Social Justice - Inclusive Care: The Hidden Cost of Anxiety and Depression

Since December 2014, Shari Kretzschmer has served as the vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer for University of Louisville Hospital and the Brown Cancer Center. Her role expanded in November 2019, with the new health care system in Louisville to Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer for UofL Health. She has nearly 30 years of experience in nursing and more than 15 years of experience in administrative leadership. Shari has years of experience in initiating and establishing programs of excellence in an academic acute care setting. She has extensive skills in successful daily hospital operations, resulting in high quality, evidence-based interdisciplinary patient care. She has successfully led large-scale projects, improved the patient experience, and created a culture of accountability in the hospitals where she worked. Shari has accomplished all this by creating empowered nursing cultures. Shari continues her work outside the healthcare system and serves as Chair to the Professional Nursing Practice and Advocacy Cabinet along with serving on the Board of Directors to the Kentucky Nurses Association representing 90,000 nurses in the Commonwealth. Shari has given more than 100 public presentations aimed at broadening the knowledge base of nurses working in hospitals across the nation.