency, Interventional Cardiology, and Stroke Services, ensuring seamless integration and high-quality patient care.
- Implements strategic initiatives that enhance departmental efficiency, improve patient outcomes, and reduce operational costs.
- Leads a multidisciplinary team of over 80 healthcare professionals, fostering an environment of clinical excellence and compassionate care.
- Enhances patient satisfaction scores through targeted improvements in patient care protocols and staff training programs.
- Develops and launches comprehensive programs for stroke care and interventional cardiology, establishing models of care excellence within the region.
- Spearheads the integration of cutting-edge technologies and treatment modalities, elevating the hospital’s reputation as a leader in emergency and critical care.
- Directs quality assurance initiatives aligning with national safety standards, resulting in improved compliance metrics and reduced incidence of medical errors.
- Leads the department through successful accreditation processes, including JCAHO and state health department reviews.
- Manages a multimillion-dollar budget, optimizing resource allocation without compromising service quality or patient care.
- Negotiates vendor contracts and reduces supply costs by implementing strategic vendor partnerships and bulk purchasing agreements.
- Institutes a comprehensive training program for emergency and cardiac care teams, enhancing staff competencies and improving patient care delivery.
- Mentors emerging leaders within the department, preparing them for senior roles and ensuring a pipeline of skilled management talent.
- Coordinates rapid response strategies during major emergencies, including public health crises and natural disasters, maintaining high standards of patient care under pressure.
- Develops protocols that reduce average emergency response times and increase patient survival rates in critical care scenarios.
- Fosters strong relationships with local government, public health officials, and community organizations to support public health initiatives and community outreach.
- Represents the hospital in professional and public forums, advocating for policy changes to improve emergency health services.
Travel Registered Nurse/Charge Nurse-Emergency Department
Catholic Health System of Buffalo
Buffalo
03.2023 - Current
- Responded quickly and effectively to emergency situations or changes in patient's condition.
- Provided direct and indirect patient care according to established standards and protocols.
- Facilitated communication between healthcare team members involved in providing quality patient care services.
- Performed assessments and evaluations of patients' health condition, while providing comprehensive nursing services.
- Ensured compliance with applicable laws and regulations governing the practice of nursing within the scope of travel nurse duties.
- Participated in quality improvement initiatives to ensure best practice standards were met within the unit setting.
- Managed staffing levels within the unit while ensuring optimal levels of patient care.
Registered Nurse/Charge Nurse-Emergency Department
Sisters of Charity Hospital
BUFFALO
09.2019 - 11.2023
- Provided emergent patient management with a high level of critical thinking.
- Effectively assessed the needs of incoming patients, and assist providers with determining the best possible care.
- Assured quality of care by adhering to therapeutic standards, measuring health outcomes against patient care goals and standards, making or recommending necessary adjustments, and following the hospital and nursing division’s philosophies and standards of care set by the state board of nursing, the state nurse practice act, and other governing agency regulations.
- Established a compassionate environment by providing emotional, psychological, and spiritual support to patients, friends, and families.
Travel Registered Nurse-Emergency Department
Buffalo General Medical Center
Buffalo
06.2022 - 03.2023
- Provided emergency care to critically ill patients in a timely manner.
- Ensured compliance with all hospital policies, procedures, standards, and regulations.
- Reviewed laboratory results promptly for accuracy and followed up on abnormal findings with physicians.
- Responded quickly to life-threatening situations while maintaining composure under pressure.
- Performed triage, prioritizing treatment of incoming patients based on acuity level.
- Conducted patient assessments and diagnostic tests to provide physician with important patient health information.
Travel Registered Nurse-Emergency Department
Dallas Methodist Medical Center
Dallas
01.2022 - 04.2022
- Provided emergency care to critically ill patients in a timely manner.
- Ensured compliance with all hospital policies, procedures, standards, and regulations.
- Reviewed laboratory results promptly for accuracy and followed up on abnormal findings with physicians.
- Responded quickly to life-threatening situations while maintaining composure under pressure.
- Performed triage, prioritizing treatment of incoming patients based on acuity level.
- Conducted patient assessments and diagnostic tests to provide physician with important patient health information.
Travel Registered Nurse-Emergency Department
HCA Houston Healthcare North West
Houston
08.2021 - 11.2021
- Provided emergency care to critically ill patients in a timely manner.
