BONNIE PERRATTO | One on One Nursing executive likes helping people

What are your job responsibilities?
My primary responsibility is that of chief nursing executive. My overall responsibility is strategic planning, budgeting, management.
We keep hearing about advances in technology, changes in insurance. Do those pose challenges for you?
They do. The advancements in technology often bring a higher price tag. On the payer side, that is a constant challenge because we are constantly having to negotiate different rates with managed-care companies or cutbacks from both Medicaid and Medicare.
How does this compare with the old reimbursement system?
It is much harder. It is up to the hospital to manage the cost. For example, if you have a certain illness or procedure and one patient stays longer than another one, that doesn't necessarily mean that you get reimbursed at a higher level.
What's most satisfying about your work?
We're here to help people. That's what I went into nursing for. The type of work I did on the clinical side was to help people -- to make their illness a little more palatable.
After moving into management, I felt my role was still the same, but it takes on a different focus. I provide for the caregivers now to be able to do their jobs.
Do you work regular hours?
No. Most of my days are between 10, 12, 14hours.
Where do you go when you go on vacation?
If we can, Hawaii is one of our favorite places. We also have a home in Florida, in Port St. Lucie, so we do try to get down there. And, we go to Maryland -- that's where my daughter and the grandkids live.
What do you do for fun?
We like the beach and the warm weather. When we go to Maryland, both of my grandchildren are very involved in sports. They play hockey, soccer, baseball. So, we like to go see them participate.
What kind of music do you like?
I like more of the '50s and '60s music. And I like Celine Dion.
What is your favorite restaurant?
We go out to eat almost seven nights a week. That's embarrassing to tell you. But with my schedule, it's difficult to know when I'm going to be home. And since it's just my husband and me, we choose just to go out to eat. One of our favorite places is Stephanie's Pasta Bowl, which is a little place in New Middletown. It's small, kind of hometown, and it has excellent food.
What does your husband do?
My husband's retired. He worked for many years in military defense for subcontractors.
How did you meet?
We met in Florida when he was working for a company that did defense contracts and I was the industrial nurse, and he had to come in and register with me.
When you were a little girl, what did you want to be?
I don't know that I ever had an aspiration when I was very small, but as I moved into junior high and high school I was in the Future Nurses Association.
How did you get interested in nursing?
My sister was in nursing, so she used to take me with her when her friends would be studying or dissecting. I found it very interesting.
So you knew what you wanted to do at a very young age?
I really did. I can't say that I ever mulled around a lot of other professions. That was a time when professions for women were much more limited. I don't think I would do anything differently, but your choices were very focussed on teaching, nursing, cosmetology.
Why did you come back to Youngstown?
I came back because I was interviewed for the position of vice president of nursing for St. Elizabeth's. Having worked here as a brand new graduate, it piqued my interest when the executive search firm called me and asked if I would consider. I can't say that I set my course to return here, but when they called, I did have an interest. ... We returned here in December 1996.
What do you like about Youngstown?
Besides the fact that it originally is my home, I think it provides a wonderful opportunity for young people. There are wonderful places to live. Children have a wonderful place to grow up. Good education is provided. It's affordable. There's a good university. There are good hospitals. There's a wonderful park. There are many recreational areas.