Dr. Ekhardt is responsible for the performance and effectiveness of the areas of quality, utilization management, clinical risk management and serves as the institutional official for the Institutional Review Board. Dr. Ekhardt also collaborates with physician executives in similar roles across UnityPoint Health to develop enterprisewide policies and programs dedicated to improving the quality and utilization of medical services and resources. Under Dr. Ekhardt’s leadership, UnityPoint Health – Des Moines added a new emergency medicine residency program, restructured the medical staff to reflect the work done as a combined medical staff responsible for multiple campuses, and facilitated a 30% improvement over benchmark in infection rates. Dr. Ekhardt has been with UnityPoint Health since 2006, serving in roles of progressive responsibility. She started her time with UnityPoint Health as a pediatric critical care attending physician at Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines.
