John Murray Selected as New Qlarant Board Chair

Easton, Maryland—On January 1, 2022, Qlarant announced the selection of John H. Murray, Esq., as the organization’s Board Chair.

Since 2013, Mr. Murray has served as a board member for Qlarant, a national leader in quality improvement, program integrity, and technology solutions. With headquarters in Easton, Maryland, the company has offices and home-based associates across the country.

For the past six years, Mr. Murray has served as the board’s Vice Chair alongside now-retired Chair Dr. Catherine Smoot-Haselnus. “Catherine has provided Qlarant with excellent board leadership for a long time,” he said. “Under her guidance, the company has established a strong governance culture and recruited accomplished and diverse new directors.”

In coordination with Qlarant CEO Dr. Ron Forsythe, Mr. Murray and Dr. Smoot-Haselnus have led the board in recent years in restructuring the organization, fostering improved communications and efficiency within and among the Qlarant boards, and emphasizing teamwork within and between Qlarant entities.

“We are excited to see where John leads our board,” said Dr. Forsythe. “He has established his leadership and expertise as the Vice Chair and is clearly committed to Qlarant’s success.”

In addition to Dr. Smoot-Haselnus, long-serving directors Dr. Melvin Gerald and Dr. Maggi Gallaher are also retiring from the board. Praising their “profound contributions to Qlarant over the years,” Mr. Murray said he looks forward to working with the current board in leading Qlarant.

“I am impressed with the highly skilled associates and dedicated leadership team,” he said of the company’s workforce. “They are laser-focused on quality improvement and technology solutions, including sophisticated systems and methods for identifying customer risks and vulnerabilities.”

Mr. Murray is equally motivated by Qlarant’s charitable mission, carried out through the Qlarant Foundation, which provides grants to programs improving health, especially among underserved populations, throughout Maryland and the District of Columbia.

“I will work to continue and strengthen Qlarant’s good governance and board stewardship,” said Mr. Murray, “and maintain our already healthy financial condition.” He intends to continue and grow existing lines of business, while innovating and pursuing new opportunities. “This includes new lines of business related to existing strengths and capabilities,” he said. “We will take calculated risks and help Qlarant remain a winning organization.”

Mr. Murray is currently Counsel with the law offices of Miles & Stockbridge in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Virginia. He has been a lawyer with M & S since 1982; a Director between 1989 and 2014; and President and Chief Operating Officer from 2001-2014.

Graduating from Virginia Wesleyan College in 1974 with a BA, Mr. Murray earned his law degree from the University of Virginia in 1977. He has been engaged in broad civil law practice in Maryland since 1982, focusing on land use, employment, and health care law, among other areas.

In addition to representing hospitals for 15 years, gaining a broad exposure to many aspects of health care, including reimbursement, Mr. Murray has served as a volunteer director and officer for many community groups, including business, economic development, and environmental organizations.