Thank you for Working Here Thursday: Tonya Carlson, RN, BSN, The Legacy Living and Rehabilitation Center

Campbell County Health is proud of its employees, and we want the CCH family and the Campbell County, Wyoming community to know about the good work that they do for this organization.

Say hello to Tonya Carlson, BSN, RN, the Director of Nursing at The Legacy Living and Rehabilitation Center. Tonya has worked for CCH for one year, but has been in health care for nearly 10 years. She earned her bachelor of nursing from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, CON-Kearney in 2010, and her bachelor of science from the University of Nebraska – Kearney in 2006. For those who don’t know, The Legacy offers both long term care and short term rehabilitation in Gillette, Wyoming.

Tonya was drawn to a career in health care when her mother fell ill when she was in college. “Navigating the healthcare system with her was very eye-opening for me. I never really paid attention to all of the roles required to provide care, outside of a doctor. My mom received excellent care throughout the Midwest. At the time, I couldn’t have asked for better,” says Tonya. “Hindsight I saw some slight gaps that could have made big differences toward the end of her life. We just didn’t know better while we were in the throes of things. I was talking to my sister about this one day and she said, ‘You should be a nurse.’ She’s my big sister. I do what she says. So I did. And my mission has been to make a positive impact on the delivery of healthcare, ever since.”

Picking one healthcare hero was hard for Tonya, because she tries to “take little pieces of the best of everyone I work with.” But, there was one who stood out a little more than the rest: Jody Willats, who was Tonya’s director at a previous job with Case Management in Scottsbluff, Neb. “She was extremely diplomatic and fair in all situations. She quietly demanded excellent outcomes and accepted no failure of finding a way when it came to utilizing resources appropriately. She always asked, ‘How do we make this work?’” says Tonya. “I have never met an individual more empathetic and understanding to the human condition. She was making an impact on the delivery of healthcare and I strive to match her approach in leadership.”

When Tonya is not at work, she spends time hiking, snowshoeing, finding live music, and exploring.

We ask Tonya what she likes most about CCH, and what excellence every day means to her. Check out her response:

“I love when the nursing staff identify a problem, develop a solution and carry out a plan for improvement. It isn’t always successful, but problem solving comes with trials. That’s where quality care is born!

I am not from Gillette. I had an outside perspective of CCH and The Legacy. I maintain that The Legacy is a leader in innovation. I believe that the care and the style of care delivery here is unique and an absolute necessity in the future of healthcare. It’s a tremendous opportunity to work amongst this team.

For me, excellence every day means showing up 100%—every time, every day. It can’t be about you, it has to be about the greater good. Excellence Every Day is a tall order. The burden of the responsibility that comes with quality care is easiest when shared by everyone, every time, all the way.”

Thank you Tonya, for being a part of our team. We appreciate you.

Is there a CCH employee who went the extra mile or shows you extraordinary service? Give them a pat on the back by completing an Excellence Every Day card.

You can learn more about The Legacy Living and Rehabilitation Center at www.legacywyo.org.