Taking Care of Our Staff: Maintaining Purpose and Impacting Quality with Kirsten Storne-Piazza

Kirsten Storne-Piazza is a licensed therapist, healthcare executive, and director of psychiatric programs at Orchard Hospital in rural Northern California. A passionate advocate for mental wellness in healthcare, she’s leading the development of a new inpatient youth psychiatric facility and actively works with first responders and rural health organizations to combat burnout and compassion fatigue.

In this powerful talk, Kirsten shares the deeply personal and professional journey that brought her to the frontlines of rural healthcare leadership—including her pivot after the 2018 Camp Fire. She breaks down how her hospital tackled staff burnout head-on, reducing turnover by more than half and raising patient satisfaction to 92%. You’ll learn the tools, surveys, and strategies her team used to reshape culture, rebuild trust, and reignite purpose across departments. It’s a must-listen for anyone looking to improve outcomes by investing in their people.

What You’ll Learn From This Episode:

•  Kirsten's Background and Passion for Healthcare
•  Defining Compassion Fatigue and Burnout
•  Personal Journey and the Impact of the Camp Fire
•  Addressing Compassion Fatigue in Healthcare
•  Case Study: Orchard Hospital's Approach
•  Steps to Improve Work-Life Balance
•  Leadership and Employee Engagement Initiatives
•  Results and Takeaways
•  The Importance of Taking Care of Healthcare Workers

Connect with Kristen Storne-Piazza:

•  LinkedIn 

Resources

• Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL)
• Studer Group Rounding and Recognition Model
• Compassion Fatigue Self-Test

The CSRHA has been a go-to resource for rural healthcare and community leaders since 1995. The CSRHA brings an accumulation of actionable insights to the next generation of rural healthcare leaders. 

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