Cleveland Clinic's Chief Clinical Transformation Officer James Merlino, MD, has been selected to serve as The Joint Commission's executive vice president and chief innovation officer, effective Aug. 1.
As chief innovation officer of the accrediting body, Dr. Merlino will use data to inform strategic quality and safety initiatives, according to a July 17 news release. At Cleveland Clinic, he is responsible for enterprise strategy, business development, safety, quality and patient experience. Dr. Merlin is also the former chief transformation officer at Press Ganey.
"With his extensive experience both domestically and internationally, James combines his background as a surgeon with operational leadership at scale, providing invaluable perspective to link our aspirations for improving healthcare quality, safety and value with a deep understanding of the mechanisms for transformation in real-world operating environments," Jonathan Perlin, MD, president and CEO of The Joint Commission, said in a statement.