With more than four decades of experience as a nurse, clinical leader, and healthcare innovator, Kathleen Merkley, Senior Vice President of Clinical Improvement at Health Catalyst, has dedicated her career to advancing patient care and transforming health systems. Today, that legacy is being recognized as Utah Business has named Kathleen Merkley a 2025 Healthcare Hero, an honor reserved for healthcare professionals who improve healthcare in Utah.
Merkley’s journey to fight sepsis was shaped by an early-career tragedy in the emergency department, where she witnessed the loss of a young mother shortly after childbirth. The heartbreaking experience solidified her mission to prevent other families from facing the same pain.
That commitment has fueled decades of advocacy, research, and clinical improvement focused on early sepsis detection and intervention. Over the course of her career, Merkley has spoken at national conferences, mentored teams of nurses, and led process improvement initiatives that have saved lives in emergency departments and hospitals worldwide.
Since joining Health Catalyst in 2013, Merkley has worked with systems in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. Her leadership has helped deliver measurable outcomes, including:
- A 45.3% reduction in severe sepsis and septic shock at Mission Health in North Carolina.
- 120 sepsis-related deaths were prevented at Community Health Network in Indiana.
- A sustained 36.4% reduction in sepsis mortality at Thibodaux Regional Health System in Louisiana.
These results reflect not only Merkley’s expertise, but also her unwavering belief that data-informed, evidence-based care can change the course of patient outcomes.
Beyond her executive role, Merkley serves as adjunct faculty at the University of Utah and sits on the board of Emergency Department Benchmarking Alliance. Known as a mentor who has her team’s back, she empowers her staff and colleagues to grow and innovate.
The Healthcare Heroes presented in partnership with Roseman University of Health Sciences, celebrates leaders who go above and beyond to improve healthcare in Utah. Kathleen Merkley’s career reflects exactly that through her legacy of impact that continues to shape the future of healthcare.
