September 24, 2026- Joint Commission President and CEO Jonathan B. Perlin, M.D., Ph.D., will retire at the end of 2026, the organization announced Sept. 23. James I. Merlino, M.D., Joint Commission’s chief operating officer, will succeed Perlin as president and CEO effective Jan 1, 2027. Perlin is a former AHA Board Chair and received the association’s Distinguished Service Award during the 2026 AHA Annual Membership Meeting in April.
Under Perlin’s leadership, the Joint Commission shifted its accreditation efforts from gap identification to best‑practice enablement and evolved the organization’s relationship with healthcare organizations. Prior to Joint Commission, he served in multiple leadership roles, including president of clinical operations and chief medical officer for HCA Healthcare, and under secretary for health at the Department of Veterans Affairs.