Kristin Wolkart
EVP, System Chief Nursing Officer | Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System

Kristin Wolkart, Executive Vice President, Chief Nursing Officer, joined the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System in 1995 at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Gonzales, Louisiana. As Chief Nursing Officer at that facility, her contributions helped propel the community hospital to consistent top performance for patient satisfaction and team member engagement.

Wolkart transitioned to the health system as its Chief Nursing Informatics Officer in 2007 focused on improving the electronic medical record. Leading a growing number of the system’s special projects, Wolkart was tapped in 2014 to serve St. Francis Medical Center in Monroe, Louisiana, as Chief Operating Officer until being named Chief Executive Officer later that year. In May 2022 Wolkart stepped into her current role as Executive Vice President, Chief Nursing Officer for the health system to lead efforts for best practices of care. From June through November 2023, she took on a dual role as Interim Market President for the health system’s Jackson, Mississippi, Market. During her time in Jackson, Wolkart initiated a turnaround plan and cultural change that helped the market achieve budget targets. 

Wolkart holds board certification as a Nurse Executive, Advanced through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans in 1991 before completing a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Kennedy-Western University in Cheyenne, Wyoming. In 2010 she became a Certified Green Belt in Six Sigma and a certified Project Management Professional through the Project Management Institute. In 2021 she earned her Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives® (FACHE) Credential.