The Millennium Alliance is excited to announce that James Merlino, EVP and Chief Innovation Officer at The Joint Commission, Keynotes Our Healthcare Providers Transformation Assembly on August 12-13 in Atlanta!
Interested in joining this Assembly? Click here to request an invite.
About James Merlino
James I. Merlino, MD, serves as the Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer at The Joint Commission, where he leads the transformation of services using data and innovation to enhance healthcare safety and quality on a global scale.
Before joining The Joint Commission, Dr. Merlino was the Chief Clinical Transformation Officer at Cleveland Clinic, where he managed enterprise strategy, business development, safety, quality, patient experience, and organizational improvement. He has also held roles as Chief Experience Officer, Associate Chief of Staff, Vice-Chair of the Digestive Disease Institute, and practiced as a colorectal surgeon. Earlier in his career, Dr. Merlino was the Chief Transformation Officer at Press Ganey Associates.
A recognized leader in healthcare strategy, safety, quality, and patient experience, Dr. Merlino has extensive experience both nationally and internationally. He has delivered over 400 invited presentations, focusing on redefining care to meet patient needs. He has also led strategic sessions with C-suite leaders from over 70 of the top healthcare organizations in the U.S. and provides coaching to CEOs, senior executives, and healthcare boards on strategy and cultural transformation.
Dr. Merlino has earned numerous accolades, including being named to HealthLeaders Magazine’s “20 People Who Make Healthcare Better” in 2013, and appearing regularly on Becker’s list of top healthcare safety experts. He authored “Service Fanatics: How to Build Superior Patient Experience the Cleveland Clinic Way” (2014) and co-edited the best-selling book “Zero Harm: How to Achieve Patient and Workforce Safety in Healthcare” (2018). Dr. Merlino holds memberships in several prestigious organizations and has received multiple healthcare awards throughout his career.
Dr. Merlino earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Baldwin-Wallace College and a medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He completed general surgery training at University Hospitals of Cleveland and a colorectal surgery fellowship at Cleveland Clinic. He was also an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) fellow.