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TGCAHQ Leadership Team
Welcome to the heart of Texas Gulf Coast Assocation for Healthcare Quality — our esteemed leadership team. Comprising a diverse group of dedicated professionals, each member brings a unique blend of expertise, passion, and vision to steer our organization towards its noble mission. From the strategic foresight of our Board of Directors to the operational excellence of our officers, this team embodies the commitment to quality, innovation, and service that defines us. Together, they work hand-in-hand, leveraging their collective experience to shape the future of healthcare quality and safety. As co-architects of our vision, their unified goal is to inspire, lead, and make a lasting impact on the organizations and communities we serve.
Join us in getting to know the leaders who are at the forefront of transforming healthcare for the better.
| PRESIDENT
Carolyn brings nearly three decades of hands-on experience in the healthcare industry, a journey that began as a volunteer EMT and evolved through the roles of paramedic, nurse, and now, Hospitalist Medicine Program Manager at Memorial Hermann Sugar Land. Over the last 10 years with the Memorial Hermann Health System, she has become known for her steady leadership, strategic mind, and deep commitment to collaboration between clinical and operational teams. Carolyn’s passion for quality took root during her time on the Magnet Quality & Patient Safety Council at MH-TMC, where she ultimately served as Chair. She’s a vocal advocate for just culture and believes true improvement begins with understanding the “why” behind processes — not just the “what.” In her current role, she acts as a bridge between physicians and nurses, helping align workflows, resolve tensions, and ensure the best possible outcomes for both teams and patients. Carolyn holds dual master’s degrees (MBA and MSN) from Grand Canyon University and a BSN from Houston Christian University. Her professional reach extends into business leadership, with experience in marketing strategy, startup development, and contract negotiation. In recent years, she has become a leading voice in the intersection of artificial intelligence, AI in healthcare quality and governance — advocating for safe, ethical, and clinically grounded AI integration in health systems. Outside of work, Carolyn is a creative at heart — her current passion is discovering AI and creating applications that are humanistic AND actually usable. And she is pondering those robotics and how they will meet us in our patient care. She believes leadership is about service, stewardship, and steady vision — and she brings that spirit to TGCAHQ. |
SECRETARY
Lindsey Bruchhaus has over 17 years of experience in nursing and healthcare quality. She is a dedicated Registered Nurse who has built a career centered on clinical excellence, patient safety, and service quality. Lindsey began her nursing journey in 2007, specializing in pediatric care as well as perioperative services, where she developed an understanding of patient-centered care. She later expanded her expertise beyond the bedside and transitioned into healthcare quality. During this time, Lindsey worked with interdisciplinary teams to implement evidence-based practices aimed at improving surgical outcomes and preventing hospital-acquired conditions. Since 2020, she has served as the Director of Patient Experience and Guest Relations for Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital. In this role, Lindsey’s focus is on championing initiatives that elevate the patient and family experience. Lindsey is passionate about creating a healthcare culture where safety, empathy, and excellence align to deliver care at the highest standards of quality. |
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| TREASURER
Vivian is a certified healthcare quality and quality auditor professional with 17 years of experience in healthcare quality, risk management, patient safety, accreditation, and regulatory compliance. She is currently employed at Harris Health System as the Administrative Director for Accreditation & Regulatory Affairs department. She is leading a team of professionals that support the DNV accreditation program, Comprehensive Stroke Center, Cancer Center and other state mandated designation programs for Harris Health System. Prior to joining Harris Health System, Vivian served as a Performance Improvement project manager at one of the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) facilities, where she facilitated various patient care improvement projects and served as the quality liaison between hospital administration, physician partners, department leaders, and frontline staff. Vivian received the Master’s degree in Business Administration with the Corporate Finance and Healthcare Management concentrations from the University of New Orleans. She graduated from the Louisiana State University with a Bachelor’s degree of Science in Medical Technology or Clinical Laboratory Science. During the tenor years at Harris Health System, she was certified as a healthcare quality professional and a quality auditor from the American Society for Quality. Vivian led TGCAHQ as a Past-President, bringing it back to life after COVID and now manages to keep our finances in order so we can enjoy more events and benefits. Vivian brings not only a wealth of knowledge and experience in healthcare quality but also a contagious enthusiasm for innovation and excellence. Her unwavering commitment will be instrumental in advancing our mission and promise to steer our membership community through transformative achievements in healthcare quality. |
DIRECTOR of EVENTS
Aprille began her healthcare career in 2003 at Memorial Hermann Greater Heights as a student nurse and Patient Care Assistant. After earning her Associate Degree from Lone Star North Harris in 2004, she gained broad clinical experience at MH Southeast and MH Specialty. She completed her BSN at Prairie View A&M University in 2007, and later earned her MSN in Nursing Administration in 2011. Aprille’s leadership path includes serving as a night shift Operations Administrator at MH The Woodlands, followed by a transition into quality and patient safety. Her passion for improvement was sparked at LBJ Hospital, where she served as Clinical Nurse Manager, and later as Quality Management Coordinator at Ben Taub. She returned to Memorial Hermann in 2014 as a Performance Improvement Specialist at MH Memorial City, and then as a Patient Safety Specialist at MH The Woodlands in 2018. In 2020, Aprille earned a Master’s in Healthcare Quality & Safety from Sam Houston State University, and in 2021 became Regional Director of Quality, Patient Safety, and Infection Prevention for MH Katy & Cypress. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Nursing Practice in Executive Nursing Leadership at Baylor University. We are proud to have Aprille serve as Co-Director of Education for the Texas Gulf Coast Association for Healthcare Quality. Her expertise and commitment ensure our members receive high-quality educational resources and support in achieving and maintaining healthcare quality certification. |
