Mid-Columbia Medical Center has appointed nursing leader Jayme Thompson-Mason, RN, as chief nursing officer, effective immediately. In her new role, Thompson-Mason will oversee quality and safety initiatives, patient care delivery models, strategic and operational planning for nursing services, as well as clinical education, and development for 205 nurses across the MCMC health system, which includes the hospital and outpatient clinics.

In her more than two decades with MCMC, Thompson-Mason has served as a staff nurse in the emergency department, a nursing house supervisor and most recently as the director of emergency services, emergency management and nursing resources. As chief nursing officer, she joins the hospital’s executive leadership team reporting directly to MCMC President and CEO Dennis Knox.

“With her clinical experience, strong leadership skills, and her longstanding commitment to MCMC and our patients, Jayme is the right person to lead the extraordinary nursing team we have at MCMC,” said Knox. “It is my pleasure to welcome her into this executive position.”

Thompson-Mason earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from OHSU and will receive her Master’s in Nursing Leadership and Administration from Grand Canyon University in August. She has served on the Sherman County Medical Clinic Board of Directors since 2014 and previously served on the board of the North Central Public Health Department.

Thompson-Mason is replacing Don Wenzler, DNP, who will be retiring from MCMC later this month.

Founded in 1901, Mid-Columbia Medical Center is a nationally recognized hospital dedicated to serving residents of The Dalles and its surrounding communities. In 1992, MCMC became the first hospital in the nation to integrate the Planetree philosophy of patient care, which emphasizes the need to address a person’s intellectual, environmental, emotional and spiritual concerns in addition to their physical needs. As a Planetree-affiliated hospital, MCMC works to provide a caring, nurturing and educational environment; puts great efforts into humanizing and demystifying the medical experience; and strives to empower people to become active partners in their own healthcare. For more information visit mcmc.net.