The Wyoming Center for Nursing's Mission
The Mission is to promote the culture of health and the development of partnerships to provide education, leadership development and data analysis to improve and strengthen the nursing profession and healthcare workforce.
The organization was created by a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Partners in Nursing grant in 2008. It has formed an active and strong Advisory Board with a range of constituents that have come together to improve nursing retention and recruitment, educational capacity, and to build consensus on nursing issues in the State of Wyoming.
STRUCTURE
The organization has four main focus areas.
1. Coalitions - Promoting health in Wyoming
a. Provide one educational opportunity on how to register with Nurses on Boards.
b. Update the WCN website quarterly with the open board opportunities within the state.
c. Provide a newsletter that includes information on board opportunities.
d. Provide a liaison for individuals to contact regarding board service.
2. Workforce Trends - Monitoring nursing workforce trends
a. Work with a qualified individual for data collection and analysis of Wyoming nursing data.
3. Support the Transformation of Nursing Education in Wyoming
a. Work with ReNEW to continue the Annual Nursing Educators Summit.
b. Promote Preceptor 101 and Clinical Scholarship opportunities throughout the state. Provide numbers
of individuals who have completed the training.
c. Open a dialog with the Wyoming Schools of Nursing to understand the barriers to student registration
4. Sustainability – Board Development and Growth
a. Investigate fundraising opportunities.
b. Review opportunities for diversifying board membership.
c. Investigate opportunities for non-grant revenue
Our Board of Directors
President Mary Behrens,MS, RN, FNP-BC, FAANP
President Mary Behrens,MS, RN, FNP-BC, FAANP
President Mary Behrens,MS, RN, FNP-BC, FAANP
Mary is a certified Family Nurse Practitioner and a Fellow in the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Mary is the AANP representative on the leadership team for Movement is Life. In addition, she serves on the Board of Visitors for the University of Wisconsin School of Nursing in Madison, Wisconsin and the Friends of the Fay Whitney School of Nursing in Laramie, Wyoming.
Vice President Jeanine Neomoller, MS, BSN, RN
President Mary Behrens,MS, RN, FNP-BC, FAANP
President Mary Behrens,MS, RN, FNP-BC, FAANP
Jeanine is the Director of the Wyoming Action Coalition and serves as Co-chair and Grant Writer for the Wyoming Center for Nursing. She is a retired Nursing Home Administrator and works to promote a robust nursing workforce for Wyoming. She has provided leadership for many nursing organizations during career including the Wyoming Nurses A
Jeanine is the Director of the Wyoming Action Coalition and serves as Co-chair and Grant Writer for the Wyoming Center for Nursing. She is a retired Nursing Home Administrator and works to promote a robust nursing workforce for Wyoming. She has provided leadership for many nursing organizations during career including the Wyoming Nurses Association, Sigma, WYDONA, and numerous others. Current projects include grants to educate nursing students on dementia, and teaching internet technologies to senior citizens in Wyoming.
Treasurer Kathy M. Luzmoor, MS, RN
President Mary Behrens,MS, RN, FNP-BC, FAANP
Secretary Sue Howard, RNMS-HSA, MSN
Kathy has a 40 + year career in multiple areas of nursing and retired from full time employment in 2017. She spent her last eleven years as faculty, then Director at Western Wyoming Community College. She was active on the professional development committee of ReNew. Kathy has served on many community and nursing boards and was President of the Wyoming Nurses Association from 2018-2020.
Secretary Sue Howard, RNMS-HSA, MSN
President Mary Behrens,MS, RN, FNP-BC, FAANP
Secretary Sue Howard, RNMS-HSA, MSN
Sue is a founding Board Member of WCN from Gillette. She is a past President of the Wyoming Nurses Associaton and the Wyoming State Board of Nursing. Professionally she manages a Footcare Clinic at High Desert Healthcare, teaches CNA classes and has worked at Campbell County Health.
Veronica Taylor, MS, RN
Rachael Fillbrandt, MBA, MSN, RN
Rachael Fillbrandt, MBA, MSN, RN
Veronica is a founding Board Member of WCN from Gillette and currently the HRSA Program Coordinator at WCN.
