A decade of dedication: Katy Thacker’s journey to elevate patient care

By Emma Avila, epackard1@iuhealth.org, writer for IU Health’s Metro Region

Using her nursing experience, Katy Thacker has dedicated the past decade to improving patient care and experience at IU Health West.

Katy Thacker has spent her career dedicated to patient care. Over the past decade, she has held multiple roles, and each one of them has had one goal: making sure patients have the best care at IU Health West.

Ten years ago, she started at the hospital as a pediatric bedside nurse.

“I am a nurse, and patient connection is a fiber of my being,” she says.

At the time, the Pediatric unit was attached to the Emergency department (ED). Thacker worked her way up to a shift coordinator in the ED. Then, she became the manager of the department.

“I realized I loved leading projects and initiatives,” she explains. “When I was a new grad nurse, I thought you had to be a manager or an educator, but nurses have so many opportunities.”

Thacker decided to support clinical team members and patients in a different way. She became a project manager and then Magnet program manager. In that role, she documented and submitted the work of nurses within the hospital to the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for consideration for the Magnet designation, a prestigious recognition among hospitals.

In 2024, IU Health West was awarded Magnet with Distinction recognition. This was the third time the hospital achieved Magnet, and the first time the hospital earned Magnet with Distinction. This achievement from the ANCC is the highest national honor for professional nursing practice. Less than 10 percent of hospitals across the United States have earned Magnet status. Even fewer have earned Magnet Recognition with Distinction.

“That call was one of the best days of my life. I felt so fortunate to be able to tell the stories about the work people do,” Thacker says. “To be able to work on a team that achieved that level of recognition was one of the highest points of my career so far.”

After that milestone, Thacker wanted to explore other ways to help deliver the best patient care possible. In February, she accepted the role of director of patient experience design.

“The primary goal is to really intake the feedback from our patients and draw insights around what can we do to give our patients the best experience,” she says.

This role was a new opportunity to use her clinical experience and love of data to make a difference. She has two team members who report to her, one in the ED and one in the inpatient units. She and her team gather feedback from patients through surveys, meetings with other team members, and speaking to patients firsthand.

Since taking the role, Thacker is proud that the hospital leadership team has also made it a priority to round and speak to patients one-on-one. In August, leaders rounded to speak with 420 patients.

“That’s evidence of the culture at West,” Thacker says. “We care about patients, and we care about their outcomes.”

Thacker is so passionate about the hospital because to her, it’s more than her workplace.

“This is my community. I’ve had my babies here. My family gets care here. It really matters to me that we have a great community reputation,” she says. “I want people to know that I get care at the facility because I believe in it that much.”

She is also grateful that she has had so many opportunities to grow her career within the hospital.

“I feel fortunate to have had leaders here in the last 10 years who have encouraged me to go after what aligns with my passions and my strengths,” she says. “That’s what I appreciate about IU Health. I’ve been able to grow within a system I truly believe in.”

Like Katy Thacker, you can build a meaningful career rooted in compassion and growth. Explore open positions at IU Health by visiting careers.iuhealth.org.