Kari has been a Registered Nurse for 30+ years and has been with the Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative (MSSIC) since 2015. Most of her career has encompassed patient safety, Quality Improvement (QI), program development, management, and regulatory agency compliance. She has worked with various BCBSM Pay-for-Performance Programs with special attention to the Collaborative Quality Initiatives (CQIs). As the Senior QI Lead, she works with the MSSIC Directors and Executive Committee to coordinate the design and implementation of state-wide, quality initiatives at all MSSIC sites. This directly impacts process improvement, standardization, the improvement of patient outcomes, and the reduction of adverse events for spine surgery patients. She acts as a consultant on QI issues and coaches and mentors all MSSIC sites in the utilization of change management tools to support effective decision making and assure successful and sustainable implementation of QI initiatives. Kari is Lean Healthcare certified through the University of Michigan and prides herself in taking difficult concepts and transforming them into practical methods that can be implemented on the front lines of patient care. Her advice for successful QI: “Go to the people who do the work, where they work, and show them respect – they are the experts. They know what is happening, why it is happening, and have insight as to which interventions will be most successful.” Kari graduated from Saginaw Valley State University where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing.