Ann Thaler is Director, Enterprise Continuous Improvement, in the Transformation Management Office at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. With more than 25 years of experience, she brings together clinical care, operations, technology, organizational development, continuous improvement, and change management. Her work centers on helping healthcare organizations strengthen quality, safety, operations, and organizational effectiveness while improving the experiences of patients and the people who care for them.
At Memorial Sloan Kettering, Ann partners with leaders and teams on high-priority strategic initiatives. She leads efforts to establish sustainable improvement infrastructure across the organization, including Daily Management Systems and unit-based teams. These structures help teams identify opportunities, resolve issues, reinforce accountability, and incorporate data-driven continuous improvement into everyday operations.
Capability building is another important part of Ann’s current responsibilities. She develops and delivers interactive programs that help leaders and staff expand their process-improvement and change-management skills. Her approach combines analytical problem solving with coaching, stakeholder engagement, and practical implementation so that teams can build the internal capacity needed to sustain new systems and ways of working.
Ann joined Memorial Sloan Kettering in 2020 after nearly two decades at NYU Langone Health, where she progressed from clinical practice into operational and organizational leadership. As Assistant Director of Training and Development in the Lean Management Office, she led and supported complex interdisciplinary improvement initiatives. She also coached leaders and teams in systematic problem solving and Daily Management while designing programs to strengthen improvement capabilities across the health system.
Her earlier work at NYU Langone included responsibilities in continuing care, clinical operations, care transitions, and rehabilitation admissions. She also contributed to an Epic implementation as a certified Clinical Documentation analyst. Ann began her career as a physical therapist, and that frontline clinical perspective continues to inform how she approaches organizational transformation, team engagement, and the practical effects of operational decisions.
Ann holds a Master of Public Administration with Academic Distinction from Baruch College and a Master of Physical Therapy with Academic Distinction from Drexel University. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology, summa cum laude, from Rutgers University. Her academic honors also include Phi Beta Kappa.
Her professional preparation includes Prosci Change Management Certification, Institute for Healthcare Improvement Improvement Advisor certification, and a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt from Rutgers University. Ann is also a New York State licensed physical therapist and is affiliated with ACHE. Together, these credentials reflect the multidisciplinary foundation she applies to the intersection of people, process, strategy, and change.
Throughout her career, Ann has remained focused on translating strategic goals into practical, sustainable improvements. She continues to help healthcare leaders and teams design stronger systems, develop problem-solving skills, and create the organizational conditions needed to maintain progress over time.
WWA members are invited to connect with Ann to exchange perspectives on healthcare transformation, continuous improvement, and change leadership.