David W. Bates, MD, an expert in patient safety, has been named senior vice president and chief innovation officer at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Bates previously served as the chief quality officer at BWH. In his new position, he will focus on identifying opportunities to drive transformative change, with the goal of translating inventions, discoveries and new ideas into services and products that benefit patients and improve the delivery of care. He will also serve as executive sponsor of the Brigham Innovation Hub, or iHub, a catalyst of innovation across the hospital.

According to BWH's president Elizabeth G. Nabel, MD, was promoted to foster a culture of innovation and the establishment of infrastructure to support it across the institution. "Innovation is at the core of our academic mission," Nabel said.

[See also: Coordinated Health taps Greg Flanagan as new CIO.]

Bates will continue in his role as chief of the Division of General Medicine and Primary Care at BWH. He is also a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a professor of health policy and management at the Harvard School of Public Health, where he co-directs the Program in Clinical Effectiveness. He also serves as medical director of clinical and quality analysis for Partners HealthCare.

Bates directs the Center for Patient Safety Research and Practice at BWH and serves as external program lead for research in the World Health Organization's Global Alliance for Patient Safety. He is also the editor of the Journal of Patient Safety.