Carol Reineck, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., C.N.A.A.-B.C, chair of the Department of Acute Nursing Care, was appointed to two national positions that advise The Joint Commission.
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Election as treasurer of the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) last fall has placed Carol Reineck, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., C.N.A.A.-B.C, in a new role of directly contributing to national health care policy.

Member of two national advisory groups
As treasurer of the organization, Dr. Reineck was appointed to two highly visible advisory positions — one with The Joint Commission, the organization that initiates national health care policy and accredits more than 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, and one with the AONE. Dr. Reineck serves as chair of the Department of Acute Nursing Care at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio,

Dr. Reineck will be AONE’s representative to The Joint Commission’s Nursing Advisory Council, which provides input on initiatives that affect the nursing profession, including the nationwide shortage of nurses. She also will serve as chair of the AONE Regulatory Committee, which reviews proposed new or revised standards and provides feedback to The Joint Commission and other regulatory agencies.

Voice for the nurse executive community
“The dual responsibility places me in a position to work with other nurse executives to not only affect regulatory changes and recommend updates for procedures to improve patient care, but to speak on behalf of the nurse executive community directly to The Joint Commission,” Dr. Reineck explained. She will serve in these roles with The Joint Commission from 2008 to 2010, with the possibility of renewable two-year terms in the future.

Shaping regulatory policy
“I have previously been on the receiving end of The Joint Commission, helping nursing departments in military hospitals meet regulatory standards. I am humbled that these new positions of national service offer a great transition from implementing to actually shaping regulatory policy,” said Dr. Reineck, who retired as chief nurse executive of the U.S. Army Medical Command worldwide before joining the UT Health Science Center in 2001.

“The key here is that we are all working together, through the contributions of leaders from many health care organizations and associations, to improve the quality of health care through an accreditation process that emphasizes continued improvement,” she said.

Health Science Center to be on cutting edge of new policies, trends
“Dr. Reineck is a true professional,” said Eileen Breslin, Ph.D., R.N., dean of the School of Nursing. “She has been a leader throughout her career in the military and now at our Health Science Center. These national leadership positions will offer her the opportunity to share what she has learned to improve health care from a national standpoint, as well as keep our school on the forefront regarding trends and upcoming changes. This is a win for her and a win for the Health Science Center.”

Joint Commission leadership includes virtually every segment of health care
According to The Joint Commission’s Web site, the independent, nonprofit organization is governed by a 29-member Board of Commissioners that includes physicians, administrators, nurses, employers, a labor representative, health plan leaders, quality experts, ethicists, a consumer advocate and educators. Corporate members represent the major national health care associations and organizations such as the American College of Physicians, the American Dental Association, the American Hospital Association and American Medical Association. “Increasingly, accreditation is linked to reimbursement,” Dr. Reineck said.

Dr. Reineck’s other roles with the AONE, a 6,000-member subsidiary of the American Hospital Association, include review and oversight of significant AONE activities related to financial planning and budgeting. “One initiative AONE is engaged in now is developing a certification program for nurse executives, based on competencies identified by members of the Healthcare Leadership Alliance. There is increasing emphasis on certification as one important indicator of competency, including that at the executive level,” she said.

The HLA is composed of the American College of Healthcare Executives, American College of Physician Executives, American Organization of Nurse Executives, Healthcare Financial Management Association, Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society and the Medical Group Management Association.