JCR appoints two international healthcare experts to board of directors

Joint Commission Resources, Inc. (JCR) has appointed two world-class and leading healthcare experts to serve as international outside directors on its board of directors: Abdulelah M. Alhawsawi, MD, FRCS^©, DABS, and Sangita Reddy. Each appointee will serve a three-year term on the board. Dr. Alhawsawi’s term will begin Oct. 1, 2022, and Ms. Reddy’s term will begin Jan. 1, 2023.

As international outside directors, Dr. Alhawsawi and Ms. Reddy will provide their global expertise and direction to improve safety and quality of healthcare in the United States and abroad. They will be full voting members of the 13-person board of directors, which serves as JCR’s governing body. The board includes healthcare professionals, business executives and quality experts from around the world.

Dr. Alhawsawi is chief executive officer of Novo Genomics, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Novo Genomics is a Saudi biotech company, focused on localizing and applying the latest technologies in genomics/multi-omics, and leveraging data through advanced analytics and data mining to promote health and wellness in the region and beyond. Dr. Alhawsawi is the former founding director general of the Saudi Patient Safety Center (SPSC) and past patient safety advisor to the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health (MOH). He also led efforts to establish SPSC as a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center for patient safety policies and strategies. Dr. Alhawsawi currently serves on WHO’s Global Patient Safety Action Plan Taskforce.

“Dr. Alhawsawi and Ms. Reddy have dedicated their lives to transforming healthcare globally, and we are thrilled to welcome them to Joint Commission Resources’ Board of Directors,” said Jonathan B. Perlin, MD, PhD, MSHA, MACP, FACMI, president and chief executive officer, The Joint Commission. “These board appointments bring unique international expertise and perspective on healthcare policy and the challenges and opportunities to advance quality and safety worldwide.”

Ms. Reddy is joint managing director of Apollo Hospitals Group India, the largest healthcare group in Asia. As one of its founding members, she has promoted multiple, significant initiatives and is committed to transforming the healthcare system through technological advancements and accelerating positive transformation to enable universal access to healthcare. Ms. Reddy is on the Executive Council Committee of NASSCOM India and is the immediate past president of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). She actively engages with governments and industry bodies on aspects of public health and policy development. The government of India nominated Ms. Reddy to join its Technology Development Board, Department of Science and Technology. Additionally, she holds an honorary doctorate from Macquarie University Australia in recognition of her efforts and commitment to bring transformative changes in healthcare, advance health IT, and champion healthcare initiatives in India and abroad.

“We are so pleased that Dr. Alhawsawi and Ms. Reddy are joining Joint Commission Resources’ Board of Directors,” said Jean Courtney, interim president and chief executive officer, and chief operating officer, JCR. “They each bring in-depth and unparalleled international healthcare expertise. This will be invaluable as JCR continues to expand its mission to improve patient safety and quality of care around the globe.”