Earlier this year patient safety expert Peter Pronovost, M.D., Ph.D., left the Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality at Johns Hopkins University to become chief medical officer at UnitedHealthcare. Now, after only a few months in that position, Pronovost announced he is joining 18-hospital University Hospitals in Cleveland as its first chief clinical transformation officer.
"Dr. Peter Pronovost is a renowned figure in medicine. His innovative work has saved thousands of lives and shaped the delivery of health care nationally and internationally," said Thomas F. Zenty III, CEO of University Hospitals, in a prepared statement.
Pronovost's scientific work, leveraging the use of checklists to reduce central venous catheter-related bloodstream infections, has saved thousands of lives and earned him high-profile accolades, including being named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine and receiving a coveted MacArthur Foundation "genius grant" in 2008.
At UH, Pronovost will develop and lead strategic initiatives to improve value across the health system. He will be the clinical lead for population health and lead high-reliability medicine, with direct responsibility for the UH employee accountable care organization.
He will direct teams that will engage UH providers and employees in care models leading to improved outcomes and a healthy workforce while reducing the cost of care. He also will lead the growth and adoption of digital health – including telehealth and virtual health – solutions to better serve the patient and provider communities.
Before his brief tenure at UnitedHealthcare, Pronovost served at Johns Hopkins Medicine for 20 years, most recently as Senior Vice President for Patient Safety and Quality and the founder and director of the Johns Hopkins Medicine Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality.
Allen Kachalia, M.D., J.D., previously the chief quality officer and vice president for quality and safety at Brigham Health in Boston, is succeeding Pronovost as director of the Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality and the senior vice president of patient safety and quality for Johns Hopkins Medicine.
