Ascension Health VP Ann Hendrich '80 Seeks to "Impact Many"

October 13, 2007

October 13, 2007, Greencastle, Ind. - The work of Ann (Libka) Hendrich to study "how nurses in 17 different health care systems throughout the country conduct their work" is featured in Texas' Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Hendrich, vice president of clinical excellence operations at Ascension Health in St. Louis and 1980 graduate of DePauw University, "found that many nurses are wasting time hunting and gathering supplies and equipment rather than spending time with patients and their families," reports the newspaper.

Beth Aaron writes, "By working from several different angles to improve the working environment for nurses, Hendrich said she hopes to help retain younger nurses. She has also developed a risk model -- called the Hendrich II Risk Model -- that can predict 75 percent of hospital falls before they happen."

The story notes that Hendrich was in Lubbock this week as a guest of the John Aure Buesseler Distinguished Lectureship Series.

"Like many who find themselves in health care, I had a strong interest in helping people," Hendrich tells the publication. "I think I was a reluctant administrator. But realizing that I would be limited in what kind of impact I would have, I made the transition to work at different levels, but still as a nurse. But now the work that I do with others can impact many instead of one patient at a time."

Read more at the newspaper's Web site.

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