AHRQ director Clancy to step down later this year

The director of the American Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Carolyn M. Clancy, MD, is planning to step down later this year after a decade leading the agency., Secretary of the the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Kathleen Sebelius, in a Jan. 31 email to HHS leaders and AHRQ staff, said she was “deeply grateful” for Clancy’s service. “Under Carolyn’s leadership, AHRQ has undertaken innovativ new work that has improved the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of the nation’s healthcare delivery system,” Sebelius noted. Carolyn has been passionate about the importance of linking quality improvement with the urgency of reducing disparities in healthcare. During her tenure, the agency produced the nation’s first annual reports on quality, safety, and disparities in care. AHRQ has supported groundbreaking researh on patient safety and related interventions, such as TeamSTEPPS, the Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program, and other efforts to reduce healthcare associated infections, now implemented both nationwide and internationally. Clancy will continue to serve while HHS leaders continue their national search for a new AHRQ director.