Kayla Gehring Appointed Director of Surgical Services
Kayla Gehring
Columbus Community Hospital is pleased to announce that Kayla Gehring, MBA, MSN, RN, has accepted the position of director of surgical services.
Gehring brings a wealth of experience to her new role. She earned her Bachelor of Science in nursing from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and holds dual master’s degrees — a Master of Science in nursing leadership in health care systems and a Master of Business Administration — from Grand Canyon University.
Gehring began her career at Columbus Community Hospital in May 2012, working in the intensive care and acute care units. In November 2015, she transitioned to the post-anesthesia care unit as a registered nurse. She was promoted to service line coordinator in July 2020 and, most recently, became manager of perianesthesia services in October 2023. In this role, she led a multidisciplinary team across outpatient surgery, endoscopy, pain management, PACU and preadmissions.
"I’m pleased to announce Kayla Gehring as our new Surgical Services Director. Kayla is bright, passionate, and grounded, with a strong vision rooted in best practices. I’m confident she’ll build on the culture Kathy Decker established — this was a key role, and I believe we made the right choice." Said Dr. Mark Howerter, Chief Medical Officer at CCH.
In addition to her leadership within the hospital, Gehring serves as president of the Nebraska Association of Perianesthesia Nurses and is actively involved in professional nursing organizations across the state.
“We’re excited to see Kayla Gehring step into the role of director of surgical services,” said Michael T. Hansen, president and CEO of Columbus Community Hospital. “Her strong leadership, clinical expertise, and dedication to patient-centered care have already made a significant impact at our hospital, and we’re confident she will continue to excel in this new position.”
She is passionate about delivering evidence-based care, fostering operational excellence and developing strong, collaborative teams. Gehring will begin transitioning into her new role over the coming months.
Columbus Community Hospital would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Kathy Decker, executive nurse consultant, for her exceptional leadership and dedication over the past several years.
“As Chief Nursing Officer, I am confident in Kayla’s ability to thrive in her new role. She is deeply passionate about supporting staff, physicians and processes to deliver the highest quality and safest care. Said Tawny Sandifer. “Her inclusive approach and commitment to data-driven performance improvement make her a strong and visionary leader. Kayla consistently seeks opportunities to enhance outcomes through evidence-based practice and operational excellence.”
For more information about services at Columbus Community Hospital, visit columbushosp.org or call 402-564-7118.