HERSHEY, Pa. — Judy Himes, who has served as interim chief nursing officer at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center since February, has accepted the role permanently.
Himes has played an active leadership role in the Medical Center’s successful designation and reaccreditation as a Magnet organization and recently oversaw completion of the latest application in August for a third designation. As director of nursing for critical care services, she was the nursing lead for eICU implementation and other telehealth initiatives in the organization, and she played a role in the successful Joint Commission disease-specific reviews for ventricular assist device and comprehensive stroke programs. In her previous role as director of nursing for medicine, neuroscience, Cancer Institute and orthopaedics, Himes supported staff nurses in the MICU to achieve gold-level Beacon designation from AACN; co-chaired the organization’s Clinical Value Analysis Team; and served as the nurse champion for the organizational implementation of bar code medication administration to improve patient safety.
Prior to joining the organization in 2005, Himes was the associate chief nursing officer for acute care/specialty services for the Lebanon VA Medical Center. She held various nursing leadership roles with PinnacleHealth from 1989 to 2002, leaving that organization after four years as vice president for patient care services and chief nursing officer.
Himes earned her bachelor of science degree in nursing from Penn State and a master of science degree in nursing from the University of Pittsburgh.
She holds an adjunct faculty position with the Penn State College of Nursing and is an active community volunteer with the United Way of the Capital Region, Hamilton Health, the Downtown Daily Bread Soup Kitchen, and Helping Hands Ministry Inc., among other organizations.