Mind Springs Health Announces New Director of Nursing at West Springs Hospital
Mind Springs Health, the largest provider of mental health and addiction treatment services in Western Colorado, is pleased to announce the promotion of Jessica Schmalz to Director of Nursing at West Springs Hospital.
Schmalz began her nursing career at St. Mary’s Medical Center, after graduating with a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Colorado Christian University. In 2016, she joined West Springs Hospital, where she worked as a registered nurse/charge nurse while continuing her studies, earning her master’s degree in nursing, with an emphasis in psychiatric mental health, from the University of South Alabama. Since 2021, Schmalz has been providing psychiatric care to patients at West Springs Hospital in her role as a psychiatric nurse practitioner.
“I am incredibly honored and excited to take on a leadership role at West Springs,” said Schmalz. “We are currently implementing many changes within the hospital to enhance patient care and reduce admission waiting periods. As we enter fall and young people head back to school, it’s often a time when we see an increase in need for care among adolescents. My number one focus right now is increasing our nursing staff, through incentives such as $20,000 sign on bonuses for registered nurses and a strong starting salary of $39 per hour.”
Mind Springs Health is the Western Slope’s largest provider of counseling and therapy for mental wellness and assists individuals and families dealing with and recovering from substance abuse and addiction. Covering a 23,000-square mile area in Eagle, Garfield, Grand, Jackson, Mesa, Moffat, Pitkin, Rio Blanco, Routt and Summit counties, Mind Springs Health offers a continuum of mental health care with crisis response services, 13 offices for outpatient treatment, residential substance use disorder treatment, and West Springs Hospital, the only psychiatric hospital between Denver and Salt Lake City.
***
CONTACT:
Stephanie Keister
Director of Community Relations / PIO
Mind Springs Health & West Springs Hospital
970.384.3028
