50 Most Influential Clinical Executives - 2024

Austin oversees integrated care management strategies, patient safety, clinical care management, and systems and support for nurses and allied health professionals at BJC’s Eastern Region, which includes 14 hospitals in eastern Missouri and western Illinois. Since joining BJC in 2022, addressing the nursing shortage has been one of Austin’s top priorities. Under her guidance in 2023, the system introduced virtual nursing in some of hospitals to support admissions and discharges, patient education, sepsis monitoring and other functions. She also spearheaded the addition of associate-degree nurses and licensed practical nurses to BJC’s workforce.