Lynn A. Ives
Berlin
Summary
As a dynamic, motivated senior leader I bring experience in addressing complex systems issues that contribute to the advancement of the nursing profession. I have been a catalyst for the integration and collaboration of nursing within an interdisciplinary setting facilitating the achievement of strategic organizational goals and initiatives leveraging a patient-centered collaborative approach.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Deputy Associate Director Patient Care Services/Nurse Executive
Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center
12.2023 - Current
- Overall responsibility for Patient Care Services and nursing operations at Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Medical Center within Acute Care, Community Living Center, Behavioral Health, Surgical Services and Specialty Medicine clinics.
- Ensured budgetary control during VA wide hiring pause while reassigning staff to maintain clinical operations.
- Elimination of agency staff contract resulting in a cost savings of $3.5 million dollars.
- Created HRO daily M.E.S.S. huddle and visual management board for Patient Care Services department including Associate Chief Nurses, Nurse Managers, Community Care, and other areas that impact nursing care as a Lean Yellow Belt project and presented poster at HRO Safety Fair May 2024.
- Re-implementation of Relationship Based Care within Patient Care Services and expanded ancillary services, leading to the emergence of a new Nursing Shared Governance structure with a success rate of 16 new unit-based practice councils including a new Nurse Manager council.
- Supported Nursing Excellence team participation at the VISN and National level to showcase our Shared Governance implementation model.
- ANCC Pathways to Excellence planning to launch initial practice survey and goal for designation in 3 - 5 years.
- Partnered with Quality team to implement a daily Joint Commission readiness huddle to review areas of opportunity which led to a successful Joint Commission survey (2023) for the Department of Nursing.
- Participated in HRO Steering committee to complete organizational assessment.
- Created an Associate Chief Nurse rotation weekend on call service to support Patient Care Services inpatient teams.
- Executive Sponsor of the CNA/Health Tech recognition Bee Award program to start in FY25.
- Implemented Nursing Town Halls monthly to provide a safe environment for staff concerns, suggestions, and information sharing.
- Co-sponsored Get-Well Network implementation
- Initiated a daily Sterile Processing and GI leadership huddle to ensure equipment availability and issues are addressed.
- Worked with Sterile Processing leadership to improve Censitrac documentation of missing instruments along with achieving action item goals from the National Sterile Processing survey.
- Proposed initiation of Behavioral Health Response Team in conjunction with Disruptive Behavior Committee to support safety of staff in acute care areas.
- Actively mentoring newly hired and existing Associate Chief Nurses and frontline RNs for succession planning purposes.
- Member Disruptive Behavior committee
- Member Medical Emergency Response
- Member Medical Executive Board
- Member Quality Executive Board
- Member Executive Leadership Board
- Member Peer Review Board
Adjunct Faculty
Neumann University
09.2016 - Current
- Clinical Instructor at various sites for psychiatric, med-surg and leadership nursing program students. During COVID restrictions, implemented online instruction utilizing ATI simulation programs online.
Acting Associate Director Patient Care Services
Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center
10.2024 - 04.2025
- Led strategic initiatives improving patient care delivery and operational efficiency across medical services.
- Directed interdisciplinary teams to enhance program development and implementation for veteran health services.
- Oversaw compliance with federal regulations, ensuring high standards of care within healthcare operations.
- Developed training programs to mentor staff, fostering professional growth and enhancing team performance.
- Implemented process improvements that streamlined workflows, reducing wait times for veterans receiving care.
- Collaborated with stakeholders to align organizational goals with community health needs and resources.
- Analyzed patient feedback data, driving targeted enhancements in service delivery and satisfaction levels.
- Managed budget allocations effectively, maximizing resource utilization while maintaining quality of care standards.
- Led teams of up to 950 personnel, supervising daily performance as well as training and improvement plans.
- Fostered a culture of continuous improvement by encouraging staff to share innovative ideas and providing resources for professional development.
- Prioritized tasks and allocated resources appropriately to keep teams focused and productive.
- Trained and developed department leaders and management staff for specific projects and ongoing operational needs.
- Mentored junior staff members, providing guidance on professional development opportunities and career progression paths within the company.
- Established strong relationships with key industry partners, creating mutually beneficial opportunities for growth and collaboration.
- Oversaw annual budget planning processes, ensuring financial goals were met while maintaining optimal resource allocation across departments.
- Reviewed proposed regulatory changes and evaluated potential impacts on business operations.
- Maintained compliance with industry regulations while adapting to changes in legislation or best practices as needed.
- Leveraged data and analytics to make informed decisions and drive business improvements.
