Joint Commission Appoints Ann Scott Blouin as Executive Vice President

OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. – The Joint Commission announced the appointment of healthcare and nursing leader Ann Scott Blouin, PhD, RN, as executive vice president for the division of accreditation and certification operations, effective Aug. 11, 2008.

Chosen as the result of an extensive national search, Blouin will take responsibility of The Joint Commission’s accreditation and certification programs for more than 15,000 healthcare organizations. This includes all activities related to surveys and the accreditation/certification award process including the handling of sentinel events, complaints, and performance measurement requirements. She will also oversee the standards interpretation function and the ongoing development and refinement of the priority focus process and the periodic performance review.

Blouin brings to The Joint Commission more than 30 years of healthcare administration, consulting and clinical nursing experience. Working with multiple constituents ranging from nursing and medical staff to senior executives and boards, she has helped academic medical centers and large health systems improve quality and patient safety, revenue management, and operating cost efficiency and effectiveness. She has consulted with some of the leading healthcare organizations in the country. Blouin most recently was a principal at Deloitte, leading patient safety, quality and capacity management consulting services nationally.

"Ann brings exactly what is needed to this position – an insider’s knowledge of healthcare organizations combined with leadership experience and vision. Her talents will be of immense importance in The Joint Commission's efforts to improve the efficiency, value and impact of our accreditation and certification programs," says Mark R. Chassin, MD, MPP, MPH, president, The Joint Commission.

Beginning her career as an obstetrics staff nurse, Blouin’s skills and managerial abilities led her to positions as program administrator, vice president for nursing and executive vice president for operations at two Chicago area community teaching hospitals and a Chicago academic medical center. She has also been in leadership roles at consulting firms such as Ernst & Young LLP and Huron Consulting Group Inc.

She has published and taught extensively on topics focused on healthcare and nursing administration, and served as an adjunct faculty member at several Chicago area schools of nursing and medicine. Blouin currently serves on the National Advisory Board for U.S. Preventive Medicine and as an editorial advisor for the Journal of Nursing Administration and Journal of Biotechnology in Healthcare. She earned her PhD in nursing sciences and MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Blouin received her MSN with honors in maternal/child nursing from Loyola University of Chicago and BSN with high honors from Lewis University in Romeoville. She is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and American Organization of Nurse Executives.

Source: The Joint Commission