Kim has more than two and a half decades as a national expert in the reliable implementation of patient safety and process improvement strategies in health care. She has led numerous national collaborative health care improvement initiatives for Cynosure Health, the Hospital Quality Institute, AHA/HRET, the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative, and HSAG. Her areas of expertise include overall health care improvement and patient safety implementation strategies, patient and family engagement strategies, the reduction of hospital acquired harm such as 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, quality and patient safety certification courses, and is a frequent speaker to hospitals and health systems as a subject matter expert.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
- Adjunct faculty member for quality improvement efforts, California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative (CMQCC) (current)
- Member, Patient and Family Advisory Council, Mission Hospital (current)
- Director of Quality and Patient Safety at two hospitals
- Leadership Development Chair, California Association for Healthcare Quality Board of Directors
- Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality
- Certified Professional in Patient Safety
- MS in Patient Safety Leadership, University of Illinois at Chicago
EDUCATION
- Bachelor of Arts – California State University, Fullerton
- Associate Degree, Nursing – Saddleback College
- Graduate Certificate, Patient Safety Leadership – University of Illinois, Chicago
- Master of Science, Patient Safety Leadership – University of Illinois, Chicago
CERTIFICATIONS
- Certified Professional Healthcare Quality (CPHQ)
- Certified Professional Patient Safety (CPPS)
- Member, National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ)
- Member, California Association for Healthcare Quality (CAHQ)
- Member, Patient and Family Advisory Council, Mission Hospital
- Past Chair, CHOC Children’s at Mission Advocacy Committee
- Past Leadership Development Chair, Board of Directors, California Association for Healthcare Quality (CAHQ)
NOTABLE PUBLICATIONS
- Werkmeister, K. (2012, Updated 2013, 2014, 2016). Early Elective Delivery Reduction Change Package. American Hospital Association / Health Research Educational Trust (AHA/HRET) Hospital Engagement Network (HEN) Educational Resources. https://patientcarelink.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/HRETHEN_ChangePackage_EED.pdf
- Werkmeister, K. (2012, Updated 2014, 2016). Obstetrical Harm Reduction Change Package. American Hospital Association / Health Research Educational Trust (AHA/HRET) Hospital Engagement Network (HEN) Educational Resources. http://patientcarelink.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/HRETHEN_ChangePackage_OBHarm.pdf
- Tremain, S. & Werkmeister, K. (2012, Updated 2013, 2016). Venous Thromboembolism Change Package. American Hospital Association / Health Research Educational Trust (AHA/HRET) Hospital Engagement Network (HEN) Educational Resources.http://www.tnpatientsafety.com/pubfiles/Initiatives/HRET%20Resources/HRETHEN_Change%20Package_VTE%202016.pdf
- Cynosure Health. (2014). Implementation Guide: A How-To Guide for Improvement for the AHA/HRET HEN Partnership for Patients, Volume I. American Hospital Association / Health Research Educational Trust (AHA/HRET) Hospital Engagement Network (HEN) Educational Resources. http://cynosurehealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Imp_Guide_Part1_2014.pdf
- Cynosure Health. (2014). Implementation Guide: A How-To Guide for Improvement for the AHA/HRET HEN Partnership for Patients, Volume II. American Hospital Association / Health Research Educational Trust (AHA/HRET) Hospital Engagement Network (HEN) Educational Resources. http://cynosurehealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Imp_Guide_Part2_2014.pdf
- Main, E., Werkmeister, K., et al. (2014). Playbook for the Successful Reduction of Early Elective Deliveries. National Quality Forum. https://www.qualityforum.org/Publications/2014/08/Early_Elective_Delivery_Playbook_-_Maternity_Action_Team.aspx
- Lagrew, D., Werkmeister, K., et al. (2016). Toolkit to Support Vaginal Birth and Reduce Primary Cesareans. California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative. https://www.cmqcc.org/node/3147
- Werkmeister, K. (2016). HealthCare Reliability Organizing: Charting a Course Towards HCRO, a Field Guide for Managers. Hospital Quality Institute. Accessible via subscription http://www.hqinstitute.org/post/healthcare-reliability-organizing-hcror.
- Werkmeister, K. (2017, Updated 2019). Venous Thromboembolism Reduction Field Guide. Health Services Advisory Group Hospital Improvement Innovation Network (HIIN) Educational Resources. https://www.hsag.com/contentassets/6c5869e24e55450b92d3625acbfaed1d/vtefieldguide508.pdf
- Werkmeister, K. (2017). Journey to a Quiet Night: Strategies to Reduce Hospital Noise and Promote Healing. Hospital Quality Institute. https://www.hqinstitute.org/journeytoaquietnight
- Werkmeister, K. (2018). Healthcare Reliability Organizing, Clinical Improvement Modules Virtual Education Series. Hospital Quality Institute. Accessible via subscription at http://www.hqinstitute.org/post/healthcare-reliability-organizing-hcror.
- Werkmeister, K. (2018). Patient Safety Certification Course. American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians (ABQAURP). Available via subscription at https://www.abqaurp.org/ABQMain/Patient_Safety_Certificate_Course.aspx
- Spurlock, B., et al. (2020). Getting in Guide: A Roadmap to Successful Hospital Partnerships. Cynosure Health. Getting In Guide – Cynosure Health
- Spurlock, B., et al. (2020). Getting There Guide: Engage the Right People on the Performance Improvement Journey. Cynosure Health. Getting There Guide – Cynosure Health
- Spurlock, B., et al. (2020) Blueprint to Fight the Opioid Epidemic: Proven Strategies for Hospitals. Cynosure Health. https://cynosurehealth.org/resources/opioidcareblueprint/
- Werkmeister, K. (2020) Reduction of Low Risk Cesarean Delivery Rates Using a Regional Learning Collaborative Approach. Master of Science Capstone project, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Patient Safety Leadership program. Available upon request.
- Werkmeister, K. (2020) Building Blocks of Health Care Quality Improvement and Patient Safety. Cynosure Health. Online educational content accessible via subscription at Cynosure Learning & Improvement Connection (thinkific.com)
- Werkmeister, K. (2020) Readmissions Reduction Change Package. Cynosure Health. Cynosure Learning & Improvement Connection (thinkific.com)
- Ivers, N. & Werkmeister, K. (2021) Building COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence, Acceptance, and Advocacy among Health Care Workers. Cynosure Health. Building Vaccine Confidence Toolkit – Cynosure Health
PAST WORK:
- Clinical Improvement Educator – Hospital Quality Institute/California Hospital Association
- Adjunct Faculty Member – California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative (CMQCC)
- Director, Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, Tenet Healthcare, Irvine Regional Hospital Medical Center, Western Medical Center Anaheim