Beckford will assume her new position Aug. 27, 2007, when she will begin managing the transition for St. Luke's Hospital in the patient care areas. She will be responsible for patient care standards and delivery through Medical-Surgical, Telemetry, Critical Care, Family Birth Place, Operating Room and Surgical Services, Emergency Department and Cardiology Services. She will also serve as St. Luke's chief nursing officer.

"I'm extremely excited that Crystal has decided to join the
St. Luke's/St. Vincent's family," said Michael Holmes, the future Chief Operating Officer of St. Luke's. "She possesses a very high energy level, displays values that resonate with our mission and sets standards for nursing care and the nursing profession that will be a tremendous asset to our community."

St. Vincent's HealthCare will assume operations at St. Luke's Hospital in April 2008, when Mayo Clinic moves into its new facility at its San Pablo Campus.

Beckford has been with Holy Cross Hospital since 2001, serving in roles with increasing responsibility for managing critical care, telemetry and cardiovascular nursing services. Prior to that, she was Nurse Manager of the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Mount Carmel Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. She also held a position in nursing management in coronary care at Vassar Brothers Hospital in Poughkeepsie, NY, and began her nursing career as a staff nurse Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, NY.Beckford holds a B.S. in Nursing from Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, NY and will graduate with her Masters in Health Administration at Central Michigan University in December 2007. She is a member of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses and the New York State Nurse Executive Committee.