Beterra Client Leadership Series: Dr. Jessica Gilmore, PharmD, MPH
Advancing Quality and Safety in Rural Healthcare: A Leader’s Journey
In the evolving healthcare landscape, leaders like Dr. Jessica Gilmore are not just keeping pace with change—they are driving it. As a force for patient-centered care at Hannibal Regional Health System (HRHS), Jessica’s unwavering commitment to excellence has set new standards for quality and safety in rural healthcare.
Jessica is a dedicated and dynamic leader in healthcare, blending deep expertise with a passion for patient safety that drives real, meaningful change. As a licensed pharmacist, she has played a critical role in ensuring the safe and effective delivery of pharmaceutical care to her community. Her commitment to excellence earned her the Golden Star Award, a recognition of her dedication to patient care and leadership in pharmacy. Jessica’s transformational impact spreads beyond the pharmacy into broader systemwide safety and quality initiatives. Her proactive approach, strategic vision, and ability to inspire change have driven significant improvements within HRHS. Jessica’s unwavering commitment to enhancing healthcare outcomes has solidified her reputation as an influential leader, setting the gold standard for rural healthcare excellence.
A Strong Mission to Bring Big-System Quality to Rural Healthcare
Jessica’s passion for healthcare safety and quality is rooted in the close-knit nature of her community. “In small communities like Hannibal, our patients are our family, our neighbors, our friends,” she asserts. “Access to care is a significant challenge across the country, but especially in rural areas. I refuse to accept that rural patients should receive anything less than world-class care. My mission is to ensure they get ‘big health system quality’ right here at home.”
This relentless drive to elevate rural healthcare fuels Jessica’s work, propelling forward a culture of excellence, accountability, and innovation.
Navigating the Challenges in Quality and Safety
One of the greatest obstacles to maintaining patient safety and quality care is the rapidly evolving landscape of best practices and regulatory requirements. “The pace of change in healthcare is relentless,” Jessica states. “It demands constant vigilance, agility, and a proactive approach to stay ahead of the curve and ensure compliance with the latest standards.”
Jessica is always looking ahead, staying informed on industry advancements, forging strong partnerships, and creating a culture where continuous improvement isn’t just a goal—it’s the standard. Through collaboration with organizations like Beterra, she ensures that HRHS remains a leader in rural healthcare innovation on new CMS guidelines such as Patient Safety Structural Measures (PSSM).
Initiatives Transforming Patient Safety
Jessica has been the driving force behind several groundbreaking initiatives aimed at enhancing patient care at HRHS. Among her most impactful contributions is the introduction of a rigorous Morbidity & Mortality (M&M) conference, a high-level, multidisciplinary review process that identifies and addresses critical gaps in care.
“This initiative has been a game-changer,” she explains. “By deeply analyzing cases, we’ve identified key opportunities for improvement, leading to systemic changes that significantly enhance patient safety.”
One such revelation through M&M analysis led to revamped emergency response protocols, ensuring that life-saving interventions are executed with greater precision and speed. Additionally, her team pioneered early clinical decline detection strategies for patients with severe mental health diagnoses. By refining admission assessments, they now establish a comprehensive behavioral baseline, enabling earlier and more accurate identification of critical health changes.
Jessica is particularly excited about the growing movement toward patient and family engagement in quality improvement initiatives. “I’m thrilled to see patients and families stepping into advisory roles and shaping the future of healthcare,” she says. “Their insights are invaluable, and their voices are essential in driving truly patient-centered innovation.”
Leadership, Mentorship, and Shaping the Next Generation
A great safety and quality leader must possess resilience, positivity, and confidence. “Quality metrics tend not to change quickly, and moving the proverbial needle requires a great deal of work,” Jessica emphasizes. “It can be easy to get discouraged, but you must stay the course to accomplish truly great things.”
Mentorship has played a pivotal role in her career, and she is deeply committed to cultivating the next generation of healthcare leaders. “My most influential mentors have challenged me to push beyond my limits, to continuously evolve as a leader,” she reflects. “One in particular encouraged me to take on something new every year, expanding my expertise and influence beyond my immediate role.”
This mindset has led Jessica to pursue advanced education, certifications, and leadership initiatives, further strengthening her ability to drive transformational change. She encourages emerging healthcare professionals to actively seek opportunities for growth through training programs, professional networks, and industry-leading forums such as the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) conference.
Jessica encourages future leaders to stay curious, seek strong connections, and embrace challenges head-on, knowing that growth happens outside of their comfort zones.
Beyond Healthcare: A Commitment to Lifelong Growth
Outside of her professional endeavors, Jessica is deeply committed to personal growth. She is passionate about reading and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which mirrors her belief in continuous learning and self-improvement.
“You refine yourself through both,” she notes. “Whether it’s strengthening your mind or your body, the key to success is constant evolution.”
The Future of Rural Healthcare: A Vision for Excellence
Jessica’s leadership is helping to close the gap between rural and urban healthcare, ensuring that every patient, no matter where they live, has access to high-quality care. She envisions a future where rural healthcare continues to set new benchmarks for excellence and accessibility.
Through her transformative leadership, Jessica Gilmore is bridging the gap between rural and urban healthcare, ensuring every patient receives the high-quality care they deserve. We are very proud to be partnered with Hannibal Regional Medical Center and Jessica Gilmore.
This post is part of Beterra’s ongoing series highlighting exceptional leaders in healthcare safety and quality. Stay tuned for our next story!
Beterra Client Leadership Series: Dr. Jessica Gilmore
