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Message SUMMER 2025Applause for Our Nurses

2 Nursing Matters SUMMER 2025Welcome to the Inaugural California Region Nursing Newsletter!I am absolutely thrilled to share with you the very rst quarterly edition of our California Region Nursing Newsletter! This has been a vision of mine for some time, and I’m so excited to nally bring it to life.As many of you know, our nursing community is the very heart of care across our 29 hospitals and clinics throughout California. With a powerful force of over 19,142 strong, you are the backbone of our patient care. I wanted to create a space dedicated to celebrating your incredible contributions. This newsletter is just one small way to acknowledge and appreciate the extraordinary work you do each and every day, providing compassionate and high-quality care to our patients and communities.This newsletter is designed to be your space. We want to spotlight the amazing achievements happening across our region, share innovative best practices that are improving patient outcomes, and elevate the diverse voices and perspectives of our nurses from all corners of California. It’s a place to connect, learn from each other, and reinforce our shared mission to deliver exceptional care to everyone who walks through our doors.As we continue to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare and lead with purpose, I am constantly inspired by your unwavering resilience, your deep passion for nursing, and the profound dierence you make in the lives of those who entrust us with their care. This newsletter is a reminder that you are seen, you are valued, and you are leading the way in shaping the future of nursing at Dignity Health.I encourage you to actively participate in this newsletter by submitting your stories, ideas, and feedback. Together, we can make this a valuable resource for our entire nursing community.Here’s to the beginning of something truly great—together. With gratitude,Ron E. Yolo, DNP, MSN, MBA, RN, NEA-BCChief Nursing OcerCalifornia Region, Dignity Health HospitalsINSIDE THIS ISSUE3 Patience Experience4 Market Feature: North State5 Market Feature: Sacramento6 Market Feature: Central Valley 7 The Heart of Excellence: Memorial Hospital - Bakerseld’s Magnet Journey8 Market Feature: Central Coast9 Market Feature: Southern California 10 Nursing Operations11 Nursing and Physician Dyad Leadership12 How to Avoid Burnout

3Dignity Health California RegionPatient Experience Thanks to your unwavering dedication and commitment to excellence, we’ve made meaningful strides in improving the patient experience across our region. We’ve seen tangible results and felt the positive feedback we received from our patients and their families. This progress is a direct result of your hard work and the consistent application of evidence-based standards. By consistently practicing standards such as: (1) intentional hourly rounding, ensuring our patients feel seen and cared for; (2) bedside shift report, fostering transparency and collaboration in care; (3) nurse/provider rounding, facilitating comprehensive and coordinated treatment plans; (4) and leadership rounding, demonstrating our commitment to understanding and addressing patient needs which has allowed us to build a strong foundation rooted in compassion and connection. These aren’t just protocols; they are the building blocks of a truly patient-centered environment.This new scal year, we will maintain our laser focus on elevating care and the patient experience, providing additional resources and training opportunities, and supporting systems to help you further enhance your already exceptional work. We have seen your dedication and the ways you have demonstrated humankindness to our patients rsthand. We’re condent that together, we can continue to build an environment where every patient feels valued, respected, and receives the highest quality of care. Thank you for being an integral part of this vital journey.Ambulatory Clinics & Home Health AgenciesA heartfelt congratulations to our Ambulatory Clinics and Home Health Agencies that continue to exceed performance in delivering the best patient experience in their respective areas. Your unwavering commitment to providing personalized, compassionate care in these crucial settings – whether it’s within the familiar comfort of a patient’s home or the accessible convenience of an outpatient clinic – is truly commendable. You are the embodiment of patient-centered care, going above and beyond to ensure comfort, understanding, and positive outcomes. Your dedication not only elevates the patient experience but also sets a high bar for the entire organization, inspiring us all to strive for excellence in every interaction and every setting. The Emergency Department Patient Experience JourneySince launching foundational practices focused on communication, teamwork, and Narration of Care, the region has seen measurable improvement in ED Patient Experience, with baseline scores rising from the 21st percentile to currently the 30th percentile. While we celebrate this progress, we also recognize that there’s still room to grow. This upward trend is a reection of the hard work, long hours, and unwavering commitment you bring every day to a challenging and often stressful environment. Leader visibility through daily rounding, dyad partnerships, and executive sponsorship has strengthened accountability and real-time responsiveness. Additionally, some of our standardized tools like AIDET, Care Cards, discharge scripting, and comfort initiatives, have built trust, compassion, and consistency with our Emergency Department teams.PATIENT EXPERIENCE STANDARDS » Intentional Hourly Rounding » Bedside Shift Report » Nurse & Provider Rounding » Leadership RoundingNurses are the foundation of healthcare, from providing compassionate care to ensuring nursing excellence. Your commitment—whether at the hospital bedside, in a leadership capacity, or at a clinic—makes all the dierence to our patients. Thank you to every nurse serving across the California Region.—Julie Sprengel, RN | President, California Region

