Laura Botwinick

Co-Director, Joint Commission International Center for Patient Safety
Vice President, Innovation and New Product Development at Joint Commission Resources

Laura Botwinick is co-director for the Joint Commission International Center for Patient Safety, and vice president for Innovation and New Product Development at Joint Commission Resources (JCR), a not-for-profit affiliate of The Joint Commission. The Joint Commission International Center for Patient Safety is a joint initiative of The Joint Commission and JCR.  The Center focuses on development of collaborative relationships with leading patient safety organizations around the world to improve patient safety and on development, dissemination and implementation of solutions for improving care related to recognized patient safety problems.  Ms. Botwinick is also a lead for the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Patient Safety Solutions, a component of the WHO Alliance for Patient Safety.  The Joint Commission and Joint Commission International were designated as the Collaborating Centre for Patient Safety Solutions in 2005. The WHO Alliance for Patient Safety is an international initiative focused on improving global patient safety.

Before joining JCR and the Center for Patient Safety in July 2005, Botwinick completed a one-year fellowship with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) in Boston, which included participation in the ongoing work of the IHI, structured education and training and individual projects.  During her fellowship, she completed the Clinical Effectiveness Program at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.

Previously, Ms. Botwinick served as director of the Department of Board and Committee Activities at The Joint Commission. In this role, she managed activities of the Joint Commission Board of Commissioners and the JCR Board of Directors. In addition, she was charged with building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholder groups including Joint Commission corporate members (American College of Physicians, American College of Surgeons, American Dental Association, American Hospital Association and American Medical Association); Professional and Technical Advisory Committees and Liaison Network (includes approximately 250 health care professional organizations); Public Advisory Group on Health Care Quality; and the Nursing Advisory Council.

Ms. Botwinick earned her master’s degree in Management of Public Services from DePaul University in Chicago and her bachelor’s degree from Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass.