News Release
August 27, 2015
OHCA Contacts: Jo Kilgore - (405) 522-7474, Jennie Melendez- (405) 522-7404
OHCA employee selected as top 100 nurses for 2015
OKLAHOMA CITY – A registered nurse employed by the Oklahoma Health Care
Authority (OHCA), Cindi Bryan, RN, was recently named a “Great 100 Nurse” for
2015 in Oklahoma.
The award “recognizes… concern of humanity … significant contribution
to the profession of nursing and the mentoring of others… You exemplify all of
the principles on which the Great 100 Nurses Celebration was founded,” the
award letter states.
The Great 100 Nurses Celebration was founded 29 years ago in New
Orleans. It has since honored thousands of nurses across Louisiana, North
Carolina, Texas and recently Oklahoma.
A native of San Jose, Calif., Bryan moved to Oklahoma to attend
Oklahoma Christian College, met her husband and stayed in the state to raise a
family. She graduated from OSU Technical School in 1978 with an associate
degree in nursing and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1990 from
St. Mary’s of the Plains College.
A nurse for 37 years, Bryan has worked in various areas including labor
and delivery, an adolescent psychiatric
unit, population care management, a pediatric telephone triage at OU Medical
Center, and as a school nurse and a Tissue Donor Coordinator.
“The Oklahoma Health Care
Authority is proud of Cindi and her contributions to our agency, members and
the nursing profession. Her dedication and passion for nursing are a great
example to us all,” said OHCA Chief Executive Officer Nico Gomez.
Employed by the OHCA since
August 2009, Bryan started as an Exceptional Needs Coordinator then moved into
a position with the Health Management Program, which manages the care for
SoonerCare members with chronic conditions. During her tenure with the agency,
she learned about and has become a champion for motivational interviewing (MI).
“The ‘Spirit’ of MI really
resonated with me and I fell in love with it. The ‘Spirit’ of MI consists of
partnering with patients, accepting the patient’s inherent worth and respecting
their autonomy to change or not. Also, its showing compassion by putting the
patient’s needs before my own and evoking for the patient their own reasons to
change,” Bryan said.
In an effort to develop MI
proficiency, she has pursued and earned a Chronic Care Professional
Certification from Health Sciences Institute and obtained Registered Health
Coach III certification. She became a member of the Motivational Interviewing
Network of Trainers in 2014.
Bryan will be recognized during
an award celebration at the Hard Rock Hotel in Tulsa on September 30.
-30-
Oklahoma’s
Medicaid program, known as SoonerCare, is administered by the Oklahoma Health
Care Authority (OHCA). SoonerCare works to improve the health outcomes of
Oklahomans by ensuring that medically necessary benefits and services are
responsive to the health care needs of our members. Qualifying Oklahomans
include certain low-income children, seniors, the disabled, those being treated
for breast or cervical cancer and those seeking family planning services.
Insure Oklahoma assists qualifying adults and small business employees in
obtaining health care coverage for themselves and their families. OHCA strives
to educate and engage our current 829,561 members regarding personal
responsibilities for their health services utilization, behaviors, and outcomes
in partnership with a state-wide network of 43,652 providers. For more
information, visit www.okhca.org.