A Trailblazer in Patient Safety, Fall and Pressure Injury Prediction and Prevention
When HD Nursing Chairwoman and CEO Dr. Amy Hester was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (Academy), healthcare leaders across the US and around the world paid tribute to her dedication for advancing public health and healthcare equity. The Academy, a prestigious society, recognizes nursing leaders for their accomplishments in policy, research, practice, administration and academia to address complex healthcare challenges.
Induction into the Academy is a significant milestone in a nurse leader’s career in which their accomplishments are honored by their colleagues within and outside the profession. Through a competitive, rigorous application process, the Academy’s Fellow Selection Committee reviewed nearly 400 applications to select the 2023 Fellows who were selected based upon their contributions and impact to advance the public’s health and representing 40 states, the District of Columbia, and 13 countries.
A Consummate Clinical and Business Leader
Dr. Hester's journey to this illustrious induction is marked by over 25 years of nursing experience, including extensive work in med/surge, neuro nursing and hospital unit management. With a profound dedication to patient safety, she has become a leading figure in healthcare administration with respected contributions to fall and injury prediction and prevention. After retiring from the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences (UAMS) and transitioning her focus to HD Nursing, she has continued to make strides in patient safety.
Under Dr. Hester's direction, HD Nursing has rapidly become the dominant leader in patient safety solutions. She has built a team of experts that design solutions which combine predictive analytics with individualized fall and fall injury prevention patient care. Recognizing existing gaps in care, Dr. Hester and colleagues crafted the only fall risk assessment tool that is validated in the electronic medical record, and a program that is a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to reduce patient falls and injuries.
Combining business acumen with clinical expertise, she successfully introduced the HD Nursing falls solution in the market, and it is now employed by leading health systems and academic medical centers across the U.S. Since the Company's inception in 2018, Dr. Hester has been a champion of diversity, equity and inclusion, which are essential to the organization’s constant pursuit of excellence as a national leader in patient safety. As an entrepreneur, she mentors others to help them with their own careers.
Collectively, her endeavors on behalf of HD Nursing directly impact patients, providers, payers, professional communities and the regulatory environment, transforming the healthcare industry nationwide. As a result, exemplary, evidence-based care is delivered by over 100,000 nurses that have been trained to utilize HD Nursing programs and on average, the clients served by HD Nursing reduce falls by 40% and injuries by 60%.
Creating A Culture of Diversity and Inclusion
Every member of the HD Nursing team “lives the mission,” weaving a patient-centric approach into every aspect of its programs and services. Dr. Hester regards her colleagues and the people that come to work every day as the Company’s most valuable resource: a staff that brings to the workplace a range of backgrounds, ideas, skills, and life experiences that foster a highly innovative and collaborative environment.
Under her direction, she has fostered an atmosphere that allows senior management to oversee the development of innovative, cutting-edge clinical programs and services to improve health outcomes and advance health equity. The Company’s patient-centric, clinical, financial and technology-based offerings streamline access to quality care, increase clinical outcomes and enhance the overall patient healthcare journey.
“Induction as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing is a profound honor, signifying my personal and professional dedication to advancing public health and healthcare equity. It is a privilege to join esteemed nursing leaders who have made lasting impacts in policy, research, practice and administration. This opens more opportunity for contributing expertise and collaborating with Fellow members as we drive positive change in healthcare locally and globally."