Top 10 Patient Safety Leaders - 2025

Christina Huitt is the Senior Director of Quality and Patient Safety at CaroMont Health. She has over 24 years of experience leading quality improvement and patient safety programs. Huitt oversees hospital and outpatient quality, regulatory compliance and clinical performance, ensuring high standards of care across the health system.

Alexandra Perreiter is the Director of Patient Safety at Sharp HealthCare. She is a pharmacist with deep expertise in medication safety and preventing medical errors. With over a decade of experience, she works to make hospitals safer for patients through better practices and strong leadership.

Trina Lapsley: Director of Patient Safety & Risk Management at Harris Health System. With over 13 years of nursing experience, she leads initiatives to reduce harm, strengthen safety protocols, and foster transparency in healthcare. Holding an MSN in Executive Nurse Leadership and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration, she integrates strategic planning, data-driven insights, and patient advocacy to improve healthcare outcomes. Her work focuses on zero harm, equitable healthcare, and empowering clinicians and patients through high-reliability strategies and Patient and Family Advisory Councils (PFACs).

Luis Nava is the director of quality and patient safety at Lovelace Health System. Trained as a medical doctor, he has built his career improving how hospitals deliver care. With over 20 years in healthcare, he leads teams, develops safety programs, and helps reduce risk and harm for patients across complex healthcare systems.

Philip Atoyebi is the Corporate Director of Quality Strategy and Operations at Emory Healthcare. He has over a decade of experience in healthcare, working in roles from bedside care to leadership. He focuses on patient safety, quality improvement and teamwork to deliver effective, patient-centered hospital care.

Melissa Clancy is the Director of Quality and Patient Safety at John Muir Health. She has worked in healthcare for over 20 years, including hospital operations, patient safety, accreditation and performance improvement. She helps teams improve care and safety across hospitals and outpatient clinics in California.

Christie Barreda is the Director of Quality and Patient Safety at Houston Methodist Cypress. She has over 15 years of experience in healthcare quality, patient safety and infection control. She has led quality teams across several hospitals in Texas and focuses on improving care, safety and patient outcomes.

Bonnie Portnoy is the Vice President of Risk Management and Patient Safety at Mount Sinai Health System. She has over 30 years of experience in nursing, risk management and patient safety. She leads safety programs, teaches at universities and speaks at global healthcare conferences to promote better care and accountability.

Sara Lesnicki is the Director of Quality and Patient Safety at OSF HealthCare. She has over 20 years of experience in emergency nursing, trauma coordination and risk management. She works to improve patient outcomes through strong leadership, clinical expertise and a deep commitment to safety and quality care.

Amanda Dean is the Director of Patient Safety at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. She brings years of experience as a nurse and leader in healthcare and is committed to protecting patients and supporting staff. Her work focuses on creating safe, honest and caring environments across all levels of care.