DARLINGTON - A healthcare administrator from the Fox Valley is two weeks into her position as head of Lafayette County's nursing home and hospital.
Julie Chikowski took over Jan. 1 from retiring administrator Sherry Kudronowicz.
The change came at the end of a rocky year at the nursing home, Lafayette Manor. The facility was investigated for health violations, fined thousands of dollars and placed on a federal watch list for having "a history of serious quality issues."
Chikowski is the third administrator of the Manor in the past six months. Before Kudronowicz took over, previous Manor administrator Catherine Krentz was suspended and later resigned.
Chikowski was hired as a consultant last fall and helped Kudronowicz bring the Manor back into compliance with state authorities.
Like Kudronowicz, Chikowski will be overseeing both the Manor and Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County. The county recently combined the administrative positions of the facilities at a savings of about $36,000 annually, according to finance director Sandra Deininger. Chikowski's salary is $130,000.
She plans to continue working toward goals she and Kudronowicz identified last fall.
"We've got a lot of great people, but our system needs improvement," she said.
One of the first steps, she said, is to switch to an electronic billing system that integrates information and streamlines the process from a cumbersome paper system.
"The next piece of that goes into patient care documentation," she said.
She is also working with a new "interdisciplinary team" of Manor staff from different departments to discuss ways to improve care and communication.
"Nursing is not the only component," she said.
Chikowski previously oversaw 32 employees at five sites in the Fox Valley and Appleton area as administrator for a large pulmonary, critical care and sleep practice, including at ThedaCare Hospital and Appleton Medical Center.
Her nursing home administrative experience includes overseeing Juliette Manor in Berlin, a town of about 5,500 west of Oshkosh, and a history of consulting work at Lafayette Manor.
Julie Chikowski took over Jan. 1 from retiring administrator Sherry Kudronowicz.
The change came at the end of a rocky year at the nursing home, Lafayette Manor. The facility was investigated for health violations, fined thousands of dollars and placed on a federal watch list for having "a history of serious quality issues."
Chikowski is the third administrator of the Manor in the past six months. Before Kudronowicz took over, previous Manor administrator Catherine Krentz was suspended and later resigned.
Chikowski was hired as a consultant last fall and helped Kudronowicz bring the Manor back into compliance with state authorities.
Like Kudronowicz, Chikowski will be overseeing both the Manor and Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County. The county recently combined the administrative positions of the facilities at a savings of about $36,000 annually, according to finance director Sandra Deininger. Chikowski's salary is $130,000.
She plans to continue working toward goals she and Kudronowicz identified last fall.
"We've got a lot of great people, but our system needs improvement," she said.
One of the first steps, she said, is to switch to an electronic billing system that integrates information and streamlines the process from a cumbersome paper system.
"The next piece of that goes into patient care documentation," she said.
She is also working with a new "interdisciplinary team" of Manor staff from different departments to discuss ways to improve care and communication.
"Nursing is not the only component," she said.
Chikowski previously oversaw 32 employees at five sites in the Fox Valley and Appleton area as administrator for a large pulmonary, critical care and sleep practice, including at ThedaCare Hospital and Appleton Medical Center.
Her nursing home administrative experience includes overseeing Juliette Manor in Berlin, a town of about 5,500 west of Oshkosh, and a history of consulting work at Lafayette Manor.