Kara Simpson, MPT
VP, Clinical Operations
Kara joined Ernest Health in 2009 as a student physical therapist at the flagship hospital in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Throughout her career at Ernest Health, she has held various positions, including staff physical therapist, physical therapist traveler, and leadership positions in clinical and general operations.
In her current role as VP Clinical Operations, Kara enjoys development of the Ernest Health teams at each hospital she supports, believing that growth is truly an iterative process. She encourages those around her to be challenged to get comfortable with being uncomfortable to foster continuous growth.
My mission is a combined focus on exceptional patient care coupled with facilitating streamlined, comprehensive, and quantitative processes for healthcare teams to ensure quality outcomes for patients and organizational performance.
Kara earned a master’s degree in physical therapy from Saint Louis University. She enjoys traveling, cooking, and outdoor activities and exercise with her two dogs, Nelly and Eli.
Top 10%
Recognized in the Nation’s Top 10%
Ernest Health’s rehabilitation hospitals have been ranked by the Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation (UDSMR), a non-for-profit corporation that was developed with support from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation research, a component of the U.S. Department of Education. It ranks rehabilitation facilities based upon care that is patient-centered, effective, efficient, and timely.
Through UDSMR, our hospitals collaborate with our peers throughout the United States to share information and establish best practices for patients. This helps us elevate rehabilitative care for everyone across the United States.