Dennis S. O’Leary, M.D., has been president of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations since 1986. Under his leadership, the Joint Commission has implemented a series of initiatives to create standards that address actual organization performance and formulate relevant performance measures to support quality improvement and public reporting initiatives. Dr. O’Leary has been a forceful advocate for improvements in patient safety and health care quality, and for aligning payment incentives to achieve these goals. He has also led the Joint Commission’s recent public policy initiatives that are addressing the topics of nurse staffing, emergency preparedness, ED overcrowding, organ donation, and health care professions educational reform. Dr. O’Leary earned his bachelor of arts degree from Harvard College and his doctor of medicine degree from Cornell University. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Hematology.

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