NAHQ CEO Stephanie Mercado Named to Modern Healthcare’s Top 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare
December 8, 2025Share:
NAHQ is proud to announce that Chief Executive Officer Stephanie Mercado, CAE, CPHQ, has been named to Modern Healthcare’s Top 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare for the third consecutive year. This prestigious recognition honors leaders whose vision, innovation and impact are shaping the future of healthcare.
Mercado stated, "Being on the list is not only incredibly meaningful to me – it also means something to the 25,000 people who see me and NAHQ as a reflection of their work and value. When I’m on the list – they are on the list. And when Quality is on the list – well, that’s the ultimate win for all of us."
Under Mercado’s leadership, NAHQ has advanced several landmark initiatives that are redefining healthcare quality as a strategic, measurable business imperative. Most notably, NAHQ released the ROI-Q™ Report, the first study of its kind to quantify the return on investment in quality. Activated through NAHQ’s Workforce Accelerator Program, this groundbreaking work demonstrates how targeted investment in quality competencies drives meaningful clinical, financial, and operational outcomes for healthcare organizations.
Mercado has also championed the Healthcare Quality Competency Framework™, now recognized as the industry standard for defining the domains and competencies required to advance quality and safety. Twice validated and endorsed by Joint Commission, the Framework is widely adopted and referenced across the healthcare ecosystem as a foundation for building a coordinated, skilled quality workforce.
NAHQ congratulates Stephanie on this well-deserved honor and extends appreciation to the healthcare professionals whose expertise and commitment make this progress possible. Their leadership continues to propel NAHQ’s mission to advance quality and improve healthcare for all.
View the full Modern Healthcare Top 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare list here.
About NAHQ
The National Association for Healthcare Quality® (NAHQ) is at the forefront of elevating the profession and advancing the discipline of quality & safety across the continuum of care. We set the industry standard through our expert-created, twice-validated Healthcare Quality Competency Framework™ and help individuals and organizations achieve it through educational programming, industry leading data-driven intelligence, and the only accredited certification in healthcare quality, Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality® (CPHQ). NAHQ also serves as a welcoming membership community and a trusted partner to 150+ organizations helping build quality infrastructures, workforce planning and professional development programs and quality cultures. Learn more at NAHQ.org.
Media Contact:
Evelyn Warren
Director, Public Relations & Communications
ewarren@nahq.org | 704.488.7690
To achieve Quality, Safety and Value, follow the NAHQ Framework
At the core of all NAHQ offerings is our Healthcare Quality Competency Framework™. This twice-validated Framework, endorsed by Joint Commission, identifies the domains that define Quality and the industry standard competencies required to effectively advance Quality and advance healthcare.
