PeaceHealth quality and infection prevention leader earns national recognition

PeaceHealth System Director of Quality and Infection Prevention Natalie Blum, has been named a national recipient of the Catholic Health Association’s Tomorrow’s Leaders award for 2020.

The national award honors dedicated, high-performing individuals who have demonstrated a strong commitment to advancing the mission of Catholic healthcare. Blum will be presented with the award in June at the annual CHA Awards Banquet in Atlanta, Georgia.

Natalie has worked in healthcare for more than a decade, including the last four years at PeaceHealth. During her career, she has served in various leadership roles, with increasing levels of responsibility for leading others and managing high-impact programs.

Described by her colleagues as an inspiring, highly skilled and results-driven leader, Natalie has been instrumental in guiding PeaceHealth’s systemwide efforts in support of delivering clinical excellence, including bringing leaders and caregivers together around important quality and safety metrics. This has resulted in notable enhancements in how PeaceHealth meets and exceeds our already high standards of care for the patients and communities we serve.

“Natalie is a collaborative, transformational leader, adept at motivating others, giving those around her a voice, and encouraging them to do their best work,” said Richard DeCarlo, executive vice president and chief operating officer. “Her passion for driving meaningful, measurable improvements in how we deliver safe, high-quality, compassionate patient care is a model for others to follow.”

A Camas, Washington, resident, Natalie is passionate about supporting the Free Clinic of Southwest Washington, an organization that addresses healthcare needs of people who are uninsured and under-served. She is also actively involved in educating others on infection prevention best practices at the local, state and national levels.

For more information about the CHA, visit www.chausa.org.

About PeaceHealth: PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Wash., is a not-for-profit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. PeaceHealth has approximately 16,000 caregivers, a group practice with more than 1,200 providers and 10 medical centers serving both urban and rural communities throughout the Northwest. In 1890, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace founded what has become PeaceHealth. The Sisters shared expertise and transferred wisdom from one medical center to another, always finding the best way to serve the unmet need for healthcare in their communities. Today, PeaceHealth is the legacy of the founding Sisters and continues with a spirit of respect, stewardship, collaboration and social justice in fulfilling its Mission. Visit us online at peacehealth.org.