Karen Keady, PhD, RN, is leaving Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanderbilt Health in October to be the first chief nurse executive for Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham.
At Mass General Brigham, Dr. Keady will lead nursing and patient care teams across the system’s network, which includes 14 hospitals and employs more than 15,000 nurses and patient care employees. She will assume the inaugural role Oct. 5, according to an Aug. 20 news release from Mass General Brigham.
Mass General Brigham said the appointment highlights its “commitment to elevating nursing leadership across the system and ensuring nurses have a strong, consistent voice in clinical, operational and strategic decision-making,” the release said. “It also reflects Mass General Brigham’s commitment to becoming a High Reliability Organization by strengthening the role of nurses in quality, safety, shared learning and continuous improvement.”
Dr. Keady has served Vanderbilt Health as system chief nursing officer since mid-2024 and will leave the seven-hospital system Oct. 1, Vanderbilt said. During her tenure, she led more than 12,000 nursing and clinical support staff. A former CNO of Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, Pat Givens, DHA, RN, will fill this position on an interim basis.
At Vanderbilt, she championed the growth of music therapy services, supported professional governance programs for nurses and helped elevate advanced practice providers. Dr. Keady also advocated for innovations such as virtual nursing and ambient listening for nurses.
Dr. Keady previously worked at University of Rochester (N.Y.) Medical Center as vice president and chief nurse executive. She has also served as nursing director, vice president for nursing and CNO across two hospitals part of Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Medicine.
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.
