Kelly Darden, DNP, APRN, CPNP-AC

Assistant Vice President, Orlando Health; Chief Clinical Officer, Ambulatory and Post-Acute Services

Kelly Darden, DNP, APRN, CPNP-AC, is responsible for clinical programmatic development, performance improvement initiatives, customer experience and regulatory compliance for the organization’s ambulatory and post-acute services, covering 15 service lines.

Prior to her current role, Kelly served as advanced practice provider manager for the pediatric and women’s service lines for Orlando Health Medical Group, and she developed one of the first pediatric acute care nurse practitioner fellowship programs in the country.

Kelly started her nursing career in the Pediatric Critical Care Unit at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and has more than 12 years of clinical experience in pediatric inpatient and ambulatory settings. She has been a practicing pediatric nurse practitioner since 2015, most recently as a member of the pediatric craniomaxillofacial surgery team at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer.

Kelly earned a bachelor’s in nursing from the University of Central Florida, a master’s in nursing from Duke University, and a doctorate in nursing practice from the University of South Florida. She is working toward an MBA with a concentration in corporate innovation from Penn State University. Kelly is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), is Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt certified, and is a frequent contributor on clinical posters and presentations.

Kelly was born and raised in Orlando and is excited to continue to support the healthcare needs of her community.