Kara L. Nadeau

Kara L. Nadeau has more than 20 years of experience as a writer for the healthcare industry, working for clients in fields including medical device/supply manufacturers and distributors; software, solution and service providers; hospitals and health systems; and industry associations. 

"While the patient will likely never know what it took for the “hidden heroes” of healthcare to ensure the correct items for their procedure were in the room, safe and sterile, their work is just as important as frontline caregivers, in my opinion. I take great pleasure in telling their stories."

Overview

• 20+ years experience as a healthcare industry writer
• Senior Editor for Healthcare Purchasing News (HPN) magazine
• Contributing Editor for the Medical Laboratory Observer magazine

Professional experience

In 2005, Nadeau founded KLN Communications, Inc. to offer companies and organizations strategic, results-oriented communications support that is delivered with integrity, reliability and efficiency. Previously, she served as a senior member of the life sciences and technology teams at Mullen Advertising and Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications, two of Boston's leading communications agencies. In these roles, she oversaw day-to-day program implementation for a broad range of healthcare clients.

Since 2007, she has supported GHX’s marketing and communication team, developing content for both healthcare provider and supplier audiences as well as the annual GHX Summit.

She has served as senior editor for Healthcare Purchasing News (HPN) magazine since 2103, covering topics on sterile processing, supply chain, perioperative services/OR and infection control/prevention. In 2020, she joined the Medical Laboratory Observer magazine as contributing editor covering the latest clinical laboratory trends and products. 

She also served as public relations manager for Prevent Blindness Massachusetts, leading a statewide communications campaign to support the organization’s mission of preventing blindness and saving sight. 

Areas of Expertise

Healthcare supply chain automation and standardization, supply distribution, IT system and data integration, operating room (OR)/perioperative process efficiency, physician preference card optimization, medical/surgical and pharmaceutical supply data standards (e.g., FDA UDI, GS1 GTIN and GLN) and unit level tracking, clinically integrated supply chain, surgical instrument and device reprocessing, life sciences quality and regulatory compliance, medical devices/MedTech, respiratory care and monitoring, clinical laboratory operations.  

Education

• Bachelor of Arts, Communications/Public Relations, University of Hartford, 1998 
• President of Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), Secretary of Lambda Pi Eta, the National Communications Association, Recipient of Melvin Goldstein Award for Psychoanalysis in Literature 

Professional memberships

• Member, Association for Healthcare Resource & Materials Management (AHRMM) 

Presentations and conferences

• "My Mitral Madness Story", 2019 Southcoast Heart Walk Survivor Speaker, American Heart Association 
• "Kara Nadeau CS/SPD Salary Survey & Healthcare Writing", Beyond Clean Podcast, June 2019
• "The Art of Positioning: Starion’s Acquisition by Microline Surgical", Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Enterprise Forum, December 2009