UCI Health patient safety experts recognized by Becker’s

Chandra Broadwater, Becca Rutledge are transforming healthcare’s current safety standards

Orange, Calif. — As leaders in patient safety and quality, Chandra Broadwater and Becca Rutledge are committed to finding novel ways of improving care and elevating current healthcare processes and standards.

Broadwater, director of Quality, Patient Safety and Transformation at UCI Health, and Rutledge, the division’s manager, were named in the Becker’s Hospital Review list of Patient Safety Experts to Know for the impact they’ve had on the academic health system.

Broadwater leads quality and safety strategy across the system, integrating academic and community care under a shared vision of high reliability and safety.

“A former journalist turned healthcare quality leader, Broadwater applies her investigative mindset to drive transparency, accountability and continuous learning across departments,” Becker’s wrote.

Rutledge established the first serious safety event rate at UCI Health and transformed causal analysis and safety review processes. She designed and implemented a high-reliability training framework for leaders and staff, creating a shared language around risk escalation and safety improvement.

“Her efforts have deeply embedded safety principles into daily practice, making reliability a core cultural value across the health system. Rutledge’s infrastructure development and training initiatives have empowered teams to take proactive action and enhanced cross-functional learning,” said Becker’s.

UCI Health — Orange, formerly known as UCI Medical Center, is nationally recognized for its commitment to providing high-quality, safe patient care.

Independent watchdog organization The Leapfrog Group recognized the medical center with its 20th A grade in the spring Hospital Safety Grade. The academic medical center was one of just five facilities in the nation to be recognized as a top performer for demonstrating excellence in outpatient care in the Vizient Inc. 2024 Ambulatory Quality and Accountability Study. The medical center was also one of 115 facilities to be recognized as a top performer for inpatient care in the 2024 Bernard A. Birnbaum, MD, Quality Leadership Study.

UCI Health — Orange is also rated a four-star patient experience hospital by Medicare. This achievement underscores the health system’s continual commitment to exceptional healthcare and outstanding patient interactions.