Stephen B. Stewart founded Vital Signs Finance on a conviction he formed over two decades of clinical and academic leadership: the same disciplined attention that keeps a patient stable keeps a business solvent. Both depend on watching the right numbers, reading them honestly, and acting before a small variance becomes a crisis.

A QuickBooks Online Certified ProAdvisor, Stephen began his business career in banking, as a Small Business Specialist with Bank of America in Washington, D.C., where he was recognized as the top-performing specialist in the DC Metro Region. He later worked as a Financial Representative with Northwestern Mutual, developing individualized financial plans and risk management strategies for clients, and has served as a board member and marketing representative for a nonprofit organization.

That financial grounding sits on top of a substantial record in management. As a Nurse Manager and House Supervisor, Stephen held full accountability for staffing, budgets, regulatory compliance, and care oversight in facilities serving more than 600 residents, and served as the senior decision-maker on site during off-hours and high-acuity situations. He has built teams, conducted performance evaluations, managed corrective action, and developed other leaders.

He has also led at the institutional level, serving as Chair of Faculty Council and Chair of the Curriculum Committee at St. Joseph’s College of Nursing, guiding faculty governance and curriculum through accreditation with ACEN, DNV, and the New York State Department of Health.

Teaching runs through all of it. Stephen has served as an Associate Professor of Nursing, adjunct faculty, and clinical instructor across ADN, BSN, and RN-BSN programs, chaired courses in Ethics and Nursing Research, and coordinated an accredited nurse residency program. His programs have achieved 100 percent first-time board pass rates, and he has been nominated multiple times for teaching excellence.

He holds an MSN in Nursing Education from Capella University, an MSEd in Guidance and Counseling from Old Dominion University, and a BS in Psychology, also from Old Dominion.

Vital Signs Finance provides bookkeeping and accounting services to business owners across Central New York.