- Ensured compliance with all hospital policies, procedures, standards, and regulations.
- Reviewed laboratory results promptly for accuracy and followed up on abnormal findings with physicians.
- Responded quickly to life-threatening situations while maintaining composure under pressure.
- Performed triage, prioritizing treatment of incoming patients based on acuity level.
- Conducted patient assessments and diagnostic tests to provide physician with important patient health information.
Travel Registered Nurse-Emergency Department
Mt. Sinai South Nassau
Oceanside
03.2021 - 05.2021
- Provided emergency care to critically ill patients in a timely manner.
- Ensured compliance with all hospital policies, procedures, standards, and regulations.
- Reviewed laboratory results promptly for accuracy and followed up on abnormal findings with physicians.
- Responded quickly to life-threatening situations while maintaining composure under pressure.
- Performed triage, prioritizing treatment of incoming patients based on acuity level.
- Conducted patient assessments and diagnostic tests to provide physician with important patient health information.
Travel Registered Nurse-Emergency Department
UPMC Altoona
Altoona
12.2020 - 03.2021
- Provided emergency care to critically ill patients in a timely manner.
- Ensured compliance with all hospital policies, procedures, standards, and regulations.
- Reviewed laboratory results promptly for accuracy and followed up on abnormal findings with physicians.
- Responded quickly to life-threatening situations while maintaining composure under pressure.
- Performed triage, prioritizing treatment of incoming patients based on acuity level.
- Conducted patient assessments and diagnostic tests to provide physician with important patient health information.
Registered Nurse Supervisor (Per-diem)
Beechwood Continuing Care
Getzville
08.2019 - 08.2020
- Provided effective direction, guidance, and leadership over clinical staff for effective teamwork and motivation, and fosters the effective integration of efforts integration of efforts with clinicwide initiatives.
- Assisted in management of patient flow and access.
- Provided clinical staff with information, education and tools to ensure they are supporting efficient patient flow and telephone triage in the practice.
- Supervised assigned staff/personnel ensuring continued operations of facility.
Registered Nurse/Charge Nurse-Telemetry/Neuro
Sisters of Charity Hospital
Buffalo
06.2018 - 09.2019
- Identified patient care requirements by establishing personal rapport with potential and actual patients and other persons in a position to understand care requirements.
- Established a compassionate environment by providing emotional, psychological, and spiritual support to patients, friends, and families.
- Promoted patient independence by establishing patient care goals; teaching patients, friends, and family to understand condition, medications, and self-care skills; answering questions.
- Assured quality of care by adhering to therapeutic standards; measuring health outcomes against patient care goals and standards; making or recommending necessary adjustments; following hospital and nursing division’s philosophies and standards of care set by state of board of nursing, state nurse practice act, and other governing agency regulations.
- Protected patients and employees by adhering to infection-control policies and protocols, medication administration and storage procedures, and controlled substance regulations.
Peer Mentor-Nursing
Trocaire College
Buffalo
10.2017 - 01.2019
- Counseled nursing students individually, assisting with obstacles presented during their college tenure, adjusting to life, and making appropriate choices to stay focused.
- Worked with students to develop focus plans and study regimens.
- Referred students to community resources as appropriate.
- Maintained weekly contact with students offering continued assistance and emotional support.
- Advocated to nursing program administration on behalf of mentees, as appropriate.
Monitor Technician-Telemetry
Sisters of Charity Hospital
Buffalo
10.2017 - 06.2018
- Admitted, transferred, and discharged patients and enters all required information in telemetry monitoring system.
- Escalated significant or life-threatening changes immediately, utilizing appropriate ECG algorithm, to a Registered Nurse, as appropriate; communicating information in a clear, concise and accurate manner to the responsible individual within established timeframe.
- Provided precise continual surveillance and analysis of cardiac rhythms on electrocardiographic central monitoring station, documenting per established procedure; interprets ECG rhythms, recognizes significant ECG events.
- Performed STAT EKGs on patients, as indicated.
Program Specialist/Supervisor of Restricted Recipient Program
Centene Corporation
Rochester
02.2016 - 06.2018
- Overseen Restricted Recipient Program-analyze data and prepare reports for committee review making recommendations for restrictions based on criteria.
- Provided complex care management to high-risk members as identified by New York State Department of Health and the managed-care health insurance plan criteria.
- Created and managed electronic patient files to document patient data including treatments and progress.
