Margaret E. O'Kane, President

Since 1990, Margaret E. O’Kane has served as President of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), an independent, non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the quality of health care everywhere. Under her leadership, NCQA has developed broad support among the consumer, employer and health plan communities. About three-quarters of the nation’s largest employers evaluate plans that serve their employees using Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) data. In recent years, NCQA has received awards from the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, the American Diabetes Association and the American Pharmacists’ Association.

In addition to her leadership of NCQA, Ms. O’Kane plays a key role in many efforts to improve health care quality. Recently, she was awarded the 2009 Picker Institute Individual Award for Excellence in the Advancement of Patient-Centered Care for her leadership of NCQA and lifetime achievement in improving patient-centered health care. In 1999, Ms. O’Kane was elected as a member of the Institute of Medicine. She also serves as co-chair of the National Priorities Partnership, a broad-based group of high-impact stakeholder organizations, working together to bring transformative improvement to our health care system.

Ms. O’Kane began her career in health care as a respiratory therapist and went on to earn a master’s degree in health administration and planning from the Johns Hopkins University.