Therese A. Fitzpatrick, PhD, MS, RN, FAAN

As managing director in the consulting and advisory firm Kaufman Hall’s Revenue & Operations Improvement (ROI) practice, Therese Fitzpatrick partners with hospitals and health systems to strengthen clinical and operational performance through workforce optimization, staffing strategy and evidence-based performance improvement.

Fitzpatrick advises health system leaders on complex clinical and operational challenges, enabling organizations to optimize staffing models, elevate quality and improve efficiency. She brings more than 40 years of healthcare experience across local, regional and global markets, with deep expertise in the strategic management of clinical and administrative services, labor relations, contract negotiations and advanced workforce modeling. Known for developing sophisticated clinical staffing algorithms and scheduling frameworks, she helps organizations align workforce strategy with patient care needs — improving resource utilization, supporting caregivers and driving sustainable performance improvement. Her work integrates advanced analytics, logistics science and large-scale workforce data to design innovative care delivery models that improve clinical outcomes and staff engagement.

Prior to joining Kaufman Hall, Fitzpatrick served as Principal and Practice Operations Lead at Philips Healthcare North America. She previously held executive leadership roles as Executive Vice President at Assay Healthcare Solutions and The Optime Group, Senior Vice President at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, and Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at St. Francis Hospital in Milwaukee.

Fitzpatrick holds a doctor of philosophy in urban studies from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, a master of science in nursing administration and a bachelor of science in nursing from DePaul University. She was inducted into the American Academy of Nursing in 2016 and serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor in the College of Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago.