Shelly L. Stark, MSN, APRN, CNP

I’m a nurse practitioner on the Pediatric Cardiomyopathy and Heart Transplant team. There is always a team behind patients every step of the way. It might be overwhelming at first, but each of us fulfills a role to ensure patients get the care they need.

My mom has been an adult cardiac nurse for 35+ years, so I was always drawn to cardiology. I remember being a patient at Cincinnati Children's for a prolonged admission and being in awe of the amazing things done within those halls. Then, one of my first jobs was as a lifeguard and swim instructor during which I worked with kids at the local YMCA. This role solidified my desire to work with children.

I can't always know what it is like to be on the patient’s and their family’s side of things. But part of my role is to ensure that we provide patients and families with all the knowledge and resources we have available to get back to what gives them joy.

I have been nominated for the Carol McKenzie Award for Excellence in Advanced Practice Nursing several times, which was humbling and an honor to be included with other outstanding nurse practitioners in the hospital.

Our team is always looking to improve transplant care to extend the survival of our patients' precious gift. But my passion is in quality improvement. I want to be sure our patients receive the best, focused, timely and thorough care to help them get back to being a kid quickly.

In my free time, I love being with my husband, two kids and our dog, doing anything outside. We love to travel and have been to South Africa, Turkey, Crete, Greece, Rome and St. Lucia to name a few.