Children’s Hospital Appoints Leron J. Finger, MD, as Chief Quality Officer

Children’s Hospital has named Dr. Leron Finger to the newly created position of chief quality officer. In the role, Dr. Finger will work closely with leadership and staff to ensure the delivery of high-quality, effective, safe, and patient-centered care across the Children’s Hospital enterprise.

“The creation of a chief quality officer role reflects our organization’s commitment to safety and quality. It’s our number one priority as an organization,” said John R. Nickens, IV, president and CEO of Children’s Hospital. “Leron has played a vital role in helping us emphasize the importance of this key area of focus.”

In partnership with Jennifer Schwehm, director of the Hospital’s Patient Safety & Quality Department, Finger has overseen significant growth in the scope of the hospital’s safety and quality program over the last several years.  As a result of these efforts, the hospital has been recognized on numerous occasions for achievements in the safety and quality arena by Children’s Hospitals’ Solutions for Patient Safety, a network of more than 130 children’s hospitals committed to sharing best safety and quality practices.  Finger is also a regular speaker at the Children’s Hospitals’ Solutions for Patient Safety National Learning Sessions.

“In order to be an effective CQO, you have to comfortable connecting with people across disciplines,” said Matt Schaefer, Children’s Hospital’s chief operating officer. “Leron’s sphere of influence extends beyond his physician colleagues, and the trust and respect he’s earned across the enterprise has done wonders for safety and quality at Children’s Hospital.”

Finger joined Children’s Hospital in 2014 as assistant medical director, Patient Safety and Quality, and was promoted to associate medical director, Patient Safety and Quality in 2016. Before joining Children’s, he served as a pediatric intensivist and as medical director for the flight care team at Ochsner Clinic Foundation Hospital. He also held a faculty appointment at Tulane University School of Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics. He completed his residency and pediatric critical care fellowship at Rainbow Babies and at Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio.

04/17/2018