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It is indeed my privilege to serve as the Chief Nursing Officer of St Joseph Hospital, the first Catholic Magnet hospital in the state of California.  When we began our journey to build a Nursing Center of Excellence, we envisioned creating a nursing practice environment that was second to none.  We envisioned highly skilled, highly competent, autonomous nurses, working collaboratively within a strong interdisciplinary team.  We knew that to build this Center of Excellence we had to make a major investment in our people.  I am so proud to see what we together have accomplished.

Today we have a practice environment that, I believe, is the best in the country.  We have more than 700 nursing students in clinical rotations annually.  They continually tell us that we have the most supportive learning environment, conducive to teamwork, collaborative practice and outstanding care.  The personal and professional development that is fostered here gives rise to clinical experts, strong nurse leaders, a can-do spirit and a continual drive to push the limits of excellence, striving for perfect care.

I am very proud to say that I am part of the St. Joseph Hospital community of compassionate caregivers.  As we move forward in our journey to extend our healing ministry to all those we serve, I look forward to working alongside each of you entrusted to our care or called to serve at St. Joseph Hospital.  It is an honor!

Sincerely,

Katie Skelton
Chief Nursing Officer
Vice President, Patient Care Services