Virginia Mason Institute Announces New Executive Director

Kirsten Mecklenburg Turner has been named executive director at Virginia Mason Institute. The institute, a division of Virginia Mason Health System, provides education, coaching and facilitation to health care organizations worldwide to improve patient safety, quality and efficiency. Turner, formerly the institute's director of client services and an executive sensei, succeeds Diane Miller, who served as the institute's first executive director beginning in 2008.

"I look forward to leading the institute in our next chapter of transforming health care globally," said Turner. "With the patient care experience as our highest priority, our work will continue to focus on guiding health care leaders in relentlessly pursuing zero-defect health care."

At Virginia Mason Institute and Deloitte Consulting, Turner has worked with health care organizations around the world to strengthen their leadership capabilities, achieve transparency, and realize measurable gains in patient safety, quality, access and staff engagement. At Deloitte Consulting, Turner led executive and clinical teams in the adoption of standardized care models, implementation of clinical information systems, revenue cycle and workflow-based performance improvement initiatives, and executive talent management programs.

Turner said, "My commitment, as it has always been — and indeed, why I joined the institute — is to support our clients and our people in bringing better, safer and more affordable care to patients everywhere."

Turner holds a master's degree in business administration from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School and a bachelor's degree from Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.