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Dr. Deborah Nadzam Named Council Chairperson August 26, 1998 — William M. Ellis, R.Ph., M.S., announced that Deborah M. Nadzam, Ph.D., F.A.A.N., has been elected to succeed him as chairperson of the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention. Ellis handed the gavel to Dr. Nadzam at the opening session of the Council's quarterly meeting on August 13, the first meeting chaired by Dr. Nadzam following her election. According to Ellis, "Dr. Nadzam brings with her a wealth of knowledge from her association with the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), and experience with sentinel events and medication error prevention in general. Over the past three years, the affiliated member organizations built a strong foundation for the future. Now, with Dr. Nadzam in the lead, the Council will move forward into its next stage of growth and development." Dr. Nadzam plans to pursue the following goals during her tenure: establishment of an internet web site for the Council; enhancement of communication and coordination among member organizations; and development of avenues to promote medication error prevention within the national health care system. "The Council is a forum for the development of a national consensus on critical issues related to medication error reporting and prevention," said Dr. Nadzam. "The Council's strength springs from the unique collaboration of professional organizations, government, standard-setting and regulatory organizations, manufacturers, and consumers. The cooperative efforts in developing a working definition for medication errors, adopting a categorization index and, most recently, developing a taxonomy, are important starting points for public health impact." Dr. Nadzam is currently vice president for performance measurement at the JCAHO, where her responsibilities include managing the integration of performance data into accreditation activities and overseeing operations of the performance measurement system. Her clinical background is primarily in psychiatric nursing, including acute care practice, outpatient consultation and clinical specialist activities. She earned her BSN from the University of Michigan and her MSN in psychiatric nursing from Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University. Her Ph.D., also in nursing, is from Case Western Reserve University. Ellis recently completed a three year term as Council chairperson and will continue to serve the Council as the American Pharmaceutical Association (APhA) representative. Under his leadership, the Council defined terms, established goals and standard categories for medication errors, and made recommendations to improve prescription writing, labeling, and packaging. Ellis is the executive director of the APhA Foundation and directs operation of the APhA Foundation Quality Center. © 1998–2008 National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention. All Rights Reserved. *Permission is hereby granted to reproduce information contained herein provided that such reproduction shall not modify the text and shall include the copyright notice appearing on the pages from which it was copied.