For the City Times

Peggy J. Ose, RN, MSN, FACHE, Wisconsin Rapids, is the recipient of the Wisconsin Hospital Association’s 2016 Distinguished Service Award.

Ose is Vice President of Patient Care/Chief Nursing Officer for Aspirus Riverview Hospital & Clinics in Wisconsin Rapids. Ose received the award for her service to the health care industry, community, and the Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA). WHA annually honors individuals who have served the health care community and who have made an exemplary commitment to WHA, to their own organizations, and to the communities they serve. WHA Senior Vice President Joanne Alig presented the award to Ose at Aspirus Riverview Hospital on November 17.

“Wisconsin is known for high-quality, high-value care,” said Alig. “To achieve that standard of excellence requires leadership and vision in our hospitals, qualities that Peggy has demonstrated throughout her career.”

In addition to her current leadership roles, Ose recently served as Interim Chief Operating Officer for Aspirus Riverview. In that position, she led Riverview Hospital Association through one of its greatest transitions – the affiliation with Aspirus.

“Peggy’s colleagues are consistently impressed with her vision and energy. They note that her greatest strength is her ability to communicate,” said Aspirus Riverview Hospital & Clinics CEO Todd Burch. “In the many years Peggy has been at Aspirus Riverview, there is not a single employee or provider who doesn’t value her leadership.”

Among Ose’s many contributions to Aspirus Riverview was the integral role she played in every facility expansion and service line throughout her 24 years with the organization. Most notable was her vision in the establishment of a palliative care program in 2008.

At that time, only 50 percent of hospitals nationwide with more than 50 beds had a palliative care program. Ose recognized the need to provide empathetic, patient-centered care to patients who face life-limiting illnesses.

Beyond her dedication to Aspirus Riverview, Ose has served in leadership positions both locally and statewide.  Her board service includes the Wisconsin Hospital Association, American Association of University Women, and Mid-State Technical College District Board.

She also served as President of the Board of the Wisconsin Organization of Nurse Executives, and was recognized as the “Nurse Leader of the Year.”  She is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and a member of the United Way of Inner Wisconsin’s Women’s Leadership Council.

Ose earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and her master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.