She obtained her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri and her Master’s of Science in Nursing at University of Missouri-Kansas City. She worked as an RN for five years in cardiac telemetry units and critical care units, primarily at North Kansas City Hospital. She served as the founding nurse practitioner for NKCH’s Coagulation Clinic before moving to the Truman Medical Center’s Palliative Care team in 2006. In 2010, she joined NorthCare Hospice as the nurse practitioner for the home hospice program and she is now part of the Kansas City Hospice family. Denise holds certifications from ANCC as an adult nurse practitioner and HPNA as an Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse. In 2014, she was a March of Dimes Nurse of the Year Finalist in the Advanced Practice Nurse category.