faculty profile

Christian Ketel   DNP, RN, FNAP

Associate Professor
Co-Director Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance Inter-Institutional and Interprofessional Student Program

Bio

Dr. Christian Ketel exemplifies transformative leadership in nursing and healthcare innovation, with a distinguished career highlighted by the founding of the Urban Housing Solutions Community Resiliency Hub. His academic achievements, including a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing (VUSN, 2014), have equipped him with the expertise to spearhead initiatives that bridge the gap between healthcare delivery and patient engagement, with a deep commitment to health equity.

 Under Dr. Ketel's leadership, the Urban Housing Solutions Community Resiliency Hub addresses the holistic needs of individuals transitioning from homelessness or incarceration to stable housing. This nurse-led initiative offers a wide range of services, including care navigation, basic medical care, and support for chronic disease management, alongside addressing social determinants of health, such as housing stability, food insecurity, and social isolation. Dr. Ketel's innovative approach to integrating health and social care services has improved health outcomes for underserved populations and set a benchmark for community-driven healthcare models.

 Serving as faculty at VUSN since 2012, Dr. Ketel has been pivotal in shaping the future of nursing through his academic roles in health systems leadership, healthcare quality improvement and informatics. His dedication to academic-community partnerships has led to the creation and assessment of clinical and educational programs to promote health equity and comprehensive care. These efforts have significantly contributed to establishing systems that enhance patient care and prioritize educational excellence within the nursing profession.

 In addition to his work at VUSN, Dr. Ketel is the Co-Director of the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance Interprofessional and Inter-Institutional Student Collaborative Learning Program, which facilitates faculty and student engagement between Vanderbilt and Meharry Medical College, a historically Black medical school. He works closely with students to develop and implement community-based health equity projects that have a real-world impact. From 2021-2023, Dr. Ketel was the Co-Director of the Vanderbilt Mobile Vaccine Program, which vaccinated over 5,000 individuals, with a particular emphasis on partnering with community organizations to reach medically-disadvantaged populations in Nashville. Dr. Ketel also is a long-standing volunteer with the Nashville Homelessness Coalition and the health advisor of the Nashville Point in Time Count. 

Dr. Ketel has received numerous honors and awards throughout his career, recognizing his contributions to nursing practice, healthcare quality improvement, and community health. These include the Distinguished Alumni for Community Service (2023) from his undergraduate institution, Middle Tennessee State University, the Martin Luther King Jr. Award (2022) from VUSN, and the Excellence in Nursing Award (2019) from the Tennessee Nurses Association. These accolades reflect his deep commitment to advancing the nursing profession and his unwavering dedication to serving vulnerable populations.

Education

  • DNP, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, 2014
  • MSN, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, 2004
  • BSN, Middle Tennessee State University, 1999

Current Research/Scholarly Interests

  • Health Systems Equity and Access
  • Patient Engagement Strategies 
  • Primary Care and Behavioral Health Integration
  • Interprofessional Education and Practice

Academic Interests

  • Nursing and Biomedical Informatics
  • Healthcare and Organizational Leadership
  • Healthcare Quality Improvement 
  • Interprofessional Educational

Grants

Co-Principle Investigator Author/Key Personnel. (PI:Tyson/Ketel). Expanding Access to SANE Services Across Middle Tennessee. U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crimes. O-OVC-2023-171629, 10/01/2023-2026, $500,000

Program Director and Co-Author/Key Personnel. (PI: Ketel). Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention Simulation Education Training (SET) Program. Division of Nursing and Public Health, Bureau of Workforce, HRSA, HRSA-23-129 09/30/2023-09/29/2026, $1,500,000

Joe C. Davis Foundation. Awarded for development of the Urban Housing Solutions Resiliency Hub. $10,000.

