The Leapfrog Group Announces New Board Chair and 2026 Board Leadership

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Leapfrog Group, a national watchdog organization of employers and other purchasers focused on health care safety and quality, today announces the election of Raquel Bono, MD, MBA, FACS, as its new Board Chair. Leapfrog also welcomes a new slate of Board officers and two new board members.

Dr. Bono will be the first surgeon to serve as Chair of The Leapfrog Group's Board of Directors. Dr. Bono is a board-certified trauma surgeon and retired three-star Vice Admiral in the U.S. Navy, where she served as the 11th Chief of the Navy Medical Corps. She directed the Defense Health Agency from 2015–2019, overseeing the integration of a $50 billion global health system serving millions of service members and their families.

"This is an important and exciting time for The Leapfrog Group as we continue to expand our work in advancing patient safety, quality, and transparency in health care," Dr. Bono said. "As a surgeon, I am especially excited about Leapfrog's new Recognized Leader in Geriatric Surgery program with the American College of Surgeons. I am honored to serve as Board Chair and look forward to working with Leapfrog's management and Board to continue driving meaningful improvements in patient safety."

The officers are:

• Chair of the Board: Vice Admiral (Ret) Raquel Bono, MD, MBA, FACS
  
  
• Vice Chair: Laurel Pickering, MPH, President & CEO, Gateway Business Health Coalition & Missouri Health Value Collaborative
  
  
• Treasurer: John G. Zern, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ryan Specialty Benefits
  
  
• Secretary: Sally Welborn, Advisor, Welborn Advisory Services
  
  
• At-Large Member: Janet Lucas-Taylor, Executive Director, Business Health Care Group

Leapfrog also welcomes two returning members to its Board of Directors:

Laurel Pickering, MPH, President & CEO, Gateway Business Health Coalition & Missouri Health Value Collaborative

Laurel Pickering is a longtime leader in employer-driven efforts to improve health care quality, value, and the patient experience. She previously led Northeast Business Group on Health for more than 20 years and teaches health care quality and safety at Thomas Jefferson University.

Dan Roble, Attorney at Law, Cameron & Roble, LLP
Dan Roble has 50 years of legal experience in health care. He previously served as a partner in a Boston law firm, then as General Counsel of the parent company of a Boston academic medical center. He served as the General Counsel of The Leapfrog Group for 20 years.

"We are incredibly fortunate to welcome Dr. Bono as our new chair, along with all the outstanding new and continuing members of Leapfrog's strong Board," said Leah Binder, President and CEO. "They bring tremendous vision, experience, and important new perspectives as we work together to improve American health care. Dr. Bono's leadership has been extraordinary at the Defense Health Agency, where she worked with Leapfrog to see vast improvements in the quality of care for military personnel and their families. Our board is exactly the leadership we need right now to succeed in our mission."

About The Leapfrog Group

Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is an independent national nonprofit organization driving a movement for patient safety and transparency. Leapfrog collects, analyzes, and publicly reports data on hospital and ambulatory surgery center performance to help patients, purchasers, and other stakeholders make informed health care decisions. Leapfrog's flagship initiatives include the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, a biannual letter grade focused exclusively on hospital safety, and the Leapfrog Hospital Survey. This voluntary survey publicly reports hospital performance on patient safety and quality measures. Leapfrog's ratings and reports are peer-reviewed, fully transparent, and free to the public.

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SOURCE The Leapfrog Group