By Olean Times Herald staff Jul 6, 2022
OLEAN — Laurie Dunn has been named the chief nursing officer for Upper Allegheny Health System’s Olean General Hospital and Bradford Regional Medical Center.
Dunn, a native of the area, has an extensive background in nursing as she completed her licensed practical nurse training at St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing, her associates of nursing at Jamestown Community College, BSN and master’s degree in nursing executive leadership and change at Daemen College.
She is pursuing a doctorate of nursing practice in leadership from Aspen University.
Dunn is also no stranger to Olean General, as she served in multiple roles during the 1990s and 2000s, including both supervisory and management positions. She has been a faculty member at Jamestown Community College and SUNY Alfred State, where she is currently the interim nursing department chair.
“Laurie is an outstanding nurse and a fantastic addition to our team,” said Dr. Jill Owens, interim president of Upper Allegheny and the two hospitals. “With her wide-ranging experience in the hospital setting as well as education, she will be a great asset in our recruitment and retention efforts in nursing and is well equipped to lead nursing at Upper Allegheny Health System.”
Other Upper Allegheny appointments include Jennifer Ruggles as the associate director of nursing at Olean General and David Monroe as chief administrative officer at BRMC.
Ruggles is a lifelong resident of the Olean area and has worked as a nurse at both OGH and BRMC.
“Her leadership on the clinical units at OGH during the pandemic has been outstanding and her work to achieve the Primary Care Stroke Center designation for OGH has been exemplary,” Owens said of Ruggles.
She received an associate degree in nursing at JCC, a bachelor’s in nursing from Daemen College and a master’s in nursing education from the University of Phoenix. Her experience includes more than a decade spent in supervisory and managerial roles at OGH.
Ruggles most recently served as the senior director of nursing at OGH since 2020.
In his new role, Monroe, a Bradford native, will oversee all day-to-day operations as well as clinical and administrative functions at BRMC.
“With his clinical and administrative background, he is a perfect fit for the needs of this position and I look forward to working with him to advance the care we provide at Bradford Regional Medical Center,” Owens said.
Monroe’s experience spans 15 years in healthcare within the local region in various capacities. He has held several management positions not only within UAHS but other healthcare organizations in the area since the mid-2000s. Prior to his recent appointment, he served as the director of nursing and interim chief nursing officer at BRMC.
He earned his associate and bachelor degrees in nursing from the University of Pittsburgh and an MBA from the University at Buffalo.
“With these essential positions being filled within the organization, our new administration at Upper Allegheny Health System is almost complete,” Owens said. “We have a great team of local clinical and non-clinical professionals who are passionate about serving the communities they live in by providing quality healthcare to our region. We’ve got a lot to accomplish but this is the right team to get the job done.”
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