About John Nance

Fast Facts About John Nance:

One of the key thought leaders to emerge in American Healthcare in the past decade, John J. Nance brings a rich and varied professional background to the task of helping doctors, administrators, boards, and front-line staff alike survive and prosper during the most profoundly challenging upheaval in the history of modern medicine.

Having helped pioneer the Renaissance in patient safety as one of the founders of the National Patient Safety Foundation in 1997, his efforts (and healthcare publications) are dedicated to reforming American Healthcare from a reactive cottage industry to an effective and safe system of prevention and wellness.  A lawyer, Air Force and airline pilot, prolific internationally-published author, national broadcaster, and renown professional speaker, John's leadership is propelled by a deep commitment.

As a native Texan, John grew up in Dallas where he earned his Bachelor's Degree and a Juris Doctor Degree from SMU, and is still a licensed Texas attorney.  Named Distinguished Alumni of SMU for 2002, and distinguish Alumni for Public Service of the SMU Dedman School of Law in 2010, he is also a decorated Air Force pilot veteran of Vietnam and Operations Desert Storm/Desert Shield and a Lt. Colonel in the USAF Reserve, well known for his pioneering development of Air Force human factors flight safety education, and one of the civilian pioneers of Crew Resource Management (CRM). John has piloted a wide variety of jet aircraft, including most of Boeing's line and the Air Force C-141, and has logged over 15,000 hours of flight time since earning his first pilot license in 1965, and is still a current pilot.  He was a flight officer for Braniff International Airlines and a Boeing 737 Captain for Alaska Airlines, and is an internationally recognized air safety advocate, best known to North American television audiences as Aviation Analyst for ABC World News and Aviation Editor for Good Morning America.

Before joining ABC, John logged countless appearances on national shows such as Larry King Live, PBS Hour with Jim Lehrer, Oprah, NPR, Nova, the Today Show, and many others.  He is also the nationally-known author of 22 major books, including the acclaimed WHY HOSPITALS SHOULD FLY (2009), and, with co-author Kathleen Bartholomew, CHARTING THE COURSE (2012), plus five non-fiction: (Splash of Colors, Blind Trust, On Shaky Ground, What Goes Up and Golden Boy) and 15 international fiction bestsellers: Final Approach, Scorpion Strike; Phoenix Rising); Pandora's Clock; Medusa's Child; The Last Hostage; Blackout; Turbulence; Skyhook: Headwind; Fire Flight; Saving Cascadia; Orbit: Lockout; and 16 Souls.  Pandora's Clock and Medusa's Child both aired as major, successful two-part mini-series on television.  (WHY HOSPITALS SHOULD FLY won the prestigious “Book of the Year” award for 2009 from the American College of Healthcare Executives).

John J. Nance has become one of America's most dynamic and effective professional speakers, presenting riveting, pivotal programs on success and safety in human organizations to a wide variety of audiences, including business corporations and healthcare professionals.  John is a pioneering and well-known advocate of using the lessons from the recent revolution in aviation safety to equally revolutionize the patient safety performance of hospitals, doctors, nurses, and all of healthcare.  He lives in Friday Harbor, Washington.