Dr. Karen Cox's journey in the world of nursing and healthcare leadership exemplifies her dedication to clinical excellence, innovation, student success and social determinants of health. Since taking the position as president in 2018, she has overseen Chamberlain University, the largest school of nursing in the country, becoming the leading grantor of Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees to underrepresented minority students in the United States [1]. Throughout her career, Dr. Cox has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to advancing healthcare through comprehensive education, practice and workforce diversity.
Under her leadership, Chamberlain University has experienced unprecedented growth, expanding its footprint to include over 40,000 students online and across 23 physical campuses. Her strategic vision encompasses all facets of the institution, from operations and growth strategies to ensuring the success of both undergraduate and graduate programs.
Prior to her tenure at Adtalem, Dr. Cox significantly impacted children's healthcare during her 30-year career at Children’s Mercy – Kansas City, where she served as senior vice president of patient care services, chief nursing officer and executive vice president/chief operating officer. Her leadership was instrumental in the hospital's achievement of the prestigious Magnet designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2003, a first for hospitals in Missouri and the region, underscoring her commitment to nursing excellence.
Dr. Cox and a colleague developed the CSI (Clinical Score Investigator) in 2007 funded by the Healthcare Foundation of Kansas City and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that supports direct care (bedside) nurses in development of leadership and innovation to improve quality of care. Given to the AACN in 2012, to ensure capacity to scale the results to participation of 13,000 nurses, 2 million patients and $114 million in positive financial impact.
Dr. Cox's contributions to the field extend into academia and research, with numerous articles published in leading nursing and healthcare journals. In 2021, Chamberlain was one of only 10 organizations awarded a $1.1 million grant from the ANF Reimaging Nurse Project. The focus of the grant is on research of a new model supplementing BSN education called Practice Ready. Specialty Focused.™. This model allows students to participate in intensive didactic and clinical experiences in partnership with nursing specialty associations such as AORN, ENA, ONS and AACN.
Her academic achievements, include an LPN from Excelsior College, BSN from the University of Kansas College of Health Sciences, MSN and PhD from the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Nursing. She was named a Robert Wood Johnson executive nurse fellow, served as president of the American Academy of Nursing and chair of the Healthcare Foundation of Greater Kansas City.
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[1] Analysis is based on FY2022 IPEDS data downloaded on 10/2/23.
Under-represented minority includes students who identify as American Indian or Alaska Native, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.