A new Chief Nursing Executive has been named at Windsor Regional Hospital.
Nicole Krywionek has been named Chief Nursing Executive (CNE) and Vice President of Critical Care, Cardiology, Diagnostic Imaging, Respiratory Therapy, Patient Relations, Corporate Education and Training and Professional Practice.
In May 2024, Krywionek took on the Interim Vice President role from Karen Riddell. This came after Riddell was named acting President and CEO when David Musyj took on a new role at the London Health Sciences Centre.
Krywionek has more than 20 years of experience, and prior to working at Windsor Regional Hospital she worked in a number of clinical and management roles across Canada and internationally in critical care and emergency nursing.
She joined Windsor Regional Hospital in 2018 as Director of Critical Care, Cardiology, and Respiratory Services.
She says she is a third generation nurse.
"I have other family members that have been in executive roles in healthcare as well, so it's always something that's been in the back of my mind. But I'm just... this portfolio with being part of the Critical Care portfolio which is also my clinical background, for me is almost like a full circle moment."
Krywionek says her medical background will help her in this role.
"From being a frontline critical care nurse working in the Arctic Circle, and working also in Saudi Arabia, in the desert, in critical care as a frontline nurse, and then bringing those different perspectives of what frontline nursing looks like into the executive suite I think is really going to be advantageous for the patient care that people are getting at Windsor Regional Hospital."
She says she looks forward to building on the legacy of previous leaders - including Riddell.
"I think that in terms of something new that I would bring to this role is we're looking at building the new Windsor-Essex hospital, so having that different experience of working in different countries, and different healthcare systems, I think is going to help with that work that we're doing."
Krywionek says there was an executive search for the role, and she applied before being selected.
Riddell will remain President and CEO of Windsor Regional Hospital until her retirement in March 2026.