Advocate Health Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Betty Chu has been named one of Modern Healthcare’s “2025 Innovators.” This significant recognition celebrates individuals and organizations at the forefront of health care innovation, improving patient care and achieving measurable results.
“Time and time again, Dr. Chu has exemplified the spirit of innovation, resilience and passion for patients that defines Advocate Health – and we are so proud to see her work recognized at this level. Dr. Chu has led our teams through challenges of all kinds—as we saw last year during Hurricane Helene, when she helped manage significant disruptions to IV fluid supplies without any patient harm,” said Eugene A. Woods, CEO of Advocate Health. “This honor is a testament to Dr. Chu’s exceptional leadership and the ways she’s not only enhancing patient care but also setting benchmarks for future improvements.”
Chu's leadership during the system’s response to Hurricane Helene highlighted her ability to leverage Advocate Health's scale and resources effectively. Faced with a nationwide shortage of IV fluids due to storm damage at a key production plant in Western North Carolina, Chu assembled a team of senior physicians, pharmacists and supply chain teams to ensure continuous patient care. They implemented a real-time dashboard to monitor IV fluid levels, facilitated urgent product transfers and devised conservation strategies, maintaining the highest levels of patient care with minimal disruption.
The team achieved a 55% reduction in IV fluid use within two weeks, demonstrating Chu’s commitment to innovative, data-driven decision-making and cross-functional collaboration. Her efforts helped ensure no procedures were canceled and patient care remained uncompromised during the crisis.
Chu's approach not only addressed the immediate challenges but also set the stage for long-term improvements. Post-Helene, Advocate Health is reviewing clinical changes made during the IV fluid shortage to determine which measures could be adopted as standard care for the future. Fully implemented, these processes will reduce annual expenditures on IV fluids and contribute to sustainability goals by minimizing plastic waste.
In addition to the successes demonstrated during the post-Helene crisis, Advocate Health has seen measurable improvement in its quality measures under Chu’s leadership since the system was created in December 2022, including a 14% improvement in its mortality rate. These successes are detailed in a new white paper entitled “Scaling Excellence: Improving Health Care Quality Across Communities,” which is available for download on the Advocate Health website.
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