Program Evaluation and Author/Key Personnel. (PI: Jones). Advanced Nursing Education Nurse Practitioner Residency Program. Division of Nursing and Public Health, Bureau of Workforce, HRSA, 07/01/2023-06/30/2027, $2,800,000

Program Evaluation and Co-Author/Key Personnel. (PI: Tapp). Advanced Nursing Education Workforce Program. Division of Nursing and Public Health, Bureau of Workforce, HRSA-23-014, 07/01/2023-06/30/2027, $2,600,000

Program Evaluation and Co-Author/Key Personnel. (PI: Elkins) Community Health Worker Training and Apprenticeship. Division of Nursing and Public Health, Bureau of Workforce, HRSA, 07/01/2022-06/30/2025, $3,000,000

Community Health Improvement Mini-Grant (PI: Ketel) Community Medical Transportation Project. 07/01/2021-06/30/2022, $7,500.

Program Evaluation and Co-Author. (PI: Zsamboky ) Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program for Professionals. Division of Nursing and Public Health, Bureau of Workforce, HRSA, 07/01/2021-06/30/2025, $1,908,000

Program Evaluation and Co-Author. (PI: Pitts) Advanced Nursing Education Workforce Program. Division of Nursing and Public Health, Bureau of Workforce, HRSA, 07/01/2019-06/30/2023, $2,710,321.00

Program Evaluation and Co-Author. (PI: Jones) Advanced Nursing Education Nurse Practitioner Residency Program. Division of Nursing and Public Health, Bureau of Workforce, HRSA, 07/01/2019-06/30/2023, $2,440,024.00

Project Implementation and Co-Author. (PI: Pilon) Nurse Education, Practice, Quality, and Retention: Behavioral Health Integration onto an Interprofessional Team. Division of Nursing, Bureau of Health Professions, HRSA, 7/1/2017-6/30/2019, $999,101

Informatics Team Lead and Co-Author. (PI: Crawford) Health Center Controlled Networks (HCCN): Tennessee Primary Care Association. Bureau of Primary Care, HRSA, 7/1/2016-6/30/2019 $750,000

Project Manager and Practice Coach. (PI: Pilon) Interprofessional Collaborative Practice: The Mercury Courts Model. Division of Nursing, Bureau of Health Professions, HRSA, 9/2/1201-9/29/2015, $1,394,204.

Program Evaluator and Clinical Consultant. (PI: Crawford) Connecting Tennesseans to Better Health through Technology: Innovative Strategies to Address Patient Health Needs. United Health Foundation. 05/01/2015-08/31/2018. $900,000. 

United Ways of Tennessee Co-PI. Community Impact Grant for the Clinic at Mercury Courts LMSW Integration. $43,000 for The Clinic at Mercury Courts ($89,500 total)

Representative Publications

Journals

Vick, R., Walker, J., Ketel, C., Zsamboky, M., Simmons, M. (in press). Utilizing a HRSA training grant to promote PMHNP student resilience: Answering the call to enhance trauma-informed teaching and learning practices in nursing education. Issues in Mental Health Nursing. Doi 10.1080/01612840.2024.2308554

Ketel, C., Clouse, K., Jordan, H., Uroza, S., Kirby, J., Adams, K., Davis, T., Janbakhsh, D., Green, M., Hopkins, P., James, B., Rahman, N., Thomas, A., & Plummer, C. (2023). Bringing COVID-19 vaccine to medically underserved populations utilizing a community-guided mobile vaccine program. Public Health Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1111/phn.13249

Smith, J., Vaden, C., Smith, W., Ketel, C. (2022). Integrating Behavioral Health into Primary Care for Women. Advances in Family Practice Nursing; (4), pg 79-89. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2589420X21000381?via%3Dihub

Ketel, C. (2021). Nurse Practitioners as Gatekeepers for Suicidality: Asking Can Save a Life. The Nurse Practitioner Blog. June 2021 https://journals.lww.com/tnpj/blog/NewAndNoteworthy/pages/post.aspx?PostID=128

Husson, N. M., Trangenstein, P. A., & Ketel, C. (2021). Education to Improve Point of Care Documentation in Home Care Nurses: A Quality Improvement Project. Computers, informatics, nursing : CIN, 10.1097/CIN.0000000000000811. Advance online publication. https://doi-org.proxy.library.vcu.edu/10.1097/CIN.0000000000000811

Ketel, C., Hedges, J., Smith, J., Hopkins, L., Pfieffer, M., Kyle, E., Raman, R., & Pilon, B. (2021) Suicide Detection in a Nurse-Led, Interprofessional Primary Care Practice: A 2-Year Report of Quality Data. The Nurse Practitioner; 46(4), pp 33-40.

