Three of CMQCC's long-time leaders announced they will retire this April - Dr. Elliott Main, CMQCC’s medical director, Anne Castles, associate director, and Valerie Cape, program manager. Each has served the organization for more than 15 years and their accomplishments and future plans are outlined below.
As CMQCC says goodbye to Elliott, Anne and Valerie, CMQCC will elevate other talented leaders on the team, and in some cases, bring in new experts to fill gaps to continue to advance its mission. As part of that effort, Chief Executive Officer Dr. Jeff Gould, will expand his roles to include interim medical director.
Dr. Elliott Main
Dr. Elliott Main (pictured above on left) has served as CMQCC's inaugural medical director, one of the organization's founders, and a national leader in this space for more than 16 years. He built partnerships with the State and others to enable CMQCC to be one of the first quality improvement (QI) collaboratives in the nation to link lessons from maternal mortality reviews to quality improvement actions. Additionally, Dr. Main was integral in leading the CMQCC team in the development of QI toolkits, in partnership with California's Department of Public Health, that have been downloaded by thousands in the United States and around the world. Dr. Main’s tireless dedication and innovation also led to five QI toolkits becoming the basis for national safety bundles. Along with a team of CMQCC leaders, and with generous funding from the California Healthcare Foundation, Dr. Main helped launch the CMQCC Maternal Data Center. Dr. Main is looking forward to enjoying extensive travel and working part-time as a population health researcher in Stanford’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Anne Castles
Anne Castles (pictured above in center) has been at the helm of CMQCC’s Maternal Data Center (MDC) since 2011. Working with CMQCC’s visionary leadership and a fantastic software development team, Anne shepherded the planning, implementation and growth of the MDC and helped to transform it into the celebrated tool it is today. Under Anne’s leadership, the MDC is now serving nearly every birthing hospital in California and a total of almost 300 hospitals across five states with plans to grow even further! The MDC has been pivotal in supporting quality improvement, performance reporting activities, value-based purchasing programs, and research. Anne has taken the Maternal Data Center from an idea to a flourishing tool that is set up for success moving forward. Anne is looking forward to traveling and spending time with her family when she tests the waters of retirement in April.
Valerie Cape
Valerie Cape (pictured above on right) joined CMQCC almost 15 years ago and has been instrumental in bringing to fruition many projects and helping develop quality improvement toolkits. She led the California Partnership for Maternal Safety Project and coordinated the Collaborative to Support Vaginal Birth and Reduce Primary Cesareans with several cohorts of California hospitals. She has also worked closely with CMQCC’s dedicated volunteers. There is no better example of a team member, than Valerie. In retirement, she plans to spend more time outdoors, travel, enjoy family, and pursue creative endeavors. An avid reader and life-long learner, she looks forward to sharing her skills with her volunteer work in her church community.
Learn more about CMQCC leaders on the CMQCC Staff page.