CORAZON CONSULTING RECOGNIZED AS INDUSTRY LEADER
The Pennsylvania Organization of Nurse Leaders Names Corazon a 'Preferred Provider' of Services

March 1, 2003 - Pittsburgh, PA—As a part of the “Consultant Referral Service,” the Pennsylvania Organization of Nurse Leaders (PONL) recently named Corazon Consulting, LC, a preferred provider of cardiovascular consulting based on several endorsements from its members across the state.

The “Consultant Referral Service,” which started in October 2002, serves PONL members by offering a list of consultants that provide advice or expertise that the organization’s members stand behind and endorse to others in the industry. This service for the nurse executives of Pennsylvania , and elsewhere in the six affiliated regions the organization serves across the United States , puts highly recommended consultant information at the fingertips of those who need it most.

According to Jackie Johnson, president of Corazon, “we are pleased and proud to accept this prestigious endorsement and look forward to the opportunities that this honor presents.”

Since receiving this preferential status, Corazon appears on the PONL website at www.ponl.org as a firm that offers services that can help nurse leaders be more effective in their roles. Through the collaboration of PONL members and the consulting providers they endorse, this initiative creates a dynamic and useful website service that can benefit industry leaders and the patients they serve.

According to Pat Hillebrand, 2002 President of PONL, “our mission is to foster nursing leadership for advancing the profession and to achieve excellence in health care delivery. It is our vision to promote advocacy, provide linkages, and shape the future of nursing and of health care in general.”

The organization’s members are encouraged to provide their colleagues with recommendations of good quality consulting services they have used, and the leadership works hard throughout the year to provide value added services to its members by passing this information along to all affiliates.

“The Consultant Referral Program is one service that helps us achieve the goals of the organization, and we are happy to have Corazon as a participant,” said Hillebrand.

The referral service began as an effort to spread the good word about consultants whom members feel provide excellent service to hospitals and care providers. The PONL endeavors to shape health care policy while connecting nursing leaders for the achievement of high quality, innovative practice in care delivery.

Denise Lucas, also a former President and the member who spearheaded the formation of the referral service, believes that nursing leaders are often confronted with serious needs for outside assistance on a regular basis, yet with so many consultants and vendors, it is often difficult to find the right one that will “fit” into the hospital’s culture and be a worthwhile investment. “Since hatching the idea for the service, I sought to recommend top quality consultants that provide effective support;” said Lucas.

The PONL represents about 300 members across the state, many in senior management and director positions within health care organizations. The organization is affiliated with the American Organization of Nurse Executives and also with other nursing groups to address current and significant issues facing the nursing profession today.

Corazon is a recognized leader in strategic cardiovascular program development, assisting clients through the full spectrum of consulting services from feasibility study and business planning through implementation of services. The Corazon team of Heart Experts has assisted healthcare leaders and physicians in tertiary centers and community hospital settings to bring specialized advice and progressive thinking in cardiovascular services to strategic planning, market assessments and financial analyses, clinical operations and new technology, Heart Centers and Heart Hospitals, physician-hospital partnering, best practice benchmarks, and staffing models and staff education for well-developed or newly established cardiovascular programs. Corazon pioneered the application of the Universal Bed in cardiovascular care delivery and brings firsthand experience with service line management as a progressive organizational means for healthcare providers. Corazon is a 2003 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Company and one of the 2004 “ Pittsburgh 100” Companies.

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