.bodytext {float: left; } .floatimg-left-hort { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right: 10px; width:300px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 10px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} After turning around her departments at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, Linda Clemen, a registered nurse who’s the new executive director of critical care, emergency department Life Flight and trauma services at Iowa Health-Des Moines’ Methodist and Lutheran campuses, is working to make a difference in Des Moines hospitals. Keeping the patients’ best interests and needs first is a top priority as she works to improve critical-care processes.

.bodytext {float: left; } .floatimg-left-hort { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right: 10px; width:300px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 10px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} Have you always lived in Iowa?

No. I grew up in Dubuque, but I have lived in California, New Jersey and Dallas, Texas.

What took you to all those different places?

Actually, my career. There were not any nursing jobs available when I graduated. So I moved to California and worked as a staff nurse and then moved to the coast and did some travel nursing. Then I came back to Iowa for a little bit and moved to Dallas and spent about eight years there. I have been back in Iowa for almost four years. My last job was in Cedar Rapids (as director of emergency and trauma services).

Did you move to Des Moines for this position?

My husband, Earl, works in this area in commercial construction, so it was natural to move in this direction. The position was vacant for a year and a half. I had a background in Lean, had worked in a similar facility, learned and applied those techniques and turned a department around. I cut down the length of stay by an hour per patient, which allows beds to turn over quicker. You saw those beds in the hall; that is because we are not efficient. It will not evolve overnight; we will take baby steps to fix it.

How do you improve processes?

I use the Lean theory, which is like Six Sigma, to take out the waste in a process and make it more efficient.

Have you applied this yet in your new position?

We are working on the emergency de-partment on both campuses. We are working on our intake speed, when a patient comes to the emergency department, to break down those barriers and get them into a room to be seen by a physician as soon as possible.

What is your professional background?

I have a B.S.N., and I am currently working on my master’s degree. I only have three classes left.

How did you get into nursing?

My mom was in the health-care field.

Have you always worked in ER, trauma and Life Flight?

For the past 17 years; before that I worked in the operating room for a few years and kind of floated throughout. But yes, for the most part, emergency medicine is what I have done.

What are some differences between working with patients and a management position?

I am still a nurse. I don’t take care of patients every day, but I do try to keep my certifications up and keep current with clinical changes. There are different stressors at the bedside and here. Right now I feel like my job is to have the staff nurses’ job as easy as possible. Mentoring people is what motivates me. I am probably as far away from the patient as I have ever been right now, but everything is centered around the patient. That is what my job is, to make sure the patient gets everything they need.

What do you like to do on the weekends?

I do like sporting events. I just got tickets for the Iowa Energy and the Iowa Stars; I am going to go to the Rockettes. We love to travel.

Do you have any trips planned in the future?

Actually, I am seven months pregnant (and expecting a boy). So I am not really planning on going anywhere for a while.