Manatee Memorial Hospital (MMH) is proud to announce the appointment of Katy Wilkens, RN, BSN, MBA, NEA-BC as Chief Nursing Officer and the newest addition to the hospital’s executive leadership. Katy comes to MMH from Christus Medical Center in Shreveport, Louisiana where, as Chief Nursing Officer, she led the clinical teams of a 200-bed hospital, a micro hospital with emergency services and a rehab hospital. Prior to that, she served as the Vice President of Patient Services/Chief Nursing Officer at Northern Arizona Healthcare - Flagstaff Medical Center. Early in her nursing career, Katy led acute care, telemetry, critical care, and cardiology/cardiovascular surgery departments before transitioning into CNO roles. She has her Baylor Healthcare Executive Fellowship from Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX, and a Master of Business Administration with a focus on Healthcare Administration from the University of Phoenix. She received a LEAN/Six-Sigma Black Belt Certification in 2013 and was awarded the March of Dimes ICU Nurse of the Year in 2014. Katy is pursuing a doctoral degree in nursing, where she is researching how different nursing staffing models can adapt to the evolving healthcare needs. Katy adds, “We prioritize quality and safety, and supporting our caregivers and patients is paramount to what we do.” “Katy brings a wealth of experience and a positive energy to the teams at the hospital. She is very proactive, and we look forward to her impact on advancing clinical excellence and enhancing quality patient outcomes.” - Tom McDougal, CEO of Manatee Memorial Hospital.