Jody Abbott has returned to Kansas City as senior vice president/COO at North Kansas City Hospital. Most recently Abbott worked for eight years as vice president/COO at Hillcrest Medical Center, a 628-licensed bed facility in Tulsa, Okla. Her most notable accomplishments at Hillcrest included increasing patient satisfaction, enhancing physician and employee relationships, improving financial performance and building centers for women's health, spine/orthopedics and cardiovascular care. Abbott started her nursing career in her native Kansas City. She graduated from a local nursing school and has worked at area hospitals as a critical care nurse, clinical educator and ultimately as vice president/COO. She holds a master of management degree and a bachelor of nursing degree.

Sarah Fields was promoted to vice president of Nursing after working as North Kansas City Hospital's director of Surgery since November 2005. Prior to that time, Fields' experience in Kansas City included positions as chief nursing officer, vice president of Patient Care Services and director of Surgical Services at a metro hospital. Early in her career, Fields worked at an area facility as critical care manager.

After receiving her master of science and bachelor of science in nursing from the University of Missouri-Columbia, Fields worked at University Hospital and Clinics where she started the cardiac transplant program in Columbia.