April 2024
Christine
Young-Ruckriegel
,
MPA, MSN, RN, CIC
Infection Prevention
Morristown Medical Center, Atlantic Health
Morristown
,
NJ
United States
Christine’s passion for creating a safe and meaningful work environment is “infectious.” She sees immense value in the differences each member of her team brings to the table.
Christine Young-Ruckriegel has over 20 years of experience in infection prevention.
There is no one more passionate about keeping our patients and team members safe by implementing evidence-based IP practices than Christine. As an IP leader, she collaborates with all areas and specialties of MMC with the goal of improving outcomes by adherence to IP practices.
She recognizes and responds to deviations in IP best practices and actively works with those areas to address any gaps, ensuring every patient receives safe, effective care and team members can work in a safe environment.
Christine is a supportive and compassionate manager. She role models the core values of our organization. Christine promotes those core values in her daily interactions with her staff, team members, and providers. She takes the time to mentor her novice IPs, sharing her knowledge and experience while creating an environment of trust.
Novice IPs may not be new to healthcare, but need to be introduced to the all-encompassing role of Infection Preventionist. Christine developed a novel, comprehensive 12-week orientation program for novice IPs and experienced IPs joining AHS from outside facilities. An extraordinary role model, Christine advocates for her IP team.
She recognized that a hybrid IP role was needed to effectively work together with the 65 outpatient and ambulatory sites associated with Morristown Medical Center. Christine worked to establish the novel, robust, and highly effective hybrid IP role, now helped by two full-time RN’s that focus not only on the inpatient hospital proper but also on the 65 outpatient, ambulatory departments and clinics captured under the MMC umbrella.
Christine’s passion for creating a safe and meaningful work environment is “infectious.” She sees immense value in the differences each member of her team brings to the table. She is always encouraging her staff to discuss and explore ways to amplify their successes and improve as a team.
One of her greatest attributes as a leader is encouraging and empowering her staff to take on leadership roles, not only within the department but also throughout the hospital. Christine believes that empowering her staff and recognizing their accomplishments is the key to job satisfaction and retention.
Christine exhibits incredible leadership qualities that have faced a range of situations. She is willing and able to take on the most difficult of circumstances and discover new ways to overcome obstacles and barriers.
At the first hint of a potential outbreak, without hesitation, she goes to the frontline with her preventionists and unit leadership to investigate the event. She leads the review, evaluating current processes, creating a gap analysis, and together with the team develops the practice changes needed to correct the issue.
When researching and developing new or updating existing protocols and processes, she researches the evidence-based best practices published by professional organizations and then tries to operationalize the new process in a way that would be suited not only for MM but for sister-hospitals across AHS as well.
As the COVID-19 Pandemic moves toward becoming endemic and continues to bring many challenges and changes to the way we provide healthcare, Christine remains a role model for all, guiding the many departments of the medical center, consulting with medical staff and hospital administration regularly.
COVID and the processes it has created, such as de-escalation procedures and testing protocols to mitigate team member, patient and visitor exposure, continue to change as information about COVID changes.
Christine leads the entire Morristown Medical Center team.
There is no one more passionate about keeping our patients and team members safe by implementing evidence-based IP practices than Christine. As an IP leader, she collaborates with all areas and specialties of MMC with the goal of improving outcomes by adherence to IP practices.
She recognizes and responds to deviations in IP best practices and actively works with those areas to address any gaps, ensuring every patient receives safe, effective care and team members can work in a safe environment.
Christine is a supportive and compassionate manager. She role models the core values of our organization. Christine promotes those core values in her daily interactions with her staff, team members, and providers. She takes the time to mentor her novice IPs, sharing her knowledge and experience while creating an environment of trust.
Novice IPs may not be new to healthcare, but need to be introduced to the all-encompassing role of Infection Preventionist. Christine developed a novel, comprehensive 12-week orientation program for novice IPs and experienced IPs joining AHS from outside facilities. An extraordinary role model, Christine advocates for her IP team.
She recognized that a hybrid IP role was needed to effectively work together with the 65 outpatient and ambulatory sites associated with Morristown Medical Center. Christine worked to establish the novel, robust, and highly effective hybrid IP role, now helped by two full-time RN’s that focus not only on the inpatient hospital proper but also on the 65 outpatient, ambulatory departments and clinics captured under the MMC umbrella.
Christine’s passion for creating a safe and meaningful work environment is “infectious.” She sees immense value in the differences each member of her team brings to the table. She is always encouraging her staff to discuss and explore ways to amplify their successes and improve as a team.
One of her greatest attributes as a leader is encouraging and empowering her staff to take on leadership roles, not only within the department but also throughout the hospital. Christine believes that empowering her staff and recognizing their accomplishments is the key to job satisfaction and retention.
Christine exhibits incredible leadership qualities that have faced a range of situations. She is willing and able to take on the most difficult of circumstances and discover new ways to overcome obstacles and barriers.
At the first hint of a potential outbreak, without hesitation, she goes to the frontline with her preventionists and unit leadership to investigate the event. She leads the review, evaluating current processes, creating a gap analysis, and together with the team develops the practice changes needed to correct the issue.
When researching and developing new or updating existing protocols and processes, she researches the evidence-based best practices published by professional organizations and then tries to operationalize the new process in a way that would be suited not only for MM but for sister-hospitals across AHS as well.
As the COVID-19 Pandemic moves toward becoming endemic and continues to bring many challenges and changes to the way we provide healthcare, Christine remains a role model for all, guiding the many departments of the medical center, consulting with medical staff and hospital administration regularly.
COVID and the processes it has created, such as de-escalation procedures and testing protocols to mitigate team member, patient and visitor exposure, continue to change as information about COVID changes.
Christine leads the entire Morristown Medical Center team.