I am pleased to share that at our board meeting this week, John Leyman, an active Quality Institute partner for over a decade, was elected Board Chair. John has been instrumental in our work — from Medicaid 2.0 to the Quality Institute/Vitale Health Care Reform Work Group and to our reform initiatives around the small employer market and Advanced Primary Care in New Jersey.

John brings extensive leadership in health policy, having worked in both the legislative and executive branches of state government. For a decade, he was Director of Government and Regulatory Affairs at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. John currently serves as Director of State Government Affairs for DaVita Kidney Care, where he oversees DaVita’s public policy, legislative, and regulatory activities across 13 northeastern states and D.C. He also is an Associate Clinical Professor at the School of Planning and Public Policy at the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at Rutgers University.

Please join me in welcoming John to this new position.

John succeeds Board Chair Suzanne Miller, Ph.D., who was also a founder of the Quality Institute. Suzanne became Board Chair in the fall of 2015, when I took on the role of President and CEO. Her insight and experience helped shape the Quality Institute into the impactful health policy organization we are today. Her background in translational research, oncology, and mental health has enriched our work tremendously. Suzanne works at Fox Chase Cancer Center, where she identifies the distinct ways we all make health care decisions. I am grateful for Suzanne’s loyalty and support of the Quality Institute over the past 27 years and for her friendship and guidance.

We have other changes to our executive committee. Gary Mann, Founder and CEO of Jasfel Analytics, has been named Vice Chair. Gary also chairs the Quality Institute’s Strategic Planning Committee. Andrea Martinez-Mejia is now Board Secretary. Andrea is executive director of the Greater Newark Health Care Coalition, one of the four Regional Health Hubs in New Jersey. Andrea also serves as chair of the Quality Institute’s Nominating Committee. Finally, Don Bryan, the former Acting Commissioner of Banking and Insurance in New Jersey, was reelected as Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair.  I am thankful to all our board members who generously volunteer their time and expertise as we work together to improve health care safety, quality, and affordability for everyone. I look forward to another year of critical work ahead.