Sr VP/Chief Clinical and Nursing Officer
GetWell Network
Silver Springs, MD
Dr. Karen Drenkard serves as Executive Director, at the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Previously, Drenkard held the title of Sr. Vice President of nursing/chief nurse executive of Inova Health System, an integrated not for profit healthcare delivery system in northern Virginia consisting of 6 hospitals, long term care centers, multiple ambulatory settings, and home health. Her current areas of interest include workforce development, strategic planning for nursing services, disaster preparedness, human caring models, leadership, and patient safety.
Drenkard has published numerous articles in the nursing leadership literature on topics including strategic planning and leadership, and has completed HRSA funded research involving decreasing turnover of nurses in hospitals. She has completed research on the impact of leadership styles of nurse managers and the staff nurses intent to leave. She is currently serving as an editorial advisor to Journal of Nursing Administration and Nursing Administration Quarterly (NAQ). She is serving as the Chairperson of the Virginia Governor's Council on the Future of Nursing. She is an active member of many nursing and civic organizations, including several boards,
Drenkard received her doctorate in nursing administration from George Mason University, is a 2003 Wharton Nurse Executive Fellow, and a Robert Wood Johnson Nurse Executive Fellow 2003-2006. In addition to her certification in nursing administration, advanced, (NEA-BC) Drenkard is also a certified healthcare quality professional (CPHQ).