- Coordinated desired outcomes between patients, families, and healthcare professionals, as appropriate.
- Adhered to clinical standards of care ensuring appropriate outcomes, as determined by state guidelines.
- Facilitated referral to appropriate community resources for acute and chronically ill patients in both physical and mental health realms.
- Conducted psychosocial assessments and developed diagnostically based treatment and discharge plans with consultation with multidisciplinary team.
- Provided brief interventions and brief therapy using motivational interviewing.
Telemetry Technician
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Buffalo
04.2017 - 11.2017
- Provided precise continual surveillance and analysis of cardiac rhythms on electrocardiographic central monitoring station, documenting per established procedure; interprets ECG rhythms, recognizes significant ECG events.
- Escalated significant or life-threatening changes immediately, utilizing appropriate ECG algorithm, to a Registered Nurse, as appropriate; communicates information in a clear, concise and accurate manner to the responsible individual within established timeframe.
- Obtained rhythm strips per hospital cardiac telemetry procedure; operates and troubleshoots all functions of the telemetry monitoring system; accounts for all monitors at the end of each assigned shift.
- Admitted, transferred, and discharged patient and entered all required information in telemetry monitoring system.
Director of Social Work
Waterfront Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare
Buffalo
05.2015 - 01.2016
- Prepared quality assurance reports and present to quality assurance team bi-monthly.
- Obtained orders for psychiatric consultations from attending doctors and prepare resident to be seen by facility’s psychiatrist.
- Facilitated Pharmacy review meetings as needed for psychotropic medication review.
- Overseen all day-to-day operations of social work department, including policy/procedure effectiveness.
- Assured all resident discharges are safe, appropriate and provide access to all support/needs in community.
- Developed relationships with residents, continuing to orient residents on rounds.
- Coordinated discharge planning for acute and chronically ill patients (physical and mental health related).
- Consulted with and developed appropriate treatment and rehabilitation plans for dually diagnosed patients.
- Provided short-term counseling intervention to patients with physical/mental/dual diagnosis.
Director of Social Work
Brooklyn Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare
Brooklyn
01.2014 - 02.2015
- Supervisory Responsibilities-Planned, organized, developed and directed the overall operation of the Social Work Department to ensure all medically-related emotional and social needs of residents were met in accordance with current applicable federal, state, and local standards, guidelines and regulations.
- Served as primary resident/patient/family liaison regarding communication and development of interdisciplinary treatment and/or discharge plan.
- Counseled prospective residents/patients and families, as needed, for adequate preparation for admission to the facility, including providing assistance to residents/patients and/or families in obtaining financial services, when needed.
- Consulted with and developed appropriate treatment and rehabilitation plans for dually diagnosed patients.
- Provided brief interventions and brief therapy using motivational interviewing.
- Developed a relationship with each resident/patient by visiting them regularly. Documented problems and needs. Provided timely and appropriate psychosocial intervention for residents/patients as required.
- Informed residents/patients and/or families of the date and time of Resident/Patient and/or Family conferences. Attended and participated in the Plan of Care meetings with emphasis on medically related social services including Discharge Planning.
Corporate Social Worker/Director of Social Work
Centers Health Care
Bronx
12.2013 - 01.2015
- Traveled between designated facilities providing assistance with overall departmental operations.
- Served as an information liaison between the corporate office and assigned facilities.
- Performed regulatory audits on patient charts, documented and reported findings to appropriate facility personnel.
- Reviewed departmental policies and procedures for effectiveness and made recommendations.
- Assessed all departmental operations for compliance with all state, federal, and local guidelines and regulations.
- Provided social work services to clients with physical/behavioral health needs, including referral for services post-discharge.
- Provided social work coverage in facilities with vacancies, managing all duties of social work caseload in those facilities.
- Assisted with orientation of social work directors and staff, as well as ongoing education with social work staff as directed by Corporate Director of Social Work.
Social Worker
Queens Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare
Whitestone
05.2012 - 12.2013
- Conducted psychosocial assessments of all incoming patients including cognitive/mood assessments.
- Facilitated discharge planning, maintaining accurate documentation of patient admission and correspondence with insurance companies to ensure that all needs/services are in place upon discharge.
- Collaborated with other members of the interdisciplinary team to evaluate and implement patient care.
- Counseled patients and provided emotional support in individual and group sessions to help them recover from illness and adjust to life.
