Compassionate Advocates for Patients & Families

Ekua Hackney-Stephens earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Howard University and her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of California, San Francisco. She began her clinical career as a Registered Nurse in the Pediatric Burn Unit at Children's Hospital National Medical Center in Washington, DC. She then worked for five years as an RN at Children's Hospital Oakland in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, and nearly 20 years as a pediatric nurse practitioner in the sickle cell program — coordinating clinic care, case management, transfusion services, and clinical research.

Ms. Hackney-Stephens spent 10 years as a triage nurse and manager at the Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Call Center, managing geriatric, pediatric, adult medicine, and OB/GYN patients. She also served as a case manager for adult patients at Catalina Island Health for five years, specializing in helping patients discharged from mainland hospitals transition safely back home to the island.

Her commitment to advocacy is also deeply personal. Ms. Hackney-Stephens has supported family members navigating complex diagnoses — including stage 4 colon cancer — coordinating care across multiple providers, managing transitions between care settings, and ensuring her loved ones' voices were heard at every step. That lived experience, alongside her clinical career, is at the heart of what CareBridge stands for.