(Irvine, Calif.) April 6, 2004 -- The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) recently announced the appointment of Mary K. Ousley as the representative of the long-term care field to participate in meetings of its Board of Commissioners. Ousley is executive vice president at SunBridge Healthcare Corporation in Irvine, California. Her appointment is effective immediately.
      The appointment of Ousley was approved by the Board of Commissioners at its March 26-27 meeting. It is part of a larger effort to build and strengthen relationships between long-term care organizations and the Joint Commission. This new Board seat is identical to the non-voting home care seat currently held by Frances L. Baby, president, HomeReach. This seat was established in 2002.
      "The very substantial long-term care and home care fields of service can be assured that their views will be carried to and heard at the highest level at the Joint Commission," says Dennis S. O’Leary, M.D., president, Joint Commission. "The significance of this action lies in the intense interest of the Board in understanding and addressing key issues in those vitally important fields.
      "Long-term care is going to be increasingly important in America as we deal with the impending demographic explosion-the only certainty in the future of health care," says Ousley. "The quality and safety standards set by JCAHO must be a vital component of comprehensive national efforts to get the right patients to the right providers. I am honored to represent the long-term care profession and pledge to bring the perspective of long-term care providers-from small, independent owners, to large, national corporations-to the highest levels of JCAHO."
      "The long-term care industry will greatly benefit from Mary’s appointment to this position," said Richard K. Matros, chairman and CEO of Sun Healthcare Group. "Her extensive background and passion for long-term care will enable her to draw from her experiences and make recommendations on the standards set forth by the Joint Commission."
      Ousley, who joined SunBridge Healthcare Corporation in 2001, is well known and respected in the long-term care field. She recently served as chair of the American Health Care Association and last year testified before the Senate Finance Committee on the progress made in improving the quality of long-term care in America.