Kathy M. Baker serves as Chief Nursing Officer at University of Virginia Medical Center (UVA Health) and Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs at the UVA School of Nursing. Dr. Baker came to UVA from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health, where she had more than two decades in nursing leadership, including most recently as Associate Chief Nurse and Associate Vice President of Nursing. She also serves as adjunct faculty for the VCU School of Nursing;s Master’s program in Nursing Leadership. While at VCU, she oversaw transformational efforts to strengthen the nursing workforce, increase the focus on quality and patient safety and improve overall operational efficiency. At UVA, her priorities include advancing new nursing care models to ensure UVA is making the best use of all team members’ skills and supporting the recruitment, retention and mentorship of outstanding nurses. Dr. Baker is also a prolific author and a nurse scientist with a research focus in work environments, and patient safety and workplace satisfaction.