Who We Are

The Hospital Quality Institute (HQI) was established to realize statewide impact of improving patient safety and quality care for all Californians, to accelerate the rate of improvement, and to advance California as a national leader in quality performance. HQI was founded as a 501(c)(3) organization through a collaboration of the California Hospital Association (CHA), Hospital Council of Northern and Central California,Hospital Association of Southern California (HASC) and Hospital Association of San Diego & Imperial Counties (HASD&IC).

HQI is structured to:

  • Develop a statewide culture of improvement that inspires, engages and achieves results.
  • Simplify and harmonize activities and initiatives and set priorities for statewide impact.
  • Capture economies of scale for statewide and local initiatives.
  • Reduce the burden of reporting and compliance on hospitals.
  • Honor and build on successful work-in-progress and take best practices to scale.
  • Tell the story of quality and patient safety in California.

Meet the team of quality professionals who help HQI and CHPSO member hospitals lead the nation in high quality, safe and reliable health care, resulting in greater value and better health.

  • Asma Ahmad

    Data Systems Support Coordinator

  • Candice Cam

    Data Analyst

  • Trisha Cervellin

    Administrative Assistant

  • Vivian Eusebio, RN, PHN, MBA

    Patient Safety Clinical Advisor

  • Robert Imhoff

    President

  • Kamali Jones

    Safety & Reliability Clinical Advisor

  • Boris Kalanj, MSW

    Director of Programs

  • Scott Masten, PhD

    Vice President, Measurement Science and Data Analytics

  • Tim Rehwald

    Principal Engineer

  • Julia Slininger, RN, BS, CPHQ

    Program Manager, Perinatal Mental Health Initiative

  • Amy Adome, MD

    Senior VP, Clinical Effectiveness, Sharp HealthCare

  • Dimitrios Alexiou

    President/CEO, Hospital Association of San Diego & Imperial Counties, San Diego

  • Elaine Batchlor, MD

    CEO, Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital

  • Bryan Bucklew

    President/CEO, Hospital Council — Northern & Central California

  • Shari Chavez, RN

    Division Chief Nurse Executive, HCA Far West Division

  • Carmela Coyle

    President & Chief Executive Officer CAHHS – California Hospital Association

  • Loriann De Martini, Pharm.D., MPH, BCGP

    Chief Executive Officer California Society of Health-System Pharmacists

  • Adolphe Edward, DrHA

    Former CEO, El Centro Regional Medical Center

  • George W. Greene

    President/CEO, Hospital Association of Southern California, Los Angeles

  • Robert Imhoff

    President

  • Krista Lopes, MBA, CPPS

    Vice President Quality and Patient Safety, Sutter Health

  • Barbara Pelletreau, RN

    Former Senior Vice President, Patient Safety, Dignity Health

  • Rick Rawson

    HC2 Strategies

  • Evelyn Schlosser, RN

    Executive Director of Quality Southern California Region Providence Health System

  • Kevin Smothers, MD

    Former Chief Medical Executive, Sutter Medical Center

  • Chad VanDenBerg

    Chief Quality and Patient Safety Officer UC San Diego Health

  • Anne Marie Watkins, RN

    Chief Nurse Executive, Kaiser Permanente – San Diego and Zion Medical Centers