Professional Achievement, College of Nursing and Health

Eric Mutchie ’04 is currently the chief nursing officer and deputy commander for nursing at Keller Army Community Hospital, in West Point, NY. He himself was surprised by his career path at times, because Mutchie once thought he would complete his four-year commitment with the U.S. Army and then work in a hospital emergency room somewhere in Wisconsin closer to his family.

“I did not expect to be a health care executive or still in the U.S. Army after 20 years,” he said. “Instead, I have rarely worked in emergency rooms, but I have traveled to 19 different countries, earned a master’s degree, and challenged myself in ways that I never thought possible 20 years ago.”

Mutchie graduated from Washington Park High School in Racine, Wis. He transferred from the University Wisconsin-La Crosse to Viterbo, where he joined the ROTC. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2004. In 2018, he completed his Master of Health Administration (MHA) degree from Baylor University.

At Keller Army Community Hospital, Mutchie serves as the senior nurse executive and advisor to the CEO. “I am responsible for the provision of nursing services throughout the organization,” Mutchie said. Among his list of responsibilities, Mutchie supervises inpatient services, public health, occupational medicine, and perioperative services.

Mutchie's full professional title, Eric Mutchie MHA, RN, CPHQ, NE-BC, FACHE speaks to his commitment to his profession and his dedication to lifelong learning. His master's in health administration and his RN credentials are followed by his CPHQ, or Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality. He is Nurse Executive Board Certified (NE-BC), and Mutchie has his FACHE certification, the acronym standing for Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, a certification considered the gold standard that demonstrates his expertise and commitment to healthcare management.

“I was not a stellar student when I was enrolled at Viterbo,” Mutchie explained. “I failed pathophysiology. When you failed a nursing class, you had to wait a year to try it again.” He said that he seriously thought about whether nursing was what he wanted to do with his life. “Throughout my career, I looked back at that time as a turning point to how I would face life when it got tough.”

He offered sound advice to Viterbo students. “Do not be afraid to say yes to opportunities that present themselves. The best things that have happened to me in my career are those things that I did not think I was ready for. I was genuinely afraid at times but said yes anyway.”

“Being named a Distinguished Alumni is incredibly humbling,” Mutchie shared. “From having moments where I was not sure I was going to be able to become an alum, to a distinguished one is something that I never thought possible. I am always proud to call myself a Viterbo alum, and even more proud now.”

Mutchie is a member of the Military Order of Medical Merit (O2M3), was named the 2024 Hudson Valley Nurse Executive of the Year, and he is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. “My best achievement,” he said, “is being married to my wife Nichole Sorensen-Mutchie for 19 years, and being a dad to our daughter, Chloe.

2024 Viterbo University Distinguished Alumni Award Recipients main page