Kris Vanhaecht, PhD
Kris Vanhaecht is full professor at the Faculty of Medicine at KU Leuven and teaches healthcare quality & patient safety (QPS). He leads the QPS research group at the Leuven Institute for Healthcare Policy. His research focuses on quality management models, the organisation of care processes, support for healthcare providers after incidents (second victims) and person-centred care.
In addition to his role at KU Leuven, he is active in quality policy at the University Hospitals Leuven. At the national level, he is chairman of the Board of Directors of Sciensano, the Belgian One Health research institute. Internationally, he is involved as an IHI Improvement Advisor and is the only Belgian member of the ISQua Academy. He works closely with various international networks, including those linked to Erasmus University Rotterdam and the WHO. In 2026 Kris won the BMJ-IHI Inspirational Story Award for his leadership in quality & safety.