Karen Hill is a board-certified advance practice registered nurse with a specialty in environmental and occupational health and clinical training in adult, adolescent, and young adult health. An expert in workplace health and safety, Dr. Hill is skilled in workforce assessment, engagement, and development. Her clinical capabilities span primary care, acute care, outpatient care, home health care transitions, and trauma-informed systems of care. She is experienced in the social determinants of health and health disparities and community engagement of underserved populations.

Dr. Hill consulted with non-profit organizations, academic institutions, and community-based organizations. She is an analytical and growth-minded professional with expertise in cultivating culturally sensitive collaborations. She has a proven track record of leading workplace transformation by enhancing operations and building dynamic, patient-centered, outcome-driven teams. She guides her clients in fully engaging patients and staff, improving patient outcomes, and reducing costs.

Current HMA projects include a three-year continuous quality improvement training program for one of California’s largest health systems and the care management redesign of a 5,000-member physician independent practice association. Supporting the move towards national clinical recognition standards, Dr. Hill provides ongoing patient-centered medical home technical assistance to 11 rural and frontier clinics in Idaho. In the second largest health system in the country, she developed and administered an evidenced-based preceptor training course, resulting in the first cohort of nurse preceptors receiving evidence-based training. She developed new relationships with academic institutions for clinical rotations, vibrant volunteer networks, comprehensive service-learning programs, and a career ladder for support staff.

Prior to HMA, Dr. Hill was vice president of programs for the Center for Youth Wellness, a research center for children and families exposed to adverse childhood experiences. As a member of the senior management team, she directed strategic planning, operations, and compliance. She facilitated four major strategic partnerships, generating an additional $4.5 million in annual funding.

Dr. Hill brings both clinical and administrative perspectives to client projects. She was clinic manager for Glide Health Services, a nurse-led clinic serving a largely homeless, racially diverse population in San Francisco. Using data and leveraging partnerships, she expanded community access to primary health services. She launched a new Wellness Center, which included alternative medicine, and instituted a breast health program with California Pacific Medical Center, which provided screening and treatment for 400 women annually. She introduced a new social case management program and onsite adult dental health program.

Dr. Hill built academic partnerships with Yale University, Cal State East Bay, and the University of San Francisco. She piloted the first RN Transitions Residency Program with the University of San Francisco. Her participation in grant writing generated $12 million in federal, state, and foundation funding. Her leadership directly resulted in better health outcomes among low-wage clinic workers, reduced employee attrition, and increased staff morale and performance.

Dr. Hill earned both her doctorate in family health care nursing and her master’s degree in nursing (occupational and environmental health nursing subspecialty) from the University of California, San Francisco. She received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of San Francisco. A BlueShield Clinic Leadership Graduate and TeamStepps Master Trainer, Dr. Hill is a nursing adjunct faculty member at the University of California, San Francisco and Yale School of Nursing.