Johnston named clinical manager of Nathan Adelson

Nathan Adelson Hospice recently announced the promotion of Cheryl Johnston to clinical manager for its Pahrump office.

Johnston will oversee home care, triage, continuous care and transition care teams, promote excellent patient care through effective leadership, continue to develop a culture of safety, excellence and exceed operations and quality metrics, according to the press release.

“We’re very grateful for Cheryl’s commitment to Nathan Adelson Hospice. She has become an integral part of our Pahrump team,” said President and CEO of Nathan Adelson Hospice Karen Rubel.

“We believe she is the best choice to lead our team in Pahrump. She has such strong ties to the community and will continue to ensure our patients and their families receive the highest quality care.”

Johnston joined the Nathan Adelson Hospice team in 2012 as a graduate student, obtained a master’s degree in social work from the University of Nevada Las Vegas and was hired as a licensed social worker in 2014 for the Pahrump team.

In an interview with the Pahrump Valley Times, Johnston said she is “honored and privileged” to be entrusted with the leadership of our Pahrump office.

“I have been a part of the Pahrump team for over seven years and a part of Nathan Adelson for almost nine years and I remain in awe of the compassion and care provided to each and every family and patient,” Johnston said in an email.

The appointment was “a little bit of a surprise,” Johnston said.

“We had been in conversation about the position a little over a year ago and then the pandemic hit in which we all turned our attention to continuing to provide excellent care while maintaining safety protocols for staff, patients, and families,” she said in an email.

According to the press release, throughout her time with the hospice, Johnston has been instrumental in the “We Honor Veterans” program by providing veteran-specific training to staff along with implementing internal processes to ensure excellent care to the veteran population using the hospice’s services.

She is currently working toward her Ph.D. in psychology, specializing in trauma and disaster relief, and acts as a visiting lecturer to UNLV’s School of Social Work by providing education regarding veteran care, end of life care, aging and trauma.

As far as her new role, Johnston said her top priorities will be to work hard for “our staff, our patients, and our community” to continue to bring the best she can to home hospice care as well as assist with its growing palliative care program.

“I have had the opportunity to meet with some of our community health care providers and hope to continue to do so because Pahrump deserves to have access to excellent health care for all aspects of life, including the end of life. I hope to continue our growth in community partnerships and build on educational opportunities for everyone. Too often I have heard patients and family members say, ‘if only I would have known about you sooner’ and I hope to bring more awareness to the benefit of hospice services sooner rather than later in a person’s care,” she said.

When asked about her long-term goals for the clinic, Johnston said that she sees Nathan Adelson Hospice continuing to provide excellent care to the community. She said she wants to open a small in-patient unit that would function as a home away from home when patients require more intensive care and symptom management for hospice patients.

“The fact remains that death is a part of life and we need to be able to have as much care and dignity at the end as we are given at the beginning. Hospice provides that compassion, care, and dignity and I hope to be here serving the community and Nathan Adelson Hospice as it continues to grow,” she said.