THE VALUED VOICE

Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) Chief Quality Officer Beth Dibbert will retire on Jan. 18, 2020, ending a 46-year nursing career of providing bedside care and helping hospitals plan, execute and measure successful quality improvement programs.
 
Dibbert was recruited to WHA in 2015 and assumed the chief quality officer role in 2017. She had previously served in a similar role at the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative (RWHC), where in 2010 she led the Quality Indicators Program, a quality measure solution for hospital quality data reporting. As a result of her work, RWHC was one of the first organizations in the nation to be certified for meaningful use electronic health record capabilities by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
 
At RWHC, Dibbert worked with WHA to establish the Wisconsin Quality Residency Program in 2014. The 12-month program teaches health care professionals new to quality improvement specialized industry concepts, leadership essentials, networking resources and other topics as requested by hospital and health system members. Dibbert has continued her involvement with the residency program’s planning and administration during her WHA tenure.
 
WHA has drawn upon Dibbert’s expertise and leadership in CMS’s Partners for Patients Hospital Improvement Innovation Network (HIIN). WHA partnered with hospital associations in Illinois and Michigan to create the Great Lakes Partners for Patients and engaged over 300 hospitals across the region to improve patient outcomes. The Great Lakes model helped form the basis for the Superior Health Quality Alliance, a multi-state organization of quality improvement contractors dedicated to improving health care through innovation, effectiveness and efficiency.
 
Dibbert’s work with Wisconsin hospitals and health systems to maintain and advance quality assurance initiatives and report on their outcomes through WHA’s CheckPoint website has helped keep both the public and Wisconsin lawmakers informed about the excellent standards of care practiced in the state.
 
“I am proud to have been a part of WHA’s 100 years of advocacy,” said Dibbert, reflecting on her work on behalf of WHA’s members.
 
“Beth has been a strong advocate for our members and has made significant contributions to health care quality practices and reporting protocols in the state,” said WHA President and CEO Eric Borgerding. “I appreciate the visibility she has created for the high-quality care Wisconsin hospitals and health systems provide. She has laid a strong foundation for her colleague Nadine Allen to build upon.”
 
Allen joined WHA in 2016 from Beaver Dam Community Hospital, where she served three years as director of quality, patient safety and process improvement, during which time she participated in the first cohort of the RWHC-WHA Wisconsin Quality Residency Program. She has been heavily involved in HIIN improvement initiatives and serves as a valuable resource to hospital leaders on topics related to quality improvement strategy development and execution. Allen has also provided leadership in helping Wisconsin hospitals respond to COVID-19, helping hospital executives connect with state and federal resources. She looks forward to reengaging with WHA members on post-pandemic issues when conditions allow.