Leading a Culture of Safety: A Blueprint for Success

Lead and Reward a Just Culture and Establish Organizational Behavior Expectations

This panel has been approved by ACHE National to qualify for 1.5 Face-to-Face virtual credits.

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Moderator: Glenn Hardesty, M.D., FACHE
Medical Director
Texas Health Physician Leadership Policy Council

Panelists:

Paula Brandon, FACHE, MSN
Vice President, Quality and Clinical Support
Community Hospital Corporation

Kristin Duncan, RN, BSN, MBA, CPPS
Senior Director, Reliable Health / Patient Safety-Risk
Texas Health Resources

Denise B. Elliott, FACHE, CLSSMBB
Quality Management Officer
Veterans Affairs Health Care Systems

Tamala Norris, DHA, BSN, RN, CPHQ, HACP, LSSGBC
Vice President, Clinical Operations & Group CNO
United Surgical Partners International

Speaker Bios:

Paula Brandon continues her career journey of improving healthcare across multiple organizations in her position as the Vice President, Quality and Clinical Support at Community Hospital Corporation (CHC). The CHC mission is to guide, support and enhances the mission of community hospitals and healthcare providers. CHC supports acute and long-term acute care facilities across the country providing consultation, management, and ownership services. Paula’s primary focus is on the quality programs, regulatory compliance, and clinical excellence.

A nurse, with an MSN in Nursing Administration from the University of Tennessee, Paula’s background includes over 25 years as a Chief Nurse in several organizations across the mid-south and south. She began her administrative career as an Associate Chief Nurse at the VA in Memphis, Tennessee, then as a Chief Nurse for an HMA Hospital in Van Buren, Arkansas and Good Shepherd Medical Center, Marshall, Texas. In 2012 Paula transitioned to become the Senior Vice President of Organizational Excellence, Good Shepherd Health System, where she was responsible for quality across multiple organizations.

Prior to joining CHC in 2018, Paula worked at The University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHSCT) in Tyler Texas. During her tenure at UTHSCT, Paula was responsible for multiple Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) projects as a part of the 1115 Healthcare Transformation Waiver, with a focus on redesigning fragmented, episodic care across geographically diverse partners.

Paula’s utilizes a system theory conceptual framework to guide her clinical and quality leadership with an emphasis on collaboration and team building within organizations to create a comprehensive, integrated, patient-centered, safe, and preventive quality program which promotes organizational excellence. The goal of this type of care model is to create a culture of safety, quality, service, efficiency, and care coordination.

Paula is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives ACHE and has served in a leadership capacity for the Northeast Texas ACHE for several years. In 2011, Paula was awarded the Senior-Level Healthcare Executive Award by the ACHE Regent. Paula was also appointed as a sponsor for the UT System Women’s Senior Leader Network. Additionally, Paula has presented at several national conferences on Palliative Care, 1115 Waiver Delivery System Incentive Reform Projects, and the Role of the Chief Nursing Officer. She has published several journal articles and book chapters related to nursing leadership.

Kristin Duncan serves as Senior Director for Patient Safety/Risk Management at Texas Health Resources and is responsible for overseeing the Patient Safety and Risk Management program which includes analyzing and trending patient safety events and data, conducting Patient Safety and Risk Management educational programs, complying with regulatory obligations with the objectives of enhancing patient, visitor and employee safety and promoting HRO implementation and sustainability activities. Kristin has been at Texas Health for over 20 years with 15 of those years in Patient Safety and Risk Management. Kristin is Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS), has a Master of Business Administration, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and is a Registered Nurse.

Denise Elliott is the Quality Management Officer for the VA Heart of Texas Healthcare Network. In this role she oversees the activities and programs related to healthcare quality and process improvement within seven of the eight Veterans Affairs Health Care Systems in Texas. She holds a Bachelor of Psychology and a Master of Neuroscience from Baylor University. As the Quality Management Officer, Denise must employ her skills as a life-long learner, an active listener, and an empathetic leader to be able to appropriately consult on both clinical and administrative processes that affect the healthcare of Texas Veterans. She is a Certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and has over 25 years of healthcare experience.

When she is not actively picking apart and putting together systems and processes, Denise is an avid Camp Gladiator enthusiast and competitor. She and her husband live in Tarrant county with their 16-year-old daughter.

Glenn Hardesty has been a practicing Emergency physician with Texas Heath for the past 20 years. Seeing the opioid crisis on the front lines in the emergency department and from the streets serving on the Arlington Police Department SWAT team. He frequently addresses the media on a wide variety of topics, including opioids and the dangers that surround them. Additionally, he is a certified physician executive and has held many different leadership roles within Texas Health over the years. Currently serving as medical director for the Physician Leadership Council, Physician Leadership Policy Council, Physician Lead! (Texas Health’s own physician leadership development program) and co-chair of Texas Health’s comprehensive opioid plan.

Tamala Norris joined Tenet Healthcare and United Surgical Partners International in December 2016 and serves as the Vice President of Clinical Operations and Group Chief Nursing Officer with national oversight for USPI’s hospital service line, nursing practice, the Baylor Scott & White Health and Memorial Hermann partnerships. She serves as an Editorial Board Member for the International Journal of Nursing Sciences and Clinical Practices reviewing journal articles and research. She has a Bachelor of Nursing from South University and a Doctorate in Healthcare Administration from Walden University. As a clinician, Tamala worked in Labor and Delivery, Emergency Services, and was a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. After leaving the bedside she transitioned into quality management focusing serving as a hospital then system leader of Quality, Patient Safety, Risk Management, and Regulatory Operations before joining Tenet Healthcare and USPI.

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