2024 Health Care Champions Health Care Professional: Elena Bozek

When Elena Bozek welcomes a new international nurse to CoxHealth, her onboarding program supports their growth and confidence to become the best provider possible.

Bozek worked at CoxHealth since 2011 in numerous capacities before assuming her current position as medical-surgical educator in 2019. In this role, she created a foreign-educated nurses onboarding program that became the first of its kind in the nation to receive accreditation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

“This is what we championed, mentored and are proud of: a growing community of highly skilled, wonderfully compassionate, knowledgeable, competent and kind nurses who are here for our community and offer the best care in the region,” Bozek says.

Learning doesn’t end in the orientation period, however. Bozek identifies and creates support systems so her nurses can achieve continued growth and provide excellent care throughout their career. Bozek leads by example when it comes to lifelong learning. She is a doctorate of nursing practice candidate at Arkansas State University, anticipated to graduate this year. She also holds an associate degree in nursing and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Cox College, a master’s degree in nursing from Capella University and nursing professional development and medical-surgical nursing certifications.

Bozek is a member of the Missouri Nurses Association, American Nurses Association and the Association for Nursing Professional Development. Bozek engages in civic and philanthropic service with Children’s Miracle Network, Ozarks Food Harvest Inc., St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Inc., The Kitchen Inc. and Victory Mission and Ministry. Her team of educators also organizes CoxHealth’s Steps to Advancement and Recognition ladder program.

“The opportunity to teach, mentor and help new nurses establish and start their lives and practice at a time when they are the most anxious – perhaps insecure and afraid of failure – my goal is to give them hope, empower them, model confidence and the reality of what can be achieved while supporting them along the way,” she says. “Not long ago, someone asked me if I ever think about how many lives I was able to impact with this program. I hope I helped every one of them. I know for a fact that they impacted my life in ways that I never thought possible, and I am grateful for every one of them for that.”