Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital announces the appointment of Evelyn Olenick, DNP, RN, NCA-BC, as its Chief Nursing Officer.  Olenick assumes the position from Laura Shearer, who remains with Phoebe as Senior Vice President of Operations, focusing exclusively on advancing the strategic and operational plans of surgical, women and children, oncology and emergency services.

“Evelyn brings nearly 40 years of progressive experience in clinical practice, administration and education,” said Joe Austin, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Phoebe Putney Health System. “Our executive team looks forward to working side-by-side with Evelyn as we advance toward the next generation of clinical performance. Our community extends a warm Albany welcome to her and her husband, Chip, who is a professional golfer and instructor.

“We also thank Laura Shearer for her leadership and commitment to being the driving force in the on-going development of Phoebe’s service lines,” Austin continued. “She has advanced the practice of nursing at Phoebe and in southwest Georgia over the last 11 years.”

Olenick moves to Albany from Hampton, Virginia, where she most recently served as Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nurse Executive for not-for-profit Sentara CarePlex Hospital. For more than a decade, Modern Healthcare magazine has ranked Sentara as one of the nation's top integrated healthcare systems. Prior to joining Sentara, she was Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer for Northside Medical Center in Youngstown, Ohio.

Experienced in complex hospital systems and proficient in program development, implementation and evaluation, Olenick has a proven track record of improving patient safety, quality and satisfaction. In her new role, she will lead approximately 700 nurses at Phoebe as they work collaboratively with the members of Phoebe’s medical staff to ensure the highest standards of care are provided to the over 20,000 patients admitted to Phoebe each year.

“The first priority of a nurse is to ensure the patient has a high-quality, safe and patient-focused experience,” Olenick stated. “Because today’s healthcare environment is very complex, we work to earn our patients’ and families’ trust and respect and promise to serve as their daily advocate.”

After earning her master’s in nursing at the University of Akron in Ohio, she went on to earn a doctorate in nursing practice from Old Dominion University. In 2008, Olenick was honored with the Distinguished Nursing Alumni Award from Youngstown State University where she earned her bachelor’s in nursing. She is board certified as a nurse executive by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.