Thompson Joins North Oaks Health System as Chief Nursing Officer

Diane Thompson, RN, PhD, CENP, has joined the North Oaks Health System executive leadership team as Chief Nursing Officer.

With more than 35 years of nursing leadership and consulting experience, Thompson comes to North Oaks with expertise in performance management, patient experience, strategic planning, staff development and retention, and the creation of high performance teams.

“Diane will lead the continued development of our nursing team, as well as incorporate new and innovative ideas based on best practices and experience-based medicine,” affirms North Oaks Health System President/Chief Executive Officer Michele Sutton, FACHE. “We are thrilled to have someone of her caliber and experience joining the North Oaks family.”

Prior to her employment with North Oaks, Thompson worked as a health care consultant with clients, such as: Kaiser Permanente, based in Oakland, California; Fairview Southdale Hospital in Edina, Minnesota; and IU Health, based in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Thompson shares that her leadership and motivation styles are inspired by the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt, “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.”

“To achieve our goals, we have to believe in ourselves, our team and our vision for what can be,” Thompson elaborates.

Thompson earned a doctorate degree in nursing from the University of Kansas in Lawrence. Prior to achieving her doctorate, she graduated from the Chicago-based University of Illinois with a master’s degree in nursing and business administration, and Indiana University, based in Bloomington, with a bachelor’s degree in nursing.

Professionally, Thompson belongs to the American College of Healthcare Executives, American Organization of Nurse Executives, Association of Operating Room Nurses, American Association of Critical Care Nurses, American Heart Association, National League for Nursing and Sigma Theta Tau nursing honor society.