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| DIRECTOR of COMMUNICATION Caren Ward, MSW, CPHQ
Caren Ward is a certified healthcare quality professional with over 17 years of experience transforming care through a lens of safety, strategy, and system improvement. Born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, Caren holds both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Social Work from Florida State University—where she first cultivated her passion for people and patient advocacy. Her early career in medical social work spanned over a decade, including ten years with BayCare Health System in Tampa. It was there that Caren discovered her drive for process improvement and data-driven care, ultimately transitioning into quality leadership. She proudly served as Clinical Quality Coordinator and later as Quality and Safety Manager, spearheading the rollout of a patient safety program across women’s and children’s hospitals—an achievement that remains a career highlight. In 2020, Caren brought her patient-centered leadership to Houston, taking on the role of Vice President of Quality with HCA. In 2024, she became Regional Quality Director with ClearSky Rehabilitation Hospitals, further expanding her impact on healthcare outcomes across the continuum of care. Caren brings to TGCAHQ not only her deep expertise in high reliability and patient safety, but also a genuine enthusiasm for storytelling, outreach, and engagement. As Director of Communications, she is excited to amplify the voice of the organization and its mission to elevate healthcare quality across Texas. |
DIRECTOR of MEMBERSHIP Mara Hehli, MSN, CPHQ, LSSGB
Mara Hehli is originally from Texas where she attended University of Texas at Arlington for her undergraduate degree in Nursing and graduate degree in Nursing Leadership and Administration. She is currently the Director for Quality Management and Patient Safety at UTMB, and former Area Quality and Safety Officer with Kaiser Permanente East Bay in Oakland California. Her nursing experience began in critical care with a specialty in cardiovascular critical care. She began her career in Quality with Memorial Hermann where she completed her Green Belt in Lean Six Sigma and went on to be part of the team that won the 2016 Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award. Mara lives in Dickinson with her husband and sons. She has three grandchildren (twin grandson and granddaughter, and a spicy 6 year old granddaughter) |
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| DIRECTOR of EDUCATION Christie Pinto, MBA, BSN, RN, CPHQ, CPPS
Christie Pinto is the Director of Quality, Patient Safety, and Infection Prevention at Memorial Hermann–Texas Medical Center, the system’s flagship academic medical center. In this role, she leads strategic initiatives to improve clinical quality, enhance patient safety, strengthen regulatory readiness, and foster a culture of high reliability. Christie is known for translating data into action, driving system-level improvements, and building collaborative, engaged teams. She has led hospital-wide efforts that contributed to national recognition for patient safety and academic excellence. Her leadership style emphasizes transparency, accountability, and servant leadership. In addition to her professional role, Christie actively volunteers with the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ), where she contributes to advancing the field through committee service and peer collaboration. She is also an active member of the Texas Nurses Association where she volunteers with the healthcare informatics committee workgroup. She holds recognitions as a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality, Certified Professional in Patient Safety, and a Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. Christie is currently completing her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) with a scholarly focus on implementing quality improvement projects to enhance patient safety. She is passionate about empowering future healthcare leaders through professional development of her teams, and creating safer systems for patients and staff alike. |
DIRECTOR of EDUCATION Cynthia Labbe Jolivette, MBA, MSN, RN, LSSGB, HACP-CMS
Cynthia Labbé Jolivette brings over 28 years of healthcare experience, including more than 24 years specializing in hospital regulatory affairs, quality management, and risk management. She currently serves as the Manager of Hospital Quality and Patient Safety at Memorial Hermann Cypress Hospital, where she leads initiatives in quality improvement, accreditation, patient safety, and regulatory compliance. Before joining Memorial Hermann, Cynthia spent seven years as Director of Quality and Risk Management at Kindred Tomball Hospital. In that role, she led performance improvement programs, coordinated survey readiness for a three-site, multi-licensed hospital group, and served as the key liaison between hospital leadership and frontline teams on quality and risk matters. Cynthia is a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt with a passion for building a culture of safety and continuous improvement. She is the creator of the LSSYB Boot Camp Program, which empowers frontline staff with Lean Six Sigma tools to actively participate in clinical excellence and decision-making. She earned both her MBA (2010) and BSN (2000) from Texas Woman’s University, and is currently pursuing an MSN in Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety at Grand Canyon University. Cynthia holds certifications as a Healthcare Accreditation Certified Professional (HACP) and TeamSTEPPS Master Trainer. |
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| DIRECTOR at LARGE Jill Riley, MSN, RN, HACP
Jill Riley, MSN, RN, HACP serves as Senior Patient Safety Specialist at Memorial Hermann Health System's Texas Medical Center campus. With nearly 25 years of nursing experience, Jill Riley brings both insight and energy to the field of patient safety. As the Senior Patient Safety Specialist, she oversees the hospital’s regulatory and accreditation programs at one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers. Jill earned her BSN from Western Michigan University and her Master of Science in Nursing Leadership and Administration from UT Health Houston. Her passion lies in proactively identifying system-level opportunities to improve patient outcomes, always grounded in the core principles of high reliability. Known for her thoughtful approach and collaborative style, Jill works to make safety not just a goal, but a culture. Whether she’s solving complex hospital challenges or a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle at home, Jill brings a love of problem-solving, a sharp eye for detail, and a healthy dose of humor. She believes improving quality doesn’t have to be dry—it can be inspiring, engaging, and even a little fun. |
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