Patient Advocates on National Boards: Mind the Sausage

Engaging patients differs depending on the role. Those on national Boards lead, strategize, advocate, communicate. Adam Thompson is on the Board of NQF. Listen in.

Proem

As a nurse, I studied individual health. Then I became a student of organizational health. That led me to management and leadership — all with the mind to get stuff done. Done for people, with people, by people -patients, caregivers, and direct care clinicians. My role changed at each step. My bag of tools grew. I learned to be a good leader, coach, and mentor. Sometimes great. Sometimes I reached my goal when I had one — my success measure: Bat .500 — Success half the time. Now I’m old, nearing the end of my career, and I’m on a national board, the Board of Governors of PCORI (Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute). As a life-long learner and master networker, I started looking for other people Identifying as patient-caregiver stakeholders on national boards. I found our guest, Adam Thompson, recently. He’s on the board of the National Quality Forum (NQF). I’m a member of NQF and serve on several committees and panels. Matt Pickering, a Director at NQF, appeared on Health Hats, the Podcast a few months ago. NQF’s Mission: To be the trusted voice driving measurable health improvements. Its Vision: Every person experiences high-value care and optimal…