The former chairwoman of a major nursing home association has been appointed to participate in meetings of the Board of Commissioners of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the group announced today.

Mary K. Ousley, the immediate past board chair of the American Health Care Association, was approved by JCAHO’s Board of Commissioners at its March 26-27 meeting. She is the executive vice president at SunBridge Healthcare Corporation in Albuquerque.
 
Although she occupies a non-voting seat, Ousley, who has testified before Congress on behalf of long-term care interests, is part of a concerted effort by JCAHO to concentrate more on long-term care matters, the Oakbrook Terrace, IL-based group said.
 
“The quality and safety standards set by JCAHO must be a vital component of comprehensive national efforts to get the right patients to the right providers,” Ousley said.