Dr. Karen Drenkard, Executive Director of American Nurses Credentialing Center and Past Director of the Magnet Recognition Program, Joins GetWellNetwork as Chief Clinical/Nursing Officer

BETHESDA, MD--(Marketwired - Sep 16, 2013) -  GetWellNetwork^®, Inc., the leader in Interactive Patient Care™ (IPC) solutions, announced today that Karen Drenkard, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, will join its executive team as chief clinical/nursing officer in January 2014. As the chief nurse, Dr. Drenkard will bring the voice of nursing to patient engagement and the innovation of technology for nursing practice worldwide. 

Dr. Drenkard will lead the development of a nursing model around patient engagement, as well as study and design new ways to assess and improve patient activation through clinical practice and technology solutions across all care settings. This role effectively blends her experience in nursing credentialing, her research interest in human caring models and her expertise in Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) as faculty for Patient Centered Care. 

"My decision to join GetWellNetwork reflects my belief in and my commitment to the power of nurses to change patient lives. Today we are faced with the need to advance the role of nursing to improve patient engagement -- not just to care for patients, but to help them remain activated in their care as a critical factor for improved outcomes," said Dr. Drenkard. "GetWellNetwork is at the forefront of patient engagement, and their approach to integrating patient-centered technology into nursing practice is enabling a powerful transformation in care delivery. It's evident in the breadth and caliber of their client community as well as in the outcomes these organizations are achieving. I am excited to be part of the industry-changing work that the team of creative, innovative professionals at GetWellNetwork is doing every day."

"Today's announcement marks a significant inflection point at GetWellNetwork. Karen's decision to join us not only validates the fundamental link among nursing practice, technology and patient engagement, but ensures it will grow stronger in the years ahead. We have admired Karen's leadership at Magnet and the ANCC and are truly honored to welcome her to our executive team. Karen's clinical expertise, research acumen and influence on the future of nursing will profoundly impact our growing community as we work side by side with leading health care providers to shape patient and family centered care," said Michael O'Neil, founder and CEO, GetWellNetwork. "At a time of robust expansion for GetWellNetwork, Karen and her new role align perfectly with our next phase of growth and impact. Karen will be a cornerstone leader of the world class group of health care executives we are assembling at GetWellNetwork."

Dr. Drenkard is recognized for her career work in designing and implementing patient-centered care delivery models, for advancing the role and work environment for nursing through her research on human caring models, and for her work on quality and safety in nursing through QSEN Phase IV.

While at ANCC, Dr. Drenkard achieved remarkable growth and improved service in products and programs serving nurses and was instrumental in obtaining full ISO-9001 certification. She also led the process for improving the relevance and streamlining the application of criteria for the Magnet Recognition Program, the internationally recognized benchmark for nursing excellence, with the recent release of the new 2014 Magnet Manual Standards and Criteria. Under her leadership, Magnet has grown internationally and here in the United States with nearly 400 designated hospitals. In addition, Dr. Drenkard facilitated ANCC's sponsorship of the Institute of Medicine Standing Committee on Credentialing Research in Nursing and led ANCC as it received independent recognition by the Leapfrog Quality Survey linking hospital quality to Magnet designation status.

About GetWellNetwork
GetWellNetwork, Inc.^® provides patient engagement solutions that help health care providers engage, educate and empower patients along the care continuum. Our patient-centered platform, delivered across multiple technology platforms including mobile devices, computers and televisions, enables providers to implement a revolutionary care delivery model called Interactive Patient Care™ to improve performance and patient outcomes. The company further extends the value of existing IT investments by integrating seamlessly with electronic medical record and patient portal applications. 

GetWellNetwork is recognized by KLAS^® as the leader in the Interactive Patient Systems category and exclusively endorsed by the American Hospital Association. Learn more at www.GetWellNetwork.com.