Julie L. O'Brien, NP

Julie O’Brien is a nurse practitioner with the Supportive and Palliative Care Program. She is board certified as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. She received a BS in Biology from Utah State and her BS and MS in Nursing from the University of Utah. She spent the first 9 years as a nurse in the surgical intensive care unit. After becoming a nurse practitioner she joined the department of surgery/division of general surgery. She spent 25 years caring for patients in many arenas- acute care, foregut surgery and surgical oncology: breast, colorectal and upper GI malignancies. She was also the inaugural APC Director in the Department of Surgery for the past 7 years. She has always had an interest in the supportive arena of palliative care having cared for and supported many patients and families before the specialty of palliative care was formalized. She spends her free time outside as much as possible; working in the yard/gardens, hiking, walking with friends and playing with Dot the mini Bernadoodle as well as reading. Her joy is cheering on and being immensely proud of her grown son and daughter who are also in health care.