The Joint Commission named Ronald M. Wyatt, MD, the patient safety officer, a newly-created position.
Here are five key notes on Dr. Wyatt:
1. He served as the medical director in the division of healthcare improvement since he joined the organization in 2012.
2. In the new role, Dr. Wyatt will focus on healthcare quality and patient safety at the organizational level and healthcare system level. He will also promote quality and patient safety to internal and external stakeholders.
3. The new patient safety officer position aims to expand The Joint Commission's role as an influencer in public policy and legislation.
4. Throughout his career, Dr. Wyatt has led several patient-safety initiatives and instrumental in renaming the former office of quality monitoring to the office of quality and patient safety.
5. The Joint Commission created the new role to reflecting the organization's commitment to promote safe and high-quality healthcare system. The goal is zero patient harm.
"This is an outward sign of our steadfast commitment to the goal of zero harm for patients, and I look forward to working side-by-side with our accreditation organization to make that goal a reality," said Dr. Wyatt.