Chrissy Schirer

Town: Lehighton

Work location: LVH-Carbon

Job Title: Director, Patient Care Services

Department you work in: Emergency Department, 2A Inpatient Medical-Surgical Unit, Outpatient Lab Draw Site, and soon to be opening Intensive Care Unit.

How long have you worked there: I have worked for LVHN since 2007. I worked in various RN roles clinically and in various leadership capacity at the LVHN Cedar Crest campus until January of 2023. I then transferred to the Carbon campus to be closer to home and care for patients in my own community.

About your job, and why you like it: I ensure safe and effective care delivery 24/7 in all assigned departments. I act as an advocate for not only the patients we serve, but also for the colleagues I lead.

What I like most about this position is being able to promote effective change for not only our patients but also for the colleagues that care for the community. I also love that I can help develop and advance future nurses entering the profession and nursing leadership career track to optimize a better future in nursing.

Challenges/proud moments of your job: Proud moments of my career include being elected as a board member for the Pennsylvania Organization of Nurse Leaders where I have been able to help advocate professional nursing changes at the state level. I am also proud to have joined the Carbon team where I am able to help bring more services to our community. This includes the opening of the Outpatient Lab Draw Site and being involved in the planning and opening of our Intensive Care Unit this coming fall.

The greatest challenge of my role has been mitigating the staffing challenges that have risen in the nursing profession since the pandemic began. The greatest part of this has been seeing the positive outcomes that have come to light because of the pandemic. This includes providing optimal care closer to home with the use of telemedicine.

Background, Education: Graduated from Lehighton High School in 2003; Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Cedar Crest College in 2007; Master of Science in Nursing degree in 2020 from Chamberlain University. Board certified in trauma and medical-surgical nursing.

Family information: I have lived between Schuylkill and Carbon counties my entire life. My parents are Clement (late) and Sandra Breiner. I have a very large family with several siblings all living locally. I am married to my husband Jared Schirer who owns a small construction business in Carbon County. We have an 11-year-old daughter named Kylie who will be attending Lehighton Area Middle School this coming school year. We have several pets at home including three dogs, three cats, a guinea pig, and two hermit crabs. We love to go camping, boating on the Beltzville Lake, and enjoy dining out at our local restaurants.

Why you like working for LVHN: My family traveled to the Lehigh Valley for LVHN care when I was growing up. I was always fascinated by the Cedar Crest hospital. In nursing school, I had great experiences with the network and decided to join LVHN upon graduation. In the 16 years I have worked with the network, I have been afforded so many professional growth opportunities.

My family has also continued to receive great care provided by the organization. LVHN continues to grow and offer great services to the community while also recognizing and supporting the nursing profession. It truly is a great place to work.