Gundersen Health System takes on new COO, chief nursing officer

Heather Schimmers, MBA, RN, has been selected as Gundersen Health System’s new COO and chief nursing officer. 

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Ms. Schimmers replaces Beth Smith-Houskamp, PhD, RN, who has been with the La Crosse, Wis.-based health system since 2007, according to an Oct. 6 news release shared with Becker’s.

Ms. Schimmers most recently served as chief nursing officer for the Wisconsin arm of St. Louis-based Ascension Healthcare, a role she assumed in 2019.  She previously served as the vice president of patient care services for St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton, Wis., and received regional recognition as a top corporate influencer and nursing executive, the news release said.

Gundersen ranked among Wisconsin’s top employers in an Aug. 24 report from Forbes.   

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