Susan H. Hicks, RN, FACHE, Chief Operating Officer (COO), of Sky Ridge Medical Center in Lone Tree recently became a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), the nation’s leading professional society for healthcare leaders.
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Ms. Hicks brings 30 years of staff, operating room, nurse management and hospital executive management expertise to Sky Ridge.
Ms. Hicks was the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) at Rose Medical Center, a sister HealthONE hospital in downtown Denver. Hicks was the second registered nurse appointed to the executive leadership team at Sky Ridge Medical Center, along with Marian Savitsky, RN, the CNO.
As chief operating officer or COO, Hicks is responsible for overall hospital operations - making sure all the departments are running smoothly, are adequately staffed, and have all the necessary supplies to meet the needs of all those who use the hospital. She works closely with the CNO, who oversees the nursing staff and is responsible for the quality of patient care.
"It's been so exciting to create a new hospital and take part in a true start-up," Hicks says. "Most of what you do in a hospital is nursing care - that's why people are admitted. I use my nursing skills to help ensure that we have a high quality, safe environment for patients, and my management experience to ensure that we operate efficiently. The number one priority is to create a culture where patients, employees and physicians all feel welcome."
HealthONE colleagues say Hicks has earned enormous respect during her 20 years at Rose Medical Center, where she is was known for her energy and willingness to take action - on the job and off.
"I've known Susan for many years, and I've seen the dedication she gives to patients and staff, and the respect and affection they have for her," says Sky Ridge Medical Center CEO Maureen Tarrant. "Susan not only brings years of successful hospital experience - in nursing, program development and administration - but she also shares in Sky Ridge's commitment to make sure the people of Lone Tree, RidgeGate, Highlands Ranch and south Douglas and Arapahoe counties receive the highest quality, state-of-the-art healthcare."
Experience from Operating Room to Executive Offices
Hicks moved to Denver in 1977 after earning both a bachelor's degree in Sociology and an associate degree in Nursing from the University of South Dakota, and working as a staff nurse at Dakota Hospital in Vermillion, S.D.
She earned Bachelor of Science and Master's degrees in Nursing from the University of Phoenix in Aurora, and has taken business and finance courses at Metro State College in Denver and Wharton School of Business in Philadelphia.
Prior to joining Rose Medical Center in 1980, Hicks was a nurse at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and St. Luke's Hospital in Denver. She also spent four years in the private sector with a Denver firm designing and implementing education programs for physicians and nurses, as well as helping hospitals nationwide develop new surgery and ambulatory services.
She began working at Rose Medical Center as a staff nurse in the Ambulatory Surgery Center, but quickly moved into management positions. She has been manager of the Laser Center; nurse manager of the operating rooms of the main OR and Ambulatory Surgery; and she was Director of Surgical Services responsible for all of the hospital's surgery units. In 1997 she was appointed the Chief Nursing Officer for Rose Medical Center.
Hicks has been active as a member, national speaker and published author in professional organizations, including the Association of Operating Room Nurses (AORN) and the American Society of Lasers in Medicine and Surgery.
She and her husband have two teen-aged children. In addition to scuba diving, snow skiing, hiking and golfing, she is a bicyclist and has participated in fund-raiser rides for medical research.
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