4 Nursing Matters SUMMER 2025Covering an area of over 200 miles, from Mt. Shasta to Grass Valley, Dignity Health operates four hospitals in the North State market.Providing exceptional quality of care, safety, and service for over 130,000 patients annually, the North State market has received several notable accolades.Top Rural HospitalsSierra Nevada Memorial Hospital and St. Elizabeth Community Hospital both earned the prestigious Leapfrog Top Rural Hospital award. This award recognizes the highest-performing hospitals on the Leapfrog Hospital Survey. Top hospitals demonstrate superior systems for preventing medication errors, providing higher quality maternity care, and having lower infection rates, among other commendable attributes. To be eligible, hospitals must also have received an “A” in the most recent round of Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade scoring.Nurse Residency Program SupportThe North State Market supports our critical access hospitals by oering the National Nurse Residency Program (NNRP) for Med/Surg, ICU and step-down units. Through structured education and hands-on experience, nurses gain stronger clinical skills, decision-making abilities, and condence—leading to better patient care. The support and mentorship provided to the residents reduces turnover and helps retain new nurses in our rural locations.Kelley Baas, MSN, BSN, RN, PHNMarket CNOHospital CNOs Mercy Medical Center Mt. ShastaElizabeth Pulatie, DHA, MSN, RN Mercy Medical Center ReddingEd Price, MBA, BSN, RNSt. Elizabeth Community Hospital Kelley Baas, MSN, BSN, RN, PHNSierra Nevada Memorial HospitalJulie Ostrom, MSN, RN, CENPMARKET FEATURE | NORTH STATEAbove: NNRP Residents from Mercy Medical Mt. Shasta, Mercy Medical Center Redding, and St. Elizabeth Community Hospital. Below: NNRP Residents and their preceptors work on central line competencies.