Shurson, L., Pilon, B., Ketel, C., & Anthamatten, A. (2019). Development of an interprofessional home healthcare management service: within an urban housing development. Home Healthcare Now; 37(5): pp 285-291.

Gentry, C., Parker, R., Ketel, C., Rosenbloom, S., Crutcher, T., Scott, A., Starks, J., Davidson, H., and Pilon, B. Integration of Clinical Pharmacist Services into an Underserved Primary Care Clinic Utilizing an Interprofessional Collaborative Practice Model. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved 27 (2016): 1-7. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/608295/summary

Pilon, B, Ketel, C., & Davidson, H. (2015). Evidenced-based Team Development in Nurse-Led Interprofessional Teams: A Case Report. Nursing Management; 22(3):pp. 35-40. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26014794

Ketel, C. (2015). Potentials of Internet-Based Patient Engagement and Education Programs to Reduce Hospital Admissions: A Spotlight on the Need in Heart Failure. Nursing Clinics of North America; 50(2): pp. 283-291. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0029646515000171

Pilon,B., Ketel, C., Davidson, H., Gentry, C., Crutcher, T. Scott, A. Moore, R., & Rosenbloom, T. (2015). Evidence-Guided Integration of Interprofessional Collaborative Practice into Nurse Managed Health Centers. Journal of Professional Nursing; 31(4): pp. 340-350. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S8755722315000150

Holley, S & Ketel, C. (2014). Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation & Focuses Professional Practice Evaluation: understanding the process from an advanced practice viewpoint. Journal of Midwifery and Women?s Heath; 59(4) 452-459. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jmwh.12190/full

Representative Presentations

Ketel, C. and Plummer, C. (March, 2022). Vanderbilt Mobile Vaccine Program. Special Invitation to present at the Association of American Medical Colleges Advisory Board.

Ketel, C., et al (January 2022). COVID Perspective, Values, and Vaccination Hesitancy. VUSN Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

McClure, N., Ketel, C., Elkins, T., and Jones, P. (September 24, 2021). Implementation Strategies for NP Fellowships in Underserved Communities. 2021 NLN Education Summit: Leading and Teaching Beyond Resilience. Washington, D.C, September 23-25, 2021.

McClure, N., Jones, P., Elkins, T., and Ketel, C. (July, 2021). Use of the SNAPPS Model in NP Transition to Practice Programs for Rural and Medically Underserved Populations. AONL 2021 Virtual Conference: Inspiring Nurse Leaders.

Ketel, C. et al. (July 2020) Public Health in the COVID Era: Community Driven Response + Equity Driven Changes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjUkp39aZhA

Baksh, L., Ketel, C., & Davis, S. (June, 2020) Team-based Care and Perinatal Opioid Use Disorder. Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurse Annual Convention, Phoenix, AZ.

Scott, A., Ketel, C. (June 2020) Provider Buy-in to Integrated Behavioral Health in Primary Care. 2020 Sustaining Primary Care-Behavioral Health Integration HRSA National Conference, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Nashville TN.

Gentry, C., Starks, J., & Ketel, C. (June 2020) Creating an Interprofessional and Inter-Institutional Learning Environment in the Clinical Practice Setting. Sustaining Primary Care-Behavioral Health Integration HRSA National Conference, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Nashville TN.

Ketel, C., Smith, J., Plaxico, J., Gentry, C., & Pilon, B. (April, 2019). Integrated Behavioral Health into Primary Care. Dispensary of Hope Southeast Region Symposium, St. Thomas West, Nashville TN. https://www.dispensaryofhope.org/

Ketel, C. (September, 2018). Informatics Beyond Hospital Walls: Improving Patient Outcomes in the Outpatient Setting, American Nursing Informatics Association, Tennessee Chapter 1st Annual Conference. https://community.ania.org/tennessee/home 

