Thea Burke, DNP, RN, NE-BC
Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer

As Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer for Good Shepherd Rehabilitation, Thea Burke provides strategic leadership for all nursing and patient-care operations across the network. A seasoned healthcare executive with more than 30 years of experience, she brings extensive expertise in clinical excellence, operational performance, workforce development and organizational transformation.

A former U.S. Army Nurse Corps Major, Thea began her career at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, serving on the Presidential Unit — an experience that shaped her belief that every patient deserves VIP-level care. She later led the Emergency Response Team at the Pentagon and has since guided nursing and hospital operations across academic medical centers, regional systems and community hospitals, consistently elevating quality, safety and the patient-family experience.

Before joining Good Shepherd, Thea served as Interim Chief Nurse Executive for UofL Health’s Jewish Hospital, Heart Hospital and Frazier Rehabilitation Hospital and Neuroscience Center, overseeing nursing operations, leading major workforce and productivity initiatives, and advancing key quality and engagement outcomes. She has also held senior leadership roles at Penn Medicine, Tower Health and Jefferson Health, where she drove system-level improvements and developed high-performing, mission-driven nursing teams.

Committed to lifelong learning and leadership development, Thea completed executive education at The Wharton School and the Chief Nursing Officer Institute.

Outside of work, Thea enjoys time with her husband, Jeremy, their twin daughters, Erin and Fiona, and their two dogs, Milo and Sugar.