Dr. Fruth has more than 30 years of experience in health care operations, clinical practice, education and research in hospital, ambulatory, and international settings. Her expertise is in operational assessment; patient safety assessment; executive leadership and governing bodies; performance improvement; tracer methodology and the periodic performance review as management tools.
Dr. Fruth offers demonstrated experience as a nurse executive and educator in academic and community hospital settings. She has faculty appointments at Rush University and the University of St. Francis. As a consultant, she brings educational and operational expertise in data management, performance improvement, clinical safety, survey readiness, and team development to help organizations achieve their goals.
Dr. Fruth’s faculty and lecturing experiences contribute to her teaching, presenting, and integrating the principles and foundations of quality improvement processes into clinical applications. Her experiences in clinical operations have helped her develop a seasoned and practical approach to process changes and the realities of today’s dynamic health care scene. She consults domestically and internationally and serves as a faculty member for JCR/JCI education programs.
Dr. Fruth received her associate’s degree in nursing from Belleville Area College, Belleville, Illinois; her bachelor’s of science in nursing from St. Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri; her master’s of science from Rush University, Chicago, Illinois; and her doctorate from the University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
Her professional affiliations include Sigma Theta Tau, American Organization of Nurse Executives, American Association of Critical Care Nurses, Society of Critical Care Medicine and the American Nurses Association. She is a fellow of the Johnson and Johnson Wharton Nurse Executive program and was inducted into the American Academy of Nursing in 2007. Dr. Fruth is a past member of the national board of directors of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses and has been actively involved in numerous committees of professional nursing organizations. She is also a Joint Commission-certified Yellow Belt.