Karin Jay joined Planetree in June 2011, where she is working to expand the network of Planetree Affiliates internationally, and provide consultation to key stakeholders on the implementation of Planetree’s relationship-centered model of care and international certification criteria.
Prior to joining Planetree, Karin spent 22+ years working in the accreditation and international quality/patient safety arena with The Joint Commission and Joint Commission International (JCI). During her tenure there, Karin helped expand the footprint of JCI in a variety of capacities, including organizing Regional Advisory Councils in Europe, the Middle East/North–Africa, and Asia-Pacific regions. She was also responsible for managing a number of Joint Commission International long-term projects, such as contracts with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the United States Peace Corps, and most recently leading JCI’s work with the World Health Organization as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Patient Safety. Karin continues to collaborate with all of these organizations in her position with Planetree, and has made several presentations focused on person centered care practices with WHO, JCI and the International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua).
On a personal level, Karin’s passion for patient-centered care began at a young age as she spent a lot of time in hospitals when both of her parents and her close childhood friend suffered serious, life-threatening illnesses. Luckily, all three survived. Karin witnessed first-hand different practitioners’ approaches to care, which made her acutely aware of the patient experience. When it was time to choose care providers for her own family, Karin decided to select providers affiliated with a Planetree “Designated with Distinction” hospital (one of only 5 such hospitals in the world), and continues to value the approach to the patient experience there.
Karin has also been a contributing author on several publications focused on accreditation, patient-centered care, and patients’ rights. Karin has served on ISQua’s Advisory Forum on Partnerships with Patients, and The Advisory Board for Person Centered Care for The Economist Intelligence Unit.
Karin currently serves on ISQua’s Person-Centered Care Community of Practice and is an active volunteer with several non-profit organizations. Karin holds a Master of Arts in Philosophy and Healthcare Ethics from Loyola University, Chicago, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.