- Assisted in organizing and overseeing assignments to drive operational excellence.
- Successfully managed budgets and allocated resources to maximize productivity and profitability.
- Established team priorities, maintained schedules and monitored performance.
- Maintained positive customer relations by addressing problems head-on and implementing successful corrective actions.
- Evaluated employee performance and conveyed constructive feedback to improve skills.
- Maintained professional demeanor by staying calm when addressing unhappy or angry customers.
- Identified and communicated customer needs to supply chain capacity and quality teams.
- Launched quality assurance practices for each phase of development
- Cultivated positive rapport with fellow employees to boost company morale and promote employee retention.
- Controlled resources and assets for department activities to comply with industry standards and government regulations.
- Defined clear targets and objectives and communicated to other team members.
- Recruited, interviewed and hired employees and implemented mentoring program to promote positive feedback and engagement.
- Established performance goals for employees and provided feedback on methods for reaching those milestones.
- Improved overall team efficiency by streamlining project management processes and implementing new collaboration tools.
Associate Chief Nurse of Behavioral Health
Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center
05.2022 - 12.2023
- Oversight of 2 inpatient behavioral health units consisting of 40 beds, behavioral health emergency room, outpatient services, including TMS, ECT and Esketamine clinics, 40 bed residential program, methadone clinic, community based primary care locations with integrated behavioral health services.
- Created HRO Behavioral Health daily safety huddle for all disciplines.
- Disruptive Behavioral Response committee member
- Workplace violence committee member
- Safety & Incident Command committee member – taking lead on new technology for CMJCVM, Vocera application (currently on hold)
- Committee member of Peer Review
- Co-chair of workgroup committee to form two behavioral health response teams for Medical Center inpatient and outpatient areas.
- Participate in New employee orientation for Patient Care Services.
- Developed new policies aligning with Joint Commission requirements for Behavioral Health.
- Change Management Lead for P2A committee – Prevent Veteran Suicide
- VTS Program Board of Directors member
- Implementation of ObservSmart electronic rounding tool hospital wide currently in contracting and on hold.
- Successful recruitment of nursing staff with zero current open FTEs for behavioral health services
Corporate Director of Behavioral Health
Jefferson Health
12.2019 - 05.2022
- Oversight of 2 inpatient behavioral health units, consisting of 12 voluntary and 25 STCF beds, and a 14-bed child/adolescent unit. Also, Oaks Integrated Crisis service and 3 divisional emergency departments.
- Maintain oversight and stewardship of 5 behavioral health cost centers and budgets.
- 145 FTEs including nursing, MHTs, social work, therapists, case management, UR, behavioral health liaison, and operations.
- Oversight of Behavioral Health Epic build for NJ division and representative on Enterprise team
- Participated in CMS Steering Committee to establish an immediate and ongoing action plan for deficiency in Emergency and ICU departments for Behavioral Health patients.
- Service line lead for Jefferson NJ division and in collaboration with Jefferson Enterprise to streamline service line issues.
- Collaborate with corporate nursing directors from Jefferson Enterprise in Philadelphia for Epic related changes and best practice decisions to ensure alignment of all entities.
- Serve on the Nurse Executive Council
- Executive Sponsor of Workplace Violence Committee and Suicide Prevention Committee
- Member of the Incident Command team for pre-COVID planning and strategic management
- Implemented team nursing model across 3 NJ divisions, acute care, ICU, step down units to establish parameters for optimal staffing levels during COVID.
- Establish ongoing linkage relationship to promote quality patient care and sources of revenue.
- Interface daily with utilization review staff to address reimbursement challenges and issues, communicate with insurance companies as needed for resolution.
- Daily monitoring of EMR (EPIC) documentation to ensure reimbursement criteria is met.
- Preparation, mitigation and resolution for all regulatory inspections, and JC accreditation
- Participate in State and county wide initiatives and formulate relationships with other administrators for alignment of goals and continuity of care for Behavioral Health
- Training for mitigation of Union Activity for multiple hospital departments
Chief Nursing Officer
Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital, Penn Medicine-USH
03.2019 - 12.2019
- Recruitment of nursing department personnel for a new venture hospital consisting of 6 behavioral health units, 126 beds
- Successfully reestablished quality nursing care through a CMS deficiency that jeopardized hospital licensure issued prior to hire date.
- Strategic development of safety planning, policies, and standards of patient care
- Facilitated physician relations by enabling open communication and collaboration to improve overall clinical and financial operations.
- Responsible for oversight of all nursing budgets hospital wide.
