Nationally Known Pediatric Health Leader Joins Stanford Children's Health and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford as Vice President for Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer

STANFORD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Kelly M. Johnson, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, will join Stanford Children's Health and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford on November 2 as vice president for patient care services and chief nursing officer.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150923005386/en/

"We are incredibly fortunate to have such a strong and experienced leader step into this very important role," said Anne McCune, chief operating officer of the Bay Area's largest health care enterprise for children and expectant mothers.

Johnson has more than 22 years of experience as a health care executive and chief nursing officer. Since 2008, she has been serving as the Dori Biester Chair in Pediatric Nursing and senior vice president and chief nursing officer at Children's Hospital of Colorado. Among her many accomplishments at Children's Hospital of Colorado, Johnson was instrumental in the reduction of preventable patient harm by 33 percent in 2013-2014 as a result of safety initiatives.

"Kelly's extensive experience in leading clinical operations in nursing, advanced practice, clinical and professional services will aide in furthering our pre-eminence," McCune said. "She has proven time and again to be an innovator in providing high quality, safe and compassionate health care," McCune added. Johnson replaces Susan Costello, PhD, RN, who recently retired.

Johnson began her career in health care as an RN, advanced practice nurse, and manager. She holds a BSN from the University of Northern Colorado, an MSN from the University of California San Francisco with specialization in Neuroscience and Family Health, and a PhD from the University of Colorado, College of Nursing in Health Outcomes. From 1993-2008, Johnson served as vice president for patient care services and chief nursing officer at Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colo., a world-renowned, premier center for specialty rehabilitation and research for people with spinal cord and traumatic brain injury.

At Stanford Children's Health, Johnson will also play a leadership role in the expansion of Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford, opening in summer 2017. The expansion and new main building will add 149 patient beds and almost double the size of the current hospital.

"I am thrilled to be coming to Stanford and back to the Bay Area," Johnson said. "Lucile Packard Children's Hospital is one of the nation's preeminent hospitals for children and expectant mothers, and I am excited to join the executive team and the outstanding nursing community at Stanford Children's Health. I look forward to being a contributor to the continued success of the enterprise and its expansion of access to high-quality care. Being a part of Stanford and Stanford Medicine is a tremendous opportunity, and I am honored and humbled to be joining this world-renowned organization."

About Stanford Children's Health and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford

Stanford Children's Health, with Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford at its core, is an internationally recognized leader in world-class, nurturing care and extraordinary outcomes in every pediatric and obstetric specialty from the routine to rare, for every child and pregnant woman. Together with our Stanford Medicine physicians, nurses, and staff, we deliver this innovative care and research through partnerships, collaborations, outreach, specialty clinics and primary care practices at more than 100 locations in the U.S. western region. As a non-profit, we are committed to supporting our community – from caring for uninsured or underinsured kids, homeless teens and pregnant moms, to helping re-establish school nurse positions in local schools. Learn more about our full range of preeminent programs and network of care at stanfordchildrens.org, and on our Healthier, Happy Lives blog. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150923005386/en/