Pilon, B., Ketel, C., Scott, A., Gentry, C., Pemberton, J., Starks, J., Crutcher, T., Plaxico, J., Fuchs, C., & Rosenbloom, T. (August 2018). Advanced Practice Nurse-led Inter Professional Collaborative Practice: Outcomes and Model Evolution, 10th ICN NP/APN Conference podium presentation. Rotterdam, Netherlands. http://www.npapn2018.com/parallel_sessions/ 

Ketel, C., Scott, A., Starks, J., Gentry, C., Smith, J., Rosenbloom, T., Parks, C., Jones, P., & Pilon, B. (2017). Nurse-Led Interprofessional Care: The Mercury Courts Model. (Presented at The Tennessee Center for Nursing Practice at UTK). https://nursing.utk.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2017/07/Agenda-2017-CNP.pdf

Scott, A., Selleck, C., Ketel, C., Moss, J., Pilon, B. (2017). Evaluation of Interprofessional Student Learning in a Nurse Practitioner-Led Interprofessional Collaborative Practice Site. (Poster Presented at The Tennessee Center for Nursing Practice at UTK). https://nursing.utk.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2017/07/Agenda-2017-CNP.pdf

Pilon, B., Ketel, C., Scott, A., Gentry, C., & Pemberton, J. (2015). Integrating interprofessional care: Learning from the clinic at Mercury court?s experience. (Presented at Stanford Medicine X/ED at Stanford University, Stanford, CA) http://www.thedigitalapothecary.com/musings/2015/9/24/medxed-workshops-day-2-live-blog

Ketel, C., Scott, A., Starks, J., Gentry, C., Parker, R., & Pemberton, J. (2015) Innovations in IPCP: The Mercury Courts Model. (Presented at the Interprofessional Healthcare Summit, Savannah, GA) https://www.armstrong.edu/health-professions/iphcc-2015-interprofessional-health-care-summit-present...

Pilon, B, Davidson, H. Ketel, C., Scott, A., Gentry, C., Foster, P., Crutcher, C. Rosenbloom, T. (2015). Development and Evolution of an Interprofessional Collaborative Team to Improve Patient Outcomes in Vulnerable Populations. (Poster Presented at Institute for Healthcare Improvement Office and Community Practice Summit, Dallas, TX)

Ketel, C. (2014). Development of an internet-based population management program to improve communication within an IPCP team providing primary care. (Presented at NLN/Elsevier Informatics Conference, Nashville, TN)

Ketel, C, Pilon, B., Trangenstein, P. (2014). Evaluation of an Internet-Based Patient Engagement and Education Program. (Poster Presented at NLN/Elsevier Informatics Conference, Nashville, TN). https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Christian_Ketel/publication/280235903_Evaluation_of_an_Internet...

Professional Organizations

  • National Academies of Practice (Nursing)
  • American Nurse Association
  • Tennessee State Nurse Association
  • Sigma Theta Tau

Honors/Awards

  • Distinguished Alumni for Community Service, Middle Tennessee State University, 2023
  • John W. Runyan Community Nursing Award for Tennessee, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, 2022
  • Recognition of National Achievement, Mobile COVID19 Vaccine Program, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2022
  • Distinguished Fellow National Academies of Practice (Nursing), 2022
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Award, Vanderbilt University, 2022
  • ELEVATE Team Award, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Mass Vaccination Team, 2021
  • Excellence in Nursing Award, Tennessee Nurses Association, 2019
  • Ingeborg Mauksch Faculty Mentor Award, Vanderbilt University, 2019
  • Dean's Award for Recognition of Faculty Achievement in Clinical Practice, Vanderbilt University, 2019
  • Phyllis M. Frank Volunteer of the Year, Nashville Coalition for the Homeless, Nashville TN, 2014
  • Dean's Award for Recognition of Faculty Achievement in Clinical Practice, Vanderbilt University, 2012
  • 5 - Star Provider Award, Excellence in Health Care Awards, Nashville, TN, 2007
  • Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Outstanding Mentor Award, Colorado Springs, CO, 2000 and 2001
  • Elizabeth Seton Award for Clinical Excellence, Centura Health, Colorado Springs, CO, 2000
  • Induction into Sigma Theta Tau, International Honor Society of Nursing, Xi Alpha Chapter, Murfreesboro, TN, 1999

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