Robin Christensen, Lisa Erwin and Dee Dee Costello.

THREE NIH EMPLOYEES AWARDED SCHOLARSHIPS
FOR CONTINUED NURSING EDUCATION  (NIH PRESS RELEASE)

Bishop, California – September 21, 2013

The Donald M. Slager Sunset Foundation has selected three long-term employees at Northern Inyo Hospital (NIH) to receive the 2013 NIH Nursing Scholarship award.  This scholarship is open to Northern Inyo Hospital employees who are completing a Registered Nurse (RN) program or Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) degree.  Northern Inyo Hospital is very grateful to the Sunset Foundation for the ability to assist dedicated individuals in obtaining this education and is pleased to announce that Robin Christensen, Dee Dee Costello, and Lisa Erwin have been awarded this scholarship for 2013.

Robin Christensen, RN:  Robin has been employed at Northern Inyo Hospital for 23 years.  She was a Certified Nursing Assistant for 6 years, an LVN for 9 years, and an RN since 2005.  She has worked on the Medical-Surgical floor and now is a Nursing Supervisor, Nursing Informatics Specialist, and Infection Control Coordinator. Robin is enrolled at the University of Phoenix BSN program (Bachelor of Science in Nursing). She will be earning a BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) to better serve as a supervisor, patient educator, team leader and hoping someday to become the Nursing Manager of one of the units at Northern Inyo Hospital.

Dee Dee Costello, LVN:  Dee Dee has also been employed at Northern Inyo Hospital for 23 years, starting as a telemetry technician but quickly moving into a nursing position in the Emergency Room.  Dee Dee has worked in the Rural Health Clinic for the last few years as well.  Currently an LVN, Dee Dee has completed prerequisites for the BSN and is enrolled in a Registered Nurse Step-Up program through Bakersfield College.  When she has completed her BSN, Dee Dee would like to continue providing patient care as an RN in the ER, continue working at the Rural Health Clinic, and is considering additional certifications such as mobile Intensive Care Nurse (MICN) and Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN).

Lisa Erwin, RN:  Lisa has been employed at Northern Inyo Hospital for 10 years.  She has worked in the ER as an RN for 8 of these years, and as a Nursing Supervisor for the last 2 years.  Lisa was accepted to the Phoenix School of Nursing where she will be finishing her BSN then working on her MSN (Master of Science in Nursing) with a Healthcare Administration major.  Lisa would like to continue as a nursing supervisor, or in a nursing management position such as a nursing unit manager while also continuing her work as the pre-hospital liaison for Emergency Services.  She would like to help expand the role of disaster preparedness within the hospital and coordinate disaster planning with Inyo County.

Northern Inyo Hospital is a 25-bed, Critical Access, not-for-profit hospital located in scenic Bishop, California. The only hospital for 150 miles that is accredited by The Joint Commission, Northern Inyo Hospital has been providing high quality healthcare in the Eastern Sierra since 1946.