Mr. Brandush has 31 years of healthcare experience. He began his Federal career in 1992 with the Peace Corps, where he served as a Health Care Instructor for two years in Sao Tome, West Africa. Following his time in the Peace Corps, Mr. Brandush worked in various health care settings in the private sector before returning to Federal service in 2010 after being hired as a long-term care (LTC) Nurse Consultant Surveyor for the CMS Division of Survey & Certification in Chicago. In 2013, he was promoted to the LTC Enforcement Branch Manager position and then moved into the Deputy Associate Regional Administer position for region 5. In these roles, Mr. Brandush collaborated with internal and external partners by providing guidance, identifying opportunities for improvement, and developing strategies and tools to resolve concerns related to the health and safety of those the CMS programs serve. In 2020, Mr. Brandush was named Division Director for the CMS Chicago Survey & Operations Group, and in 2022, he was selected as the Director of the Division of Clinical Laboratory Improvement & Quality (DCLIQ) within QSOG. Mr. Brandush holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies, and a Juris Doctor degree.

Heather Hurley is the Executive Director of Laboratory Business Development at The Joint Commission. In this role, Ms. Hurley is responsible for leading business strategies and activities, including the development and implementation of products and services, for the Joint Commission’s Laboratory Accreditation Program, which accredits approximately 1,500 U.S. organizations providing clinical and reference laboratory services. Ms. Hurley also leads the Joint Commission’s Laboratory Accreditation Advisory Council and similar groups, and serves as liaison to associations, collaborative partners, and accrediting and regulatory bodies in the laboratory field. In addition, she provides technical oversight and assistance in support of the development of laboratory accreditation manuals, standards, education programs, and other accreditation-related materials.

Ms. Hurley has more than 13 years of commercial experience in the life sciences market, most recently serving as the director of sales for the Life Science Reagent Business Unit at Affymetrix, Inc., Santa Clara, California. In this role, she was responsible for the company’s direct and indirect selling channels in North America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Ms. Hurley managed products related to molecular biology enzymes and reagents, biochemical, and cell signaling/gene regulation to reach a variety of customer segments, including diagnostics, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, academic, and government research institutions. Prior to her commercial experience, she began her professional career as a laboratory technologist in the Department of Molecular Genetics at the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, working in the area of gene expression.

Ms. Hurley received her Bachelor of Science degree in biological science from Ohio University, Athens, Ohio.

Cherie J. Ulaskas is an Associate Director in the Department of Standards Interpretation at The Joint Commission. Her responsibilities include responding to external and internal customer inquiries regarding standards interpretation and working with organizations during the post-survey process. She also serves as faculty for surveyor and other education programs and consults on the development of standards and the survey process. In this capacity, she interprets standards for all Joint Commission accreditation programs and primarily interprets for the Laboratory programs.

Ms. Ulaskas has worked for The Joint Commission since 1989. She has held positions in Accreditation Operations, Department of Standards, and Joint Commission Resources. She also worked as a Medical Technologist at St. James Medical Center in Illinois before joining The Joint Commission.

Ms. Ulaskas earned undergraduate degrees in Biological Sciences from Southern Illinois University and Medical Technology from Governors State University. In addition, she received a Master’s degree in Communication from Governors State University. She also served as adjunct facility at Robert Morris University.