Ms. Sagastume is CNO at Ochsner Medical Center–New Orleans, where she leads operations, patient quality outcomes and nursing professional education for the largest hospital in the Ochsner Health system. A member of the medical executive committee and the board of directors, she oversees regulatory readiness and performance improvement while fostering professional nursing practices and career development. With 23 years at Ochsner, she has been instrumental in implementing innovative programs, including the system’s virtual nursing model, which streamlines admission and discharge tasks, and the integration of a medication administration program, which allows pharmacists to administer medicine at the bedside. Her leadership has significantly reduced nursing turnover and reliance on external agency nurses. Additionally, Ms. Sagastume is actively involved in Ochsner’s DEI nursing council, promoting initiatives that enhance workforce diversity.
