S ister Karin Dufault, SP, RN, PhD - is a member of the Sisters of Providence religious community, has served as Executive Director of Supportive Care Coalition: Pursuing Excellence in Palliative Care since October, 2005. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, the coalition is sponsored by 19 Catholic Health organizations located throughout the U.S. to advance excellence in the care of persons with life-threatening illness through knowledge transfer, advocacy and partnerships. Professional Career
Prior to joining the coalition, she served as Vice President, Mission Leadership for Providence Health System 2002-10/2005; full-time Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Providence Health System from 1991 to 2002, and from April 1996-1997 also served as Acting President and CEO. Providence Health System, now known as Providence Health and Services, is a not-for-profit health ministry extending across a five-state area – Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Montana and Southern California. The system operates 27 acute care hospitals, 24 long-term care facilities, two PACE programs, and 20 low-income supportive housing and assisted living facilities. The system also operates comprehensive home care, hospice and palliative care services; primary care clinics; as well as educational facilities. Providence also sponsors health plans covering more than one million members and other eligible enrollees in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Nearly 47,000 people are employed by Providence.
Sister Karin served as Administrator of St. Elizabeth Medical Center from 1987 to mid-1991. Prior, she was Assistant Administrator for Patient Care Services at Providence Medical Center in Portland, and also responsible for the oncology and gerontology program development including hospice services. Before assuming the Nurse Executive role, she served as Clinical Specialist and Nurse Researcher at Providence Portland after completing graduate school. In earlier years, she served in a variety of nursing roles at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, Portland. She also served for two years as the first Nursing Practice Consultant for the Oregon State Board of Nursing.
Professional Affiliation
Sister Karin serves on the Board of the U.S. Catholic China Bureau and the Advisory Board of Seattle University School of Nursing. She is a member of the American Hospital Association’s Circle of Life committee. Until her move to Supportive Care Coalition, she served on the board of the Ministry Leadership Center (West Coast Catholic Collaborative), and the Washington Health Foundation (Seattle). She is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a member of Sigma Theta Tau, Alpha Sigma Chapter.
Sr. Karin’s former board service includes past chair of the board of trustees for the Catholic Health Association (CHA) 2006-2007; Catholic Health Initiatives Board of Stewardship Trustees (Denver); officer positions of the Washington State Hospital Association, served as Chair in 1996 and as a director with the Boards for Summit Medical Center (Oakland) and Providence Services (Spokane). She served on the University of Washington Master of Health Administration Advisory Committee, was a member of the Health Status and Health Systems Project Advisory Panel of King County, WA, and the Advisory Board of Governance 100. She chaired the CHA Systems Task Force and was a member of the National New Covenant Steering Committee. She also served on the American Nurses Association Committee on Ethics and Cabinet on Nursing Services. She is a member of the Oncology Nursing Society and Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing Organization.
Education
Sister Karin’s undergraduate degrees in social science (BA) and in nursing (BSN) are from Seattle University, Seattle, WA. She earned a Master’s Degree in Medical/Surgical Nursing (MSN, oncology focus) and a doctorate (PhD, gerontology focus) from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH. Her dissertation, titled, Hope and Elderly Cancer Patients, involved a participant observation study in which she cared for 35 advanced cancer patients as a clinical nurse specialist until their death over a two-year period. She completed the Fellows Program in Management for Nurse Executives at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania in 1985.
National / International Scope
Sister Karin has presented lectures and workshops on a national and international basis on such topics as hope, compassionate care for the dying and bereaved, care of elders, pain management, cancer care, nursing and healthcare ethics, issues surrounding healthcare access, healthcare reform, healthcare governance, nursing research, mission and values in health care, and transformational leadership. She has published articles on similar topics. She serves on the board of the US Catholic China Bureau and is the Secretary/Treasurer. She also serves on the board of Jesuit Volunteer Corp – NW.
Recognition
Sister Karin has been the recipient of numerous awards and citations, including an Honorary Doctorate in Public Service from the University of Portland (2005), the Seattle University Outstanding Alumni Award (2002), the Case Western Reserve University Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing 1995 Professional Achievement Award, the Yakima Valley Community College Distinguished Service Award (1991), Seattle University School of Nursing Outstanding Alumni Award (1991), and the Yakima YWCA Woman of Achievement in Business Award (1989).
Additional Affiliation
In addition to professional affiliations, she has served in the past as a board member and officer of the Yakima Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Oregon Leukemia Association, the Oregon Oncology Nursing Society, and chaired the Northwest Hospice Coalition. She has an honorary membership in the Rotary Club of Yakima, WA and is a Paul Harris Fellow.
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