8 DECEMBER 2024IN MY OPINIONSafety is one of many essentials of healthcare institutions that each employee is expected to provide. This inter-departmental element entails consistent management and unity for seamless patient care. Amber Howard offers a fresh perspective on mitigating risks by collaborating with many departments. Enhancing experiences in healthcare, she urges decision-makers to prioritize a just environment and open communication. Securing opportunities My professional journey in healthcare started 18 years ago as a bedside nurse on a cardiac step-down unit at one of the hospitals within Infirmary Health System. After serving in a bedside care role for 6 years, I became interested in doing more and making a difference within the health system. That opportunity presented itself when a position in the quality management department opened that would allow me to impact patient care and improve outcomes for future patients. Here, I created a pathway through a multifaceted system to expand my knowledge and understanding of healthcare from a different perspective. These experiences exposed me to every operational level within the organization, broadening my healthcare knowledge and how each operation impacted patient care and safety. With this experience, I was awarded the position of Director of Corporate Risk Management at Infirmary Health, the largest not-for-profit, non-governmental healthcare system in Alabama. By Amber Howard, Director of Corporate Risk Management, Infirmary HealthAmber Howard, Director of Corporate Risk Management for Infirmary Health has earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Spring Hill College and a Master of Business Administration and Health Care Management from Columbia Southern University. Obtaining her certification as a Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management from the American Hospital Association, Amber has a passion for safe, high-quality care.Amber HowardAnchoring Quality Care with Collaboration
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