Katie Bruels Announced as December Commencement Speaker

Graceland University welcomes a highly accomplished alumna back to campus as the keynote speaker at the 2023 Fall commencement ceremony. Katie Bruels, DNP, RN, will address Fall commencement graduates, their families, and supporters on Saturday, December 16, at the Community of Christ Auditorium in Independence, Mo.

Bruels is the Chief Operating Officer at Menorah Medical Center in Overland Park, Kan., a 190-bed, full-service, acute-care hospital serving the Kansas City metropolitan area. Menorah is part of Healthcare Corporation of America (HCA), the largest hospital network in the world, and Bruels has held leadership positions in 3 different divisions across all HCA groups.

Her professional path exemplifies the type of excellence the Graceland School of Nursing aspires to teach graduates of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. Bruels graduated from the DNP program in 2018 and brings over 20 years of healthcare experience across five states. She has experience as a nurse in medical surgical, psychiatric, emergency medicine, subacute care, and as an educator and leader.

At the heart of Bruels’ work is her passion for removing the barriers that healthcare professionals face in all aspects of their work: ensuring quality care to patients, providing quality education to practitioners, and creating quality workplaces for clinical teams. Bruels explains, “The best part of my day is that I get to help people help the community.”

“We look forward to learning more about what inspired and continues to drive Katie, and hope that her insight inspires and encourages the Class of 2023 as we celebrate the culmination of their hard work and cheer them on toward their own exciting personal and professional trajectories,“ says Graceland President Patricia H. Draves.