Rockdale native Tommye Cashaw Austin is going places—St. Louis, Missouri, to be exact. The 1982 RHS graduate will take on a new role at Barnes-Jewi sh Hospi tal as Senior Vice President of Patient Care Systems and Chief Nursing Executive reporting directly to the CEO effective Oct. 3.
“As BJC’s most senior nursing executive, Tommye will serve as an integral member of and trusted advisor to the BJC executive leadership team,” said BJC President and CEO Rich Liekweg on Monday. “In this role Tommye will be accountable for developing and implementing targeted system-wide initiatives that improve patient outcomes, standardize care and enhance the interdisciplinary complement and effectiveness of the clinical workforce.”
“She will also have a central role in advancing the patient care delivery workforce by creating new models of care and team complements that ensure nursing team members and other patient care personnel spend their time working at the top of their potential, doing the things they most love to do,” he said.
“Tommye brings more than 30 years’ experience in the nursing field, having most recently served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive for University Health, a health system in San Antonio. In this role she had oversight of more than 1,000 beds at University Hospital, a Magnet Recognized, Level 1 trauma center, and oversaw nursing practice for University Health’s 25 outpatient health care centers, clinics and dialysis centers,” Leikweg added.
Prior to joining University Health, Tommye served in several executive nursing roles with the Baptist Health System in San Antonio, the Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston and Kingwood Plaza Hospital.
Tommye is the past recipient of several awards and honors including being named as a 2019 and 2020 Modern Healthcare 50 Most Influential Clinical Executive, and as a 2018 Modern Healthcare Top 10 to Watch Minority Executive.
She is a member of several professional societies, has written and received many grants and has been published in a multitude of professional publications.
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