STEPHANIE HILTON
Peculiar,Missouri
Summary
Strategic healthcare executive with over 13 years of experience in perioperative leadership, focusing on ambulatory surgery center operations and orthopedic service line growth. Achievements include enhanced surgical throughput, increased physician satisfaction, and improved patient experiences. Proven expertise in developing scalable clinical operations and building high-performing teams. Collaborated on operational planning and workflow design for new ambulatory surgery centers.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
Work History
Director of Nursing
Surgicenter of Kansas City | HCA Surgery Ventures
03.2025 - Current
- Provide executive-level leadership across multidisciplinary operations including PAT, Pre-Op, OR, PACU, SPD, Registration, Clinical Education, Pharmacy, Facilities, IT, Materials Management, Security, and Regulatory Compliance.
- Partner with physician and executive leadership to drive operational efficiency, clinical quality, service-line growth, workforce performance, and physician satisfaction.
- Selected by executive leadership to support workflow design and operational planning for developing ambulatory surgery centers.
- Increased Total Joint capacity 167%, from 3 to 8 cases per day, through development and implementation of 23-hour observation services, staffing infrastructure, and redesigned perioperative workflows.
- Expanded complex spine and orthopedic capabilities while driving year-over-year surgical volume growth through strategic capacity and operational planning.
- Designed staggered staffing models that extended operational hours and strengthened peak-volume coverage without increasing FTEs; introduced flexible 4x10 scheduling to support recruitment and retention.
- Optimized physician block utilization through operational analytics, time studies, schedule analysis, and collaboration with surgeons and office schedulers.
- Maintained high physician satisfaction through collaborative leadership, responsive problem-solving, and development of customized workflows supporting surgeon efficiency and growth.
- Enhanced pre-admission testing through risk-based decision trees and development of a standardized PAT Playbook incorporating anesthesia-driven testing and clearance requirements to improve patient readiness and reduce preventable cancellations.
- Implemented standardized clinical order sets, Acute Transfer Protocols, and postoperative urinary retention protocols to strengthen clinical consistency, patient safety, and escalation processes.
- Introduced automated preoperative instructions, arrival-time communication, patient tracking, and a Virtual Total Joint Bootcamp, improving communication, patient preparedness, and the overall surgical experience.
- Replaced spreadsheet-based staffing processes with an enterprise scheduling platform and mobile application, improving workforce visibility, communication, and scheduling efficiency.
- Cross-trained multidisciplinary staff and implemented two-case-ahead staging to improve workforce flexibility, room readiness, turnover efficiency, and procedural flow.
- Redesigned medication-management workflows, established a dedicated pharmacy preparation area, and standardized controlled-substance documentation to strengthen medication safety and regulatory compliance.
- Expanded Sterile Processing capabilities to support 200+ orthopedic instrument trays and continued growth of high-volume orthopedic and Total Joint service lines.
- Implemented vendor-management technology to improve communication, compliance, instrumentation tracking, and vendor accountability.
- Standardized surgeon preference cards, count sheets, and onboarding processes to improve clinical consistency, instrumentation readiness, and OR efficiency.
- Consistently maintained high physician satisfaction, employee engagement, and patient satisfaction while leading significant operational growth and organizational change.
- Implementation of bidirectional tracking of instrumentation implants and tissues
Preop/PACU Nurse Managae
Surgicenter of Kansas City
05.2021 - 03.2025
- Established automated follow-up systems to enhance communication efficiency.
- Led the facility’s transition from AAAHC to Joint Commission accreditation, implementing required operational and clinical changes to meet enhanced accreditation standards.
- Prepared, implemented, and evaluated nursing care throughout surgical procedures. Achieved patient satisfaction scores above 87%.
- Improved patient education regarding operating procedures, expectations, side effects and recovery process by working with each Physician to customize instructions.
- Implemented automated follow up through software which improved data collection and reduced FTEs.
- Established new policies and updated existing policies to improve standard of care for patients.
- Assist with infection control programs to provide safe, sanitary environment to prevent transmission of disease and infection.
- Spearheaded and implemented patient tracker software to improve communication scores.
- Reduced pharmacy spend by over 25,000 annually.
- Reduced medication documentation errors by 70% by identifying areas that needed improvement.
- Recruited, hired and trained staff, providing direct supervision, ongoing staff development and continuing education to employees.
- Cross trained staff members which helped reduce contract labor and support other departments.
- Successfully transitioned from AAAHC to Joint Commission accreditation for potential higher reimbursements.
Clinical Nurse Coordinator
Lees Summit Medical Center
01.2013 - 08.2020
- Coordinated patient care plans to optimize health outcomes and streamline communication among healthcare teams.
- Implemented evidence-based practices to enhance nursing protocols and improve patient safety measures.
- Trained new nursing staff on clinical procedures and standards, fostering a collaborative work environment.
- Monitored patient progress and adjusted care strategies based on individual needs and treatment responses.
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to ensure comprehensive care delivery across various departments.
- Led initiatives to reduce hospital readmission rates through proactive patient education and follow-up care strategies.
- Mentored and supervised nursing staff, fostering professional growth and development.
- Managed staffing needs by creating schedules, adjusting assignments based on patient acuity levels, and delegating tasks efficiently.
- Demonstrated commitment to ethical decision-making in all aspects of clinical practice, prioritizing patient safety and wellbeing.
- Served as a liaison between patients, families, and physicians to ensure clear communication and continuity of care.
Education
HCA Healthcare Leadership Institute
12.2022
Associate of Science - Nursing
Metropolitan Community College
Kansas City, MO12.2013
Skills
- Clinical Operations Management
- Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Operations
- Strategic Planning & Execution
- Operational Excellence & Process Improvement
- P&L / Budget Management
- Labor Management & Productivity Optimization
- Workforce Planning & Staffing Optimization
- Service Line Growth & Development
- Volume Growth & Capacity Expansion
- Physician Relations & Engagement
- Patient Experience & Satisfaction
- Employee Engagement & Retention
- Quality Improvement & Patient Safety
- Regulatory & Accreditation Readiness
- Joint Commission Compliance
- Risk Management
- Performance & KPI Management
Executive Healthcare Leadership
- Data-Driven Decision Making
- Block Utilization & OR Efficiency
- Surgical Scheduling Optimization
- 23-Hour Observation Operations
- Total Joint & Orthopedic Program Development
- Change Management
- Organizational Development
- Leadership Development & Coaching
- Talent Acquisition & Succession Planning
- Cross-Functional Leadership
- Technology Implementation & Workflow Automation
- Policy & Procedure Development
- Continuous Process Improvement
- Stakeholder Communication
- Vendor & Contract Management
- Project Management
- Culture Transformation
Timeline
Director of Nursing
Surgicenter of Kansas City | HCA Surgery Ventures
03.2025 - Current
Preop/PACU Nurse Managae
Surgicenter of Kansas City
05.2021 - 03.2025
Clinical Nurse Coordinator
Lees Summit Medical Center
01.2013 - 08.2020
HCA Healthcare Leadership Institute
Associate of Science - Nursing
Metropolitan Community College