Newswise — CHICAGO, Dec. 4, 2013 – The National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ), www.nahq.org announced today that its Board of Directors has appointed Stephanie E. Mercado, CAE to be the organization’s new executive director, succeeding Stacy Sochacki who has retired from NAHQ service.
Mercado most recently served as associate executive director for the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation AAPM&R). She was responsible for more than half of the organization’s $10 million budget. Before joining AAPM& R in 2006, Mercado was director of strategic initiatives for the American Orthopaedic Association (AOA).
“Stephanie Mercado brings excellent association management experience, a solid healthcare background as well as strong financial management skills and strategic planning abilities to help NAHQ achieve its short and long-term goals in advocating for continuous improvement in healthcare quality and patient safety,” said NAHQ’s President-elect Lenard L. Parisi, MA, RN, CPHQ, FNAHQ. “The Board of Directors also thanks Stacy Sochacki for her outstanding record of service and leadership in her tenure as executive director.”
“It is a challenging and exciting time for NAHQ and for health care quality professionals, and I am excited about our organization’s vision and momentum in becoming the nation’s preeminent health care quality organization and patient safety advocate,” said Mercado.
Mercado is a graduate of Columbia College in Chicago, has more than 100 hours of executive-level training at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and the Booth School of management at the University of Chicago School of Business, earned a Certificate in Association Management from DePaul University, and holds a Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential. She resides in Park Ridge, Ill.
About NAHQFounded in 1976 and covering a full spectrum of healthcare specialties, the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ) is an essential and interactive resource for quality and patient safety professionals worldwide. NAHQ’s vision is to realize the promise of healthcare improvement through innovative practices in quality and patient safety.
NAHQ’s 12,000-plus members and certificants benefit from cutting edge education and NAHQ’s unique collective body of knowledge, as well as opportunities to learn from a diverse group of professionals. These resources help assure success for implementing improvements in quality outcomes and patient safety, navigating the changing healthcare landscape, and serving as the voice of quality. Visit www.nahq.org to learn more.
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