- Provided clinical information regarding the patient’s stay to the patient’s insurance company upon their request.
- Assessed the social and emotional factors related to the patient’s illness, his or her need for care, response to treatment, and adjustment to care in the facility.
- Processed referrals to other public and private social service organizations, community agencies and resources to meet patient’s needs.
Education
Master’s Degree - Nursing-PMHNP
University of Rochester
Rochester, NY05.2025
Bachelor’s Degree - Nursing
Daemen University
Buffalo, NY12.2021
Associate’s Degree - Nursing
Trocaire College
Buffalo, NY05.2018
Master of Social Work -
Yeshiva University: Wurzweiler School of Social Work
New York, NY05.2013
Bachelor of Science - Criminal Justice
State University of New York College At Buffalo
Buffalo, NY05.2011
Skills
- Emergency response
- Patient assessment
- Quality assurance
- Regulatory compliance
- Patient education
- Effective communication
- Team leadership
- Public safety
- Emergency communications
- Emergency operations
- Training and education
- Patient care
- Operations management
- Leadership development
- Conflict resolution
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Interpersonal skills
- Financial management
- Critical thinking
Certification
- New York State Registered Professional Nurse
- New York State Licensed Master Social Worker
- New York State Screen Certification
- New York State PRI Certification
- American Heart Association BLS
- American Heart Association ACLS
- American Heart Association PALS
- Emergency Nurses Association TNCC
Affiliations
- Alpha Phi Sigma, National Criminal Justice Honor Society
- National Association of Social Workers
- Emergency Nurses Association
- American Psychiatric Nurses Association
Timeline
Director of Emergency, Psychiatric Emergency Interventional Cardiology and Stroke Services
Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center
09.2024 - Current
Travel Registered Nurse/Charge Nurse-Emergency Department
Catholic Health System of Buffalo
03.2023 - Current
Travel Registered Nurse-Emergency Department
Buffalo General Medical Center
06.2022 - 03.2023
Travel Registered Nurse-Emergency Department
Dallas Methodist Medical Center
01.2022 - 04.2022
Travel Registered Nurse-Emergency Department
HCA Houston Healthcare North West
08.2021 - 11.2021
Travel Registered Nurse-Emergency Department
Mt. Sinai South Nassau
03.2021 - 05.2021
Travel Registered Nurse-Emergency Department
UPMC Altoona
12.2020 - 03.2021
Registered Nurse/Charge Nurse-Emergency Department
Sisters of Charity Hospital
09.2019 - 11.2023
Registered Nurse Supervisor (Per-diem)
Beechwood Continuing Care
08.2019 - 08.2020
Registered Nurse/Charge Nurse-Telemetry/Neuro
Sisters of Charity Hospital
06.2018 - 09.2019
Peer Mentor-Nursing
Trocaire College
10.2017 - 01.2019
Monitor Technician-Telemetry
Sisters of Charity Hospital
10.2017 - 06.2018
Telemetry Technician
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
04.2017 - 11.2017
Program Specialist/Supervisor of Restricted Recipient Program
Centene Corporation
02.2016 - 06.2018
Director of Social Work
Waterfront Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare
05.2015 - 01.2016
Director of Social Work
Brooklyn Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare
01.2014 - 02.2015
Corporate Social Worker/Director of Social Work
Centers Health Care
12.2013 - 01.2015
Social Worker
Queens Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare
05.2012 - 12.2013
Master’s Degree - Nursing-PMHNP
University of Rochester
Bachelor’s Degree - Nursing
Daemen University
Associate’s Degree - Nursing
Trocaire College
Master of Social Work -
Yeshiva University: Wurzweiler School of Social Work
Bachelor of Science - Criminal Justice
State University of New York College At Buffalo
Similar Profiles
Valerie DonacikValerie Donacik
Radiologic Technology Student at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical CenterRadiologic Technology Student at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center
MARCI DEMARTINISMARCI DEMARTINIS
Registered Nurse, Emergency Department at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical CenterRegistered Nurse, Emergency Department at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center
Deea MagidDeea Magid
Allied Health Student at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical CenterAllied Health Student at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center
Beshaar AlajjiBeshaar Alajji
Sales Consultant at Cricket WirelessSales Consultant at Cricket Wireless
Angel FloresAngel Flores
Laborer Helper at R Construction Co IncLaborer Helper at R Construction Co Inc