Amy Wilson-Stronks is a Project Director in the Division of Standards and Survey Methods and the Principal Investigator for The Joint Commission study Hospitals, Language, and Culture: A Snapshot of the Nation, a project funded by The California Endowment. She is the co-author of Hospitals, Language, and Culture: A Snapshot of the Nation Report of Findings released in March 2007.
Ms. Wilson-Stronks has been a leader of The Joint Commission’s work in the area of culturally and linguistically appropriate patient-centered care and health care disparities. She is leading ongoing research investigations of the data collected during the Hospitals, Language, and Culture project. She is also directing the work of The Joint Commission to assess and evaluate accreditation standards related to culturally and linguistically appropriate services and is developing a comprehensive surveyor training program on issues related to culturally and linguistically appropriate services. She represents The Joint Commission on a number of National Advisory Committees on subjects related to the provision of culturally and linguistically appropriate services.
Ms. Wilson-Stronks entered the health care field as an occupational therapy volunteer at a small downtown Chicago hospital, later working in the long term care industry as a Director of Activities and Psychosocial Programs, and subsequently as a quality improvement and compliance professional for a Joint Commission accredited national substance abuse treatment program. Ms. Wilson-Stronks has worked with the elderly, the mentally ill, persons with HIV/AIDS, and persons with addictions from a variety of ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. These experiences have allowed her to observe directly the impact of culture, language, and literacy on the quality and safety of care and services in health care.
Ms. Wilson-Stronks earned her Master of Public Policy in Health Policy and a Graduate Certificate in Health Administration and Policy from the University of Chicago. Her studies explored poverty, health inequalities, and health status. She is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) and is responsible for the development and maintenance of Joint Commission standards and survey processes. In her free time she serves as a Board Member of the ALS Association Greater Chicago Chapter working to improve services for persons with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and their families.