Christine Cassel, MD, president of the National Quality Forum, has resigned from her positions on the boards of Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and Health Plan, based in Oakland, Calif., and Premier Inc.
"I will miss my service on the boards, but I do not wish this issue to interfere with the important work facing NQF," said Dr. Cassel in an NQF statement. According to the same statement, NQF officials knew of Dr. Cassel's outside affiliations before hiring her as president and supported her decision to remain on the boards.
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While never accused of using her position to benefit either Kaiser or Premiere, Dr. Cassel's resignation comes after a ProPublica article questioned the ethics of her receiving compensation from the two organizations while also serving as NQF president, as both Kaiser and Premiere have vested interests in the NQF's work.
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