5Dignity Health California RegionSet in and around the California State Capitol, Dignity Health operates ve hospitals in the Sacramento market.Our hospitals use innovative ways to provide exceptional quality of care, safety, and service for over 260,000 patients annually, many of whom return to the hospital to thank their care teams.Mercy General Nurses Honored at Fire Survivors SocialMercy General Hospital (MGH) was proud to participate in the Sacramento Metro Fire Survivors Social, an event celebrating re survivors—and the teams who helped save them. Emergency Department nurses Vita Poddubna and Maddie Mayer were honored for their swift action and clinical expertise, which helped one survivor make a full recovery and walk out of the hospital healthy and thriving. Code Mercy Process (as Part of Decedent Aairs)This spring, Sacramento Market hospitals collaborated to standardize the decedent aairs process—from next of kin notication through nal disposition of remains. The market implemented a new process called Code Mercy that includes a tracking tool and log to document every attempt to contact next of kin, including a HIPAA-compliant voicemail and a Code Mercy scripted message with a dedicated phone line for call backs. There is also a “Code Mercy” section on the Morgue Release of Remains form to document the last attempt made to contact next of kin. Mercy San Juan Medical Center was rst to implement Code Mercy followed by additional hospitals across the market to ensure ecient processes with dened roles and responsibilities.Allison Cotterill, MBA, MSN, RN, HACPMarket CNOHospital CNOs Mercy General Hospital - SacramentoAllison Cotterill, MBA, MSN, RN, HACPMercy Hospital of FolsomKaren Buckley, MHA, BSN, RN, CENPMercy San Juan Medical Center - CarmichaelMaryann Lansangan, MSN, BSN, RN, CENP Methodist Hospital of SacramentoAngie Hammons, MSN, MBA, RNWoodland Memorial HospitalKara Estenson, DNP, MSN, RNMARKET FEATURE | SACRAMENTOMercy San Juan Medical Center’s Code Mercy Implementation Team: Michael Korpiel, Hospital President (recently retired); Ashwini Chand-Kumar, ED Senior Director; Maryann Lansangan, CNO; and Gabi Villalobos, Quality Patient Safety Program Manager.Najwa Green, MGH ED Manager; Vita Poddubna, MGH ED RN; Maddi Mayer, MGH ED RN; Maryam Gol, MGH ED NSM; Paige Greaves, Sr. Director of Cardiac & Emergency Services; and Amelia Hart, Mercy San Juan Trauma Manager (l-r). 5

6 Nursing Matters SUMMER 2025Located in the center of the state, Dignity Health operates seven hospitals in the Central Valley.Nationally recognized for safety, the Central Valley serves over 375,000 patients annually, making it our largest California market by the number of patients seen.Central Valley Market Leads Region in Employee EngagementThe Central Valley Market is proud to announce it achieved a 93% participation rate in the 2025 My Voice Employee Engagement Survey, the highest in the California Region, with over 6,800 responses submitted. Targeted eorts included real-time progress tracking, daily participation rate updates, leader rounding, the use of Sunshine Carts and WOWs, and personalized encouragement from all leaders.Not only did the Central Valley Market lead in participation, but it also performed highest in the Region across multiple categories: Humankindness, Health Equity and Community Impact, Clarity, Mission, Nursing Autonomy, Nursing Leadership Access and Responsiveness, Nursing Professional Development, and Workplace Violence. Our strongest performing category was Nursing RN to RN Teamwork and Collaboration, and our top rated question overall in the Employee Engagement Survey was in the Leader Index category, “The person I report to treats me with respect.”This is a direct reection of the market’s unwavering commitment to creating a positive, inclusive, and mission driven work environment.Less Waiting for Behavioral HealthBehavioral Health patients can get help faster, thanks to a new process in the ED at Mercy Merced Behavioral Health. Under the new system, when a patient requires an assessment, sta contact the team at St. Joseph’s Behavioral Health Center. They then call in via the bot to complete the assessment. If placement is needed, the patient is entered into the Xferall system for review by multiple facilities. To assess the impact of the new process, 40 patients were randomly selected—20 from 2023 (pre-intervention) and 20 from 2025 (post-intervention)—to compare arrival-to-evaluation time and ED length of stay. The average time from arrival to evaluation improved from 4.08 hours to 2.67 hours—a 33% reduction—while average ED length of stay decreased from 33 hours to 23 hours, reecting a 30% improvement.Amy Brown, RN, MSNMarket CNOHospital CNOs Bakerseld Memorial HospitalRobin McNabb, MSN, MHA, RN, NEA-BCMark Twain Medical CenterJoann Marks, MSN, RN Mercy Hospitals Bakerseld - Downtown and SouthwestAmy Brown, MSN, RNMercy Medical Center MercedMaranda Hall, MSN, RN, CENSt. Joseph’s Behavioral Health CenterBen Tripoli, MBA, BSN, RN, NEA-BCSt. Joseph’s Medical Center StocktonLynn Watson, MSN, RN, NEA-BCMARKET FEATURE | CENTRAL VALLEYThe Mercy Merced Behavioral Health Team’s new process expedites care for behavioral health patients.6 Nursing Newsletter Summer 2025

