Christine Kurnath
Christine Kurnath is a highly accomplished nursing leader and Director of Nursing at Thompson Healthcare & Sports Medicine, with 47 years of dedicated service to the nursing profession. She began her career as a Registered Nurse at John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, inspired by her mother’s unfulfilled dream of becoming a nurse. Christine went on to earn both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Primary Healthcare of Adults in Nursing from Seton Hall University, where she was honored to have President Ronald Reagan serve as guest speaker at her graduation. Her career has been defined by a lifelong commitment to compassionate care, clinical excellence, and advancing patient-centered healthcare.
Throughout her extensive professional journey, Christine has served in a wide range of clinical and leadership roles across multiple healthcare settings. Her experience includes early work at Highland Medical Center in Rochester, New York, as well as long-term service with Somerset OB/GYN Associates affiliated with Somerset Medical Center and St. Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick, and Morristown Medical Center. She later served nearly 10 years as Regional Director of Nursing for a large multidisciplinary practice spanning 11 offices across Monmouth and Ocean County, overseeing services including medicine, occupational therapy, physical therapy, chiropractic care, pain management, sports medicine, and acupuncture. This practice eventually merged with Atlantic Health System, one of New Jersey’s largest health systems, where the focus continued on sports medicine, pain management, and orthopedic care.
Christine has maintained numerous certifications throughout her career, including Nurse Practitioner certification, IV certification, aesthetics training, and allergy treatment certification. She has been a lifelong advocate for women’s health and has contributed extensively to college health settings, including work with Rutgers University. Her career has spanned some of the most challenging periods in modern healthcare, including the AIDS epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic, during which she and her teams remained committed to serving essential workers such as teachers, police officers, and community members. Now retired from full-time practice, she continues her dedication to service through monthly volunteer work with Meals on Wheels, local food banks, and community health initiatives, while cherishing time with her grandchildren and remaining devoted to improving the well-being of her community.
• Seton Hall University - BSN
• Seton Hall University - MSN
• Nurse Practitioner Certification
• CPR
• Basic Life Support
• IV Certification
• Aesthetics Certification
• Allergy Treatment Certification
• Nurse of the Year
• American Nurses Association
• ANCC (American Nurses Credentialing Center)
• Sigma Theta Tau
• Council of Primary Healthcare Nurse Practitioners
• New Jersey State Association
• Seton Hall University Alumni Association
• Meals on Wheels
• Food Bank (weekly volunteer)
• Pride Parade in Asbury Park
• Monthly community service rotations
• Cheshire Homes Inc
• Morristown Memorial Hospital
• American Heart Association
Areas of Specialization/Expertise
- Women's Health
- College Health and Primary Care
- Sports Medicine
- Pain Management
- Orthopedic
What do you enjoy most about practicing medicine?
What I enjoy most about nursing is being able to help people during the most difficult moments of their lives. I've always found it incredibly fulfilling to bring light to somebody's life while they're going through a horrible day, you know, the worst day of their lives. Throughout my 47 years in this profession, whether it was working through the devastating AIDS epidemic in college health settings or staying open throughout the entire COVID-19 pandemic to serve our community's teachers, police, and essential service workers, I've seen how much nursing can make a difference. The ability to provide care, education, and support to people when they need it most has kept me going through all the challenges. Even now in retirement, I continue to find purpose in volunteering and giving back, because there's so much need out there in our communities, and as a nurse, you just want to continue to help.