- Successfully met productivity goals by ensuring staffing to hours per patient day (HPPD)
- Formulate standards of care and position controls to improve quality of service and retention.
- Aligned with Education department to create a new orientation program for nursing staff and monthly education in-services.
- Established a startup Occupation Health department as part of joint venture.
Adjunct Faculty
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
09.2016 - 03.2019
- Clinical Instructor at various sites for psychiatric nursing program students
Nurse Manager
Pennsylvania Hospital
02.2015 - 03.2019
- Nurse Manager, leading 2 behavioral health units and Crisis Response Center in daily operations, maintaining quality performance and continuity of care for patients with staff roster of 140 employees, including nursing, MHTs, social workers, Occupational therapists, and case management.
- Emergency Services, 24 bed Straight Psychiatric Unit & 18 bed Geriatric/Mood Disorder Unit
- Oversight of Hall Mercer Crisis Response Emergency Center including Nursing and Crisis clinicians
- Participated in the inaugural Behavioral Health Strategic Planning initiative for the service line. Initiative rose from the identified need for the need to align and integrate all levels of care
- In collaboration with Facilities leadership, led Pennsylvania Hospital through a successful million-dollar renovation of safety deficiencies identified through a JC survey.
- Utilized management education participating in Shared Governance, Behavioral Health Unit Base Clinical Council and Nurse Executive Board functions.
- Clinical Lead on Unit Based Quality Performance team.
- Collaborate with all Hospital of the University of Penn entities to streamline Psychiatry service line issues.
- Participation in city wide initiatives for population served.
- Clinical lead for Behavioral Health Epic build and execution of HBIPs compliance
- Prepare for annual regulatory inspections with Department of Health, Department of Public Works, JC, CMS
- Established and maintained excellent working partnership with Community Behavioral Health services (CBH) of Philadelphia.
- Collaborated with physicians and interdisciplinary team regarding patient treatment and disposition.
- Implementation of pharmacy driven program to ensure patients had access to medications upon discharge to decrease 30-day readmissions.
- Successfully removed silos and cross-trained all staff to work within the 3 behavioral health units of the hospital.
Registered Nurse/Charge Nurse
Pennsylvania Hospital
07.2013 - 02.2015
- 18 patient behavioral health unit overseeing nursing staff for daily patient care.
- Collaborated with treatment team consisting of physicians, social work, psychologists and medical team regarding treatment and disposition.
- Cross trained to work per diem in Crisis Response Center
Director of Nursing
Human Services
02.2012 - 04.2014
- As Director of Nursing, responsible for overseeing supervisors and nurses of outpatient addictions clinics throughout the city of Philadelphia.
- Established readiness guidelines unannounced DEA inspections.
- Organize rosters and manage staff issues. Ensure adequate coverage throughout agency.
- Working with clinical supervisors to provide proper treatment for those suffering with addiction.
- Work closely with insurance companies and the DEA to ensure all regulations are met for the both the clients and clinics licensing.
- Collaborate with physicians regarding client’s disposition and care.
- The American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD) Workshop Committee Chair 2012-2012
Registered Nurse – Crisis Response Center (CRC)
Mercy Philadelphia Hospital
07.2008 - 04.2014
- Staff Registered nurse in the Crisis Response Center
- Duties include assessment of patients and collaboration with physicians regarding patient disposition.
- Communication with case managers and insurance companies for precertification and admissions to inpatient units.
- Previously worked on 3 behavioral health units including dual, straight psych and detox.
- Responsible for nursing education, assisting with nursing orientation, and the implementation of MAK and online documentation for nursing throughout the hospital.
Registered Nurse/Cardiac Care
Mercy Philadelphia Hospital
06.2007 - 07.2008
- Registered Nurse – Cardiac Care
Education
Doctor of Nursing Practice/MBA - Health Care
Wilmington University
Wilmington, DE09-2025
Master of Science - Nurse Executive Leadership
Wilmington University
Wilmington, DE01.2015
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
Wilmington University
Wilmington, DE01.2013
Diploma - Nursing
Helene Fuld School of Nursing
Blackwood, N.J.01.2007
Skills
- Project management
- Facilitated process improvement in nursing operations
- Strategic leadership
- Established measurable SMART goals that align with the organization's vision and mission for nursing leadership team
- Coaching and mentoring
- Mentored new and interim associate Chief nurses to their role in Acute care and Behavioral Health
Accomplishments
- Served on the Workshop Committee for 2013 ATTOD (American Association for Treatment of Opioid Dependence Inc.) National Conference in Philadelphia sponsored by Department of Behavioral Health
- Partnership for Patient Care 2017 Leadership Summit, Health Care Improvement Foundation Top 10 Recipient 2016 Patient Safety Award “Reducing Falls with Injury on an Inpatient Psychiatry Unit through the Elevation of Nursing Support Staff: An Interprofessional Approach”.
