Ms. Wentz brings more than two decades of healthcare leadership experience to her current role, where she oversees systemwide safety and quality initiatives with a strong focus on preventable harm reduction and regulatory readiness. Under her leadership, the organization successfully achieved both The Joint Commission triennial survey and comprehensive stroke certification in 2025. Previously, she served as area vice president of palliative and aging services at Baton Rouge, La.-based Carpenter Health Network, where she expanded home-based care models across multiple states and secured participation in the CMS “Dementia GUIDE” program. During her tenure at Ochsner Health, she launched and scaled a systemwide palliative medicine service line, achieving more than 100% growth in program volume and leading efforts that resulted in The Joint Commission palliative medicine specialty certification. Earlier work at the Jackson-based University of Mississippi Medical Center and Children’s of Mississippi produced significant reductions in infection rates and patient safety indicators, and contributed to the organization’s baby-friendly designation. Ms. Wentz is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
