Dr. Kaye Hixon Celebrates Five Years of Phenomenal Service with Tipton Health Communications


Tipton Health Communications is proud to honor Kaye Hixon, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, for her five years of service as an executive nursing consultant with the company. Dr. Hixon is a strong advocate for her nursing peers and has inspired countless nursing teams to successfully pursue nursing excellence using the ANCC Magnet® framework.

“Dr. Hixon is a national treasure,” said Wendi Froedge, Director of Professional Development and Clinical Excellence at Advent Health.

Before joining Tipton, Dr. Hixon worked for the U.S. Veterans Health Administration for 28 years. At the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa, Florida, Dr. Hixon led quality programs for the VA’s largest academic medical facility and its eight satellite clinics. She coordinated the hospital’s successful pursuit of Magnet recognition in 2000. The hospital won the first ANCC Magnet Prize® for its “Patient Safety Center of Inquiry” in 2002.

For nearly two decades, Dr. Hixon served as an appraiser for the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program®. As a team leader, she mentored new appraisers and reviewed more than 50 hospital applications for Magnet recognition. She contributed to the development of new manuals and resources used by the ANCC Magnet program and its appraisers.

At Tipton, Dr. Hixon works hand-in-hand with nursing teams to identify and close foundational gaps critical to successful Magnet designation. She also prepares nurses for the challenging ANCC Magnet site visit.

“Kaye’s absolute love for nurses and pride in her profession comes through in all she does,” said Tipton Health CEO Dan Tipton. “She helps nurses see beyond their daily duties to pursue continuous improvement and better patient care.”

To celebrate her five-year anniversary, a few of Dr. Hixon’s clients at Tipton shared how pivotal their experiences were with her.

“Kaye was wonderful to work with while conducting our mock site visit. She was so knowledgeable and engaging with staff at all levels,” said Madelyn Torakis, Magnet Program Director at Henry Ford Hospital. “Everyone felt so prepared for the actual site visit thanks to her positive coaching and direction. I’m not sure we could have done it without her!”

Susanne Curry, Director of Clinical Practice at St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital, said, “We loved working with Kaye during our Magnet site visit prep! She was always so helpful, informative and energizing. The constant support we felt provided a calm during a stressful time.”

“Kaye is extraordinarily knowledgeable regarding the ANCC Magnet Designation process,” said Cheryl Reinking, Chief Nursing Officer at El Camino Hospital. “She was incredibly helpful in preparing our nursing staff for our fourth Magnet site visit. Her practical and informed approach always assured that we were putting our best foot forward. Thank you, Kaye!”

About Tipton Health Communications

Tipton Health Communications is a leading provider of executive nurse consulting and mentoring; nursing excellence program development; and Magnet®, Pathway to Excellence® and Practice Transition Accreditation Program™ consulting support to the nation’s hospital and healthcare systems. In addition, Tipton Health supports clients nationwide with award-winning communications services, including employee communications, human resources communications, public relations, marketing communications, intranet and Internet design, graphic design, and strategic communications. For more information, please visit tiptonhealth.com.

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