Mr. Childress serves as CNO at Eastern New Mexico Medical Center, overseeing nursing operations across ICU, med/surg, behavioral health, emergency, pharmacy and respiratory therapy. She is also responsible for ensuring quality, compliance and efficient clinical performance. He has also built a sustainable talent pipeline through close partnership with a local community college, working to design and scale a nurse residency model. The program provides four to six weeks of structured, real-world training between students’ first and second academic years, strengthening bedside readiness and confidence. Under Childress’s direction, participation grew rapidly, from just around five students in 2023 to over 15 in 2024 and more than 25 graduates from multiple regional programs in 2025, directly addressing rural workforce needs. He also launched a charge nurse academy and expanded mentorship and professional development, elevating frontline leadership capability and consistency of care. These efforts contributed to a dramatic reduction in contract labor reliance, dropping from more than 150 full time employees to fewer than 25 over a few years. Previously, he served as associate CNO at Tulane University Hospital and director of nursing at Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans, bringing academic medical center experience to a community setting.
