Press Release 23 September 2022
Ivinson CNO Wins Award for Nursing Excellence
Ivinson Memorial Hospital’s Chief Nursing Officer, Nicole Rooney, RN, was recently awarded the 2022 Norman S. Holt Award for Nursing Excellence by Wyoming Hospital Association.
Nicole was recognized at this year’s Wyoming Hospital Association (WHA) annual meeting in Casper on September 7 – 8, 2022.
“I greatly value Nicole’s leadership at Ivinson,” Ivinson’s CEO Doug Faus said. “Nicole exemplifies extreme ownership in caring for our staff and our patients. She is always willing to jump in and help. She has been an invaluable asset not only to Ivinson but to the Laramie community. We are lucky to have her as the Chief Nursing Officer at Ivinson.”
Rooney was among four finalists for the Norman S. Holt Award. Other nominees come from leadership positions at hospitals in Cheyenne, Rock Springs and Newcastle.
Her nomination application reads “Nicole has represented IMH at every turn, filling any gap that is needed Nicole led IMH’s efforts throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, to successfully roll out a community wide vaccination and testing plan. She is continually leading to make the facility stronger, and you can find her working shoulder to shoulder with the nursing team on the floors, as the house supervisor, in the nursery, with every department within IMH, rounding on patients and staff and listening to find out how the organization can be stronger for patients, patients families, the IMH Team and the community.”
Rooney has been an Ivinson team member since 2006 and has worked in several nursing and leadership roles. As Chief Nursing Officer, her leadership has contributed to several hospital awards and recognition. Ivinson has been named one of the Top 100 Rural Community Hospitals for five years in a row by the Chartis Center for Rural Health and was a Top 20 Rural Community Hospital in 2019. In 2021, Ivinson was awarded a 4‑star CMS Rating by the Quality and Safety Committee.
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Rooney played a vital role in vaccine procurement and distribution in Albany County. Rooney worked with partners in the community to form the Albany County COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic and launch a successful community-wide mass vaccination site.
Rooney is a member of the American Nurses Association, Wyoming Nurses Association and the American Organization of Nurse Executives.