TRENTON, N.J., May 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Leonard Leto, a veteran administrator of New York City and New Jersey State public health benefits programs, has been named Chairman of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute (NJHCQI) by the organization’s Board of Directors.
“It is a tremendous honor and privilege to be selected Chairman of a forward-thinking and innovative organization such as the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute,” said Mr. Leto, who has served on NJHCQI’s Board of Directors and as Vice Chairman. “The New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute will continue in its mission to assure New Jersey citizens of first-class health care services while containing costs and improving accountability.
“New Jersey’s health care industry is facing some very difficult challenges that must be addressed with new ideas and solutions,” Mr. Leto added. “The status quo is no longer a viable option in meeting these serious health care challenges.”
For the past eight years, Mr. Leto has served as the Manager of Policy and Planning for the New Jersey State Health Benefits Program. He also served as the Director of the New York City Health Benefits Program from 1989 to 1995.
Mr. Leto also served on the Board of Directors for the New York Business Group on Health from 1993 to 1996 and was appointed to the New Jersey Health Care Payers Coalition of New Jersey in July 2001. Mr. Leto graduated from City College of New York and earned a Masters degree from the University of Utah.
Founded in 1997, the NJHCQI is a non-profit foundation that seeks to empower health care purchasers and consumers by publishing the results of objective research and comparative data on health care providers. The NJHCQI also provides pertinent educational information to purchasers and consumers so they can adopt more value-based purchasing practices and make informed decisions on the merits of various health care programs, treatments and services.
In addition to announcing Mr. Leto’s appointment, the NJHCQI’s Board of Directors also announced the appointment of David L. Knowlton as its new President & CEO. Prior to his new appointment, Knowlton served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the NJHCQI since 2001.
Mr. Knowlton assumes day-to-day management duties of the NJHCQI and will take a leading role in developing new policy initiatives to help further the organization’s goals.
“The New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute has been at the forefront of changing the dialogue in our state when it comes to addressing the critical issues confronting New Jersey’s health care industry,” said Mr. Knowlton.
“I look forward to further advancing the Institute’s goals in the weeks and months ahead and accepting the many challenges associated with this new position,” Mr. Knowlton added. “It is imperative that we continue fostering collaboration and cooperation amongst all health care stakeholders so both purchasers and consumers more fully realize the benefits of the linkage between quality, accountability and cost containment.”
Mr. Knowlton has been a recognized leader and advisor on health issues since 1977. As a principal in Knowlton and Associates, a consulting group specializing in health care policy issues, Mr. Knowlton’s clients have included various governmental, health care, legal, financial and business organizations.
Mr. Knowlton also founded and served as Executive Director of the Health Care Payers Coalition of New Jersey - a non-profit corporation representing business and labor organizations that provide health care.
Mr. Knowlton served as the Deputy Commissioner of Health for the State of New Jersey, the faculty of the Managed Healthcare Congress, Governor Whitman’s transition team and was recently appointed to the Commissioner of Health’s Quality Improvement Advisory Committee.
Mr. Leto also announced that the NJHCQI will hold it Annual Meeting on June 15th at the Marriott Lafayette Yard Hotel in Trenton.
New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute
CONTACT: David L. Knowlton, President & CEO, NJHCQI, +1-609-393-4931,Fax: +1-609-393-8212, dknowlton@njhcqi.org
