Vice President, Leadership Liaison, Interim Leadership Services
Cathy Philpott, DNP, MHA, MBA, CENP, NEA-BC, CEN, is an accomplished nurse executive with over
thirty years of clinical and leadership experience in complex organizations in for-profit and public
health settings, most notably during the recent pandemic response. Cathy joined Kirby Bates
Associates in 2022 as Vice President, Leadership Liaison for Interim Leadership Services.
Her areas of expertise include leading complex operations, disaster preparedness including emergency
and trauma response, and change management projects involving key performance indicators,
strategic goal accomplishment, and operational efficiencies, including LEAN methodology and Magnet
Accreditation strategies. Cathy’s accomplishments include improving patient experience and nurse
satisfaction scores, decreasing nurse vacancy rates and turnover while reducing premium pay and
contract labor utilization, decreasing clinical variation, implementing computerized documentation
systems, and contributing to the strategic planning and management of long-term construction
projects. She is also an advocate for new graduate nursing professionals as well as growth and
development of healthcare leaders.
Cathy has served on the American Red Cross Innovation Advisory Board, System of Nursing Schools
Community Advisory Board (TN and FL), and the Mercy Academic System of Nursing Schools
Community Advisory Board. Most recently, Cathy has served as a mentor in 2019-2020 and 2020-2021
courses for the University of South Florida (USF) Business and Innovation Partners for incoming first-
year students. She also serves as a Professional Lecturer/Faculty for the University of Tennessee,
Knoxville, College of Nursing graduate students, both PhD and DNP, for clinical and business strategic
planning and budget preparation, as well as leadership and evidenced-based practice.
Currently licensed in over 35 states, Cathy is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville,
where she received her BSN in 1991. She also holds a Master of Science in Healthcare Management
and a Master of Business Administration from Columbia Southern University in Alabama. In 2019, she
earned her Doctoral of Nursing Practice degree from Texas Christian University.
Cathy currently spends time in Tennessee, Texas, and Florida with her husband and daughters. Her
hobbies include reading, travel, history, and sports. She is an avid college sports fan including her
beloved UT VOLS and TCU Hornfrogs.