Karen Ofafa

Karen Ofafa, EdD, MPH, BSN, R.N., brings nearly 20 years of nursing and leadership experience to her role as vice president of Workforce and Clinical Excellence for the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association (AzHHA). She focuses on providing strategic oversight on initiatives related to healthcare workforce development, health equity and patient safety.

Karen spent the last decade implementing nurse residency programs, including the Arizona Transition to Practice Program, and collaborating with healthcare organizations to produce innovative solutions that empower the nursing workforce. Her previous clinical roles include emergency room nursing, transfusion medicine, healthcare accreditation and quality. Karen is passionate about empowering nurses at the point of care and advocating for equity in nursing.

In 2023, she joined the AzHHA team as director, transition to practice program and was promoted to vice president of Workforce and Clinical Excellence in 2025.

Karen earned a Doctorate in Education with an emphasis in healthcare administration and organizational leadership from Aspen University. She also received a Master of Public Health from Walden University and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Grand Canyon University. Karen holds certifications in healthcare quality and Six Sigma Black Belt. She is an active member of the American Nurses Association, the Arizona Nurses Association, the Arizona Organization for Nurse Leaders and the National Association for Healthcare Quality.