As the final weeks wind down on Dennis O’Leary’s tenure as head of the Joint Commission, which he leaves on Dec. 31, the man who has led the organization for 21 years said he is doing anything but resting.
After recently returning from a two-day Hospital Quality Alliance retreat in Washington, O’Leary is leaving Jan. 1 for a two-week trip to London after the holidays to oversee final implementation of a quality program at the U.K.’s National Health Service, he said.
O’Leary said he has been working for the past five months with Mark Chassin, the former New York commissioner of health who will take control at the Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.-based commission on Jan. 1, to help him understand daily operations. But the hand off is “more like a relay race,” passing on the baton at full speed, O’Leary said.
O’Leary said he will remain in an advisory role to the organization through March to help with questions or issues.
