Nurturing Caregivers, Elevating Patient Outcomes: A Hospital’s Compassionate Approach

Kim Werkmeister, MS, RN, CPHQ, CPPS
Senior Vice President, Improvement and Implementation
Cynosure Health

Kim Werkmeister is a nurse leader and national expert in the reliable implementation of patient safety and process improvement strategies in health care. She has led numerous national collaborative healthcare improvement initiatives for Cynosure Health, the Hospital Quality Institute, AHA/HRET, and the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative, among others. Her areas of expertise include overall healthcare improvement and patient safety implementation strategies, patient and family engagement strategies, and the reduction of clinical adverse events such VTE, ADE, Readmissions, HAI, Sepsis Mortality, Failure to Rescue, and Maternal Mortality and Morbidity. She has developed numerous patient safety and quality improvement toolkits, virtual educational series, and quality and patient safety certification courses. She frequently speaks to hospitals and health systems as a subject matter expert.

Ms. Werkmeister was formerly a Director of Quality and Patient Safety at two California hospitals, as well as the Leadership Development Chair on the Board of Directors for the California Association for Healthcare Quality. She has been a Registered Nurse for over 30 years. She holds specialty certifications as a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality, a Certified Professional in Patient Safety, and a Master of Science in Patient Safety Leadership from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She also volunteers as the Chair of the Patient and Family Advisory Council at Mission Hospital in California.

Kopitzee Parra-Thornton, PhD
Director, Care Experience & Organizational Effectiveness
Providence Mission Hospital

Dr. Parra-Thornton is a hospital leader known for her expertise in organizational development and strategic leadership. She has been called the “Swiss Army Knife” leader nimbly meeting organization imperatives. Kopitzee has extensive experience solving complex challenges, founding, designing and building new programs, and fostering a learning community of leaders to achieve strategic goals. She has developed multiple leadership development programs, led multi-year change initiatives, and developed systems, processes, and tools to bridge people capability to organizational capacity. Using these principles, Kopitzee has effectively partnered with nursing leadership to drive a culture of learning, building leadership bench strength for quality process/performance improvement, and enhancing the patient experience

One of the most noteworthy facets of Kopitzee’s career is her unwavering dedication to fostering the growth and development of others. She is an ardent mentor believing in the potential of others, developing personal development plans, offering guidance, facilitating connections, and supporting career development. Her impact resonates deeply through her coaching skills, successfully lifting leaders and teams, and her finesse in handling delicate conversations. In this environment of psychological safety, she has developed strong, trusting partnerships where leaders are safe to ask questions and find their own paths to thrive. Her resilience, empathy, and determination serve as cornerstones for overcoming challenges, positioning her as a catalyst for positive change in the initiatives she undertakes.