With more than 25 years of senior nursing leadership experience, Carol Porter, D.N.P., RN, FAAN, brings a wealth of knowledge regarding clinical operations, emergency management, quality and interdisciplinary collaboration to her role as the leader of MD Anderson’s diverse nursing community and the institution as a whole.

Since joining MD Anderson in 2016, Dr. Porter has served as an executive sponsor of numerous strategic improvement initiatives. An avid champion for nursing research and education, she has a passion for driving innovative approaches to patient care and is leading efforts to further develop the institution’s nursing research program. She served as an incident commander during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, leading the institution through an unprecedented storm and recovery period.

in 2020, Dr. Porter and the nursing team successfully completed MD Anderson’s journey toward achieving its fifth consecutive Magnet Recognition Program® designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

She believes the role of any leader is to educate and mentor. As a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, she’s committed to shaping the future of nursing across the nation and globally by promoting a culture that empowers nurses to take charge of their nursing practice and to strive to achieve higher professional goals.

Prior to joining MD Anderson, Dr. Porter served for 12 years as chief nursing officer at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. During her tenure, the ANCC honored Mount Sinai twice with Magnet designation. She also led the establishment of the hospital’s Center for Nursing Research and Education, which encourages nurses to become engaged in nursing research and turn their findings into practice.

Dr. Porter earned a doctorate of nursing practice from Case Western Reserve University, a master’s degree in public administration-health administration from Rutgers University, and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from William Paterson University. She is a Wharton Nurse Executive Fellow, Fellow of the American Academy of Nurses, and is a 2010 graduate of the International Council of Nurses Global Nursing Leadership Institute in Geneva, Switzerland.