22 Oct Liliya Abrukin, MD MPH: A 2025 Unsung Hero

Dr. Liliya Abrukin has contributed to shaping the culture and practice of quality and patient safety in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Columbia University. Through her leadership as the Vice Chair of Quality and Patient Safety, she has built a framework that blends clinical excellence with systems-based thinking, while fostering a culture of respect, transparency, and continuous learning.

Dr. Abrukin has spearheaded numerous departmental and enterprise-wide initiatives that have contributed to process improvements in patient care and culture for the clinical team. These include the development of a novel peer support group for faculty, improved peer review and quality improvement frameworks, sepsis care pathways, professionalism curricula, and clinical care guidelines for spinal emergencies, opioid overdose, and critical care. Her initiatives have not only enhanced the quality of care delivered but also transformed how clinicians engage in the process of improvement—turning it into a collaborative, empowering, and educational experience. Her leadership in creating structures that value accountability without blame and nurturing a psychologically safe environment where physicians can learn, grow, and deliver their best work have been formative for our academic department.

While many leaders in quality improvement focus on metrics and processes, Dr. Abrukin sees the people and the systems that connect them. She has an extraordinary ability to translate data into meaningful action, all while maintaining empathy for both patients and providers.
Her systems-based approach distinguishes her from traditional models of quality oversight. Rather than attributing issues to individual error, she identifies structural and procedural barriers and works collaboratively to design sustainable solutions. This perspective has earned her the respect and trust of those she works with, from trainees to institutional leadership. Dr. Abrukin’s colleagues describe her as supportive, respectful and a “moral compass of the department”—a voice of fairness, balance, and unwavering commitment to doing what is right.

Recipient Bio:
Dr. Liliya Abrukin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Columbia University where she serves as Vice Chair of Quality and Patient Safety.
She earned her medical degree from SUNY Upstate Medical University and completed her Emergency Medicine residency at NYU Langone Medical Center/Bellevue Hospital Center, where she served as Chief Resident. Following residency, she pursued fellowship training in Patient Safety and Quality at NYU/Bellevue and obtained a Master of Public Health from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Regionally, she has served as Chair of the MCIC Vermont ED Leadership Committee, contributing to system-wide safety initiatives.

– Angela Mills, MD, FACEP and Penelope Lema, MD, FACEP, FAEMUS