Assistant Vice President of Nursing Services
CarolinaEast Health System
New Bern, NC
Robin Schaefer is Assistant Vice President of Nursing Services, CarolinaEast Health System, New Bern, NC. She serves as Consulting Faculty for the Duke University School of Nurse Anesthesia as well as being Adjunct Faculty for the East Carolina University School of Nursing. As Director of Nursing, Ms. Schaefer is accountable for a $180 million budget and more than 500 FTEs. Her departmental responsibilities include: Operating Room, Pre- and Post-Anesthesia Care, Endoscopy, Perfusion, Anesthesia, Outpatient Infusion Unit, Free-Standing Surgery Center, Maternal Child Services (L&D, Nursery, Pediatrics, and OB), surgical inpatient units, compliance with regulatory and practice standards throughout the Health System, as well as assisting as needed as a consultant for Nursing Services in Physician Practices. Her accomplishments include: leading Perioperative services through corporate reorganization, management restructuring and development of a new governance structure. With her leadership, profitability has increased significantly, teamwork is enhanced, and processes have been transformed. She is considered an emerging leader in the System, and is active in a number of System wide initiatives. She is passionately committed to providing the best clinical care, and has a keen interest in contributing to the transformation of the healthcare system of the U.S. Recently, she was honored as Director of the Year, CarolinaEast Health System. Ms. Schaefer earned her Master's degree in Nurse Anesthesia from Virginia Commonwealth University- Medical College of Virginia, and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, New York. She is active in several professional organizations, including AONE, ACHE, AORN and American Association of Nurse Anesthetists. She is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives as well as Nurse Executive Advanced Board Certified. Her leadership extends into the community, where she was recently selected to represent CarolinaEast Health System at Leadership Craven, she represents the Surgery Center on the local Chamber of Commerce; is involved in activities for the American Heart Association; and particpates in The Salvation Army Toys for Tots and Food Drive within the CarolinaEast Health System.