Becker’s Healthcare Podcast Integrating Nursing Teams and Strengthening Care Transitions at Jefferson Health with Kate FitzPatrick
Mar 12, 2026
Kate FitzPatrick, Chief Nurse Executive at Jefferson Health and seasoned nursing leader, discusses integrating nursing teams across a 33-hospital system. She talks about strengthening community partnerships and educating nurses on insurance. She explains the Nursing SEAL team approach, supporting early-career nurses, closing care transition gaps, and redesigning workforce with tech-enabled, flexible roles.
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Integrating A Rapidly Expanded Health System
- Jefferson's top priority remains safe, quality, personalized care while integrating an expanded system from 17 to 33 hospitals.
- Kate FitzPatrick focuses on horizontal integration: unifying structures, teams, and geography to be more effective and efficient.
Train Nurses To Navigate Insurance Changes
- Use nurses as central translators between federally qualified health centers and hospitals to keep vulnerable patients connected to care.
- Educate nurses about insurance impacts so they can help patients navigate paperwork and access limits caused by policy changes.
SEAL Team Is A Stabilizer Not A Staff Substitute
- Flexible SEAL teams work best as short-term stabilizers paired with high experience, not as core staff replacements.
- Deploy experienced nurses to mentor novice staff and adjust team mix for off-shifts, weekends, and specialties like critical care.