System Innovation

Dr. Julie Kennedy Oehlert began her career as a nursing assistant at age 14 and has held a variety of clinical, operational, strategic, and consultative healthcare roles. She holds a doctorate in nursing practice in health innovations and leadership from University of Minnesota and is a perpetual student of design thinking. She was awarded the healthcare professional innovation award by the Beryl Institute in 2020. Her passion is to lovingly disrupt current healthcare environments so that loving and caring cultures can emerge. Dr. Kathleen Sitzman holds a Ph.D. in nursing education and conducts research related to conveying and sustaining caring in online classrooms. In 2015, she co-authored a book and accompanying Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) entitled "Caring Science, Mindful Practice: Implementing Jean Watson's Human Caring Theory." This MOOC is offered twice a year, free of charge and open to anyone, and remains in high demand. Learners come from all over the world and are from healthcare as well as a wide array of other disciplines. Because learners consistently express interest in additional learning opportunities related to caring science, she co-authored "Watson's Caring in the Digital World." Her passion is to help envision caring-loving possibilities for self and others through the study of caring science principles coupled with the use of simple, mindful micro-practices at work and beyond.