Dr. Dickerson, CNO and senior vice president of hospital operations at VHC Health, leads 67% of the hospital’s staff, including over 1,000 nurses. Her leadership has been critical in aligning patient care services with VHC Health’s strategic goals, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, where she improved employee morale and reduced contract staffing by 70%. She spearheaded key initiatives like the interprofessional code sepsis program, which improved sepsis mortality rates by 21%, and oversaw the development of the $250 million outpatient pavilion to enhance patient care access. Dr. Dickerson also launched the innovative “earn while you learn” program, designed to produce more practice-ready nurses, and a mentorship program that boasts an 89% retention rate.
