Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Patient Care Services
Duties
As CHKD’s chief nursing officer, Kristi McGowin leads and advocates for nursing and patient care services. She oversees all aspects of nursing care, from the hospital’s inpatient and surgical units to the emergency department, intensive care, medical/surgical, and respiratory units.
Background
Kristi joined CHKD in 2024 after serving in various nursing leadership roles at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. As senior director of emergency services there, Kristi was tasked with co-chairing the Emergency Mental Health Crisis Center for the Kansas City area and assisting with the reverification of the hospital’s Level I trauma center. At Children’s Mercy Hospital, she was very involved in its behavioral health initiative, co-leading the development of an acute mental health crisis center embedded within the emergency department. Kristi also served on a panel for Kansas legislators that worked to improve protections for frontline medical staff.
A pediatric nurse practitioner, Kristi spent most of her career caring for ear, nose and throat patients.
Education
Kristi received her Bachelor of Science in nursing from Auburn University at Montgomery. She received her Master of Science in nursing at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. She received both her doctorate of nursing practice and executive MBA from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Memberships
- American Organization of Nursing Leadership
- Emergency Nurses Association
