Joint Commission

With sessions on the current landscape of care delivery, inspiring presentations honoring remarkable initiatives and individuals, and insightful fireside chats, that's a wrap on UNIFY 2026: Convening for Quality. Thank you to all of our incredible speakers and attendees! We can't wait to see you next year at UNIFY 2027.

Today, we recognized this year's Joint Commission award recipients for their leadership, commitment and impact in advancing healthcare quality and safety. Congratulations to all honorees, and thank you for supporting our shared vision that all people always experience the safest, highest quality, best-value healthcare across all settings. 🏆 Award of Excellence: Newman Memorial Hospital 💡Healthcare Innovation Award: Hackensack Meridian Health 🏅John M. Eisenberg Awards, presented in partnership with National Quality Forum (NQF): Individual winner Sanjay Saint of Northwell Health and Donald & Barbara Zucker School of Medicine, and emeritus of Michigan Medicine; local level innovation winner UPMC; and national level innovation winner Johns Hopkins Medicine 🎖️Bernard J. Tyson Award for Pursuit of Healthcare Equity, presented in partnership with Kaiser Permanente: BJC HealthCare/Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis 👩⚕️Physician Leadership Award: Walter Peters, MD, MBA and Thomas G. McGinn, MD, MPH 🩺Nurse Leadership Award: Michelle Livingston and Corey Russell, DNP, CLNC, NEA-BC, OCN 👥Care Team Award: Project Voyager team at Bon Secours Mercy Health and Geisinger Behavioral Health Centers Northeast 👩⚕️Champion for Children’s Care Award: Nicklaus Children's Health System 🌍Global Patient Safety Awards: UAE Emirates Health Service, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center — Jeddah, KK Women's and Children's Hospital and Mafraq Comprehensive Health Center Learn more about this year’s awardees: https://lnkd.in/e679JNT3

A healthy diet is essential to patient healing and recovery, yet a significant portion of food served in hospitals is returned uneaten. Nutritious, enjoyable food should be the standard of excellence in healthcare. At Joint Commission, we believe food served to patients should be healthy, appealing, and tailored to their clinical needs. That’s why we partnered with renowned chef and TV personality Geoffrey Zakarian to develop the Commitment to Healthy and Enticing Food™ (CHEF™) recognition program. Designed to elevate the role of food as a key contributor to patient satisfaction and better health outcomes, CHEF helps hospitals reimagine their menu with a focus on nutritious, wholesome ingredients, and provides continuous educational support regarding food preparation and culinary techniques. Learn more about how CHEF is helping elevate hospital food: https://lnkd.in/erdFAzX8

Day one of #UNIFY2026 brought together nearly one thousand healthcare leaders for powerful conversations on quality, safety and the future of care. From plenary discussions with nursing executives to breakout sessions and peer-to-peer connection, today highlighted the value of shared learning and collaboration across the healthcare community. Thank you to everyone who joined us today. We look forward to continuing the conversation tomorrow!

🏆 We are honored to share that Richard J. Pollack, president and CEO emeritus of the American Hospital Association (AHA), is the recipient of the inaugural Lifetime Service Award. The award, presented today at #UNIFY2026, honors Pollack's tireless service to America's hospitals, health systems, patients and caregivers — leaving an enduring mark on the healthcare field. His passion to advancing healthcare quality, safety, and excellence represents a commitment to the belief that every patient deserves safe, high-quality care. Read more about the awardee: https://lnkd.in/ea2iXn3J

We are proud to announce the launch of our new Commitment to Healthy and Enticing Food™ (CHEF™) recognition program, a national initiative designed to help healthcare organizations strengthen food and nutrition practices to support patient outcomes, patient experience, workforce well-being, and community health. Developed with the involvement of renowned chef Geoffrey Zakarian, CHEF aims not only to make food in healthcare settings healthier; it also emphasizes the importance of enticing dishes that people want to eat. It is particularly important in a patient’s healing and health journey from them to get appropriate nutrition while in the hospital and beyond. With CHEF, we are meeting organizations where they are in their food journey. The three-tier maturity model will help healthcare organizations start by demonstrating their commitment to healthy and enticing food practices, and then progressively build, strengthen, and fully integrate and implement these practices. Food plays an important role in patient satisfaction, patient safety, quality improvement, and overall health outcomes. Joint Commission is proud to help empower healthcare organizations to make healthy, delicious food a core part of their approach to quality care. https://lnkd.in/eRBwJQ83

Check in is open, the conversations are beginning, and we're excited to welcome attendees to Washington, DC, for two days focused on healthcare quality and safety! Be sure to download the UNIFY 2026 app, powered by Cvent, for the most up-to-date schedule, session information and event details. If you'll be joining us this week, share your experience with us using #UNIFY2026. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/e6hJdK8C

Uniting stakeholders to address critical challenges and shape the future of healthcare requires steadfast collaboration. We are proud to partner with our champion sponsor Abridge to make #UNIFY2026 possible – thank you for your support 👏.

Every meal is an opportunity to support healing. What patients eat during their hospital stay can influence recovery, satisfaction, and overall well-being. Yet many healthcare organizations that want to improve patient meal programs are still asking: Where do we start? At UNIFY 2026, hear from healthcare leaders who are helping organizations move from good intentions to sustainable action by embedding healthy food practices into their culture and operations. We are thrilled to have two new expert voices joining us for this session: 👩🍳 Molly Swanson, Director of Culinary, Zakarian Hospitality 🍽️ Tom Schwendeman, Senior Vice President, Sodexo Healthcare The session also features Jonathan Perlin, MD, PhD, and CEO, Joint Commission, and John D. Couris, President and CEO, Tampa General Hospital. Discover practical strategies, lessons learned, and a vision for what hospital food can become. 📍 Washington, DC 📅 Sept. 30 – Oct. 1, 2026 Register today: https://lnkd.in/e3YammVq

Today, Joint Commission announced that Chief Operating Officer James Merlino, MD, will succeed Jonathan Perlin, MD, PhD, as president and CEO, effective January 1, 2027, following Dr. Perlin's retirement from the role at the end of 2026. Upon retirement, Dr. Perlin will serve as president emeritus and continue supporting the organization as a strategic advisor. This transition reflects both continuity and incredible momentum. Under Dr. Perlin's visionary leadership, Joint Commission has transformed accreditation to be more collaborative, outcomes-focused, and responsive to the realities of healthcare delivery. Alongside him, Dr. Merlino has helped shape and execute that strategy, bringing deep expertise in quality, safety, operations, and patient experience. Together, these two exceptional leaders have advanced a shared vision for how Joint Commission can drive greater impact for those we serve. We are profoundly grateful to Dr. Perlin for his leadership, partnership, and unwavering commitment to safer, higher-quality care. As Dr. Merlino prepares to lead Joint Commission into its next chapter, it is with confidence, optimism, and a deep sense of purpose. The future is bright, and our commitment to helping healthcare organizations deliver the safest, highest-quality care has never been stronger.