A health economist and researcher at the Department of Veterans Affairs is joining the Joint Commission to lead the healthcare accrediting agency’s research center.
The Joint Commission named Austin Frakt, PhD, vice president and chief research officer on Aug. 11. Dr. Frakt has been with the VA since 2003, where he helps lead a team of about 40 researchers, according to his LinkedIn profile.
At the Joint Commission Research Center, he will lead research on the value proposition across quality standards, operational efficiency and health outcomes, according to an Aug. 11 news release.
“Healthcare organizations are under immense pressure to deliver value more effectively and are asking for data and insights that clearly show the return on investments in quality and safety,” said Jonathan Perlin, MD, PhD, president and CEO of Joint Commission. “Austin will help us examine the impact of our requirements and other safety practices to determine and amplify what adds value and, conversely, sunset what simply adds burden.”
Dr. Frakt most recently served as principal research scientist at Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health in the department of health policy and management, the release said.
