Doctor of Nursing Practice and Leader in Patient Safety

Senior Director of Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham Massachusetts. 

Rita received her ASN from New Hampshire Technical Institute and completed her BSN and MSN in Nursing Leadership at Franklin Pierce University. She completed her DNP at MGH Institute of Health Professionals and holds Certifications as a Nurse Executive, Advanced, Professional in Healthcare Quality and Lean in Healthcare.

Rita has worked in various acute care settings, including critical access hospitals, community hospitals, and academic medical centers. Her primary clinical background has been in critical care settings; intensive care, surgical services, and emergency care. 

Rita is serving on the Alumni Association Board for Franklin Pierce University and on the New Hampshire Nurses Association Finance committee. She previously served the Massachusetts Association of Healthcare Quality (MAHQ) as President, assisting in the move toward a more regional approach as the New England Association of Healthcare Quality (NEAHQ) in 2019. 

Rita’s areas of focus are improving clinical care and patient safety in healthcare practice.

Experienced Healthcare Quality Professional dedicated to improving patient care outcomes and driving excellence in healthcare organizations. With a deep understanding of quality improvement methodologies and industry standards, I am committed to ensuring the delivery of safe and efficient healthcare services.

Throughout my career, I have successfully led and implemented quality improvement initiatives that address patient care gaps, enhance patient experience, and drive overall performance for the business. I have a proven track record of working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to develop and implement evidence-based practices to drive quality outcomes.

My expertise includes developing and implementing quality improvement plans, conducting performance evaluations, and analyzing data to identify areas for improvement. I am skilled in designing and delivering training programs to educate staff on quality improvement principles and best practices.

In addition to my technical skills, I possess excellent interpersonal and communication abilities, enabling me to effectively engage stakeholders at all levels of the organization. I am passionate about fostering a culture of continuous quality improvement and empowering healthcare professionals to provide the highest standard of care.

I am an active Board Member of NEAHQ and regularly participate in conferences and workshops to expand my knowledge and network with industry experts.

Originally from a Social Science background, I segued to become a Registered Nurse with subsequent trainings in Demography and in Work Environment Policy.  My work in System Redesign  allows me to collaborate on solutions that  keep both the patient and the worker safe.   I have worked in frontline clinician and administrative capacities.  I am a CPHQ and a CPPS . I am always keen to talk about the connection between patient safety and worker safety

 On the Board of Directors of the New England Association for Healthcare Quality (NEAHQ). 

Lauren has been a healthcare quality improvement professional since 2011, and held multiple roles at Boston Children’s Hospital as a Quality Improvement Coordinator, Data Analyst, and Consultant. Lauren is currently Senior Manager of Health Care Services Strategy & Operations at Point32Health, where she serves as strategic partner to the Senior Vice President, leading business planning processes and directing the development and execution of business plans, key performance indicators, and high priority initiatives. Lauren also has several years of program and project management experience. Lauren received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Mary Washington and completed a Master of Public Health at Boston University. Lauren serves on the NEAHQ Board, and was President of the Board from 2022-2023. Lauren lives in North Attleboro, MA with her husband, daughter, and dog.

Dr. Aliysa Rajwani, BDS, MPH, CPHQ is currently the Director of Quality & Patient Safety at Mount Auburn Hospital which is part of the Beth Israel Lahey Health System in Massachusetts. She received her Master's degree in Public Health (MPH) with a focus in Health Management from the Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health. She is also a trained dentist and practiced dentistry clinically before working full time in the area of quality, safety and performance improvement.

Prior to Mount Auburn, Aliysa worked at Tufts Medical Center & the Tufts Medicine system as the Assistant Director of Performance Improvement leading PI initiatives focused on improving patient safety, patient health outcomes, operational efficiency and integration by using continuous improvement problem solving methodologies including Lean & Six Sigma. She also led the 'Quality Academy' program & other PI training & capacity building initiatives for the organization.

Aliysa has also worked at Cambridge Health Alliance in the Quality & Safety department in the domains of performance improvement, population health & value based healthcare. She has a CPHQ and has been trained in Lean & Six Sigma methodologies. In addition, she also currently serves on the Board of Directors for the New England Association of Healthcare Quality (NEAHQ).

Dr Mercado has diverse experiences in hospital management, diagnostics, ancillary, medical and nursing safety and quality, accreditation, operations management and policy development.

Seasoned healthcare executive with extensive experience in quality improvement, patient safety, accreditation, and patient experience. 

As a strategic leader, I have demonstrated a passion for delivering safe patient care and exceptional patient experiences through continuous quality improvement initiatives. 

Known for spearheading organization-wide initiatives and managing cross-functional teams, I have consistently delivered measurable value and successful outcomes within budget constraints.

Accomplished healthcare quality professional, with more than 40 years of experience in nursing and healthcare quality. Areas of expertise include quality reporting, regulatory readiness, patient safety, and process improvement. Experience in critical care, nursing management, case management, risk management and quality improvement in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

On the Board of Directors of the New England Association for Healthcare Quality (NEAHQ) since 2006. Qualified instructor for Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) examination preparation courses.

I am a dedicated professional with a strong commitment to improving patient outcomes and ensuring high standards in health care. My passion lies in improvement, where I focus on identifying inefficiencies, reducing variability in care, and implementing evidence-based practices to enhance safety and effectiveness. Through data analysis, collaboration with interdisciplinary teams, and a patient-centered approach, I strive to drive continuous improvement. I believe that small, consistent changes can lead to significant long-term impacts on both clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction.

Ann Turbett RN, MSN, CPHQ is a Quality RN Specialist at BILH Mount Auburn Hospital, where she focuses on performance improvement, regulatory reporting, and fostering collaboration to enhance patient safety. She previously spent more than 30 years at Tufts Medical Center, beginning as a Clinical Research Nurse in Cardiology and advancing into roles that included clinical research, transplant program development, and hospital-wide quality improvement.

Ann earned her BSN from The Ohio State University, where she began her career in cardiac critical care, and later completed a Master’s in Business Management and Leadership from Regis College. She also holds a certification healthcare quality (CPHQ). She is currently serving on the Board of Directors of the New England Association of Healthcare Quality (NEAHQ).

Since 2015, I have held various quality and regulatory positions in laboratory, health insurance, and hospital settings. I enjoy supporting projects around operational efficiency and finding ways to make people's jobs easier. 

When I am not working, I enjoy reading, cheesy sci-fi movies, and exploring local parks, gardens, and museums.

Mathew currently serves as the System Director of Quality for Beth Israel Lahey Health (BILH), an 11-hospital system with a significant ambulatory footprint. In this role, he has oversight of Quality, Regulatory Compliance, Patient Experience, Patient Safety, and Quality Analytics.   

With a focus on driving improvements in care delivery and outcomes, Mathew leverages his ability to analyze complex data to inform evidence-based strategies to advance operational, financial, and reputational programs.  As an advocate for innovative approaches he has pushed boundaries of traditional quality programs in search of solutions to complex problems. 

Committed to fostering a culture of excellence, Mathew continues to champion initiatives that enhance patient-centered care, operational efficiency, and system-wide quality improvement.