ECRI Institute, an international leader in patient safety and data-driven technology solutions, announces that Jeffrey C. Lerner, PhD, president and CEO, will be retiring on December 31, 2017. He joined ECRI Institute as vice president for strategic planning in 1984, and became CEO in 2001.

Dr. Lerner set the course for ECRI Institute's transition from its origins as a medical device evaluation laboratory to a broader health research organization that assesses clinical procedures and drug therapies, and creates initiatives in patient safety.

"The ECRI Institute leadership team is exceptionally strong, and the Board and staff look forward to continuing both pursuit of our mission and expanding the services we provide to our constituencies. Jeff has led the growth of ECRI in many new directions, and is retiring on a high note after long and meaningful service," says Board Chair John Reiss, PhD, JD. "The Institute is well-positioned now and for the future."

"I'm extremely proud of the groundbreaking work we have done and are doing to help hospitals and health systems and other constituencies improve, and in many instances transform, patient care. We are trusted for providing evidence-based knowledge, patient safety guidance, technology expertise, and informed judgement. Our work was once considered fringe. No more: today it is integrated into mainstream thinking and care delivery," says Lerner.

During Lerner's tenure, the nonprofit organization more than tripled the size of its multi-disciplinary staff to over 430, and expanded its research campus to 22 acres. ECRI Institute now serves more than 5,000 hospitals and health systems, ancillary healthcare providers, payers, and government agencies worldwide.

"The list of the Institute's achievements is long and will benefit patients and the health community that serves them far into the future," says Lerner. "It is far too extensive to capture in a press release. I am very proud of my colleagues at the Institute and throughout the world. I thank them, and also the healthcare community for its longstanding collaboration with us. I urge everyone to learn more about what we do by visiting our website."

ECRI Institute's Board of Trustees has retained Korn Ferry, a leading global executive search firm (Lorraine.Lavet@KornFerry.com and Paul.Pospisil@kornferry.com) to conduct the search for Lerner's successor. Lerner will serve in a full-time capacity throughout the process. The executive and senior leadership teams are committed to ensuring a seamless transition.

For more information on ECRI Institute's work, visit www.ecri.org or contact ECRI Institute by telephone at (610) 825-6000; by e-mail at communications@ecri.og; or by mail at 5200 Butler Pike, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462.

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About ECRI Institute

ECRI Institute (www.ecri.org), a nonprofit organization, dedicates itself to bringing the discipline of applied scientific research to healthcare to discover which medical procedures, devices, drugs, and processes enable improved patient care. As pioneers in this science for nearly 50 years, ECRI Institute marries experience and independence with the objectivity of evidence-based research. Strict conflict-of-interest guidelines ensure objectivity. ECRI Institute is designated an Evidence-based Practice Center by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. ECRI Institute PSO is listed as a federally certified Patient Safety Organization by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ECRI Institute convened and operates the Partnership for Health IT Patient Safety, a multi-stakeholder collaborative. Find ECRI Institute on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ECRIInstitute) and on Twitter (www.twitter.com/ECRI_Institute).