Providence hires new chief nursing officer for Eureka and Fortuna hospitals
EUREKA, Calif. — Providence in Humboldt County has announced the hiring of Naydu Lucas as the new chief nursing officer for St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka and Redwood Memorial Hospital in Fortuna.
Read the full press release below:
After a nationwide search, Providence in Humboldt County is pleased to announce that Naydu Lucas, DNP, MBA, MSN has joined the organization and will serve as the chief nursing officer for St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka and Redwood Memorial Hospital in Fortuna.
“Naydu is an inspirational and innovative health care executive with over a decade of nurse leadership experience across various health care organizations,” said Darian Harris, chief executive for Providence in Humboldt County. “She’s a passionate and energetic nurse leader who promotes a care environment of high-quality patient experience and caregiver engagement. We’re delighted to have her join our team!”
Dr. Lucas comes to Humboldt from Providence sister hospitals in Colville (Providence Mt. Carmel Hospital) and Chewelah (Providence St. Joseph’s Hospital), WA where she served as chief nursing officer since 2018.
“I am thrilled to be part of the Humboldt County family,” said Lucas. “I’m looking forward to developing a strong and meaningful partnership with our caregivers, providers, and community members to continue serving our community.”
While in Washington, Dr. Lucas oversaw a staff of 260 caregivers across two critical access hospitals in a comparable rural setting as Humboldt County. In 2020, she was professionally recognized with a Caregiver Experience Growth in Leadership award for highly sustainable engagement.
Prior to her service with Providence, she was the chief nursing officer for Nix Healthcare System in San Antonio, TX, and she served in different nursing leadership roles at Tenet Health, in San Antonio, TX and Hialeah, FL.
Naydu holds a number of professional and educational licenses and certificates including Doctor of Nursing Practice (George Washington University), Master of Business Administration, Healthcare (George Washington University), Master of Science in Nursing, Administration, Finance, Leadership, Nursing Health Care (Florida Atlantic University), and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Summa Cum Laude (Florida Atlantic University). Naydu is also a graduate of the Tenet Leadership Academy, The NRHA Rural Hospital CEO Certification Program; and is fluent in Spanish
