Nov. 3, 2014: Announcement for Vice President of Quality

Dear Colleagues, 

We are pleased to announce that Renee Demski, M.S.W., M.B.A., has assumed the role of Vice President of Quality for The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System. In this new position, Renee will work closely with executives and frontline staff across the health system to implement a systemwide improvement strategy that supports the development of new, innovative strategies that eliminate preventable harms, improve patient outcomes and experiences, and reduce waste in health care delivery. 

Throughout her more than 25-year career at Johns Hopkins, Renee has demonstrated her passion for the patient experience and for improving quality metrics. Known for her collaborative leadership style, she has successfully nurtured relationships with governing councils, boards of patient safety and quality improvement executives, national industry leaders, and patients and their families. 

Some of her most notable accomplishments include: 

• Positioning Johns Hopkins Medicine's member hospitals as national leaders in patient safety and quality improvement; to date, all six hospitals have received either the Joint Commission's Top Performer on Key Quality Measures designation or the Delmarva Foundation for Medical Care's Excellence Award for Quality Improvement in Hospitals. 
• Developing improvement processes aimed at avoiding preventable complications and minimizing financial penalties described under the new Maryland Medicare waiver agreement; under her oversight, Johns Hopkins member hospitals have streamlined care efforts and successfully reduced Maryland hospital-acquired conditions, such as catheter- or surgical-related infections. 
• Redesigning Johns Hopkins Medicine's patient registration processes; utilizing lean production principles and rapid cycle methodologies, she helped implement a four-year plan at The Johns Hopkins Hospital that resulted in incremental revenue.

Demski earned her M.S.W. and L.C.S.W. degrees in clinical social work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore and her M.B.A. from The Johns Hopkins University. She holds certificates in emergency preparedness training and leadership development programs. She earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from the Notre Dame of Maryland University, where she graduated cum laude.

Please join us in congratulating Renee and wishing her success in this important new role.

Sincerely,
Peter Pronovost, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality
Senior Vice President for Patient Safety and Quality
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Judy A. Reitz, Sc.D.
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, JHH
Vice President, Quality Improvement
Johns Hopkins Medicine