Kristi Grzybowski
Coopersville,MI
Summary
Senior nursing executive with extensive experience transforming complex healthcare systems. Focused on advancing nursing practice and optimizing care delivery through strategic governance and workforce integration, resulting in improved patient access and quality outcomes.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Director, Ambulatory Clinical Operations
Corewell Health
01.2022 - Current
- Serve as senior ambulatory nursing and clinical operations executive across a complex, multi-site, multi-regional ambulatory network
- Lead system-level strategy for nursing governance, care model design, workforce optimization, and clinical operations integration
- Establish and lead enterprise standards for nursing practice, quality, and regulatory compliance, ensuring alignment across ambulatory and hospital-based outpatient settings
- Provide executive partnership to physician, operational, and system leaders to advance access, quality, workforce stability, and financial performance
- Oversee centralized ambulatory clinical services, including triage, population health, telehealth nursing, and clinical support teams
Director, Clinical Operations & Performance Improvement
Spectrum Health
01.2020 - 01.2022
- Led system-wide implementation of clinical standards, workflows, and performance improvement initiatives across ambulatory services
- Designed and deployed standardized methodologies to drive adoption of best practices across service lines
- Directed redesign of ambulatory clinical onboarding and education, transitioning to hybrid and role-based competency models
- Established governance processes for clinical requests, protocols, and scope of practice changes
- Supported operational leadership during COVID
Clinical Operations Specialist
Spectrum Health
01.2017 - 01.2020
- Led cross-functional clinical operations and process improvement initiatives across multiple ambulatory service lines
- Partnered with physicians and operational leaders to identify workflow inefficiencies, standardize practices, and improve quality and safety outcomes
- Developed and implemented clinical policies, procedures, and protocols, aligning with best practices and regulatory requirements
- Supported facility planning and new site development, ensuring clinical workflow design, safety standards, and operational readiness
- Led initiatives to improve MIPS quality performance, documentation standards, and clinical compliance
- Established governance structures for clinical workflows and contributed to enterprise policy and standards development
- Facilitated rapid improvement events, A3 problem solving, and daily management systems to support continuous improvement
Practice Manager – Orthopedics (Multi-Specialty)
Spectrum Health
01.2015 - 01.2017
- Directed operations for multi-specialty orthopedic practice supporting 29 providers and 50+ staff
- Improved access and throughput through workflow redesign and staffing optimization
- Partnered in dyad model with physician leadership to improve performance and engagement
Manager, Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC)
Spectrum Health
01.2013 - 01.2015
- Managed multi-specialty ambulatory surgery center including 4 operating rooms and 40+ clinical staff
- Oversaw operations, staffing, budgeting, quality performance, regulatory compliance in multi-specialty ambulatory surgery center, ensuring optimal patient care and operational excellence
- Partnered with surgeons and anesthesia teams to enhance OR utilization and throughput
- Led initiatives to improve patient satisfaction, achieving top-tier Press Ganey performance
- Developed staffing models aligned to surgical volume and case mix, enhancing resource allocation and minimizing overtime
- Implemented supply chain and inventory improvements to standardize practices, streamlining operations and reducing variability
- Led process improvement and safety initiatives, including reduction in needlestick exposures and improved patient education processes
Education
MBA -
Grand Valley State University
01-2020
BSN -
Grand Valley State University
01-2006
Skills
- Clinical operations strategy
- Quality and safety
- Access improvement
- Care model transformation
- Financial performance
- Operational efficiency
- Workforce optimization
- Clinical governance
- Leadership change management
- Patient experience enhancement
Executive Accomplishments
Established an ambulatory nursing governance model with enterprise accountability for practice, competency, quality, and regulatory alignment, Defined and standardized clinical decision-making, escalation pathways, and practice standards across ambulatory settings, Aligned nursing oversight across medical group and hospital outpatient environments to ensure a consistent, system-wide care model, Strengthened ambulatory safety through implementation of standardized safety huddles and emergency response frameworks, improving reliability and escalation, Designed and scaled a centralized nurse triage model, establishing standardized guidelines, KPIs, and escalation pathways to support 24/7 access, quality, and safety, Optimized care access and outcomes through triage redesign, reducing unnecessary ED utilization and provider administrative burden, Expanded telehealth nursing services, including triage and centralized refill operations, to support high-volume, system-wide patient needs, Established and scaled a population health nursing model aligned to value-based care, proactive patient management, and HCC performance, Integrated triage, population health, and care navigation workflows to support enterprise ED avoidance strategies, Developed and scaled a Medical Assistant apprenticeship program, graduating 82 apprentices across multiple cohorts to strengthen workforce pipeline and sustainability, Launched a bilingual MA apprenticeship program in partnership with community organizations to expand workforce access and address staffing gaps, Led role clarity and scope optimization across RNs, MAs, and technical roles to improve top-of-license practice and team effectiveness, Transformed onboarding and education through hybrid, role-based competency models to improve workforce readiness, performance, and retention, Reduced needlestick exposures by over 60% through targeted safety initiatives and system-wide practice improvements, Standardized clinical protocols, safety practices, and education to align with CMS, Joint Commission, and regulatory requirements, Established clinical standards and audit-ready processes to support system-wide regulatory readiness, accreditation, and compliance, Led centralization of key clinical operations functions, including triage, population health, refill services, and clinical support roles, improving efficiency and reducing duplication, Integrated clinical workflows across services to improve service levels, cross-coverage, and staffing optimization without additional FTEs, Drove cost savings through workflow redesign, labor optimization, and operational efficiency improvements, Led standardization across a multi-regional ambulatory network to improve consistency, scalability, and performance
Core Capabilities
- Clinical Operations Strategy
- Clinical & Nursing Governance
- Care Model Transformation
- Workforce Strategy & Optimization
- Access & Throughput Improvement
- Quality, Safety & Regulatory
- Financial & Operational Performance
- Change Leadership
Timeline
Senior Director, Ambulatory Clinical Operations
Corewell Health
01.2022 - Current
Director, Clinical Operations & Performance Improvement
Spectrum Health
01.2020 - 01.2022
Clinical Operations Specialist
Spectrum Health
01.2017 - 01.2020
Practice Manager – Orthopedics (Multi-Specialty)
Spectrum Health
01.2015 - 01.2017
Manager, Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC)
Spectrum Health
01.2013 - 01.2015
MBA -
Grand Valley State University
BSN -
Grand Valley State University