Richard J. Croteau, M.D., is executive director for patient safety initiatives at the Joint Commission International Center for Patient Safety. In this capacity, he is responsible for maintenance of the Sentinel Event Database, development of the National Patient Safety Goals, and support of other Joint Commission patient safety initiatives.

In 2004, Dr. Croteau was engaged by the United Kingdom Department of Health for a six-month assignment in London to assist in the development of a standards-based assessment process for the English National Health Service. In over fifteen years of service to The Joint Commission, he has been responsible for oversight and coordination of a number of accreditation process improvement activities and patient safety initiatives. Earlier appointments at The Joint Commission include vice president for Accreditation Services, director of Survey Technology, and hospital surveyor.

Before coming to The Joint Commission, Dr. Croteau was chief of surgery and director of intensive care services at South County Hospital, Wakefield, Rhode Island. Prior to entering the health care field, Dr. Croteau served as a rocket systems analyst for NASA’s Lunar Module program, Project Apollo, White Sands, New Mexico, and as an instructor in computer programming at Brown University, Rhode Island. Dr. Croteau earned his medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine, Massachusetts, and his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from Brown University.