The Office of Primary Care and Rural Health (PCRH) is proud to present an Impact Award to Jodi McKinlay of Gunnison Valley Hospital. McKinlay is a great example of upskilling, a tried-and-true way for rural hospitals to improve their workforce that is recommended by the American Hospital Association. She has occupied many roles over the years. She began working as a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) at 18 and has remained at Gunnison Valley Hospital for 27 years. Her path led her through being a CNA, a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), a Registered Nurse (RN), a Discharge planner, and finally the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO).
As CNO, she has had the opportunity to support and mentor her nurses. She has had very low turnover during her tenure and considers her team like a family to her. She is very proud of how well they work together. She also noted that she and her team work together to make sure people can take the time off they need. She also noted the diversity of work performed by her team.
“Our staff takes on many varied job duties.They might deliver a baby on Monday, be an ER nurse on Tuesday, and then prepare patients for surgery on Wednesday, “ said McKinlay. “Our staff needs to be able to provide a variety of care, so our community can avoid long journeys to get the care they need.”
“Anything that needs to get done, Jodi does at a rapid pace. Where there is a need, she is there, even on weekends or when she’s been working for many days in a row,” said Brenda Bartholomew, CEO of Gunnison Valley Hospital, “She is a major reason we have such a strong culture of service at Gunnison Valley.”
McKinlay is from Aurora, just south of Gunnison, and has worked at Gunnison Valley Hospital for 25 years. She joined after speaking to a nurse at a job fair. She attended school in Richfield and Ephraim, attending Snow College to become an LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) and Weber State to become an RN (Registered Nurse) through an outreach program.
About the Impact Award
Each year, PCRH presents Impact Awards to honor healthcare workers on National Rural Health Day. For more information about rural health in Utah, visitruralhealth.utah.gov.
About Gunnison Valley Hospital
Gunnison Valley is an independent, critical access hospital located in the center of Utah. Their mission is to provide high-quality healthcare services to the communities of central Utah in the most caring, current, and efficient manner. For more information, visit https://gvhospital.org/.
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