Kirka Earns Emergency Nursing Certification

News Release
Contact: Rebecca Faber
rfaber@cphospital.org
Corporate Communications – 261-5404

December 19, 2012

Kirka Earns Emergency Nursing Certification

Donna E. Kirka, RN, CEN, with Canton-Potsdam Hospital's nursing team, has passed the examination to become a certified emergency nurse. This advanced certification is awarded based on attainment of a body of knowledge specific to emergency nursing, such as medical emergencies relating to the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems, trauma, communicable diseases, fractures, wounds, and non-medical professional issues. Candidates for certification must be an RN and must have practiced within the specialty area for at least two years. Ms. Kirka has practiced as an RN in CPH's Emergency Department, operated by Northstar Emergency Physicians, for seven years. She previously practiced nursing in the Medical/Surgical inpatient units and in the Respiratory Therapy unit at CPH. In addition to Ms. Kirka, Emergency Department nursing staff members Dawne M. Barkley, RN, MSN, Carol M. Muench, RN, and Linda H. Sholl, RN, BSN, hold specialty certifications in emergency nursing. Ms. Kirka received her RN degree from the State University of New York at Canton.

Canton-Potsdam Hospital's Emergency Department operates 24 hours per day, seven days per week, handling approximately 25,000 visits annually and has been recognized for its high quality, with average "door-to-doc" times measured over the last three months of 32 minutes (compared to a national average of 56 minutes). It is certified by the New York State Department of Health as a Level 3 Trauma Center. The Department is staffed by the Chief of Emergency Medicine, Jason D. Lorenc, MD, and eight additional medical staff members: Mark V. Bisceglia, RPA-C, MPAS; Jan Close, MD; Terrence Fina, RPA-C; Rosemarie Heisse, DO; Stephen P. Hinman, RPA-C, FAAPA; Michele L. Kent, RPA-C; Michael L. Mullen, MD; Riccardo Turrin, MD; and J. Christopher Williams, MD. The Director of the Emergency Department for daily operations is Tammy M. Sykes, RN.