NAHQ’s 50th anniversary is a profound milestone not just for NAHQ but for healthcare Quality & Safety as a whole. Join NAHQ CEO Stephanie Mercado as she reflects on how far we have come and shares an exciting new suite of solutions from NAHQ designed to help individuals and organizations build the capabilities needed for today and the future. Josh Berlin from Rule of 3 will also offer a timely perspective on what’s new in today’s healthcare and Quality environment, highlighting emerging challenges and shifts defining 2026 and their implications for healthcare leaders right now.
Speakers:
Stephanie Mercado, CAE, CPHQ
Chief Executive Officer
National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ)
Stephanie Mercado is the chief executive officer/executive director of the National Association for Healthcare Quality® (NAHQ), the organization at the forefront of elevating the profession and advancing the discipline of healthcare Quality & Safety. NAHQ sets the industry standard and helps individuals and organizations achieve it. The Chicago-based association also offers a strong community and professional home for those who work in healthcare Quality across the country and internationally.
Mercado brings more than 20 years of healthcare industry experience to her lead role at NAHQ. Since joining NAHQ in 2013, she has implemented innovations and introduced methodologies to research and define standardized competencies for the healthcare quality profession. This has resulted in advancement of the discipline of Quality and increased visibility and credibility for the Quality workforce.
Josh Berlin, JD
Chief Executive Director
Rule of Three
Josh brings more than 25 years of experience serving clients and leading teams, most of which in healthcare advisory, bringing that expertise to rule of three, LLC as its CEO. He has been privileged to hold previous leadership roles at KPMG, IBM Watson Health, Dixon Hughes Goodman (now Forvis Mazars), and Citrin Cooperman. Both his current role and those past have presented opportunities to bring unconventional thinking to his clients, while supporting dynamic teams, across the full healthcare ecosystem (Providers, Plans, Employers, Governments, Advocacy, etc.). He has been published numerous times over the years, as well as quoted widely, on a variety of healthcare trends and industry-relevant issues impacting how care is delivered, coordinated and administered. Currently, he serves on the Boards of vital.io, Validation Institute, the Population Health Management Journal, and HealthTrackRx.