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It wasn’t so long ago that Travis Christman roamed the halls of Chippewa Valley Technical College as a nursing student.

It’s been a mere 16 years since he graduated with an associate degree in nursing.
Since then, he’s been serving the Chippewa Valley with his healing hands.

The 39-year-old has had many health care positions throughout the years, but none as influential as Chief Nursing Officer – a role that he accepted with HSHS Sacred Heart and St. Joseph’s hospitals in February 2022.

“Becoming a CNO has been a goal for my career, but not one that I thought I would reach at this time,” Christman said. “Like most, my goals changed over the years based on the experiences and opportunities that happened.”

A year ago, Christman, of Eau Claire, was transitioning from director of inpatient cardiology and progressive care to cardiopulmonary director at HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital. He reported to the CNO. When she transitioned out of the organization, Christman had to determine if he was ready to fill the role on an interim basis.

“It was actually a tough decision to accept,” he said. “I had just started in my cardiopulmonary role and was just getting my feet on the ground with those departments. There was a number of projects that I was excited to tackle and a great group of staff I was getting to know.”

But after talking to his loved ones, he decided to try out the position that he, days earlier, had reported to. That decision ultimately led to applying for and accepting the position.

He credits his instructors and time at CVTC for the skills he learned and uses today.

“The instructors and clinical experiences that I had while attending CVTC prepared me well to hit the ground running when I started my role as a registered nurse in Madison,” he said. “Different leaders have shown me different styles and tactics that they used in communication, process improvement, and recognition. Pulling all of these experiences together and knowing that even though this is a higher-level position, I was once in the shoes of the people that I am now leading.”

As he moves forward, Christman said his passion for the job and the mission of the Hospital Sisters will help guide him to make the right decisions for his staff and the people of the Chippewa Valley.

“In the future, I hope to continue my support for CVTC by continuing to serve on the Alumni Board and by doing what I can to encourage others to consider any of the programs that are offered at CVTC. At HSHS, I will continue to support the great care that patients receive and if anything, build on the legacy that the founding sisters created over 130 years ago.”

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