Ashley N. Frederick
Project: Lowering the Barrier to Patient Safety: A Practical Root Cause Analysis Toolkit for Frontline Leaders
Research Interests:
- Patient safety
- healthcare quality improvement
- evidence-based practice
- nursing education
- leadership
- health policy and advocacy
- clinical informatics
Ashley Frederick, DNP, RN, NE-BC, CPHQ, CPPS is a Nurse Educator at Western Illinois University. She previously served as Clinical Manager of Quality, Safety, and Health Policy at the Illinois Health and Hospital Association, where she led initiatives focused on patient safety, healthcare quality, advocacy, and health policy.
In this role, Dr. Frederick developed and delivered educational programming for a diverse membership of more than 200 hospitals across Illinois. She oversaw quality improvement initiatives, including simulation-based training and the implementation of alternatives to opioids in the emergency department. Her commitment to advancing patient safety extended to her work with the Midwest Alliance for Patient Safety Patient Safety Organization, where she contributed to statewide education and improvement efforts. She also collaborated with government relations teams in Springfield, Illinois, reviewing policy and providing input on legislation impacting hospitals and the nursing profession.
Prior to her work at the state level, Dr. Frederick spent ten years at McDonough District Hospital, a rural community hospital in Macomb, Illinois. She most recently served as an Ambulatory Informatics Supervisor, leading efforts to improve quality, patient safety, and operational efficiency through the use of the electronic health record. She also held the role of Quality Improvement Supervisor, overseeing infection control, utilization review, and medical staff services, and leading multiple quality and patient safety initiatives.
Her clinical background includes experience in medical-surgical nursing, transitional care, and senior behavioral health. Dr. Frederick earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing. She is board certified as a Nurse Executive (NE-BC) and holds certifications as a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) and Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS).