USA Health patient safety leader named to Becker’s list
Becker’s Hospital Review said the 145 patient safety experts have been instrumental in reducing hospital-acquired infections, preventing adverse events and ensuring strict regulatory compliance.
By Carol McPhail
[email protected]
Becky Pomrenke, MSN, RN, director of patient safety at USA Health, has been named among “Patient Safety Experts to Know” by Becker’s Hospital Review for the second year in a row.
Becker’s said the 145 patient safety experts on the national list have been instrumental in reducing hospital-acquired infections, preventing adverse events and ensuring strict regulatory compliance at their health systems and hospitals. In 2025, 132 patient safety experts, including Pomrenke, made the list.
“This honor reflects Becky’s proven expertise in quality and safety and her unwavering commitment to patient care,” said Natalie Fox, DNP, PNP-BC, chief executive officer of USA Health. “This recognition is well deserved, and we are grateful for her leadership in strengthening the culture of safety at USA Health.”
Pomrenke, who leads patient safety strategy across USA Health, spearheaded the “Safety Starts with Me” initiative, a transformative systemwide education program that trained thousands of staff members and increased safety reporting by 400% in four years. Her leadership helped drive significant reductions in serious safety events, resulting in USA Health winning the Human Experience (HX) Achievement Award for SSER Reduction for three years in a row.
In April, Pomrenke was a co-recipient of the 2026 Change Agent of the Year Award, presented by RLDatix. The award recognized her for establishing a stronger safety foundation at USA Health and championing transparency with the adoption of CANDOR, a framework and toolkit that helps healthcare organizations respond transparently, compassionately and fairly when patients are harmed by adverse events.
Pomrenke has served in various roles in patient safety and nursing education throughout her career, which began in nursing in the burn unit in 1997 at USA Health University Hospital.
