BOSTON, Mass., April 7, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tejal K. Gandhi, MD, MPH, CPPS, president and CEO of the National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) and president of the NPSF Lucian Leape Institute, is among the 50 Most Influential Physician Executives and Leaders, as announced in the April 6 issue of Modern Healthcare magazine. Also on the list are Bob Wachter, MD, associate chair, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, and a member of the NPSF Lucian Leape Institute; and Gary Kaplan, MD, chairman and CEO of Virginia Mason Medical Center, who is a member of both the Institute and the NPSF Board of Directors.
An independent, not-for-profit organization, NPSF serves as a central voice for patient safety, working with all stakeholders. Dr. Gandhi has led the Foundation since July 2013, during which time NPSF has seen growth in its programs, notably the annual NPSF Patient Safety Congress and a professional certification in patient safety. In addition to her leadership at NPSF, Dr. Gandhi is a frequent invited speaker at national meetings and she serves on a number of committees related to health care safety. She is widely recognized for her expertise in health information technology as it relates to patient safety, as well as her research contributions to the understanding of patient safety in ambulatory care.
The NPSF Lucian Leape Institute, founded in 2007 and composed of national thought leaders, is the Foundation's think tank, providing strategic vision to the patient safety agenda. Named for and chaired by Dr. Lucian Leape, a founder of the modern patient safety movement, the Institute has published a number of influential reports, most recently on the need for greater transparency in health care as a means to improve patient and worker safety. Drs. Wachter and Kaplan led the Institute's initiative on transparency.
For the past decade, Modern Healthcare has compiled this annual list to recognize individuals considered by their peers and an expert panel to be "the most influential, in terms of leadership and impact." A month-long nomination period late last year yielded 400 names. From that pool, 150 were chosen as finalists based on reader input. The selection of the final 50 was based in part on public voting and in part on the magazine editors' determination.
"It is wonderful to see Tejal and others who work with us on advancing the NPSF mission recognized in this way," said Gregg S. Meyer, MD, MSc, chief clinical officer, Partners HealthCare, and current chair of the NPSF Board of Directors. "I know I speak for my fellow board members in saying how extremely proud we are to be associated with them."
See Modern Healthcare's list of the 50 Most Influential Physician Executives and Leaders.
About the National Patient Safety Foundation
The National Patient Safety Foundation's vision is to create a world where patients and those who care for them are free from harm. A central voice for patient safety since 1997, NPSF partners with patients and families, the health care community, and key stakeholders to advance patient safety and health care workforce safety and disseminate strategies to prevent harm. NPSF is an independent, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. To learn more about the Foundation's work, visit www.npsf.org.