Joint Commission president and CEO to receive AHA’s Distinguished Service Award

The AHA will present Jonathan B. Perlin, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of Joint Commission, with its Distinguished Service Award during the 2026 AHA Annual Membership Meeting in Washington, D.C. The award is the AHA's highest honor and recognizes individuals for their long-time service to the association and the field. Perlin is a former AHA Board Chair, and during his time in the role, he helped guide the field through payment and delivery system transformation amid heightened regulatory and financial pressures. Perlin also served in other high-impact roles, including president, clinical operations, and chief medical officer of HCA Healthcare and the Under Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. At Joint Commission, Perlin has helped strengthen the organization's focus on patient safety, access to care and workforce well-being, while modernizing accreditation approaches to better support hospitals and health systems navigating operational and clinical pressures.

"A steady and trusted voice throughout his distinguished career as a leader on quality at the Department of Veterans Affairs, at a large health system and now at Joint Commission, Jon has worked collaboratively with providers, policymakers and stakeholders to drive improvements in care," said AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack. "His work has been especially influential in advancing patient quality, clinical effectiveness and community health."