2016 Colorado Health Care Stars Honored at Awards Dinner

American Sentinel University and the Colorado Hospital Association (CHA) recognized the achievements of the 2016 Colorado Health Care Stars at an awards dinner held on March 27 at The Palate Food and Wine Bar in the Denver Tech Center.

The event commemorated the achievements of the 2016 Colorado Health Care Star Award winners and acknowledged each as an exceptional professional making a difference in the delivery of health care in Colorado.

All present Heath Care Star Award winners were eligible to participate in a full-ride scholarship drawing provided by American Sentinel University. Niki Arnhold, Clinical Supervisor at Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs, was the winning recipient of the accredited health care degree program from American Sentinel University.

“The roles and responsibilities of nurses continue to evolve in health care, and today they are even more important in our community than ever before,” says Mary Adams, President and Chief Academic Officer of American Sentinel University. “American Sentinel University is proud to partner with the Colorado Hospital Association to recognize these dedicated health care professionals that work hard to impact the lives of everyone in Colorado. It’s an honor and privilege to acknowledge the individual efforts of the 2016 Health Care Stars and thank them for their intangible skills.”

In attendance at the event were the 2016 Health Care Star Award Winners and the health care professionals who nominated the Health Care Stars for the award.

This year’s Health Care Star Award Winners include:

-Shari Aman, RN, BSN, MBA, Director of Quality and Safety at Parker Adventist Hospital (Parker)

-Amy Anyangu, RN, Director of Safety and High Reliability at SCL Health (Broomfield)

-Niki Arnhold, RNC-OB, BSN, Clinical Supervisor at Valley View Hospital (Glenwood Springs)

-Debra Breidt, RN, MS, CPHQ, Director of Clinical Quality and Medical Staff, UCHealth (Colorado Springs)

-Marc Fedo, Nurse Manager, Denver Health

-Wendell Heck, Director of Medical Imaging at Southwest Memorial Health (Cortez)

-Jennifer Hudson, RN at Denver Health

-Lori Sterbenk, RN, Senior Manager at Banner Fort Collins Medical Center

-Katie Torrance, Cath/EP Lab RN, Swedish Medical Center (Englewood)

-Pat Trauger, RN at Valley View Hospital (Glenwood Springs)

-Irene Trujillo, RN, at Mt. San Rafael Hospital (Trinidad)

-Chris Zielenski, Pharmacy Clinical Coordinator at Boulder Community Health

Colorado Health Care Stars is a statewide health care professional award recognition program sponsored by American Sentinel University and CHA. The program was launched in February 2015 to acknowledge clinical professionals in Colorado who exceed expectations in the delivery of health care.

“We have deep admiration and appreciation for this year’s group of Colorado Health Care Stars, who work hard to ensure their health care organizations achieve the highest-quality patient outcomes,” says Michael Scott, Vice President, Colorado Hospital Association. “Recognition is more meaningful when it comes from peers, and we are proud to recognize the efforts of these talented leaders who have been nominated by fellow industry professionals for embodying critical traits that are synonymous with health care.”

Nominate the Next Colorado Health Care Stars Winner
Nominate an exceptional clinical professional. Complete the nomination submission form at https://www.chacareercenter.com/Employers/Employer-Items/Colorado-Healthcare-Heroes.aspx

CHA selects twelve individuals from the pool of nominees throughout the program year. Winners are featured on the CHA Career Center website, receive a $100 Visa gift card courtesy of American Sentinel University and are entered into a drawing at the end of the year for a monetary scholarship toward an accredited health care certificate or degree at American Sentinel University.

About the Colorado Hospital Association

The Colorado Hospital Association (CHA) represents more than 100 member hospitals and health systems throughout Colorado. CHA partners with its members to work towards health reform and performance improvement, and provides advocacy and representation at the state and federal level. Colorado hospitals and health systems are committed to providing coverage and access to safe, high-quality and affordable health care. In addition, Colorado hospitals have a tremendous impact on the state’s economic stability and growth, contributing to nearly every community across the state with 72,000 employees statewide.

Learn more about American Sentinel University’s online degree programs at https://www.americansentinel.edu/nursing or call 866.922.5690.

About American Sentinel University

American Sentinel University delivers accredited online degree programs in nursing (BSN, MSN, and DNP) and healthcare management (MBA Healthcare, M.S. Information Systems Management, and M.S. Business Intelligence and Analytics). Its affordable, flexible bachelor’s and master’s nursing degree programs are accredited by the Commission for the Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), of One Dupont Circle, NW Suite 530, Washington, D.C., 20036. The DNP program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) of 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, Ga., 30326. The University is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission, DEAC, 1101 17th Street NW, Suite 808, Washington, D.C. 20036, (202) 234-5100, www.deac.org

In June 2016, the Higher Education Commission Board of Trustees voted to grant American Sentinel University the status of candidate for accreditation. Institutions seeking accreditation by HLC are required to complete a period of candidacy before being evaluated for full accreditation. To earn and maintain candidacy, American Sentinel must fully meet the Commission’s Eligibility Requirements and Assumed Practices and demonstrate the capacity to meet all the Criteria for Accreditation within the candidacy period.

Please note, the MBA Healthcare Project-Based program is pending review for inclusion in the university’s programs covered by the Higher Learning Commission designation of candidate for accreditation.

For required student consumer information, please visit: www.americansentinel.edu/doe