Synergy - January/February 2015 - 20

industry feature

The Joint Commission & the MSP
Daniel Castillo, MD, MBA, explores the role of the Medical Services Professional
within The Joint Commission
Compiled by John Pastrano, CPCS, CPMSM, BBA

NAMSS Immediate Past President, John Pastrano, CPCS, CPMSM, BBA,
reached out to Daniel J Castillo, MD, MBA, Medical Director of the Division of
Healthcare Quality Evaluation at The Joint Commission, to learn more about
his role at The Joint Commission and where the Medical Services Profession
fits in to the organization's goals.

1. Tell us about yourself and your
work experience?

3. Describe your role with The Joint
Commission?

I am an emergency medicine physician
that trained in the Chicago area, and
I still work clinical shifts on weekends
when I am not traveling for The Joint
Commission. Staying clinically relevant has
allowed me to maintain the perspective
of practicing providers, which has been
extremely valuable in my current role. I
have always had an interest in improving
the quality of health care delivered across
settings, specifically in optimizing patient
outcomes, reducing errors, and improving
the overall experience for patients.

As the medical director for Healthcare Quality
Evaluation at The Joint Commission, I provide
clinical oversight for the development of
standards used for accreditation and certification.
I also help oversee the development and
modifications of performance measures used in
our various programs. Finally, I have input into
research and construction of other cutting-edge
projects, such as The Joint Commission's
upcoming certification for integrated care.

2. What drew you to work for
The Joint Commission?
Prior to coming to The Joint Commission, I
did extensive work in quality improvement
for an integrated delivery system. This
included the use of measurement in
medical staffing and various performance
improvement initiatives. The chance to do
this on a national level was very intriguing.
Also, working for an organization that
collaborates with so many other health
care stakeholders with a mission to make
care safer for every patient was an amazing
opportunity that I could not pass up.

4. How do you see the role of the
Medical Services Professional
within The Joint Commission?
The Medical Services Professional plays
an integral role in health care quality.
We all know that the health care industry
is going through a time of rapid and
profound change. The integration of
medical staffs is only one such example
of this change. Also, as quality becomes
a theme that all members of our health
care community become more interested
in - from patients and providers all the
way to board members and payors -
how Medical Services Professionals fit
into this discussion will become even
more important. We will need to work to

We all know that the health care industry
is going through a time of rapid and
profound change.
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SYNERGY JANUARY/FEBR UARY 2015

ensure the correct and most up-to-date
information is available to make important
decisions, such as credentialing and
privileging of providers.

5. What important accomplishment
do you hope to achieve within
the next year with The Joint
Commission that involves the
Medical Services Professional?
I have spoken frequently about the use of
Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation
and Focused Professional Practice
Evaluation (OPPE & FPPE) not just for
credentialing and privileging but also as
tools for performance improvement. This
is a topic I hope to continue to discuss
with organizations across the country, and
Medical Services Professionals will be a
needed partner in this initiative.

6. What knowledge or insight do
you hope to share with NAMSS
members to help them in
their roles as Medical Services
Professionals?
The Joint Commission wants to support the
work of Medical Services Professionals, so
lets work together. We all have the same
goal: that every patient experiences high
quality care each and every time they
present to a health care organization. This
can be difficult work, but collaboration
can make it much more meaningful and
successful. I would like to hear about your
challenges, and hopefully I can offer some
guidance from the perspective of The Joint
Commission. ■

Daniel J Castillo, MD, MBA, is
Medical Director of the Division of
Healthcare Quality Evaluation at
The Joint Commission in Oakbrook
Terrace, IL. You may reach him at
dcastillo@jointcommission.org.
Synergy - January/February 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Synergy - January/February 2015
