Kelley Murphy, RN, MSN

First Things First
Arizona Early Childhood Development and Health Board
4000 N. Central Avenue
Suite 800
Phoenix AZUSA
85012

Biographical Sketch: Kelley Murphy, RN, MSN Kelley is the Senior Health Policy Specialist for Arizona’s First Things First program. First Things First is the Arizona Early Childhood Development and Health Board created through a voter initiative in 2006. It was created to help provide greater opportunities for all children five and under in Arizona to grow up ready to succeed. Kelley has been a Registered Nurse for 16 years. She received both her BSN and MSN from Indiana University School of Nursing. Her early clinical experience was in Critical Care and Cardiology, but a desire to get to the patient before the damage was already done led her to Public Health. Prior to arriving in Arizona, Kelley worked in several capacities for the Marion County Health Department in Indianapolis, Indiana for 11 years, most recently, as the District Nursing Coordinator. Her MSN is in Community Health Nursing with a focus on public health policy. Kelley’s graduate research project and thesis were both related to childhood and adolescent obesity policy. She assisted the state of Indiana in writing its’ strategic plan to address childhood obesity. Additionally, for the last several years she has been involved in multiple statewide coalitions aimed at advocating for evidence based public health policy related to childhood obesity, smoke free workplaces, children’s health insurance coverage and improved health and safety rules for child care.