7Dignity Health California RegionThe Heart of Excellence: Memorial Hospital - Bakerseld’s Magnet JourneyAt the heart of Memorial Hospital - Bakerseld lies a deep and unwavering commitment to excellence in nursing—a commitment that has shaped lives, inspired transformation, and now guides the hospital on its journey toward Magnet® designation.This journey didn’t begin with a formal application. It began years ago, in patient rooms where nurses held the hands of those in pain. It began in moments of quiet courage during long night shifts, in the innovation sparked by frontline caregivers, and in the compassionate voices advocating for the vulnerable. It began with a culture where every team member believed that better is always possible.The path to Magnet recognition, awarded by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, is the gold standard for nursing excellence. It is both rigorous and reective. For Bakerseld Memorial, it has become more than a goal—it is a testament to the hospital’s values and the spirit of its people. Every shared governance meeting, every evidence-based practice initiative, and every improvement in patient outcomes speaks to a team that is not just checking boxes, but striving to lead with heart, intellect, and integrity.Magnet-recognized organizations boast improved nurse satisfaction and engagement, improved patient outcomes, improved nurse retention, and improved patient satisfaction. These benets are not just statistics—they reect the human impact of empowered nurses and high-quality care, a future that Bakerseld Memorial is actively creating.As Bakerseld Memorial moves through the application process, nurses are telling their stories—stories of resilience, innovation, and community impact. Clinical teams are sharing outcomes that show measurable advances in patient care. Leaders are reinforcing a vision of a workplace where nurses feel empowered, supported, and proud.The Magnet journey is bringing people together in new and meaningful ways. Departments are collaborating across disciplines. Nurses are mentoring each other, lifting each other higher. And patients are noticing—not just the care they receive, but the passion behind it.While the designation lies ahead, the journey itself is already transforming Bakerseld Memorial. It is arming what many have long known: that here, nursing is not just a profession—it is a calling. And Bakerseld Memorial is a place where that calling is honored, nurtured, and celebrated.As the hospital continues on this path, the entire community can take pride in knowing that their local hospital is reaching for the highest standard—not for accolades, but for the people they serve.Magnet Journey led by Robin McNabb, CNO7Dignity Health California Region

8 Nursing Matters SUMMER 2025Stretching over 350 miles from Redwood City to Camarillo, our Central Coast market includes seven hospitals.Our market features the Central Coast’s only ECMO devices and inpatient acute rehabilitation units. Our hospitals provide safe, high-quality care for more than 280,000 patients each year.Driving Change with Great SuccessOver the past year, nurses at Marian Regional Medical Center and Arroyo Grande Community Hospital have led impactful change with dedication and compassion. From proactive leader rounding to real-time service recovery, nurses went above and beyond to drive change. They advanced quality care—improving fall prevention, HAPI, CAUTI, CLABSI, VAE, and sepsis outcomes—and helped both hospitals reach the 75th percentile in patient experience. Nurses championed safety, launched wellness and education initiatives, supported peers, and helped reduce contract labor. They co-created a workplace violence training program, boosting Tier II training compliance from 30% to 90%, and formed a Shared Governance Council. Through teamwork, innovation, and heart, our nurses continue to deliver excellence—every patient, every time.Girl Scouts VisitThe Central Coast market proudly supports our communities through various outreach programs. Recently, St. John’s Hospitals hosted the Girl Scouts of the Central Coast to provide them with insights into working in healthcare and teach them about several of our departments. The aim was to inspire and show that they can achieve anything to which they set their minds. Dalarie Manda, MSN, RN, NE-BCMarket CNOHospital CNOsArroyo Grande Community HospitalCandice Monge, MSN, MBA, RN, NE-BCDominican Hospital - Santa CruzMary Zinmeister, DNP, MSN, RN (interim)French Hospital Medical Center - San Luis ObispoJulia Fogelson, MSN, RNMarian Regional Medical Center - Santa MariaCandice Monge, MSN, MBA, RN, NE-BCSequoia Hospital - Redwood CityEleanor Eberhard, DNP, MBA, RNSt. John’s Hospital - CamarilloDalarie Manda, MSN, RN, NE-BCSt. John’s Regional Medical Center - OxnardDalarie Manda, MSN, RN, NE-BCMARKET FEATURE | CENTRAL COASTMarian Regional sta helped boost connection and patient experience: Ben Colon, RN; Ariel Walker, RN; Tammie Sparrow, RN; Mariah Maidrand, RN; Barbara Tovar, RN; Maria Santiago, CNA; Angi Cox, RN; and Antonette Espinosa, UC/MO (l-r).8 Nursing Newsletter Summer 2025

