We are pleased to introduce Kristen Gustavsen, Performance Improvement Specialist for York Hospital. Kristen spent her youth here in York and is happy to call it home, all these years later. Growing up she spent a lot of time as a child in the YH Emergency Room while her rowdy brothers were treated for one injury or another.
Kristen joined York Hospital in 2003 after spending some time as a freelance graphic artist. Her brother, Dave, was already working here and, based on his experiences, she knew that she too wanted to be a part of the York Hospital family. Her tenure at YH has come full circle: she started with the Patient Quality team, spent some time in the Vaccine Clinic, and in 2015 rejoined the Patient Quality team.
Of her 17 years (and counting!) at York Hospital, Kristen says her current position is the best because she gets to support caregivers face to face throughout the organization. She feels most fulfilled in her current role because she wants caregivers to know their voice matters, and she is helping to improve both patient and caregiver safety throughout the entire hospital.
Outside of York Hospital, Kristen spends a lot of time with her large family, including but not limited to her three children, ages 16 to 31. Her hobbies include painting with watercolors, reading and writing novels (several manuscripts are in the works, just waiting to be published . . . in her head), and knitting. Kristen said she only knits scarves because the patterns are straight, and she is a really bad knitter! Her current challenge is to read 12 books in 12 months, and she has already read three books this year.
“Many people don’t know that I am a singer and was in a band at the age of 9.” Kristen was the secret weapon in her brothers’ band growing up, and this summer they are reuniting, with performances here in town, so stay tuned for that!
When asked “What are you passionate about?” Kristen replied, “I know this will sound corny, but I just want everyone to be kind to one another. There is a lot of darkness in the world but you can change someone’s life just by listening to them, making them laugh or giving them a hug.” She speaks from experience, as the love and kindness she has received from her fellow caregivers over the years here at YH has pulled her out of the depths more than once. “This family supported me when my both my husband and brother (who was also a caregiver at YH) passed away and I will forever be grateful for their kindness.”
Thank you, Kristen, for living out York Hospital’s vision of Loving Kindness everyday whether you are at work or play! We appreciate your dedication to the mission of York Hospital.
Do you want to work with caregivers like Kristen? We’re hiring! Visit our careers page today and join our team.