The National Association Directors of Nursing Administration in Long Term Care said Monday that Regina Kaurich has taken the reins as that agency’s new executive director.

Kaurich, who started in the position the same day, replaces interim director Norma Skoog, who had held the position for nearly two years.

Kaurich has more than 35 years’ experience in healthcare. Before taking on the mantle of NADONA’s executive director, Kaurich served as vice president of clinical operations for BrightStar Healthcare in Chicago, a home health organization, and as director of nursing for Brookhaven, a continuing care retirement community. She also spent 25 years at Mercy Health System, where she rose to the rank of clinical administrator.

Kaurich told McKnight’s that she aims to bring educational opportunities to more nursing executives in her new role.

“We would really like to … increase the quality education that we have so that we are addressing the full continuum of care through the long-term care communities,” she said.

NADONA President Sherrie Dornberger said that Kaurich’s emphasis on education will benefit the organization, which Joan Warden-Saunders founded in 1988.

“She brings a lot of nursing education components with her,” Dornberger said. “[Our members] seek education for all levels-new DONs, assisted living DONs, any type of nurse executive. So we’re looking at creating some online boot camps and some other modules to help those types of nurses, the nurses that want to be DONs. I’m really excited for NADONA to be able to use her experience in that area.”