OAKBROOK TERRACE, Illinois, April 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Joint Commission announced today that the organization has hired Dr. Carsten Engel as its first International Strategic Advisor. Dr. Engel is a healthcare quality improvement expert with more than 20 years of experience in the field, most recently leading the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua) as CEO. In addition to dedicating decades to healthcare quality improvement, Dr. Engel also spent 20 years on the frontlines of healthcare in anesthesiology and intensive care.
“Dr. Engel’s expertise and deep understanding of global healthcare systems, quality and safety, and international accreditation is unmatched,” said Jonathan B. Perlin, MD, PhD, president and CEO, Joint Commission. “We are pleased to have Dr. Engel join the organization. He brings experience that will help advance our international efforts and partnerships, ensuring more people around the world can benefit from safer, higher‑quality care.”
Dr. Engel will report directly to James Merlino, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Joint Commission, who is also responsible for overseeing Joint Commission International (JCI). Dr. Engel will lead efforts to align JCI’s strategy with its international partners, while identifying, developing and tailoring products and services in priority regions. He will serve as a senior partner and focus on cultivating and maintaining high-level relationships with international healthcare leaders, Ministries of Health, regulatory bodies, and global health organizations, all with the goal of ensuring JCI’s alignment with global market dynamics, partnership opportunities, and healthcare trends.
“Joint Commission is a leader in healthcare quality and safety, and I am honored to join the team to advance their mission of elevating patient care internationally,” said Dr. Engel of his new role. “Having lived and worked across many regions of the world, I have developed a global perspective on the complexities and variations that shape patient care from country-to-country. My focus is on advancing more differentiated, context-aware ways for JCI to engage with health systems worldwide.”
Dr. Engel joins JCI from ISQua, which he joined as CEO in 2021 and has played a key leadership role in the development of ISQua’s International Accreditation Program. Dr. Engel obtained a Master of Science degree in physics and chemistry and a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Copenhagen. He is passionate about how health systems operate and advising on best practices that put patient safety at the core.
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About Joint Commission
Joint Commission enables and affirms the highest standards of healthcare quality and patient safety for all. Founded in 1951, it is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in healthcare, evaluating more than 23,000 healthcare organizations and programs across the United States. As an independent, nonprofit organization, Joint Commission inspires healthcare organizations across all settings to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value.
Learn more at www.jointcommission.org.
About Joint Commission International
Joint Commission International (JCI), established in 1994, is a nonprofit affiliate of Joint Commission, dedicated to improving healthcare quality and patient safety worldwide. Through international accreditation and certification, advisory services, publications, and education programs, JCI works with healthcare organizations, public health agencies, and health ministries in more than 80 countries to enable and affirm the highest standards of healthcare quality and patient safety for all.
Learn more at https://www.jointcommission.org/en.
Hannah Miller Joint Commission 630-792-5174 press@jointcommission.org
