Ann Blouin
ENSIGN GROUPAbout Ann S. Blouin
Dr. Ann S. Blouin (age 72) has served on The Ensign Group, Inc. Board since November 2018 and is currently Chair of the Quality Assurance & Compliance Committee and a member of the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee . She retired in 2018 from senior executive roles at The Joint Commission and brings over 30 years of healthcare administration, consulting, and clinical nursing experience. Her education includes a PhD in Nursing Sciences and MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago, an MSN from Loyola University Chicago, and a BSN from Lewis University .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Joint Commission | EVP, Accreditation & Certification Operations | 2008–2012 | Led alignment of strategic and operating goals for accreditation programs across care continuum |
| The Joint Commission | EVP, Customer Relations | Until 2018 (start not disclosed) | Oversaw client alignment and strategic initiatives; retired in 2018 |
| Deloitte LLP; Ernst & Young; Cap Gemini; Huron Consulting Group | Senior leadership roles (consulting) | Not disclosed | Improved cost efficiency, revenue management, care coordination, quality & patient safety across U.S. and Canada health systems |
| Community teaching hospitals & academic medical centers | Senior leadership roles | Not disclosed | Administration and clinical nursing leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSQ Advisory | President | Since May 2018 | Board and senior leadership advisory on patient care quality and safety |
| Institute for Healthcare Improvement | Board of Directors | Not disclosed | Non-profit healthcare improvement organization |
| Journal of Nursing Administration | Editorial Advisor | Not disclosed | Editorial oversight/advice |
| Loyola University Chicago | Assistant Professor | Not disclosed | Academic appointment |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board affirmatively determined Dr. Blouin is independent under Nasdaq Listing Rules .
- Committee leadership and memberships: Chair, Quality Assurance & Compliance Committee; Member, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee .
- Committee activity (FY2024): QA&C met 4 times; Nominating & Corporate Governance met 5 times; Audit met 5 times; Compensation met 6 times .
- Attendance: In FY2024, each director attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings; Board met 5 times .
- Lead Independent Director structure in place to coordinate independent director activities and performance evaluations .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Vesting/Terms | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (non-employee directors) | $30,000 | Annual | |
| Committee chair fees – Audit | $30,000 | Annual | |
| Committee chair fees – Quality Assurance & Compliance | $30,000 | Annual | |
| Committee chair fees – Compensation | $15,000 | Annual | |
| Committee chair fees – Nominating & Corporate Governance | $12,000 | Annual | |
| Committee member fees – Audit | $10,000 | Annual | |
| Committee member fees – Quality Assurance & Compliance | $6,000 | Annual | |
| Committee member fees – Compensation | $3,000 | Annual | |
| Committee member fees – Nominating & Corporate Governance | $2,000 | Annual |
| Director | Fees Earned (2024) | Stock Awards (2024) | Total (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ann S. Blouin | $62,000 | $420,488 | $482,488 |
| (Base $30,000 + QA&C Chair $30,000 + Nominating Member $2,000) | ASC 718 fair value | ||
Year-over-year director pay mix:
| Year | Fees Earned | Stock Awards | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $62,000 | $331,748 | $393,748 |
| 2024 | $62,000 | $420,488 | $482,488 |
| Source | |||
| Source |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Grant Program | Grant Date | Shares | Fair Value per Share | Vesting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic Stock Grant (ENSG) | 1/16/2024 | 875 | $116.65 | 3-year, begins 1st anniversary | Quarterly RSUs to non-employee directors |
| Automatic Stock Grant (ENSG) | 4/15/2024 | 875 | $118.69 | 3-year, begins 1st anniversary | |
| Automatic Stock Grant (ENSG) | 7/15/2024 | 875 | $135.18 | 3-year, begins 1st anniversary | |
| Automatic Stock Grant (ENSG) | 10/15/2024 | 600 | $149.12 | 3-year, begins 1st anniversary | |
| Standard Bearer REIT grant | 11/6/2024 | 500 | $13.62 | 5-year, 20% annually | Subsidiary REIT equity; vesting over five years |
Program features and alignment:
- Unvested restricted stock for non-employee directors fully vests upon board departure unless removed for cause; directors must maintain ownership of at least 33% of cumulative shares granted .
- Standard Bearer REIT awards carry transfer and liquidity restrictions; quarterly independent valuation; 15-day put window for vested shares at Board discretion .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| External Public Company Boards | Role | Potential Interlocks/Conflicts |
|---|---|---|
| None disclosed | — | No public company interlocks identified for Dr. Blouin in proxy biography |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Healthcare quality & accreditation leadership from The Joint Commission; extensive consulting across major firms (Deloitte, EY, Cap Gemini, Huron) on efficiency, revenue management, care coordination, quality and patient safety .
- Academic and governance roles: Institute for Healthcare Improvement Board; editorial advisor; Assistant Professor at Loyola University Chicago .
- Advanced degrees in nursing sciences and business administration (PhD, MBA, MSN, BSN) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Class | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ann S. Blouin | 21,252 | <1% | Board restricted stock treated as outstanding for directors; percentage calculated on 57,626,065 shares outstanding as of 3/20/2025 |
Section 16 compliance:
- The company reports all required Section 16 filings were timely in FY2024 except one late Form 3 for Director Mark V. Parkinson; no issues disclosed for Dr. Blouin .
Board Governance (Committee Detail)
| Committee | Members | Chair | FY2024 Meetings | Mandate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Assurance & Compliance | Blouin; Port; Agwunobi; Parkinson; Snapper | Ann S. Blouin | 4 | Oversees compliance systems, internal monitoring/auditing, compliance officer designation, training, corporate compliance program aligned to OIG guidance |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance | Smith; Blouin; Parkinson; Abbott | Barry M. Smith | 5 | Director qualifications, governance policies, nominations, ESG oversight (quality & patient safety, data protection, employee relations, energy/waste) |
| Audit | Shaw; Agwunobi; Abbott | Daren J. Shaw | 5 | Related party approvals, internal controls, auditor oversight, complaints procedures, cybersecurity risk management |
| Compensation | Abbott; Smith; Shaw | Swati B. Abbott | 6 | Executive comp policies, plan administration, succession, CD&A oversight; independent consultant retained |
Potential Conflicts & Related-Party Exposure
- No related-party transactions disclosed involving Dr. Blouin; Audit Committee reviews and approves related person transactions; FY2024 family relationships disclosed involve executives (Christensen, Keetch, Burton) but not Dr. Blouin .
- Independence confirmed for committee service (Audit, Compensation, Nominating & Corporate Governance members must be independent) .
Compensation Committee Analysis (Signals)
- Director compensation benchmarked against healthcare and REIT peers (National Healthcare Corp., Amedisys, Encompass, LTC Properties, Omega Healthcare Investors, Welltower, Select Medical, CareTrust REIT, PACS Group, National Health Investors) and supported by Willis Towers Watson analysis .
- Say-on-pay support signals investor confidence: 97.7% approval at 2024 Annual Meeting (for NEO compensation) .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; chairs compliance oversight in a heavily regulated sector; consistent meeting attendance; structured ownership requirements (33% retention of cumulative RSUs) enhancing alignment; ESG oversight integrated within Nominating & Corporate Governance .
- Risks/Watch items: Accelerated vesting of unvested director equity upon board departure (unless for cause) can reduce at-risk alignment; monitor for any future related-party transactions and continued robustness of cybersecurity oversight given sector exposure .
- Overall signal: Governance and committee leadership profile (QA&C chair) supports board effectiveness in clinical quality and compliance—key drivers of investor confidence in post-acute care operations .