Allison Flynn

Rutherford Regional Health System (RRHS) has appointed a leader to direct quality initiatives for its entire organization, which includes the medical center and 14 off-site facilities. Marsha Baker, who had been overseeing Home Health, Rehab Services and Wound Care operations, now adds system quality to her duties. She joins the RRHS executive team as Vice President of System Quality and Community Care Services.

Part of Baker’s system quality responsibilities will include the RRHS Quality and Risk Management departments, along with the Case Management department.

Baker has a long history and great passion for quality improvement, said Cindy Buck, Rutherford Regional CEO. “Marsha already leads our internal quality council and helps us monitor and be accountable for improving our core measures. Perhaps no one is better suited to take on this new role than her. Her goal is to lead us into the top percentile of quality reporting nationally.”

Following well-established quality improvement principles, the quality core measure focus represents high-volume, high-cost diagnoses that are associated with an increased rate of morbidity or mortality. With greater focus on quality, the health system can achieve improved care processes and shortened lengths of stay, along with increased patient satisfaction, which allows RRHS to accomplish its mission of compassionately improving the health and well-being of our patients.