Kate Flynn, FACHE, is President of the Health Care Improvement Foundation. The mission of the Foundation (HCIF) is to build partnerships for better health care in the greater Philadelphia area. In this role since 2007, Kate coordinates programs to advance the region in the forefront of patient safety and complement the region's growing recognition as a global life sciences center. Under her leadership, HCIF has been recognized as an outstanding example of the patient safety advances that can be achieved in large-scale, multi-organizational collaboration. HCIF maintains a strong alignment with the Delaware Valley Healthcare Council, the ECRI Institute, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, the Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, and other stakeholders in the promotion of quality and patient safety. Through the Partnership for Patient Care, a collaboration with Independence Blue Cross, HCIF is focused on accelerating the effective adoption of evidence-based clinical practices by pooling the resources, knowledge, and efforts of hospitals and other stakeholders. HCIF also plays a key role in coordinating disaster preparedness and “green” environmental efforts of the healthcare community in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Prior to joining HCIF, Kate was Vice President, Performance Improvement at VHA East Coast, where she led regional initiatives in clinical and operational performance improvement for 23 VHA member healthcare organizations throughout New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania. Her role included support of VHA’s national clinical performance portfolio, regional pharmacy initiatives, workforce and management training, and JCAHO survey readiness. From 2004 to 2007, she led a significant ICU improvement collaborative involving 39 hospitals. Kate joined VHA in 1991 and also worked in marketing and member relations positions.
Kate's previous experience also includes 12 years in hospital operations in executive positions at Parkview Hospital, Quakertown Community Hospital, and Albert Einstein Medical Center, all in southeastern Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of Brown University and earned an MBA degree from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. She is a Fellow and former Regent of the American College of Healthcare Executives and serves on the Board of Directors of the Healthcare Leadership Network of the Delaware Valley. In 1998 Kate was awarded the Alumni Achievement Award of the Wharton Health Care Alumni Association and in 2006 she received the ACHE Pennsylvania Regent’s Senior Executive Award