Miles of Experience at Texas Health
A self-acknowledged “lifer” at Texas Health, Deb Koenig, M.B.A., B.S.N., R.N., CCRN, is also a very busy woman.
She recently completed her MBA in healthcare management while she worked as nurse manager of the intensive care, progressive care and med-surg units at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Allen – all during the COVID-19 pandemic.
While it wasn’t easy, she said the fact that everything was shut down gave her more time. “Nobody went anywhere or did anything for months,” she said.
Her supervisor, Michelle Pecenka, B.S.N., R.N., director, Emergency Department, ICU and acute care, has worked with Koenig at both Texas Health Allen and Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas.
“Deb is truly a transformational leader,” Pecenka said. “She has a natural way of sharing her vision and helping her team make it a reality. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Deb continues to lead with compassion and excellence.”
Read more about Koenig and learn how she racks up miles during her time off:
What did you want to be as a kid, and how did you ultimately choose your career?
There was never a question in my mind, I always wanted to be a nurse. I grew up in Moore, Oklahoma, and volunteered at the local hospital during high school. I loved my time as a volunteer, so I knew nursing was my calling.
I attended nursing school at Brookhaven College in Dallas and went to work for Texas Health in 1997 as a nurse extern my last year of nursing school. When I graduated, I went into an intensive care unit internship and spent 20 years as an ICU nurse at Texas Health Dallas. I later moved to into an administrative supervisor role at Texas Health Allen and I’ve been nurse manager of the ICU, progressive care unit and med-surg unit here for a year and a half. I’ve been with Texas Health now for 24 years — I’m a lifer.
What does a typical workday look like?
Running from one fire to the next — but seriously, I manage 40 employees in three different units. ICU has eight beds, the PCU has nine and med-surg has 12. My mornings begin with rounding to gather information for safety briefing, attending a quick bed huddle, then rounding again disseminating the information from safety briefing. Then I spend time with our patients during leader rounding.
What’s your favorite part of your job, and the biggest challenge?
My favorite part is working with a lot of really amazing people! Building relationships is at the heart of what I do and working at a smaller facility gives me the opportunity to interact with staff and leaders from all departments. Our Texas Health Promise® is apparent throughout Texas Health Allen – the culture here makes it feels like family.
The biggest challenge is not having enough hours in my workday to do all those little extra things I would like to do.
What’s something people would be surprised to know about you?
I go backpacking for multiple days or sometimes weeks at a time and cover anywhere from 30 to 100 miles during each trek. I primarily hike sections of the John Muir Trail in the Sierra Nevada (right, a 211-mile trail in California) and the Wind River range in Wyoming. I love our National Parks and enjoy the mountains — it’s how I disconnect and recharge. A saying I always think back to is, “Great things never came from comfort zones.”
What are some of the ways you provide excellent care, supporting Texas Health’s Culture of Excellence?
My med-surg team took on the challenge of raising the bar for our patients by participating in additional educational opportunities in 2020. From weekly lectures with Dr. Richard Ammar, cardiologist on the medical staff, to Advanced 12-lead EKG classes, IV Medication Management modules and Advanced Life Support credentials, this team elevated their knowledge to the next level. Did I mention they did all this while functioning as the hospital’s primary med-surg COVID-19 unit? I couldn’t be prouder of their hard work and dedication!
By Judy Wiley • Posted April 27, 2021
