Q&A with Monument Health’s Nicole Kerkenbush: “We have to adjust in ways that we haven’t before.”

Nicole Kerkenbush is a big proponent of shadowing. She regularly encourages IT folks to engage with caregivers, whether that means spending a few hours with a patient access clerk or going to the triage call center and observing how nurses use technology and, most important, the ‘pebble in the shoe’ problems that, if not removed, can cause dissatisfaction. Or worse, could prompt even more nurses to leave healthcare.

As a 24-year veteran of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps, Kerkenbush knows well how painful those pebbles can be, and believes technology can play a significant role in alleviating them. But it’s going to require collaboration among leaders, and a willingness to look at problems through a different lens. “Some of the solutions we’ve come up with aren’t going to cut it anymore,” she said during an interview with Kate Gamble, Managing Editor and Director of Social Media at healthsystemCIO. “We’ve got to dig into our creative side and figure out what’s going to work so that we can move forward.”

During the discussion, Kerkenbush spoke about her core objectives as Chief Nursing and Performance Officer at Monument Health, a 5-hospital system based in western South Dakota, most of which are centered around leveraging IT to improve patient care and processes while easing some of the burden on clinical staff. She also talked about the importance of building strong relationships – both within and outside of the organization; the most valuable lessons she learned during her time in the military; and the advice she would offer to aspiring leaders.

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Key Takeaways



* On project management: It’s critical to recognize that IT “is only a piece of the project. You have to look at the people, the technology, and the workflow.”

* On the workforce shortage: “It’s no longer about bringing in technology that we need more resources to run; we need to bring in technology that reduces the need for labor resources,” which Monument hopes to do through automation and robotics.

* On working with Dr. Patrick Woodard: “I think it really helps that we’ve previously had physicians who understand clinical processes and understand the fact that you can’t take all of the compassion and human touch out of healthcare and replace it solely with technology.

* On building relationships: “Go and talk with IT professionals or clinicians at [outside] organizations and see how they operate. That can open your aperture and let you see things differently.”

* On professional growth: “Think 5 years out. Think 10 years out. But be open to opportunity. It might not be the plan you had but if there’s an opportunity that presents itself, it could shift you in the right way.”





Q&A with Nicole Kerkenbush, Chief Nursing & Performance Officer, Monument Health

Gamble:  Hi Nicole, thanks so much for taking the time to speak. I look forward to learning about what you’re doing at Monument Health. Can you give an overview of the organization?

Kerkenbush:  Sure. Monument Health is a 5-hospital system. We have three critical access hospitals and two other hospitals on the western side of South Dakota. We’re in the Black Hills, which is the area where Mount Rushmore is located. It’s pretty spread out when you get outside of the main towns that are served by our system. We serve a fairly large geographical area, including the western half of South Dakota, and into Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and a little bit of Minnesota.

We do have an inpatient behavioral health hospital with around 50 beds.