Vicki Buchda, MS, RN, NEA-BC serves as the Vice President, of Care Improvement for the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association. She is responsible for contributing to the organization’s mission: “Making Arizona the healthiest state in the Nation” by leading collaboratives to improve patient safety, patient experience, healthcare outcomes, and health equity. She is a highly skilled professional with demonstrated expertise in clinical and system leadership. Vicki is passionate about harm prevention, including harm from opioids, maternal health, advance care planning, health equity and the workforce. Vicki has served in nursing and leadership roles within health systems including Mayo Clinic, Hawaii Pacific Health and Banner Health.
Session: Leadership In The Time Of Maternal Health Inequities
Thursday, Oct. 20 │ 2:15 p.m. breakout session: Health Equity
Despite being the richest developed country on Earth, pregnant women in the US are more than twice as likely to die from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth and experience increasing rates of severe maternal morbidity (SMM). Behind these statistics lie critical levels of health inequities, which sprawling roots are deeply ingrained within differences in income, level of education, ethnicity and race, racism, genetics and geography, which can increase such risk factors as bleeding disorders, diabetes and heart disease.
“Leadership in The Time of Maternal Health Inequities” addresses the critical role of leadership in confronting and achieving solutions to maternal health inequities. Both an inspirational and informational talk, the focus is on divergent thinking to assess the uncomfortable pulse of the population being served and strategically engage the organization to take bold and innovative steps to address maternal health inequities.