Susan Reeves ’88, dean of Colby-Sawyer’s School of Nursing and Public Health, has been named Chief Nursing Executive for Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health (D-H), effective June 19.
Dean Reeves has long been affiliated with D-H, having served at the medical center in Lebanon in a variety of positions from RN to Vice President of Operations. Since returning to her alma mater, she has worked tirelessly to forge a powerful partnership between Colby-Sawyer and D-H. She will retain her title of Dean of the School of Nursing and Public Health and continue to assist with the strategic direction of the school, which will further formalize Colby-Sawyer’s connection with Dartmouth-Hitchcock.
At D-H, Dean Reeves will be responsible for setting the strategic direction for nursing across the D-H system and for creating alignment for nursing practice across all D-H entities. She will be a key member of the executive team, reporting to the CEO and President and working with fellow chief officers to create a sustainable health system that is grounded in population health and the highest quality and value.
“This is a significant opportunity for Susan and for Colby-Sawyer. She will be able to use, even more, her enormous talents as a nursing professional, administrator and leader,” said Colby-Sawyer President Susan D. Stuebner. “Dartmouth-Hitchcock remains committed to our programs, and Susan’s leadership role there will be pivotal in advancing our programs.”
Dean Reeves’s vision, expertise and leadership has played a significant role in the growth and success of Colby-Sawyer’s nursing and health professions programs. During her tenure, she has built an impressive, qualified team of nursing and public health faculty, all of whom share a commitment to high standards and to supporting student success.
“I am deeply honored by the opportunity to serve the Dartmouth-Hitchcock system as its Chief Nursing Executive,” said Reeves. “Since I trained and started my career as a nurse at Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital this seems, in many ways, very much like a homecoming. I look forward to rejoining my Dartmouth-Hitchcock colleagues, and to the work that we will do together as nurses to advance the patient care, education and discovery missions of the D-H system.”
One hundred percent of Colby-Sawyer’s 2016 undergraduate nursing class passed the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), on their first attempt (by comparison, the 2015 national pass average was 86.77 percent). Of the 33 graduates, 27 were employed as registered nurses in New Hampshire; 25 of them at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.
Effective July 3, Chair and Associate Professor of Nursing Joan Loftus will assume operational leadership and oversight of the undergraduate nursing programs. This year-round role includes oversight of clinical education and service as the liaison to the Board of Nursing, as well as oversight of the RN to BS online program. Associate Professor Shari Goldberg will continue her leadership of the public health program as its director. Dean Reeves will continue to provide oversight to the implementation of the graduate nursing program until a program director can be named.
“We are delighted to have Susan take on this critical role in which she will articulate and implement a broad vision and strategy for nursing across our system and region,” said D-H CEO and President Dr. James N. Weinstein. “Dartmouth-Hitchcock is committed to creating a sustainable health system for the communities and populations we serve. Our nurses are critical to our success, and our integration of nursing within and across New England is essential today and into the future. Susan’s leadership will further our efforts to ensure that all nurses are able to work to their fullest potential, with continuing opportunities for education, research, and advancement.”