Consumer Health Ratings President and CEO Appointed to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) National Advisory Council

Gretchen M. Dahlen, president and chief executive officer of Consumer Health Ratings, has been named to the National Advisory Council for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). New member appointments were made by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and announced during a virtual meeting of the Council held March 26, 2020.

AHRQ is an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Its mission is to produce, disseminate and get evidence into practice that will make health care safer, higher quality, more accessible, equitable and affordable. The National Advisory Council is a 20-person panel of private-sector experts offering a variety of perspectives from providers, health care plans, purchasers, consumers, and researchers. Ex-officio members are also on the Council from seven federal agencies: National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and the Office of Personnel Management.

“Joining the AHRQ National Advisory Council is a great opportunity, not only to work with other distinguished Council members and a talented AHRQ staff,” said Ms. Dahlen. “It is also a way to support AHRQ’s work to improve the quality of healthcare, make care more accessible to consumers, and elevate consumer concerns about affordability.”

Among the many vital initiatives AHRQ provides, are programs that reduce infections, improve the culture of patient safety, measure and report costs of healthcare services, track utilization of hospital inpatient admissions, and fund research that improves clinical practice. AHRQ has key responsibilities for the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), TeamSTEPPS for strengthening teamwork and communication, publishing patient safety and National Healthcare Disparities Reports, and supporting research.

Ms. Dahlen founded Consumer Health Ratings in 2006 as a free public service guide to online ratings of quality and cost. She is a former member of the AARP Board of Directors and a past examiner for Wisconsin’s Baldrige quality program. A Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives, Ms. Dahlen has 30 years’ experience serving as a consultant and CEO for healthcare organizations.