Columbus Community Hospital Announces New Vice President Of Patient Care Services
Columbus Community Hospital is pleased to announce that Tawny Sandifer will be its new vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer (CNO). She will be responsible for overseeing quality/risk management, transition of care, nursing education, pharmacy, house supervisors, anesthesia and nursing.
Sandifer brings 30 years of nursing experience to CCH, 17 of which have been in nursing leadership at the vice president level. She has been the vice president of nursing at Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, Kansas, since 2015. During her time there, she provided senior leadership for nursing, emergency services, surgical services, respiratory care, quality, pharmacy, care management, social services, patient safety/quality, infection control, pulmonary rehabilitation, the sleep lab and patient education.
In 2021, Sandifer’s role expanded to include senior leadership of operations in non-nursing and non-patient care areas. In addition to her experience at Ascension Via Christi Hospital, she also served as the chief nursing officer/vice president of patient care services at Capital Region Medical Center in Jefferson City, Missouri.
Sandifer will start her position on July 31. She is taking over for Dorothy Bybee, who was vice president of patient care services for five years. Bybee retired in June.
Mike Hansen, president and CEO of CCH, said Sandifer’s skill set makes her well-suited for the job.
“Tawny brings a wealth of experience to the position,” he said. “As a strategic leader, she’s focused on aligning people and procedures to elevate both individual and organizational performance. We are excited to have her as part of our organization.”
Hansen said Kathy Decker, CCH’s interim vice president of patient care services/CNO, will continue to work for a while and help transfer her duties to Sandifer.
Sandifer and her husband, Bob, have two children, Grant and Logan. She enjoys spending time outdoors with her dog, Lincoln.
To learn more about Columbus Community Hospital, visit columbushosp.org.