Valerie P. Pracilio is a Project Manager for quality improvement in the Jefferson School of Population Health at Thomas Jefferson University, where she is responsible for organizing efforts on various research projects that are primarily related to healthcare quality and patient safety improvement.At Thomas Jefferson University, she is currently facilitating performance improvement initiatives in each of the Jefferson University Physician ambulatory practices and serves as a member of the Jefferson Clinical Care Subcommittee. Ms. Pracilio is working to implement a smoking cessation initiative across all Jefferson University Physician (JUP) practices through funding from Pfizer Inc. and has been involved in evaluating provider participation in pay-for-performance programs.Ms. Pracilio is a graduate of the American Hospital Association (AHA) Patient Safety Leadership Fellowship.

Through this experience, she worked on an initiative for postdischarge medication reconciliation at Jefferson, with the goal of advancing patient safety and improving health outcomes. Ms. Pracilio currently serves as a medication safety expert on development of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Physician Quality Reporting Initiative Measures.Ms. Pracilio's research interests include quality and patient safety, organizational culture, teamwork and communication as well as oncology, and public health. Her research efforts have included a project focused on the capacity for colorectal cancer 'screening in Pennsylvania, which was submitted to the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee, and an initiative to improve quality at two rural hospitals in Pennsylvania through funding from State Representative Todd Eachus.Ms. Pracilio also served as managing editor and author of Governance for Health Care Providers: The Call to Leadership, which was published in 2008 by Productivity Press, NewYork, New York.

Ms. Pracilio has a bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration from the University of Scranton and a Masters of Public Health degree from Thomas Jefferson University. Ms. Pracilio can be contacted at valerie.pracilio@jefferson.edu.