9Dignity Health California RegionCovering the San Fernando Valley to San Bernardino and encompassing all of Los Angeles, Dignity Health operates six hospitals in the Southern California market.Los Angeles Area Hospital CNOs California Hospital Medical CenterDana Asato, EdDc, MBA, BSN, RN, CENPGlendale Memorial Hospital and Health CenterLesley Wininger, DNP, MHA, RN, CPPSNorthridge Hospital Medical CenterCheryl Wheelock, MSN, RN St. Mary Medical Center - Long BeachGloria Carter, MSN, RN, CENPSan Bernardino Hospital CNOsCommunity Hospital of San BernardinoRoz Nolan, EdD, MSN, RNSt. Bernardine Medical CenterNicole Whims, MSN, MBA, RN, OCNOur hospitals provide exceptional quality of care, safety, and service for over 370,000 patients annually. It features the oldest privately-owned and operated hospital in Los Angeles (California Hospital) and is the largest market by total population. Recent market achievements include promoting greater eciency, consistency, and a better overall patient experience.NICU Team Recognized for Excellence in Neonatal Care!Northridge Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) team is helping babies thrive across the state. The team has been recognized for their outstanding contributions to the California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative (CPQCC) —a statewide network that includes California’s NICUs and High Risk Infant Follow-up clinics, all under the umbrella of Stanford Medicine. Participation in CPQCC is voluntary, and the data collected represents over 90% of California’s NICUs. This data plays a crucial role in identifying areas of high and low performance, tracking the impact of improvement interventions, and supporting research to enhance neonatal care. CPQCC has been instrumental in improving the quality and equity of care for California’s most vulnerable infants and families, resulting in signicant reductions in both mortality and morbidity across the state.TJC Perinatal CerticationThe Joint Commission has recognized Community Hospital of San Bernardino’s Maternal Child Health Department with the Advanced Certication in Perinatal Care (ACPC) and designated it a Gold Center of Excellence!During the ACPC process, we demonstrated our ability to deliver integrated, coordinated, and patient-centered care from prenatal through postpartum for both routine and high-risk pregnancies. Driven by patient safety and the principles of a High Reliability Organization, our nurses oer robust lactation support, comprehensive NICU services, and a dedicated Health Education Center.By earning ACPC certication, we improved clinical outcomes and implemented evidence-based procedures–all aimed to promote a better overall patient experience.MARKET FEATURE | SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

10 Nursing Matters SUMMER 2025Nursing OperationsI am honored to serve as the California Region Vice President for Nursing Operations, while continuing in my role as Chief Nurse Ocer and Chief Operating Ocer at Methodist Hospital of Sacramento. This past year, I have partnered closely with CNOs and their teams across the region to strengthen nurse stang, scheduling and productivity eorts aligned with our mission of delivering exceptional patient care.Key accomplishments include: » Delivering nancial management and productivity training—both in person and virtually—to nurse leaders across the region, with ongoing demand for expanded sessions. » Collaborating with the Operational Performance Group to incorporate nursing leadership perspectives into workforce target adjustments to ensure balanced decision-making that goes beyond purely nancial considerations.I look forward to deepening connections across the region, learning from your successes, and advancing consistency, standardization and shared best practices.Angie Hammons, MBA, MSN, California Region Vice President for Nursing OperationsAngie Hammons equips leaders with essential productivity tools to drive operational excellence.Angie Hammons, Region Vice President, Nursing Operations with the California Region CNOs.Share Your Story!We know you embody a level of compassion that makes a powerful dierence in the lives of our patients and their families. Every day, you create miracles in the form of healing and hope—and we want to hear about them. If you have a positive patient story highlighting healing and recovery, please share it with Tracie Gipson by scanning the QR code to email tracie.cheesemangipson@commonspirit.org. You might be featured in a future newsletter!10 Nursing Newsletter Summer 2025

