Cindy Chamness
Fairview,TN
Summary
Results-driven executive with 20+ years of experience in healthcare quality and risk operations. Skilled in building and implementing optimized solutions to healthcare problems. Versatile leader driving collaborative results. Seeking next career step with innovative organization.
Overview
37
37
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
National Patient Safety Manager
Ascension
St. Louis, MO
02.2024 - Current
- $22B with 125K employees
- Provide guidance on High Reliability, Human Factors, Safety Behaviors, Root Cause Analysis, and Safety Culture to market leaders and front-line associates.
- Drive system-level achievement to enterprise key performance indicators aimed at zero patient harm.
- Establish and administer an enterprise-wide patient safety specialist on-boarding and mentoring program.
Business Developer and Advisor
Self Employed
03.2023 - Current
- Identify potential partnerships that could expand the reach of clients' business offerings.
- Conduct customer discovery and contribute to investment pitches.
- Moderate panels and present evidence-based strategies to national audiences.
- Study operations models and provide growth and efficiency improvement plans.
- Researched and analyzed industry trends, competition and customer needs to develop effective marketing strategies.
VP, Quality and Safety Operations
Lifepoint Health
Brentwood, TN
03.2016 - 03.2023
- $8B, 45K employees
- Spearheaded and co-founded system-wide quality, patient safety, and culture operations strategy.
- Engineered enterprise quality and case management scorecard, dashboards, metrics, and targets.
- Achieved greater than 50% reduction in patient harm events, statistically significant improvements in culture, and 1.57% patient experience via nurse communication, and a 108% improvement in leader rounding.
- Drove system-wide performance improvements in value-based reimbursement, hospital-acquired complications, and reputation.
- Provided Executive Director leadership, strategy and execution for $17M government contracts.
- Chief strategist for targeted community partnerships and coalitions.
- Negotiated contracts with vendors for optimal pricing on materials and services.
- Chaired the biennial enterprise leadership conference for 9 years.
- Experienced speaker and coach for internal and external audiences.
VP, Quality and Care Management
Lifepoint Health
04.2017 - 12.2020
- Led strategic innovations in case management and utilization review for 3 years
- Improved care coordination efficiency and regulatory compliance
- Introduced Standard Work in Case Management and Utilization Review
- Utilized creative problem-solving techniques to resolve conflicts between clients and departments while maintaining positive relationships with all parties involved.
Sr. Director, Quality Operations
Lifepoint Health
01.2012 - 03.2016
- Created and successfully certified the Lifepoint Patient Safety Organization by AHRQ in 2016.
- Oversaw entire project lifecycle, successfully meeting established deadlines while maintaining budgetary requirements.
- Transformed Quality Operations to align with strategic objectives.
- Implemented electronic software for reporting incidents
- Revised policies and procedures for incident management and regulatory compliance.
Director Clinical Risk Management
Lifepoint Health
11.2005 - 01.2012
- Investigated clinical process variations and patient grievances.
- Standardized risk manager standard work.
- Developed taxonomy for litigation claim system and regulatory compliance.
- Attended regular meetings with senior management, discussing current risk trends and proposed mitigation strategies.
Sr. Director, Claims Management
HCA Healthcare
Nashville, TN
09.1995 - 01.2005
- $17B with 180 hospitals: Nashville, Tennessee
- Reduced impact of serious medical malpractice cases through effective management and oversight.
- Negotiated million-dollar professional liability settlements, saving legal expenses and litigation risks.
Medical Legal Assistant
Various Law Firms
10.1988 - 09.1995
- Developed and implemented a clinical legal assistant role to support medical malpractice attorneys for three law firms located in TN and MO.
- Interviewed witnesses, researched evidence-based care, and legal precedent; drafted legal documents; prepped expert witnesses for depositions; coordinated trial exhibits.
Registered Nurse
Vanderbilt Medical Center and Nashville General
05.1987 - 07.1991
- Primary patient care, charge nurse, triage, research, and preceptor in medical step-down and emergency departments.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
Vanderbilt University
MBA - Leadership
University of Tennessee – Haslam School of Business
Skills
- Program Strategy and Building
- Collaborative Innovation
- Curiosity
- Negotiation
- Crisis Management & Risk Mitigation
- Change Management
- Leadership and Supervisory
- Scorecard & Data Management
- Data Visualization & Analysis
- High Reliability & Process Improvement
- Critical Thinking
- Training & Development
Certification
- Tennessee Registered Nurse 74702
- Certified Healthcare Quality Management (CPHQ) current
- Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS) current
- Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management (CPHRM) retired
Awards and Recognition
- Wond’ry Ideator and Builder Spring Cohorts, Vanderbilt Innovation Center, 2024
- Secured IDIQ Contract National Quality Innovation Improvement Contract, 2019
- John M. Eisenberg Award for Patient Safety, 2017
Volunteer Activities
- Nashville Entrepreneur Center, Advisor, Project Healthcare
- Fairview Community Theater
- TIenovix / Vulcan Healthcare Technologies, Clinical Advisor
- Behavioral Health company, Advisor
Timeline
National Patient Safety Manager
Ascension
02.2024 - Current
Business Developer and Advisor
Self Employed
03.2023 - Current
VP, Quality and Care Management
Lifepoint Health
04.2017 - 12.2020
VP, Quality and Safety Operations
Lifepoint Health
03.2016 - 03.2023
Sr. Director, Quality Operations
Lifepoint Health
01.2012 - 03.2016
Director Clinical Risk Management
Lifepoint Health
11.2005 - 01.2012
Sr. Director, Claims Management
HCA Healthcare
09.1995 - 01.2005
Medical Legal Assistant
Various Law Firms
10.1988 - 09.1995
Registered Nurse
Vanderbilt Medical Center and Nashville General
05.1987 - 07.1991
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
Vanderbilt University
MBA - Leadership
University of Tennessee – Haslam School of Business
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