St. Luke’s Hospital is pleased to introduce Michelle Whittaker who joined our staff as the Director of Perioperative Services. In this position, Whittaker will manage the daily operations of the operating room, outpatient surgery services, sterile processing, scheduling and pre-procedural screening.

With 22 years of healthcare experience, Whittaker is familiar with all aspects of nursing including the surgery department from scheduling to recovery. Prior to joining St. Luke’s Hospital, Whittaker worked as the coordinator of perioperative educators/nursing education specialist II for Mission Hospital in Asheville.

From California, Whittaker has also held positions as a clinical operating room manager in several hospitals in California and Texas. She brings experience in healthcare consulting and as a perioperative educator in a Level I trauma center. Whittaker received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Prairie View A&M in College Station, Texas, and a master’s of science in nursing education from Walden University with a 4.0 GPA.

Her certifications include certified nurse, operating room (CNOR) and she is trained in Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC).

When she’s not working, Whittaker enjoys hiking, swimming, scuba-diving and underwater photography. She has a musical collection that spans all ages and all genres.

A mother of two young adult sons, Whittaker is excited about new opportunities at St. Luke’s Hospital.