Ellen Cleary

Ellen Cleary has a strong background in healthcare operations and leadership. Ellen began their career at Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare, where they served as an Assistant Manager from 1992 to 2008. Ellen then moved on to First Assist, Inc., where they worked as an RN from 2008 to 2011. Following that, they joined Golf Surgical Center as an RN from 2009 to 2011. In 2011, Cleary became the Director of Surgical and Endoscopy Services at Edward Hospital, where they were responsible for clinical and financial operations. During their time there, they implemented a successful recycling and reprocessing program, resulting in significant cost savings. In 2017, Cleary joined Northwestern Medicine as the Vice President of Operations, overseeing various departments and service lines with a focus on executive leadership. Additionally, they served as an executive co-sponsor of the LGBTQ+ Chapter of the Northwestern Medicine Champion Network.

Ellen Cleary has a diverse education history. Ellen earned a Bachelor's degree in Nursing from Elmhurst University in 1991. Ellen went on to pursue a Master's degree in Business Administration from National Louis University, which they completed from 2003 to 2005. In 2019 and 2020, Ellen participated in an Executive Leadership Development Program at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. Currently, they are enrolled in a Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Baylor University, specializing in Executive Leadership. Ellen also holds certifications in Nurse Executive Advanced (NEA-BC) from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, Surgical Services Management Certificate of Mastery from CCI, and CNOR certification from CCI.