Mercy-Springfield VP chosen to lead hospital organization

The vice president and chief nursing officer of Mercy's Springfield region has been selected as president-elect of the American Organization of Nurse Executives.

Chosen in a nationwide vote by the organization's 8,500 members, Linda Knodel is scheduled to start her term as president-elect Jan. 1 and will become president Jan. 1, 2014, according to the American Organization of Nurse Executives. The professional organization for nurses - a subsidiary of the American Hospital Association launched in 1967 - provides advocacy, research, and leadership and professional development for its members, according to its website.

“We at Mercy are incredibly proud of how Linda has blessed our health care community. Her talent, her accomplishments and her passion for the nursing profession inspire so many," Mercy Springfield Communities President and CEO Jon Swope said in a news release.

Knodel, who worked at Bismarck, N.D.-based St. Alexius Medical Center for 36 years before joining Mercy in February 2010, has worked on several American Organization of Nurse Executives committees, as well as boards of organizations such as the American College of Healthcare Executives, the North Dakota Organization of Nurse Executives and a regional division of the American Hospital Association. She also is the author of the McGraw-Hill-published book "Nurse to Nurse: Nursing Management," and was among Springfield Business Journal's 12 People You Need to Know class in 2011.

“Today, health care is extremely challenging. As leaders, we need to be fluid, adaptable and flexible. We need to anticipate what’s around the corner and be responsive," Knodel said in the release.