By Susan Carr

In PSQH, we attempt to represent the diversity of disciplines, tools, and knowledge that contribute to improving safety and quality, and the new issue is a good example of that approach.

The National Quality Forum Board of Directors has unanimously named Dr. Christine K. Cassel as its new president and chief executive officer. Dr. Cassel will begin her position at NQF effective mid-summer 2013.

The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) recently announced its 15th Annual Cheers Awards winners. The Cheers Awards honor individuals, organizations, and companies that have set a standard of excellence for others to follow in the prevention of medication errors and adverse drug events.

The University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics is being honored for its innovative approach to health information management by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) by winning AHIMA’s first Grace Award.

The American College of Physician Executives (ACPE) is seeking applications from medical schools, teaching hospitals and academic medical centers for the 2013 ACPE Leape Ahead Award.

The MITSS HOPE Award recognizes people – patients, families, healthcare providers, hospitals (or teams or departments therein), academic institutions, community health centers, grass roots organizations, EAP Programs, etc. – who exemplify the mission of MITSS: Supporting Healing and Restoring Hope to patients, families, and clinicians impacted by adverse medical events, medical errors, or  unexpected outcomes.

WorldOne, the global leader in healthcare insights and intelligence, has acquired Sermo, the largest online community of U.S. physicians. In the six years since its launch, Sermo amassed a membership of 130,000 physicians and hundreds of clients, including eight of the top ten pharmaceutical companies in the world.

David Blumenthal, M.D., one of the nation’s preeminent health information technology experts, thought leaders on primary care and professionalism, and foremost health policy scholars, has been named the next president of The Commonwealth Fund by the foundation’s board, to succeed Karen Davis on January 1, 2013.

Dr. Peter Goldbach, chief medical officer at Health Dialog, has released his whitepaper called “From Theory to Practice: Implementing Shared Decision Making at the Point of Care.”