Iredell Health Honors Long-Serving Employees A Conversation with Donna Collins

Iredell Health System celebrated its 70^th Anniversary on May 1. It’s not just a celebration of passing time. It’s a testament to the dedication and loyalty of the people who made, and continue to make, it all possible — its employees.

Iredell Health System has a long-standing history of caring for its community. What sets Iredell Health System apart is its deep connection to the community it serves. Many of its employees are not just healthcare professionals — they are our neighbors, friends, and family members. In fact, Iredell Health System has more than 70 employees who have worked at Iredell Health System for over 30 years.

Donna Collins, MHA, BSN, RN, Assistant Vice President of Quality & Clinical Outcomes, has worked at Iredell Health System for nearly 38 years.

From a young age, Collins knew she wanted to pursue a career in healthcare. Inspired by her mother, who was also in the healthcare field, she never considered another path.

“My mother was in healthcare, and I knew from a very young age that I wanted to be a nurse,” said Collins.

Her passion for nursing led her to Iredell Health System, drawn by its nonprofit status.

“Working at a for-profit hospital was not appealing to me and did not fit into my philosophy of healthcare,” said Collins.

Collins’ tenure at Iredell began in May of 1986 as a telemetry nurse.

One of Collins’ earliest memories at Iredell includes using narrative documentation for each patient, which involves taking chronological notes that follow a storied format. At the beginning of her career, she also recalls that nurses had to manually calculate drip rates and drops per minute for IV infusions.

Over the years, Collins’ career evolved through various roles. After four years in telemetry, she transitioned to utilization review during the early days of Diagnosis-Related Groups. She then became a nurse recruiter, followed by a role in case management. She was the Assistant Vice President of Nursing Practice and Standards before moving into her current position. Now, as the Assistant Vice President of Quality & Clinical Outcomes, Collins oversees quality, accreditation, case management, care transitions, and credentialing.

In her nearly four decades at Iredell Health System, Collins has witnessed several advancements and changes.

“One of the largest changes we’ve had was the implementation of electronic documentation. It changed the workflow for so many departments. Another significant change was the transition from The Joint Commission to DNV for hospital accreditation. We have had a very positive experience with DNV as it places a strong emphasis on quality and safety,” said Collins.

Throughout her tenure, Collins has experienced many memorable moments, including the anthrax attacks in 2001.

“I’ll never forget the time when there were cases of anthrax being sent through the mail in the United States in 2001. Our hospital took this as a very real threat, and a temporary building was set up for hospital staff, who were wearing biohazard suits, to open the mail before it was brought into the hospital,” said Collins.

The hospital’s proactive response to the COVID-19 pandemic also stands out in her memory.

“We proactively procured personal protective equipment and other supplies for bedside caregivers, developed processes to safely reuse supplies when possible, set up an incident command team to respond to the latest data and regulatory requirements, and established vaccination clinics for the community,” said Collins.

“Hospital administration has always taken employee, patient, and community safety very seriously,” said Collins.

When asked what made Collins stay at Iredell Health System for 38 years, she says it all boils down to Iredell’s emphasis on quality and safety and its family atmosphere.

“The emphasis placed on quality and safety and the family-like atmosphere have always been the main attractors that have kept me driving past other hospitals and commuting to Iredell Health System these past 37 years,” said Collins.

Collins cherishes the mentoring she received early in her career from leaders like the then Vice President of Nursing, Becky Johnson, Associate Vice President of Nursing, Anne Lamson, and the Assistant Vice President of Nursing, Carol Biggs.

“Iredell has always had a family-like atmosphere where coworkers have your back. This has always been the case since my early days of employment,” said Collins.

What sets Iredell apart from other health systems, according to Collins, is its emphasis on employees, patients, and the community.

“Our commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of all is unparalleled,” she said.