Tammy Powell, President of St. Anthony Hospital in Oklahoma City, is a proud 1988 graduate of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing. She launched her career working in critical care in Tulsa – before moving into behavioral health in Oklahoma City. As her responsibilities grew as a Nursing leader, Tammy says she had the opportunity to have “one foot in the clinical setting, with
one foot in management.” She later received a Master’s degree in Public Health, with an emphasis in health administration, from the OU Health Sciences Center.
With the support of colleagues who encouraged her to seek leadership roles and continuing education, Tammy’s career continued at the Norman Regional Health System, where she led efforts in the area of quality assurance – before returning to a leadership role at St. Anthony, as Chief Nursing Officer. In the years since, Tammy has served as Chief Operating Officer and as President of Bone and Joint Hospital at St. Anthony – before moving into her current role as President of St. Anthony in 2013. In this position, she has overseen the hospital’s expansion via the hub and spoke model – with four new St. Anthony healthplex campuses in the metro area along with new developments in emergency and acute care operations at the original downtown hospital.
Tammy says that she took advantage of these opportunities for leadership because she was “prepared through a strong educational background and experience.” Her advice for future nurses and health care leaders: “Always be willing to step up, volunteer, and say yes to new opportunities.” Tammy says that clear cut goals and an awareness of your career trajectory can be beneficial even at the beginning of your career. She continues to be invited to speak to nursing graduates at OU and believes nursing is a great profession. In addition, Tammy says a degree from OU College of Nursing is incredibly versatile and can be customized to fit your interests.