Ms. Helak brings over 25 years of patient safety expertise to her leadership at Inova, where she has helped shape the health system’s “Safe@Inova” safety culture. She developed a systemwide training curriculum on safety leadership and launched the “CARE” peer support network to support emotional resilience among healthcare teams. Ms. Helak advanced the system’s “safety II” approach to event management, emphasizing human-centered reviews and frontline engagement. Her efforts have supported system hospitals in earning Leapfrog “A” grades, CMS 5-star ratings and recognition as top hospitals in the state. She is a frequent speaker for Institute for Healthcare Improvement and Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association, and co-authored a national article on safety II principles. Ms. Helak is also a Master TeamSTEPPS trainer and fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