11Dignity Health California RegionNursing and Physician Dyad LeadershipMarket Dyad LeadershipThe formation of the Market Chief Nursing Ocer (CNO)-Chief Medical Ocer (CMO) dyad leadership has brought together clinical and operational expertise to drive integrated decision-making across quality, safety, and patient experience. This partnership brings together the invaluable clinical expertise of our market Chief Nursing Ocer and the operational insights of our Chief Medical Ocer to drive more integrated and eective decision-making.By aligning nursing and medical leadership, this dyad model has fostered a unied approach to care delivery, breaking down silos and promoting seamless collaboration. This means a more coordinated and consistent experience for our patients, from admission to discharge. The dyad structure ensures clear accountability for patient outcomes, empowering our leaders to proactively address challenges and celebrate successes.Furthermore, this model is accelerating the spread of best practices across the California Region. By working together, the CNO and CMO are identifying and implementing innovative solutions that improve eciency, enhance safety, and elevate the quality of care we provide. This collaborative model is also strengthening communication and support for our frontline teams. By providing a clear and consistent voice from leadership, we’re empowering our nurses, doctors, and other healthcare professionals to deliver the best possible care. Ultimately, this enhanced consistency in clinical standards will lead to even better patient outcomes and experiences, reinforcing our commitment to providing exceptional care to our community. Tyler Hill, DONORTH STATEAshley Sens, MDSACRAMENTOThomas Vendegna, MDCENTRAL COASTHemmal Kothary, MDCENTRAL VALLEY Will Wang, MDSOUTHERN CAThe Chief Nursing Ocer and Chief Medical Ocer dyad leadership has been instrumental in driving integrated decision-making across quality, safety, and patient experience. This model, which unites clinical and operational expertise, has fostered a unied approach to care delivery throughout our California Region. Seeing our teams work collaboratively in this way has been truly inspiring, and I’m deeply proud of the positive impact they’re having on our patients.—Nicholas Testa, MD | Chief Medical Ocer, California Region

12 Nursing Matters SUMMER 2025How to Avoid Burnout Nurses may suer from burnout for many reasons—a demanding schedule, long hours, administrative duties, even the prognosis of a terminally-ill patient—can lead to frustration and fatigue. Here are a few ways to combat burnout: » Instead of jumping out of bed in the morning, take ve minutes to meditate, practice deep breathing or journal. » Try to focus on why you chose to enter nursing. » Talk over your burnout and stress issues with a trusted colleague or trained professional. » Take care of yourself by eating right and exercising. Even a brief walk can clear your mind and improve your perspective. » Get a massage, which is proven to induce feelings of wellbeing. » If you only have a few minutes, practice “mindfulness meditation,” a mental exercise that involves sitting quietly and focusing on one’s breathing to calm and prepare the mind for a clearer perspective. You can nd several app oerings on your smartphone that oer meditative practices, or simply google “mindful meditation” and you’ll see many videos with which you can follow along. It’s also advisable to get a health checkup to ensure that burnout isn’t aecting you physically. Finally, consider whether you may be neglecting something that makes you happy. Perhaps you can adopt or resume an activity, like painting, cooking or photography—something you can enjoy as an outlet to refresh your mind and body.Be well. Lyra Oers 10 Free Therapy SessionsEvery CommonSpirit employee is valued and appreciated, and your wellbeing matters. If you would like emotional and mental health support, you can access 10 coaching or therapy sessions per person, per year, at no cost to you through Lyra. Scan the QR code for details.