BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Press Ganey today announced new leadership changes that will further support its ability to help drive the client transformation journey.

Dr. James Merlino, currently Chief Medical Officer and President, Strategic Consulting, will assume an expanded role as the Company’s first Chief Transformation Officer. In his new role, Dr. Merlino will be responsible for ensuring that Press Ganey’s solutions align with current and future industry needs, and he will oversee the creation and delivery of client-specific plans to help them achieve transformational and sustainable improvement.

In conjunction with this move, Dan Collard, who architected strategic engagements for Studer Group, will join Press Ganey as President, Strategic Consulting. With deep experience as a health care leader, consultant, and operator, Collard will continue to build and expand Press Ganey’s focus on delivering performance improvement strategies to clients through an innovative, integrated suite of consulting solutions.

“Press Ganey’s commitment to innovating and developing new solutions for our clients requires that we continue to evolve our leadership model and invest in leading talent,” said Patrick T. Ryan, CEO, Press Ganey. “With Jim in this new, expanded role, and the addition of Dan to our consulting group, Press Ganey will support transformational change in the mission to deliver safe, high-quality, patient-centered care.”

Since joining Press Ganey in 2015, Dr. James Merlino has played a critical role in shaping Press Ganey’s strategic direction and has led the rapid growth of Press Ganey’s Consulting Division. Under his leadership, Press Ganey has increased the breadth, depth, and number of consultants serving Press Ganey’s health care clients. In 2017, Consulting magazine named Press Ganey one of the top 10 “Fastest Growing Firms” in the United States. Prior to joining Press Ganey, Dr. Merlino served as chief experience officer and associate chief of staff at the Cleveland Clinic health system, as well as a practicing colorectal surgeon at the organization’s Digestive Disease Institute.

Dan Collard spent thirteen years as a senior leader at Studer Group, where he led engagements ranging from rural hospitals to complex health systems and academic medical centers. Prior to joining Studer Group, Collard was a health care system operator, where he led three consecutive turnarounds for a publicly traded hospital system.

About Press Ganey

Press Ganey pioneered the health care performance improvement movement more than 30 years ago. Today, Press Ganey offers an integrated suite of solutions that enables enterprise transformation across the patient journey. Delivered through a cutting-edge digital platform built on a foundation of data security, Press Ganey solutions address safety, clinical excellence, patient experience, and workforce engagement. The company works with more than 33,000 health care facilities in its mission to reduce patient suffering and enhance caregiver resilience to improve the overall safety, quality and experience of care.