Children’s Minnesota names Pam VanHazinga as next chief nursing officer and vice president patient care services
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – (Aug. 20, 2018) – Children’s Minnesota (Children’s) is pleased to announce Pam VanHazinga, MBA, BSN, RN, as its new chief nursing officer (CNO) and vice president of patient care services. VanHazinga has been at Children’s for more than 17 years, serving in roles at the bedside and in clinical and administrative leadership roles across the system.
As the chief nursing officer and vice president of patient care services, VanHazinga is responsible for nursing practice, standards and strategy for Children’s team of nearly 2,000 nurses. She collaborates with teams across the organization to ensure the quality of the patient experience, advance the nursing professional practice model, and helps to develop systems and strategies to improve pediatric quality outcomes. As a member of Children’s executive leadership team, VanHazinga will be actively involved in strategic and operational goals for the organization, as well as for the nursing, respiratory therapy, and child and family services teams specifically. She also upholds the standards of the prestigious Magnet Recognition Program®, a designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center that Children’s received in March 2018 in recognition of quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice.
“Pam is a collaborative and strategic nursing leader, and is well respected across the organization for her deep clinical and operational experience, ability to drive change, and commitment to patient- and family-centered care,” said Marc Gorelick, MD, president and chief executive officer, Children’s Minnesota. “We are thrilled that she will be taking on a new leadership role to advance our clinical care and the patient experience, but also to advance the nursing profession and practice at Children’s.”
VanHazinga has held the interim CNO position since March 2018. Previously, she was the senior director of clinical services for case management, care traffic control, house nursing supervisors, ambulatory care coordination, telehealth, and home care and hospice. Prior to that, she was the senior director for Children’s critical care division for eight years. VanHazinga originally came to Children’s as a patient care manager for the pediatric intensive care unit, and has prior experience as a manager and at the bedside in critical care and cardiology across the age spectrum.
“I am excited to lead our talented and compassionate team of nurses, respiratory therapists, and child and family services team members at Children’s, and partner with them in improving the care and experience we provide for children and their families,” said VanHazinga. “I look forward to continuing to advance nursing research and evidence-based practice across our organization, and to identifying new opportunities to improve pediatric care in our region.”
VanHazinga holds a master’s degree in business administration from Capella University and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Marian University. She is a member of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses.
About Children’s Minnesota
Children’s Minnesota is the seventh largest pediatric health system in the United States and the only health system in Minnesota to provide care exclusively to children, from before birth through young adulthood. An independent and not-for-profit system since 1924, Children’s serves kids throughout the Upper Midwest at two free-standing hospitals, 12 primary and specialty care clinics and six rehabilitation sites. Additionally, Children’s is Minnesota’s only Level I pediatric trauma center inside a hospital dedicated solely to children. Children’s maintains its longstanding commitment to the community to improve children’s health by providing high-quality, family-centered pediatric services and advancing those efforts through research and education. This work is made possible in large part by generous philanthropic and volunteer support from individuals and organizations throughout the state and region. An award-winning health system, Children’s received Magnet® recognition from The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) in 2018 and is regularly ranked by U.S. News & World Report as a top children’s hospital. Please visit childrensMN.org.