How One New Hospital CEO Is Tapping Into Her Nursing Experience to Lead the Workforce

Saline Memorial Hospital's recently appointed CEO is utilizing her clinical perspective to improve staff development.

As the CEO of a hospital or health system, it's arguably never been more important to be able to see pain points through the eyes of your clinical and non-clinical staff.

With the workforce shortage continuing to plague organizations everywhere, having common ground with employees can allow leaders to approach areas like recruitment and retention through a valuable viewpoint.

That ability is giving Char Boulch a deeper understanding of how to guide Saline Memorial Hospital as CEO. Boulch took over the helm of the Benton, Arkansas-based hospital in February after serving as its CNO since 2023.

Her experience also includes other senior nursing leadership positions at various hospitals, as well as time spent as a patient access clerk, providing Boulch with a well-rounded perspective of what life is like across the hospital workforce.

"Starting at the ground level has given me a unique perspective into hospital operations and how decisions at the top affect the people who are directly impacted with the work," Boulch told HealthLeaders. "I’m passionate about driving positive change and making a difference in our patients and staff lives. The CEO position offers a perfect platform to do this."

Boulch believes that her tenure as a CNO specifically has set her up for success. The announcement of Boulch's appointment as CEO highlighted her impact as CNO on quality improvements like reducing preventable harm and increasing inpatient and acute rehabilitation admissions, along with her effect on furthering a culture of collaboration and innovation.

"As a CNO, I honed my ability to lead people and vision cast," Boulch said. "These skills are directly transferable to the CEO role, where strategic leadership and organizational efficiency are crucial. Moreover, my firsthand experience in clinical settings allows me to make informed decisions that prioritize both patient care and operational success."

Pictured: Char Boulch, CEO, Saline Memorial Hospital.

One of the areas that Boulch especially knows a thing or two about thanks to her nursing experience is how to attract and keep staff.

Though the workforce shortage in healthcare isn't at the heights it was during the pandemic, it remains a concern—for both now and the future. A report by Mercer consultancy found that the U.S. will have a shortage of over 100,000 critical workers by 2028, putting the onus on provider CEOs to be proactive in maintaining and strengthening their workforce.

Boulch wants to keep the focus on staff well-being and professional development opportunities to ensure her workers feel valued and supported. Some of the ways Saline is doing that is by providing a lavender room where employees can decompress and having 'Wellness Wednesdays' to designate a day for workers' welfare.

"Ultimately people want to feel valued and respected. That is key," Boulch said. "We have an employee engagement committee that addresses the question, 'how do we make sure our employees feel valued and respected,' and they come up with initiatives and ideas on how to ensure our staff receive recognition and understand how they contribute to the overall strategic vision for Saline."

Boulch may be settling into the CEO role, but her familiarity and understanding of the people she's leading is putting Saline in position to tackle essential challenges.