- 2016 American Psychiatric Nurses Association Conference presentation “Reducing Falls with Injury on an Inpatient Psychiatry Unit through the Elevation of Nursing Support Staff: An Interprofessional Approach.”
- 2017 American Psychiatric Nurses Association Conference Presentation “Diversity in Practice: Improving Nursing Skills on a Medical Psychiatric Unit.”
- The MAIN Thing Newsletter: Recognition of Nurse/Physician partnership (Lynn Ives MSN, RNBC and Olga Achilidi MD) for interprofessional collaboration under the Relationship Based Care model. (2016)
- 2017 Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Department of Psychiatry project “Agitation Management Protocol.” Jody Foster MD MBA, Lynn Ives MSN RNBC, Mary Del Guidice MSN, BS, RN, CENP, Patty Inacker LCSW MBA, Olga Achilidi MD, David Mandell MD
- 2016 Patient Advocacy Award recipient: Lynn Ives MSN RNBC
- 2016 Out of the Darkness Walk with Pennsylvania Hospital
- 2016 Ancillary Care Council: Pennsylvania Hospital Shared Governance lead project – elevating nursing support staff by recognizing their work throughout the hospital and forming a shared governance council on their behalf.
- 2017 Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority Behavioral Health Workgroup Webinar Presentation: “Reducing Falls with Injury on an Inpatient Geriatric Psychiatry Unit through the Elevation of Nursing Support Staff: An Interprofessional Approach.”
- 2017 Pennsylvania Hospital Behavioral Health Strategic Planning Committee – team domain lead
Certification
- Sigma Theta Tau, Honor Society of Nursing
- American Nurses Association
- American Psychiatric Nurses Association
- American Organization for Nurse Leaders
- American Organization for Nurse Leaders – NJ Chapter
- American Organization for Nurse Leaders – PA Chapter
- ANCC Psychiatric Nurse Certification
- Member of Regional Nurse Executive Quarterly Meeting
Timeline
Acting Associate Director Patient Care Services
Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center
10.2024 - 04.2025
Deputy Associate Director Patient Care Services/Nurse Executive
Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center
12.2023 - Current
Associate Chief Nurse of Behavioral Health
Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center
05.2022 - 12.2023
Corporate Director of Behavioral Health
Jefferson Health
12.2019 - 05.2022
Chief Nursing Officer
Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital, Penn Medicine-USH
03.2019 - 12.2019
Adjunct Faculty
Neumann University
09.2016 - Current
Adjunct Faculty
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
09.2016 - 03.2019
Nurse Manager
Pennsylvania Hospital
02.2015 - 03.2019
Registered Nurse/Charge Nurse
Pennsylvania Hospital
07.2013 - 02.2015
Director of Nursing
Human Services
02.2012 - 04.2014
Registered Nurse – Crisis Response Center (CRC)
Mercy Philadelphia Hospital
07.2008 - 04.2014
Registered Nurse/Cardiac Care
Mercy Philadelphia Hospital
06.2007 - 07.2008
Master of Science - Nurse Executive Leadership
Wilmington University
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
Wilmington University
Diploma - Nursing
Helene Fuld School of Nursing
Doctor of Nursing Practice/MBA - Health Care
Wilmington University
Training
- 8/2019 APIC Infection Prevention Training and Certification
- 9/2019 Lancaster Behavioral Health Out of the Darkness Walk – team lead
- 2/2021 Go for Red (American Heart Association) Co-chair of American Heart Month addressing women’s greatest health threat, cardiovascular disease.
- July 2022 – Relationship Based Care Practicum – Indianapolis, In.
- 2023 Guardian Nurses Conference – guest speaker on behalf of the Corporal Michael C. Crescenz VA Medical Center
- August 2023 – Attended VA Mental Health Conference New Orleans, La.
- November 2023 – Attended VA Nurse Executive Conference – Orlando, Fl.
- April 2024 – Attended New Executive Training (NExT) Conference – Orlando, Fl.
- May 2024 – Attended FY24 Nurse Executive Seminar for Sterile Processing – Houston, Tx.
- August 2024 – US OPM’s Center for Leadership Development - Extraordinary Leadership training
- Currently enrolled in VHA Healthcare Leadership Development Program anticipated completion August 2025.
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