SONIA HEDGE
Crown Point
Summary
Clinical quality and performance improvement leader with over 10 years of experience in healthcare quality, regulatory compliance, and operational enhancements in acute care settings. Expertise in conducting clinical reviews, analyzing healthcare data, and presenting actionable insights to senior leadership. Skilled at collaborating with diverse stakeholders to identify risks and implement sustainable process improvements, resulting in enhanced patient safety and compliance.
Healthcare professional skilled in managing nursing operations and optimizing patient care. Adept at implementing healthcare protocols and improving patient outcomes through effective leadership. Focused on team collaboration and achieving results, with reputation for reliability and adaptability.
Overview
1
1
Language
1
1
Certification
16
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Nurse Manager, Neuroscience Transfer Service
Community Hospital
Munster, Indiana
07.2019 - Current
- Lead operational excellence, quality improvement, and patient safety initiatives within a high-acuity neuroscience transfer program.
- Reviewed clinical workflows, patient throughput, documentation, and operational performance to identify and implement improvement opportunities.
- Lead interdisciplinary performance improvement initiatives utilizing Lean principles, root cause analysis, and evidence-based methodologies.
- Conduct ongoing reviews of clinical workflows, patient throughput, documentation, and operational performance to identify opportunities for improvement.
- Led interdisciplinary performance improvement initiatives using Lean principles and root cause analysis to enhance care delivery and safety.
- Participate in Joint Commission readiness activities, policy review, regulatory compliance initiatives, and internal quality assessments.
- Present operational findings and recommendations to executive leadership.
- Mentored staff on quality standards, regulatory expectations, and evidence-based practices to ensure compliance and enhance patient safety.
Performance Improvement Coordinator
St. Catherine Hospital
East Chicago, Indiana
11.2018 - 07.2019
- Conducted organization-wide clinical quality reviews, performance assessments, and compliance evaluations to ensure adherence to standards and improve healthcare outcomes.
- Partnered with operational and clinical leaders to identify risks, develop corrective action plans, and improve regulatory compliance.
- Analyzed quality data and performance metrics to identify trends and improvement opportunities.
- Supported accreditation readiness and compliance with Joint Commission and CMS standards, contributing to successful accreditation processes.
- Prepared executive reports and presentations summarizing audit findings, recommendations, and quality outcomes.
- Facilitated interdisciplinary improvement projects to enhance patient safety and operational performance, fostering collaboration among diverse teams.
Coordinator, Chest Pain & Stroke Program
Franciscan Health
Crown Point, Indiana
03.2018 - 11.2018
- Directed accreditation and certification activities for nationally recognized Chest Pain and Stroke programs.
- Conducted compliance monitoring, quality reviews, and process evaluations to ensure adherence to standards.
- Educated physicians, nurses, and leadership regarding quality standards and performance expectations.
- Educated physicians, nurses, and leadership on quality standards and performance expectations, enhancing overall program compliance.
- Developed corrective action plans addressing quality findings and performance data to improve program outcomes.
Clinical Research Nurse
Northwestern University
Chicago, Illinois
08.2017 - 10.2017
- Coordinated clinical research, ensuring compliance with institutional and federal regulations to uphold research integrity.
- Maintained regulatory documentation and collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to streamline research processes.
- Supported evidence-based clinical practice initiatives, contributing to enhanced patient care standards.
Cardiovascular Review Specialist
Methodist Hospitals
Merrillville, Indiana
02.2015 - 08.2017
- Reviewed cardiovascular clinical data to enhance quality outcomes and ensure regulatory compliance.
- Identified trends to improve patient safety and support organizational performance.
- Assisted leadership with quality reporting, process improvement initiatives, and performance monitoring.
- Collaborated with departments to improve compliance and enhance clinical effectiveness.
ICU Registered Nurse | Charge Nurse | Cath Lab Recovery Nurse
Multiple Acute Care Facilities
01.2011 - 01.2015
- Provided comprehensive care to critically ill patients in ICU and procedural recovery, ensuring optimal recovery outcomes.
- Supported clinical operations, patient flow, staff mentoring, and interdisciplinary communication as Charge Nurse.
- Cultivated expertise in patient assessment, care planning, and documentation to optimize healthcare operations and patient care delivery.
Education
Master of Science - Nursing (MSN)
Indiana University
Indianapolis01-2023
Bachelor of Science - Nursing (BSN)
Purdue University
Hammond01-2016
Skills
- Clinical Operations
- Clinical Program Development
- Quality Management
- Quality assurance
- Performance improvement
- Process Improvement
- Patient safety
- Clinical auditing
- Survey readiness
- Accreditation Standards
- Regulatory compliance
- Regulatory Compliance
- Healthcare regulations
- Documentation review
- Policy evaluation
- Policy development
- Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
- Data analytics
- Performance metrics
- Healthcare Quality Reporting Tools
- Operational Reporting
- KPI Dashboards
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Project management
- Cross-functional leadership
- Team Leadership
- Staff leadership
- Staff development
- Staff mentoring
- Budget planning
- Board communication
- Case review
- Case review
- Policy development
Accomplishments
- Achieved 98% compliance through workflow standardization.
- Documented and resolved communication issues which led to a 30% reduction in errors.
- Collaborated with Viz.ai in the development of an EMS Communication Tool for optimization on workflow, communication, and throughput.
Affiliations
- National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialist (NACNS)
- American Nurses Association (ANA)
- American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL)
- National Nurses United (NNU)
- American Association of Neuroscience Nurses (AANN)
Certification
Registered Nurse (RN), Indiana Multi-State License, Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (AG-CNS), Certification in Nursing Leadership, Quality & Performance Improvement
Languages
Spanish
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
Nurse Manager, Neuroscience Transfer Service
Community Hospital
07.2019 - Current
Performance Improvement Coordinator
St. Catherine Hospital
11.2018 - 07.2019
Coordinator, Chest Pain & Stroke Program
Franciscan Health
03.2018 - 11.2018
Clinical Research Nurse
Northwestern University
08.2017 - 10.2017
Cardiovascular Review Specialist
Methodist Hospitals
02.2015 - 08.2017
ICU Registered Nurse | Charge Nurse | Cath Lab Recovery Nurse
Multiple Acute Care Facilities
01.2011 - 01.2015
Bachelor of Science - Nursing (BSN)
Purdue University
Master of Science - Nursing (MSN)
Indiana University
HONORS
Excellence in Leadership, Community Hospital (2021), Outstanding Educator, Franciscan Health (2018)