Becker’s Healthcare Podcast Mara Nitu, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Indiana University School of Medicine and Riley Hospital for Children, IU Health
Mar 3, 2026
Mara Nitu, VP and Chief Medical Officer at Indiana University School of Medicine and Riley Children’s Health, brings 25 years of pediatric leadership. She discusses cutting hospital-acquired harm, forming physician-nurse dyads for reliability, prioritizing access and throughput for 2026, tackling behavioral health coordination, and launching an integrated medical–behavioral inpatient unit.
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Dyad-Led HAC Committees Drove Big CLABSI Reductions
- Creating HAC committees with physician-nurse dyad leaders enabled focused accountability on each hospital-acquired condition.
- Teams used bundle-based standards, preoccupation with failure, and moved from reactive to predictive work to cut CLABSI rates to a 0.51 standardized infection rate.
Balance Throughput With Safe Just-In-Time Discharges
- Optimize throughput and length of stay while guarding against premature discharges that raise readmissions.
- Prepare for Medicaid payment reform by improving efficiency in moving patients through the continuum and focusing on just-in-time discharges.
Pack Discharges With Practical Supports For Distant Families
- Ensure discharge plans confirm families can access follow-up care, especially for patients who travel hours to your center.
- Use supports like hotel stays, extensive parent training, and coordinated home care to bridge distance-related gaps.