Community Medical Center (CMC) announced today that Barb Jones has been named chief nursing officer (CNO), effective January 9, 2022.

“Barb is a dynamic healthcare leader with great depth and breadth of experience as both a board-certified executive nurse and military veteran,” said Bob Gomes, CEO of Community Medical Center in Missoula. “She is passionate about the quality and safety of care provided to patients and we look forward to the leadership she will bring to the hospital and our community.”

Jones has served as CMC’s interim CNO since June. She brings a wealth of nursing and leadership experience having served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force with three combat-related deployments and 30 years of operations experience at nearly every level of the Air Force Medical Service enterprise. In addition to being a board-certified nurse executive, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Aurora University in Aurora, IL, Master of Business Administration from Webster University in St. Louis, MO, Master of Strategic Studies from Air University from Maxwell Air Force Base, AL and Master of Arts in Wellness Management from Ball State University in Muncie, IN.

She has worked as a clinical nurse, nurse preceptor, and charge nurse on in-patient medical, surgical, intensive care, orthopedic, neurology, and gynecology oncology units. She has directed two community health and wellness centers and a Family Medicine Clinic with an accredited graduate medical education program. Barb also has logged over 1,700 flying hours as a flight nurse, flight nurse instructor and evaluator.

“In the six months I’ve been with Community as an interim leader, I’ve learned how important this team of dedicated healthcare professionals are to the residents of Western Montana. The incredible work they do each day for patients as young as 24-weeks to 98-years-old is unique for a community of this size,” said Jones. “I am looking forward to working with these healthcare professionals to support the work they do and to continue to seek new opportunities to care for our community.”