Kahalley named chief nursing officer of USA Health’s physician enterprise
“Sarah’s passion for patient-centered care makes her a great fit for this new role,” said Natalie Fox, D.N.P., PNP-BC.
By Shelbey Ernest
sernest@health.southalabama.edu
Sarah Kahalley, RN, M.S.H.A., recently was named the chief nursing officer for USA Health’s physician enterprise, which is home to almost 350 physicians, 175 advanced practice providers, and more than 300 residents and fellows. She previously served as director of clinical resources.
“I am excited to begin workflow optimization across our academic and community practices,” she said. “My goal is to empower our clinical teams to deliver patient care that supports the mission at USA Health to help people lead longer, better lives.”
In her new position, Kahalley will serve as a resource for clinical staff and leaders related to patient care and clinical processes. She will also help develop programs in safety, infection control and clinical education, including the clinical ladder program.
The clinical ladder program was developed to create an opportunity to advance each team member’s leadership skills and career without pulling them from the clinical setting, said Kahalley. The goal is that this program will advance the knowledge of our care teams as we continue to improve the high-quality care our patients receive.
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kahalley helped lead the team who developed and launched the first mass testing center in the region at Ladd-Peebles Stadium through a partnership with the City of Mobile. Under her leadership, more than 100,000 vaccines and 85,000 COVID tests were given through her community outreach efforts.
In recognition of her work, she and five other team members were awarded the City of Mobile’s Exceptional Citizen Award in 2021. The next year, she was selected for Mobile Bay Magazine’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2022.
“Sarah’s passion for patient-centered care makes her a great fit for this new role,” said Natalie Fox, D.N.P., PNP-BC, chief physician enterprise officer for USA Health. “She’s also highly skilled at developing innovative solutions for healthcare challenges that ultimately benefit our patients and their caregivers.”
She received her nursing degree from the University of South Alabama and a Master of Science in healthcare administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
