Living and Working the Mission - Chukwuma Egbuziem

St. Charles Honored for Quality

 

High reliability means consistent excellence in quality and safety across all services over sustained and measurable periods of time. As part of Catholic Health’s commitment to high reliability, we have focused quality teams in place at each of our six hospitals, as well as our corporate offices. Our dedicated quality professionals generally come from the clinical sphere, bringing a real-world understanding of patient-centered care to our pursuit of high reliability.  

One of our quality officers, Chukwuma Egbuziem, MS, RN, CPHQ, has just been named a 2023 Quality Improvement Champion by the United Hospital Fund (UHF), which provides thought leadership on key health policy issues affecting New York. UHF works to expand affordable health insurance coverage, improve health care quality and develop clinical-community partnerships.

As AVP/Quality Management and Performance Improvement at St. Charles Hospital, “Chuma” as he is affectionately known, takes the UHF honor as a team win.

“The thing with quality is that we’re all involved, not just those of us who carry a departmental title,” said the seasoned health care professional with 20 years at Catholic Health. “Whether you’re a quality analyst or a patient-centered clinician, a pharmacist, or part of our environmental services staff, we all have a responsibility for the patient’s safety and for ensuring that our actions and decisions align with excellence in the patient’s best interests. As we often say, “Every patient, every time.”

Before entering health care, Chuma earned a Bachelor’s Degree in computer engineering. After becoming a nurse, he began his career with Catholic Health at Good Samaritan University Hospital’s Dialysis Center.

“I think my training in engineering gave me a firm grounding in the importance of process. That led me toward the quality front,” he said. “You know, being your best for one patient is essential. And if you can raise an organization’s overall quality quotient, you’re coming through for thousands and thousands of patients. That’s what drives me.”

Catholic Health’s Chief Medical Officer Jason Golbin, DO, MBA, praises Mr. Egbuziem for his tireless dedication. “Chuma has definitely advanced the St. Charles team forward on their high reliability journey.  Under his leadership, St. Charles has performed admirably on a myriad of publicly reported metrics, driving toward zero on both HACs and HAIs, while working to reduce avoidable readmissions.  He has shepherded the teams through multiple Joint Commission surveys, both hospital-wide and specialty specific. And, he’s done it all with an indefatigable smile and personality that inspires all around him.”

Congratulations to Chukwuma Egbuziem. You inspire all of us to be our best!

 

Want to join the team? Apply at jobs.chsli.org

Read more Living and Working the Mission stories.