Valley Health Systems Names Tina Lesser to Quality, Safety Role
HOLYOKE — Spiros Hatiras, president and CEO of Valley Health Systems and Holyoke Medical Center, announced the promotion of Tina Lesser to corporate director of Quality and Patient Safety for Valley Health Systems, the parent company of Holyoke Medical Center. She will oversee quality-improvement initiatives for Holyoke Medical Center, the Holyoke Visiting Nurses Assoc., and River Valley Counseling Center.
“Tina Lesser brings leadership in overseeing healthcare-quality programs, which are integral in our ability to continually deliver the highest levels of patient care and satisfaction,” said Hatiras. Lesser’s appointment comes after Holyoke Medical Center received prestigious national recognition this past November for its outstanding record in patient safety by the Leapfrog Group, an independent industry watchdog group.
“It’s incredibly gratifying to be part of the process of improving the care that we deliver to our patients and families. Quality is an attitude and culture, not a department. It’s about being engaged and present, focused on the needs and wishes of our patients and families,” said Lesser. “Simply put, Holyoke is the best place to come for the highest quality of care — and a great place to work as well.”
A recipient of the Nightingale Award for Excellence in Nursing, Lesser previously served as director of Patient Safety and brings more than 10 years of clinical nursing experience to this role. This includes nursing experience in the emergency departments of Milford Hospital in Milford, Conn.; Griffin Hospital in Derby, Conn.; and Bridgeport Hospital in Bridgeport, Conn. She also served as director of Quality at Milford Hospital before coming to Holyoke Medical Center.
Lesser is a graduate of the Bridgeport Hospital School of Nursing (1995) and Sacred Heart University (2005). She is a member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, of the Mass. Assoc. of Healthcare Quality, and the Mass. Society of Healthcare Risk Management.