BY KAREN BOSSICK
Carmen Jacobsen, the chief operating officer and chief nursing officer at St. Luke’s Wood River, has been promoted to a new position in St. Luke’s Health System.
Jacobsen is moving to Boise where she has been promoted to vice president of Care Management.
Almita Nunnelee, director of St. Luke’s Center of Excellence Quality Programs, will serve as interim COO/CNO until a permanent replacement is named. Nunnelee and Jacobsen will work together starting Oct. 25, and Jacobsen will transition to her new role effective Nov. 29.
“Care management serves as the ‘connective tissue’ of our care, enabling the coordinated and smooth movement of patients between care providers, sites of care and episodes of care,” said Dr. jim Souza, chief physician executive for St. Luke’s Health System.
“Care management spans all episodes of care, assisting patients in rehabilitation or in managing illness. As St. Luke’s vice president of care management, Carmen will oversee the continued development and evolution of our care management function, which is critical to our effectiveness in providing value-based care.”
Jacobsen joined St. Luke’s as Chief Nursing Officer in 2016 and has served as COO/CNO of SLWR since 2018. Prior to joining St. Luke’s, she was a nurse leader for Providence Health and Services in Portland, Ore.
“Carmen has been exceptional in her roles, earning respect and developing meaningful relationships within St. Luke’s as well as among community stakeholders,” said Mike Fenello, vice president of Population Health for St. Luke’s Magic Valley/Jerome/Wood River. “She is well-suited to excel in this new position.”
Dr. David McClusky III, St. Luke’s Wood River chief of staff concurred: “She has been a strong advocate for Wood River, serving as our local quality director and later as leader within the St. Luke's quality and safety center of excellence. I have always been impressed with her optimistic and empathetic leadership style that emphasizes the value of teamwork and respectful collaboration. St. Luke’s Wood River has been achieving outstanding quality and safety measures and we could not be more fortunate to have a leader like her able to step in to help us continue to deliver exceptional care and outcomes to our community.”
Jacobsen said she is excited to take on “this important work.”
“Throughout my career, I have believed that health outcomes can be improved by working upstream and downstream,” she said. “Following individuals through time and adapting to their needs--from preventive care, through medical incidents, rehabilitation, and health maintenance--can make a tremendous impact on the health and well-being of individuals, as well as work to lower total cost of health care.”