HEALTHCARE IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Certified Green Belt and Change Agent
Kate Wilcox is a certified Green Belt and Change Agent with expertise in healthcare process improvement and quality. Kate has facilitation experience with groups at all levels of healthcare organizations including physicians, nurses, front-line staff and leadership.
Kate began her career as the Quality and Outcomes Coordinator for a community teaching hospital with focus on Medical Staff management and Quality Measure Reporting.
She joined Healthcare Improvement Strategies as a Consulting Lean Six Sigma Green Belt for program deployment and support including DMAIC Process Improvement, Change Management, and WorkOut Facilitation; and Lean Engagement Support with specialization in Emergency Department Throughput, Operating Room Throughput, and Hospital Quality Improvement and Measurement.
Kate holds a BA in Speech and Communications from Albion College, and Masters studies in Curriculum, Instruction, and Leadership from Oakland University. She received her Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and Change Management certification from the Crittenton Hospital Process Engineering Program.
Job Titles:
- Master
- Master Black Belt, Managing Partner
Sharon Ulep is a Master Black Belt and is the Managing Partner for Healthcare Improvement Strategies. Since 1995, Sharon has provided leadership consulting and project management expertise to healthcare executives and clinical teams in the fields of Lean Six Sigma program deployment, healthcare quality improvement and patient safety initiatives, data management and reporting, technology use in clinical settings, clinical software implementation and process improvement.
Sharon received her Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and Master Change Agent certifications from GE Healthcare 2004. She completed her Master Black Belt certifications in 2014. Sharon has provided Process Improvement and Business Management Consulting expertise to more than 40 hospitals with projects ranging from ED and OR throughput to Physician Quality and Peer Review. Clients include 40+ hospitals from Community Health Systems, Crittenton Hospital Medical Center, Henry Ford Health System, University of Michigan Hospitals, and the Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare. Sharon has held a variety of leadership roles in healthcare quality and technology in both small community hospitals and large academic medical centers. Sharon is an MBA program candidate at Walsh College of Business and holds her BS in Biology, Chemistry and Human Physiology from Northern Michigan University.
Tiffany Malone is a lean leader in continuous process improvement and healthcare solutions. She brings many years of healthcare experience, focusing in the areas of Revenue Cycle, Patient Access & Registration, Physician Practice Management, and Patient Experience. She has managed all aspects of multi-physician practices as a practice administrator, with specific focus in operational excellence, revenue cycle, and growth. Her hospital facility experience includes Revenue Cycle Director and Patient Access Director. Additionally, she has worked for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama with their Provider Relations team, building on her experience in Revenue Cycle management, patient access, billing, and third party payors.
Her Process Improvement projects have included Surgical Services, Emergency Services, Revenue Cycle Departments, and Physician Practices. An ROI focused practitioner, Tiffany is focused on delivering results for clients.
Tiffany holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Finance, and an MBA with specialization in Healthcare Administration from American Intercontinental University. Tiffany has also earned her Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification from Villanova University.