NOBC Featured Story July 2025: From the Bedside to the Boardroom

By Ann M. Henninger, BSN, RN, RHNC

I currently serve on the Board of Commissioners for Public Hospital District #2 in Washington State, known as Olympic Medical Center. We are a seven-member board made up of elected officials, and I’m proud to serve alongside six outstanding individuals, including my colleague, Mr. Thom Hightower, a retired nurse.

In January 2025, I was honored to be elected Board President and am also an appointee to the Washington State Hospital Association Governing Boards Committee. Last winter, I obtained my Rural Health Nurse Certification (RHNC) from the National Rural Health Association.

My interest in board service started with attending meetings from 2017 to 2019 as I was looking for an additional way to serve my community. I became convinced that my nursing skills and background could make an impact. I decided to run for election, knowing my skills aligned well with the responsibilities of the role, and was successful at getting elected nearly six years ago.

As a nurse, I bring clinical knowledge and the patients’ perspective to the boardroom. Years of patient care have taught me to listen closely to what matters most to patients. That insight helps guide how I approach decisions at the governance level. I also place a high value on ongoing education and lifelong learning. I’ve worked to create more opportunities for board development and share what I learn through conferences, journals, and webinars.

The biggest shift for me has been learning to stay within the scope of governance, rather than getting involved in day-to-day operations. It’s a different kind of leadership, focused on oversight and direction.

Olympic Medical Center’s flagship hospital, Olympic Memorial Hospital, is a 67-bed acute-care facility with a Level 3 Trauma Center, emergency department and birth center. The clinic division, Olympic Medical Physicians, provides primary care, walk-in services, cancer care, cardiology, gastroenterology, general surgery, neurology, women’s health, orthopedics, pulmonary medicine, sleep medicine and urology. Outpatient services also include laboratory, diagnostic imaging, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation and diagnostics, physical therapy and rehabilitation, diabetes and nutrition services, and home health. Our healthcare system includes a 67-bed hospital and multiple clinics that serve both residents and visitors to our region, plus a home health agency.