FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 2, 2006
Contact: Jennifer Felsher
Phone: 202-261-7565
Email: jfelsher@ahqa.org

American Health Quality Association Names Two New Board Members

Washington , DC -- The American Health Quality Association (AHQA) Board of Directors has appointed two leading health care executives to serve as Public Directors on the AHQA Board of Directors. François de Brantes, National Coordinator for Bridges To Excellence (BTE) and Barbara Paul, MD, independent consultant and national medical advisor to Community Health Systems, began in August 2006 and may serve up to six years on the AHQA board. AHQA is an association representing the national network of Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs).

Sallie Cook, MD, AHQA President and presiding officer of the Board of Directors said, “As health care leaders with experience beyond the Medicare program and independent of the QIOs, Mr. de Brantes and Dr. Paul will broaden the insights our board can draw upon in establishing the objectives and policies of the Association.”

François de Brantes is the National Coordinator for Bridges To Excellence (BTE), a nationwide program focused on rewarding physicians for better quality care. Mr. de Brantes supervises the implementation of BTE programs in different regions in the country and is responsible for creating and developing new programs such as the emerging Internal Medicine Care Link in collaboration with the American Board of Internal Medicine. de Brantes also serves as a Director of MassPRO, the Massachusetts QIO, and Connecticut ’s new regional health information organization, eHealthConnecticut.

Previously, Mr. de Brantes was Program Leader for health care initiatives at GE, responsible for developing and implementing GE’s Active Consumer strategy. