Tampa, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/14/2011 -- Bill Horne, CEO of Laser Spine Institute (http://www.laserspineinstitute.com), the leader in endoscopic spine surgery, has announced that Laser Spine Institute is celebrating Perioperative Nurse Week by recognizing and honoring its perioperative nurses for their important role and commitment to safe patient care. Endorsed by the Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN), Perioperative Nurse Week is being held Nov. 7-13 this year. Laser Spine Institute is blogging about the accomplishments of its directors of nursing at each of its four surgical facilities, including Debbie Cundiff in Tampa; Stacy Danahy in Scottsdale, Ariz.; Nicole Gritton in Philadelphia; and Kimberly Loew in Oklahoma City. Information about each of the four directors of nursing is also being posted to Laser Spine Institute’s Facebook Page.

QUOTES:
“Our own Laser Spine Institute COO, Dotty Bollinger, was named to ‘130 Great Women Leaders in the ASC Industry’ by Becker’s ASC Review,” said Horne. “She has also been named among the Top 25 Clinical Informaticists in Modern Healthcare. We are very proud of Dotty, Debbie, Stacy, Nicole, Kimberly and all our outstanding nurses at Laser Spine Institute.”

“I was inspired to become a nurse when my grandmother suffered a stroke, and I saw a pendulum of care from excellent to poor nursing care,” said Danahy. “That was the day I knew I could make a difference in patient care. I feel that everyone should be treated like your loved one.”

“I wanted to have a career that would impact people’s lives for the better,” said Gritton. “I wanted to provide a voice for individuals in situations that needed it—a patient advocate right from the start, I suppose. It was an instant fit. From my very first nursing class and clinical, I knew I was in the right place.”

“I love taking care of patients,” said Loew. “I enjoy working at Laser Spine Institute, because I get to see people’s lives change for the better, every day. I really believe in what we do here.”

DETAILS:
- Danahy is director of medical operations at Laser Spine Institute’s Scottsdale location, where she manages a clinic staff of eight people and a professional staff of 18, including PAs, MAs, RNs and scrub techs. She also manages the surgical operations with two renowned surgeons, anesthesiologists and medical support staff that perform more than 1,800 surgeries annually. Danahy won the Arizona Health Care Leadership Award (HCLA) in the field of Nurses and Nursing Advocates at the AzBusiness magazine Health Care Leadership Awards in March 2011.

- Gritton holds an appointment with her local AORN chapter and oversees the daily operations of Laser Spine Institute’s ambulatory outpatient surgical facility specializing in minimally invasive spine surgery in Philadelphia.

- Loew manages all aspects of patient care, staff management, facility accreditation preparation, delegation of duties to team members, orientation of new staff, quality improvement studies, mandatory reporting and processing staffing levels to provide optimal coverage at Laser Spine Institute in Oklahoma City.

- Cundiff is director of nursing at Laser Spine Institute’s surgical center in Tampa, which has been named St. Petersburg Times’ Top Places to Work in 2010 and 2011 and Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Best Places to Work in 2011.

About Laser Spine Institute
Laser Spine Institute offers a safe and effective alternative to open back and neck surgery, by using the latest techniques in minimally invasive procedures, alleviating the painful symptoms of sufferers from around the world. The leader in endoscopic spine surgery, Laser Spine Institute treats a variety of spinal conditions, including spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, pinched nerves, bone spurs, bulging/herniated discs and sciatica. Laser Spine Institute’s renowned medical team provides treatment at four surgical centers in Tampa, Fla., Scottsdale, Ariz., Philadelphia and Oklahoma City, and medical consultations at facilities in San Diego, The Villages, Fla. and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.