Ryan Jackson, RN, was one of 32 nurses from across the state to complete the Kansas Hospital Association Leadership Institute last month. He works in Wamego Health Center’s cardiac rehabilitation department and serves as the hospital’s risk manager,

The program took place in Wichita and spanned from July through September, and aims at training clinical and nonclinical leaders who work at Kansas hospitals.

“The students represented a variety of departments – staff nurses, radiology techs on up to chief financial officers from very small critical access hospitals to larger 500+ bed organizations,” Jackson explained.

“We had a variety of instructors from a variety of industries who all had decades of experience,” he added. “The training consisted of simple, straightforward lectures, but there were also group, team-building exercises. Most lectures and exercises addressed customer service and conflict management as well as a myriad of other subjects.”

Jackson said much of what he learned will be useful in his role in risk management and customer service – helping patients resolve any issue or concerns they may have with their care, billing or other needs.

“I’ve been a registered nurse for more than 28 years, working in mostly high-acuity areas such as the Intensive Care Unit, Emergency Department and Cardiac Catheterization Lab, but I’ve also worked as a director in Cardiovascular Services and Emergency Department, as well as Research and Data Collections,” he said.

Since he arrived at Wamego Health Center in 2015, he has helped the cardiac rehabilitation department grow while also serving as risk manager. Jackson recently started a home sleep study program that has also been successful.