Karen McKerihan, MSN, NP-C

Karen grew up in India, the daughter of missionaries, and has always wanted to be nurse- she thinks the initial attraction was the cool, white cap that nurses wore. After graduation from high school in India she came back to the US where she attended Covenant College in Chattanooga, TN and then the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga where she received her Bachelors of Science in Nursing. Over the next 25 years, while her family was growing, she worked as a Registered Nurse in labor and delivery. When her children were grown and almost out of college she worked in pain management while returning to graduate school for her Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN) as a Nurse Practitioner. She graduated from Walden University in 2014 with her MSN and passed her certification exam later that year. She has 2 years of experience as a nurse practitioner in rheumatology. In 2018, Karen joined LCR as the Director of Infusion to continue leading and cultivating the growth of the infusion department. Karen is a member of the Association of Women in Rheumatology, the Infusion Nurses Society and the Association of Rheumatology Professionals. She is conversationally fluent in Hindi and looks forward to occasions to practice this with her Hindi speaking patients.

Karen is married to another missionary kid and has 3 children and 2 grandchildren. She is active in her church, particularly the music. In her spare time she plays the bagpipes and is a member of The Charleston Pipe Band.