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Public Profile

Peggy O'Kane
Peggy O'Kane

    Peggy O'Kane is one of the nation's leading advocates for improving health care quality. As the founding president of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), Ms. O'Kane has championed a quality improvement model based on measurement, public reporting and accountability. NCQA is the foremost accrediting organization for health plans including HMOs, PPOs, and consumer-directed plans. NCQA-accredited plans provide coverage and care to more than 80 million Americans. NCQA's Health Plan and Employer Data Information Set (HEDIS) is the most widely used health care quality measurement tool. HEDIS evaluates the clinical effectiveness of care and helps patients receive the right care at the right time.

    In addition to her leadership of NCQA, Ms. O'Kane plays a key role in many efforts to improve health care quality. She is a member of the Quality Alliance Steering Committee, co-chaired by Dr. Carolyn Clancy, director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and Dr. Mark McClellan, director of the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform at the Brookings Institution, and has been a key advisor on the efforts led by the federal government's Health and Human Services Department to transform American health care. Currently, she serves as co-chair of the National Priorities Partnership.

    Ms. O'Kane also serves on many notable boards of directors, including those of the National Quality Forum, the American Board of Medical Specialties and the Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making. She is also a member of the Composite Committee of the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination. In 1999, Ms. O'Kane was elected as a member of the Institute of Medicine, a highly-regarded organization of health care providers, researchers and others that is frequently called upon to help shape national health care policy. Under her leadership, in 2005 NCQA received awards from the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, the American Diabetes Association and the American Pharmacists' Association.

    During her career, Ms. O'Kane has received numerous awards and recognitions. She was named Health Person of the Year in 1996 by the journal Medicine & Health and she received a 1997 Founder's Award from The American College of Medical Quality, recognizing NCQA's efforts to improve managed care quality. In 2000, Ms. O'Kane received the Champion of Prevention award from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the agency's highest honor.

    Ms. O'Kane is a sought-after public speaker, regularly addressing audiences across the country on topics such as pay-for-performance, the value of accountability and the need to expand measurement in health care. She frequently appears on Modern Healthcare's annual list of the 100 Most Powerful People in Health Care. She holds a master's degree in health administration and planning from the Johns Hopkins University.

    Schedule29 Mar 2024