Richard Day is a nationally recognized leader in program management, system engineering, risk management and mission assurance. His passion for excellence and unique experience with highly reliable organizations led him to Johns Hopkins Medicine where he now directs the JHU Precision Medicine Center of Excellence for Patient Safety and Quality.
Mr. Day previously served as senior director of systems engineering, leading the application of systems engineering methodology and high reliability principles to enhance the safety and quality of healthcare within the Johns Hopkins Health System and worldwide.
Prior to joining Johns Hopkins Medicine, Mr. Day served five years as chief of mission assurance for civilian space and national security space programs, member of the space department management advisory committee, and deputy chief quality officer at the JHU Applied Physics Laboratory.
Mr. Day gained extensive experience in engineering management and organizational governance during the three decades he served with NASA, where he led large interdisciplinary teams in the development of state-of-the-art space science and earth science research systems. He also served as head of the spacecraft programs office and payload systems management office.
As a senior executive in the oversight, independent review, and risk assessment for all space flight programs at Goddard Space Flight Center, his leadership roles included assistant center director for management systems, director of mission success, acting director/deputy director of systems safety and mission assurance, director of systems management. Governance roles included member of the executive council, member and alternate chair of the program management council, and chair of the management system council.
Education History
- B.S., Aerospace Engineering, University of Maryland
- M.S., Space Technology, Johns Hopkins University
Work Experience
Director, Precision Medicine, Armstrong Institute, Johns Hopkins University
Publications
Day RM, Demski RJ, Pronovost PJ, Sutcliffe KM, Kasda EM, Maragakis LL, Paine L, Sawyer MD, Winner L. (2018). Operating Management System for High Reliability: Leadership, Accountability, Learning and Innovation in Healthcare. Journal of Patient Safety and Risk Management.
Pronovost PJ, Holzmueller CG, Callender T, Demski R, Winner L, Day R, Austin JM, Berenholtz SM, Miller MR. Sustaining Reliability on Accountability Measures at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety 2016, in press.
Day R. and Bay M., X-ray Timing Explorer: Astronomy with Autonomy. Aerospace America. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. June 1996.
Day R., Leadership of Fast Track Projects. Invited paper, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Aerospace Conference. March 1998.
Honors and Awards
- U.S. Senior Executive Presidential Rank Award (2004)
- NASA Medal for Outstanding Leadership (1997)
- NASA Exceptional Service Medal (1993)