Dr. Anderson was chief executive officer of Cardon Children’s Medical Center in Mesa, Arizona, a Banner Health hospital from 2009 to 2016 and prior to that held numerous CEO, CNO, COO positions throughout the United States. 

She currently is a healthcare consultant for RMA Consulting of Arizona and consultant and surveyor for Global Healthcare Accreditation. She is a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, the American College of Healthcare Executives and American College of Healthcare Trustees. She is currently president of the American Nurses Credentialing Center, Vice Chair of the Arizona Perinatal Trust, Chair of the Arizona Nurses Foundation for the Future of Nursing and Chair of the Elders of her church. She currently serves on four editorial boards, Chamberlain College of Nurses Board of Trustees, Make A Wish Board, Scottsdale Center for the Arts Board, American organization for Nurse Leaders Board, Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association Board, Christian Care Association Board, Products, Services and Education Committee for ACHE, Banyon Advisory Board of Directors, Proludent Board of Directors, Motive Board of Directors, Grand Canyon University Nursing Advisory Board of Directors, Commission on Racism in Nursing Board of Directors. 

Dr. Anderson served nine years as a Joint Commission Commissioner, American Hospital Association Board of Trustees for three years, Board of the Joint Commission International, ACHE Region for Arizona, Institute for Interactive Patient Care National Advisory Board, Health Research and Education Trust Board, Committee on Research, Children’s Hospital Association Public Policy Council, National Quality Forum Measure Applications Partnership Coordinating Committee, Chair of the Board of Directors for Children’s Action Alliance, Robert Woods Johnson Foundation National Advisory Committee for Academic Progression in Nursing, American Health Association Health Forum Board of Directors, Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools Education Committee, Chair Eisenberg Awards Committee, American Hospital Association Committee of Performance Improvement, NGC/NQMC Expert Panel, and served as President of American Organization of Nurse Executives, and other national patient safety, quality, and performance measurement committees for the past fifteen years. 

In addition to receiving the Distinguished Achievement Award from Arizona State University College of Nursing, Dr. Anderson was a selected participant in The First International Institute: Executive Nurse Leadership in the United Kingdom and the United States, Florence Nightingale Trust in London, England. Dr. Anderson attended the Wharton School of Business as a selected participant in The Johnson & Johnson Fellowship Program. Dr. Anderson was also awarded the Nursing Legend, Nurse of the Year Award by the March of Dimes in 2005 and both the American Organization of Nurse Executives Lifetime Achievement Award and Nurse Week Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. Dr. Anderson is a Phoenix Business Journal 2011 Women in Business Honoree. Dr. Anderson was named Arizona Business Magazine’s 2012 Healthcare Leadership Award “Hospital Executive of the Year” and one of their “Fifty Most Influential Women in Arizona Business” and was a finalist for the Phoenix Business Journal 2013 Health Care Heroes Award, Lifetime Achievement Category. Dr. Anderson is also the recipient of the Association of Professional Chaplains 2012 Leadership Award “Distinguished Service Award”. And in 2014, she was awarded American Hospital Association, Award of Honor, and was recognized in the 2015 AZ Business Leaders Magazine as one of the top CEOs of a specialty hospital. In 2022, Dr. Anderson was awarded the ACHE Arizona Healthcare Executives Chapter Recognition Award for Healthcare Management Excellence Through Volunteer Service to the Chapter ACHE and to the Profession, as well as Exemplary Service Award for Healthcare Management Excellence Through the Performance of Activities and Services that Further Professional Excellence. In 2022, Dr. Anderson received a Certification of Appreciation for Service to the Inaugural National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing.