Mount Nittany names Barkley VP of quality


Mount Nittany Health announced that Suzanne Barkley has been selected as vice president of quality for the organization. Barkley joins the health system with more than 35 years of health care experience including quality and performance improvement, patient safety and adult education.

Barkley is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality by the National Association for Healthcare Quality. She is certified as a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt, a methodology that utilizes a collaborative team approach to improve performance by systematically removing waste and reducing variation.

“I was initially drawn to Mount Nittany Health for its excellent reputation in quality biometric measures,” Barkley said. “Once I arrived in the area, it was the kindness of the individuals I encountered that reassured me I was making the right choice. Time and again this community — both Mount Nittany Health and the central Pennsylvania area — has impressed me immensely.”

Barkley has served in a number of clinical and leadership roles in Indiana and Georgia. She most recently held the position of patient safety and quality director for WellStar Kennestone Regional Medical Center in Marietta, Georgia, WellStar Health System’s flagship hospital. There she led efforts to improve key quality metrics in a number of areas, including reductions in hospital readmission rates.

“Helping others has continuously been the most rewarding part of my career. I’ve always believed that keeping the patient and their family at the forefront of everything is the key to providing the best possible care,” Barkley said. “I see that principle reflected at Mount Nittany Health. I’m very happy to be here.”

Barkley and her husband, Kevin, share seven adult children and seven grandchildren. They enjoy traveling and spending time with family.

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