Darlene Hieb

Debi Russell, Tuolumne County auditor-controller, and Darlene Hieb, Tuolumne General Medical Facility nursing director, made a presentation on the facility's finances, through Oct. 31, at a recent board of supervisors meeting.

That hybrid includes having longtime Director of Nursing Darlene Hieb in charge of the day-to-day operations and Auditor-Controller Debi Russell overseeing the center's finances.

Darlene Hieb, Director of Nursing Services, Tuolumne General Hospital.Sonora, Calif.

Others credited for their roles in the organization are Toni Bravo, Leanne Bartels, Carol Wiley, Chris Waelty, Christine Slater, Jan Barrett and Denise Deatsch, along with Darlene Hieb, director of nursing at Tuolumne General Hospital.

Darlene Hieb RN, Director of Nursing

Darlene Hieb, Tuolumne General Hospital's director of nursing, said that a shortage of staff is being felt nationwide.

"Ratios are a great idea," Hieb said, "but it's hard when they hold a small rural hospital to the same standards as Stanford Medical Center."

While delay has sparked protest elsewhere, some local nurses are not bothered by the delay.

Judyth Champion, a registered nurse in the Tuolumne General Hospital surgical-medical department, said she feels her department is adequately staffed with one registered nurse for every six patients in the surgical-medical unit.

"It used to be very hard when we had to have eight or nine patients each," she said, "but it is much better since we went to six-one in January."

"Our staff was really excited about having (nursing) students up here," said Darlene Hieb, director of nurses at Tuolumne General Hospital.
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"We all drove to Oakdale to meet halfway and discuss needs for the program," Hieb said."It's been well worth the effort."

Hapig agreed.

"Three years ago, I never thought I'd have a nursing degree," she said in a short speech last night.

Nurses at Tuolumne General Hospital in Sonora also find themselves working overtime because of the nursing shortage, said Darlene Hieb, director of nurses.

Still, Tuolumne General has not "closed a unit due to not having enough nursing staff," she said.

Darlene Hieb, Director of NursingE-mail: dhieb@co.tuolumne.ca.usPhone: 209.533.7123Fax: 209.533.7228