Kate Reed, RN, MBA

Kate is an experienced , results-oriented C-suite AMC executive, consultant, and former NICU nurse: leading and supporting the success of strategic, clinical, and operational teams within revered academic medical centers and in healthcare high tech VR, AR and AI start ups. While she started her career helping fragile babies thrive and succeed, she spends most of her time in this chapter helping brilliant inventors of new health care technology get their new technology ready for market and making introductions between tech inventors/CEO’s and C-Suite health care executives – so that they, too, can thrive and succeed. Kate brings to Aspire deep insight and over 35 years of experience working with inventors, physicians, nurses, researchers, and executives to solve complex problems and implement innovative, impactful solutions.

The through thread from the NICU to now, is that Kate is driven by the need to make a difference in health care.  She no longer directly cares for critically ill babies but has expanded that passion for making a difference by working to get game-changing new technology placed in the hands of health care provider organizations so that the tech reaches it highest potential impact for patient care, safety, patient experience, organizational efficiency, and professional staff working at the highest edges of their licenses.

In today’s complex and fiscally constrained health care environment, purchasing new tech, no matter the potential impact and/or ROI is a huge challenge. At Aspire, Kate and the other Aspire partners don’t just screen start up companies for potential impact, they bring creative financing solutions, including Venture Capital funding to the table so that new tech solutions don’t languish on the drawing boards and in marketing power points for lack of funding. Our goal isn’t just discovery and guiding exciting new high tech companies, it’s to facilitate getting tech placed so that it reaches its full potential. To Kate, profitability is meaningless in the absence of demonstrating positive impact on the lives of patients and families in need.

Kate is a Wharton MBA and a Licensed Registered Nurse. She has additional Certifications: in Negoation from the Harvard Law School Program in Negotiation, and in LEAN leadership from both Virginia Mason and Shingijutsu. She has been a leader, innovator, and team builder in many roles: SVP of Ambulatory and Networks, SVP of Marketing and Communications, Hospital President, Interim CEO, Chief Customer Relations and Chief Patient Experience Officer, Vice President, and National Health Care Director - at  sterling organizations including Boston Children’s Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Virginia Mason Medical Center, BayCare Health System, Lifespan, Vizient, Surgical Theater and Towers Perrin Watson.