She also serves on the Wyoming Nurses Association as Treasurer, adjunct faculty for Faye W. Whitney School of Nursing, a member of the "Friends of Nursing" and a Mentor for UW Senior Nursing Students.
Her career has consisted of
Veronica is a founding Board Member of WCN from Gillette and currently the HRSA Program Coordinator at WCN.
She also serves on the Wyoming Nurses Association as Treasurer, adjunct faculty for Faye W. Whitney School of Nursing, a member of the "Friends of Nursing" and a Mentor for UW Senior Nursing Students.
Her career has consisted of bedside nursing in Med/surg, ICU, and Case Management, Nursing Education, Infection Prevention, Disaster Preparedness and Leadership roles in Nursing. Professionally she has been Vice President, President-elect, and President of WNA; served on the Wyoming State Board of Nursing for six years and was Chair for two years. She was the March of Dimes Distinguished Nurse of the Year in 2005; the Campbell County Outstanding Healthcare Award in 2014 and the Nightingale Award in 2017. In 2017 she received the Campbell County Health Legend Award after working 27 years for Campbell County Health.
Rachael Fillbrandt, MBA, MSN, RN
Rachael Fillbrandt, MBA, MSN, RN
Rachael Fillbrandt, MBA, MSN, RN
Rachael is the Executive Director for the Wyoming State Board of Nursing which strives to achieve their mission of promoting public safety through the regulation of nursing education and practice. Rachael embraces the continual pursuit of knowledge and believes in being the change she wishes to see in the world.
Rachael has been a nurse fo
Rachael is the Executive Director for the Wyoming State Board of Nursing which strives to achieve their mission of promoting public safety through the regulation of nursing education and practice. Rachael embraces the continual pursuit of knowledge and believes in being the change she wishes to see in the world.
Rachael has been a nurse for over 12 years and in the medical profession for 20+ years. Rachael’s passion is emergency medicine and she began her career in a critical access hospital in her hometown and has worked for a Level II trauma center.
Toni Decklever, MA, RN
Rachael Fillbrandt, MBA, MSN, RN
Barb James, MS, BSN, RN
Toni has been a Registered Nurse for 40 years and has worked as a clinician, administrator and educator. She lives in Cheyenne and owns her own business doing training and consulting for a variety of groups. Toni holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership and works with several organizations, including the American Heart Assoc
Toni has been a Registered Nurse for 40 years and has worked as a clinician, administrator and educator. She lives in Cheyenne and owns her own business doing training and consulting for a variety of groups. Toni holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership and works with several organizations, including the American Heart Association, Wyoming Health Resources Network and the Wyoming Center for Nursing. She has been the lobbyist for the Wyoming Nurses Association for the past 15 years and works to develop policy that addresses the challenges of access to healthcare and how nurses play a role in addressing this problem. Toni has received the Nightingale Award for Outstanding Service and the March of Dimes Nurse of the Year/Educators.
Barb James, MS, BSN, RN
Rachael Fillbrandt, MBA, MSN, RN
Barb James, MS, BSN, RN
Barb is a Nursing Instructor and Diabetic Educator in Carbon County. She is passionate about health and helping others succeed. Barb loves to hike, kayak, and be with family and friends.
Patty O’Lexey, BSN, RN
Patty O’Lexey, BSN, RN
Patty O’Lexey, BSN, RN
Patty is the Director of Education and Employee Health at Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County. She graduated from Western Wyoming Community College with an ADN and received her BSN from the University of Wyoming. She is a member of ANA/WNA, Sigman Theta Tau, and recently completed the Clinical Scholar through the Colorado Center of N
Patty is the Director of Education and Employee Health at Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County. She graduated from Western Wyoming Community College with an ADN and received her BSN from the University of Wyoming. She is a member of ANA/WNA, Sigman Theta Tau, and recently completed the Clinical Scholar through the Colorado Center of Nursing. She was born and raised in Rock Springs, Wyoming and was proud to be a Nontraditional Student when she attended nursing school at 40. She has genuine empathy and encourages everyone to follow their dreams and never stop learning. Florence Nightingale said it best, "Let us never consider ourselves finished nurses. We must be learning all of our lives."