Leading Healthcare Quality and Safety

Dr. Gregory Pawlson stands as a distinguished figure in healthcare quality improvement, academic medicine, and public policy. His current roles include serving as a Senior Medical Consultant at Saxton Stump and SE Healthcare Quality Consulting, where he specializes in patient safety and quality improvement. At George Washington University, he holds positions as both a clinical professor in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences and an adjunct professor in the School of Nursing, while also working as a Hudson Institute certified executive and life coach. His illustrious career includes significant leadership positions such as Executive Director for Quality Innovation at Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and Executive Vice President at NCQA, where he pioneered the development of HEDIS clinical performance measures. His 25-year tenure in academic medicine at George Washington University Medical Center included roles as Senior Associate Vice President for Health Affairs and Department Chairman. As a Robert Wood Johnson Policy Fellow, he contributed to crucial healthcare legislation on the U.S. Senate Finance Committee. His leadership extends to serving as President and Chairman of the American Geriatrics Society and holding board positions across numerous prestigious medical organizations. With over 100 peer-reviewed publications, board certification in internal medicine, and fellowship status in multiple medical societies, Dr. Pawlson's academic credentials include a cum laude B.A. from Penn State, an M.D. with Distinction from Pittsburgh, training at Stanford, and an M.P.H. from the University of Washington. His comprehensive expertise spans healthcare quality measurement, policy development, and medical education reform

Dr. Jean Johnson stands as a transformative figure in nursing education and healthcare quality improvement as the founding dean (retired) of the George Washington University School of Nursing (GWSON). Her distinguished career encompasses significant achievements in advancing nursing education and healthcare quality standards. As a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty, she has demonstrated exceptional leadership in healthcare education. Her expertise spans quality improvement and patient safety, having served as a consultant to the American Health Care Association and conducted pivotal research on nurse staffing and care quality in nursing homes. Dr. Johnson's contributions to nursing education include leading the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses initiative funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She pioneered the first Master's degree in healthcare quality improvement and continues to share her expertise internationally, teaching quality and safety to graduate nurses in South Africa through a University of Cape Town partnership as a Fulbright specialist. Her leadership roles include serving as president of both the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties and the American College of Nurse Practitioners, while also contributing to the Institute of Medicine Committee on the Future of Primary Care. Currently, she continues her impact as a certified executive coach and professor, focusing on advancing healthcare quality and nursing education