Kara Vitek, RN
Title:
Heart Transplant Coordinator - Outpatient
Education:
Bachelor of Arts, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL 1999
Associates of Applied Science in Nursing, William Rainey Harper College, Palatine, IL 2002
Credentialing:
Registered Nurse (RN)
Clinical Focus:
Cardiac Surgery, Heart Failure, and Heart Transplantation
Contact information:
Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute 1-866-662-8467 (toll free)
Biographical Sketch:
Kara is a heart transplant coordinator for post-heart transplant patients at Northwestern’s Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute. Her primary clinical focus is in the care and education of patients after they are discharged from the hospital following a heart transplant. In this role, Kara works to coordinate care of the patient between multiple medical specialties.
Kara began her nursing career at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in 2002 as a staff nurse in the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit. During this time, she served as a “pain expert nurse” and charge nurse. In 2006 Kara took a position as a quality assurance coordinator for regulatory affairs at a tissue bank, specializing in vascular tissue.
In 2012, Kara once again joined Northwestern’s cardiothoracic surgery team as a heart transplant coordinator for the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute. She finds the greatest satisfaction in caring for patients and helping them to obtain the best health possible.
Kara is a Living Donor Buddy in association with International Association of Living Organ Donors, a member of the American Association of Tissue Banking, and a member of the International Transplant Nursing Society.
Kara completed her Bachelor of Arts at the University of Illinois, majoring in Sociology with a minor in Gerontology in 1999. She returned to school to earn her Associates in Applied Sciences in Nursing in 2002 from William Rainey Harper College.