James I. Merlino, MD
James I. Merlino, MD
James I. Merlino, MDExecutive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer - Joint Commission
James Merlino, MD, is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Joint Commission, responsible for Joint Commission’s strategic initiatives and operating activities, as well as overseeing Joint Commission International.
In his prior role as Chief Innovation Officer, he focused on transformation of Joint Commission’s products and services to advance healthcare safety and quality worldwide. Prior to joining Joint Commission, Dr. Merlino served as the Chief Clinical Transformation Officer at Cleveland Clinic, overseeing enterprise strategy, business development, safety, quality, experience, access, and continuous organizational improvement. Prior to returning to the Clinic, Dr. Merlino served as President and Chief Medical Officer of Strategic Consulting before taking on the expanded role of Chief Transformation Officer for Press Ganey Associates. Prior to Press Ganey, Dr. Merlino served as Chief Experience Officer and Associate Chief of Staff, Vice-Chair of the Digestive Disease Institute, and was a practicing colorectal surgeon.
Dr. Merlino is a recognized expert in healthcare strategy, improving safety, quality, and patient experience, and has extensive experience both domestically and internationally. He is a renowned speaker with over 400 invited presentations. He has led C-suite strategic sessions with more than 70 of the largest and most successful U.S. healthcare organizations, and regularly coached CEOs, C-suite leaders and boards on healthcare strategy and cultural change.
Dr. Merlino was named to HealthLeaders Magazine’s list of “20 people who make healthcare better” in 2013 and has consistently been on Becker’s list of top 50 experts in healthcare safety. He was also recognized by Becker’s as a top Chief Transformation Officer. He has been widely published in academic papers and released his first book, “Service Fanatics: How to Build Superior Patient Experience the Cleveland Clinic Way,” in 2014. He is a co-editor of the best-selling safety book, “Zero Harm: How to Achieve Patient and Workforce Safety in Healthcare,” released in 2018. He has also received numerous awards in healthcare.
Dr. Merlino is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, the American College of Surgeons, and the American Medical Association.
Dr. Merlino earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio, and his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. He completed his general surgery training at University Hospitals of Cleveland and his colorectal surgery fellowship at Cleveland Clinic. He was also an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality fellow.
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