Valerie Vermiglio-Kohn Discusses Nursing at Burke Rehabilitation

In recognition of National Nurses Week, we sat down with Valerie Vermiglio-Kohn, DNP, RN, CRRN, Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Nursing at Burke Rehabilitation to discuss the crucial role that nurses play in our patients’ care journeys, initiatives she has spearheaded in her role, goals for the future, and her recent recognition as a Westchester Magazine “Healthcare Hero.”

In your words, can you tell us about your role at Burke?

As Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Nursing at Burke Rehabilitation, I lead the organization’s 300+ nursing staff. I take pride in the skill and expertise of our nursing team, who continuously deliver patient centered care, and exhibit compassion, accountability, and clinical excellence managing medically complex patients.

I have a very hands-on approach in my role. I work closely with Burke’s 24/7/365 team of on-site nursing staff, empowering them to be the best clinicians they can possibly be. I especially love to connect with our patients, watching how our nurses step up to the plate to help patients succeed in their recovery journey. Every day, I get to see the impact that our highly-skilled nurses have on our patients – even with an incredibly complex patient population, Burke has the highest readmission prevention rate among the nation’s top-ranked rehabilitation hospitals, with 69% of patients discharged to the community to continue their care. These outcomes would not be possible without the hard work of Burke’s highly skilled nursing staff, who bring an unmatched level of expertise and compassion to every patient interaction.

Can you speak to some of your efforts to empower Burke’s nurses?

I am proud to lead initiatives that empower our nurses to further develop their expertise. Two years ago, I launched a nursing clinical ladder at Burke, providing nurses with an opportunity to further build their skillset and earn new credentials and certifications. We encourage all our nurses to be CRRN certified which is the gold standard for rehabilitation nurses, underscoring Burke’s organization-wide commitment to continued education and professional development to not only bolster the skills of each individual clinician, but also to ensure Burke remains at the cutting-edge of clinical standards and innovations.

I also work to shape the nursing workforce of the future. I spearheaded the creation of Burke’s Nurse Externship Program, which allows nursing students the opportunity to shadow and learn more about the field. With a thoughtful eye on the future of nursing, the program is a pipeline for recruiting talented members to Burke’s clinical staff by allowing them to spend ten weeks on Burke’s campus experiencing what it’s really like to be a member of our nursing unit. In fact, in the past year, we hired three full-time nurses who were externs.

Burke’s nurses are central to our work to remain at the forefront of innovation, and our nursing staff are often the ones translating organizational investments and new technology into clinical practices that improve outcomes and experience for our patients. For example, an important focus area for our nurses is fall prevention. I helped introduce SMART Beds, an innovative technology that helps prevent falls by displaying fall safety information directly on the floor at the foot of the bed – this allows nurses to quickly identify when interventions need to be reset. As a result, according to the Exchanged Quality Data for Rehabilitation (EQUADR), Burke’s falls rate is consistently lower than the national benchmark. I also played a role in introducing on-site hemodialysis, an investment that allowed us to care for patients with kidney and late-stage renal disease. A crucial part of introducing this service was ensuring our nurses had the support and skills necessary to care for this new patient population, and our nurses stepped up to the challenge. Burke is now New York’s first and only free-standing rehabilitation hospital to offer on-site hemodialysis. Our nursing staff’s skill and willingness to take on new challenges made these innovations possible, and I continue to see the ways in which our nurses embrace innovation to improve patient outcomes.

What is your vision for the future of nursing at Burke?

Nurses play a vital role in the strategic future of Burke. When I think about the future of nursing at Burke, I think about how our nurses will shape and thrive with the many initiatives and innovations that are underway across Burke’s continuum of care.

We are currently in the midst of an extremely exciting time for nursing at Burke, as we embark on our journey to be designated by the Magnet Recognition Program. Led by the American Nurses Association, Magnet Status recognizes organizations where nursing leaders align their nursing strategic goals to improve the organization’s patient outcomes. The culture of Magnet organizations leads to higher nurse engagement, lower nurse turnover, higher patient satisfaction, and improved clinical outcomes. It is an honor to lead the organization in our effort to receive this designation, which would formally recognize Burke’s dedication to excellence in nursing – which in my opinion, is long overdue.

To achieve Magnet Recognition, Burke’s nursing team is undergoing an extensive process. The journey began with the establishment of two Professional Governance Councils, focused on Nurse Engagement and Nursing Professional Practice. Professional governance ensures our bedside nurses’ voices are represented in decisions about Burke’s strategic future, empowering them to influence day-to-day operations on their units and make decisions to help them succeed in providing care. Like most great things, this journey takes time. Our entire nursing team is energized by our Magnet journey and the future of nursing at Burke.

What does it mean to you to be recognized as a Westchester Magazine “Healthcare Hero”?

I am incredibly honored to be recognized as a Westchester Magazine “Healthcare Hero.” Leading a dedicated team of nursing professionals at Burke is both a privilege and a responsibility I value every day. As a “Healthcare Hero,” my mission is to be a strong champion for both our nursing staff and our patients, advocating daily for their needs. As rehabilitation nurses, we witness firsthand how lives are transformed through comprehensive medical, nursing, and therapy programs we deliver. These life-changing results are possible only because of our team’s commitment to excellence and innovation that allow Burke patients return home with as much independence as possible, restoring hope for both patients and their loved ones.