Kenya Native Caroline Njau Appointed Chief Nursing Officer of Children’s Minnesota, the 7th Largest Pediatric Health System in the US

Kenyan-born healthcare professional Caroline Njau has been appointed as the new senior vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer (CNO) at Children’s Minnesota.

Her appointment to Children’s Minnesota, the seventh-largest pediatric health system in the US, takes effect immediately.

In her new role, Caroline will be in charge of patient care operations on two hospital campuses, including nursing, patient, and family services.

Caroline, who a member of the Children’s Minnesota Executive Leadership team, will also be responsible for nursing strategy, education, and professional development. 

“We’re thrilled to have Caroline join the Children’s Minnesota family and bring her wealth of expertise to our patients and families,” Dr. Marc Gorelick, President, and CEO of Children’s Minnesota said.

“I’m confident that her optimistic leadership and deep commitment to health equity, diversity, and inclusion, and continuous patient care improvement will help us shape our future to better meet the needs of our patient families today and in the future.”

Caroline boasts 15 years of experience working in various healthcare leadership positions. Before joining Children’s Minnesota, she served as the director of hospital and nursing operations at Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park. Most recently, she co-led the Health Equity Initiative at Children’s Minnesota.

Caroline started her nursing career in the Medical-Telemetry units at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Kennesaw State University in Georgia and a Master of Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas.

“I am deeply humbled and full of joy, gratitude, and excitement as I join Children’s Minnesota. Health care has been rapidly evolving over the last few years and we have experienced growth and change in so many ways. As we pave forward our path and design the next generation of pediatric care, we will continue to ground ourselves in our shared values, mission, and vision that makes Children’s Minnesota such a treasured part of the community,” said Caroline.