Dr. Maria Natal PhD, MSN, RN-BC, CPHQ

Dr. Natal has been a registered professional nurse for more than 30 years. She is certified in ambulatory care and is a Certified Healthcare Professional in Quality. Previously, she worked at Englewood Health as the Director of the Center for Clinical Practice, Education, and Magnet Designation. At Englewood Health, she spearheaded and obtained funding for multiple projects, including several transition-to-practice programs, a state-of-the-art simulation center, conference sponsorships, and certification programs. Dr. Natal has more than 10 years of experience in hospice and palliative care education, professional development, and curriculum development. She was a former Joint Commission surveyor for home care for adults, as well as pediatric inpatient, residential, and home hospice programs. Dr. Natal is highly committed to the provisions of holistic, evidence-based, supportive, quality-driven care across the continuum.

Dr. Natal earned her PhD in Public Health with a specialization in Community Health Education and her Master of Science degree in Nursing with a specialization in Education from Walden University. She completed a Postdoctoral Fellow for Research and Teaching in Public Health at Walden University’s College of Health Sciences and is a contributing faculty member. She has several publications including one that was grant funded.