American Sentinel University and the Colorado Hospital Association (CHA) named Wendell Heck, director of medical imaging at Southwest Memorial Hospital located in Cortez, Colo., as the June Colorado Health Care Stars Award winner. This award recognizes Heck as an exceptional health care professional.
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.
Heck has been practicing in the medical imaging profession for 24 years and is licensed in radiology and magnetic resonance imaging and Six Sigma training with General Electric. He’s held positions as a supervisor, manager, and MRI applications specialist. As the director of the medical imaging department at Southwest Memorial Hospital, Heck supervises 23 employees and has not had any employee turnover in the last six years.
Heck has played a key role working together with senior leadership at the hospital to upgrade the radiology department with new equipment to provide quality care to patients while increasing the hospital’s procedures by 8,000 during a six-year period (a 38 percent increase in radiology procedures).
Even though Wendell is busy managing his team, he’s focused on implementing a Women’s Center on campus and providing a convenience to the rural community with the state of the art imaging service.
“A modern, efficient, high-quality radiology department is the cornerstone of any hospital,” says Chris Wolfe, Director of Program Strategy and Alliances at American Sentinel University. “Wendell’s contributions to the Southwest Memorial Hospital radiology department will improve patient care and increase patient satisfaction. His tireless work to modernize the department allows the organization to care for even more members of the community. It’s a privilege to recognize Wendell Heck and his passion and commitment to excellence in 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
Each month CHA draws from the pool of nominees and chooses an individual that will be featured the following month on the CHA Career Center website, receive a $100 Visa gift card courtesy of American Sentinel University and be 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.
Learn more about American Sentinel University’s online degree programs at https://www.americansentinel.edu/nursing or call 866.922.5690.
About the Colorado Hospital Association
The Colorado Hospital Association (CHA) represents 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.
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
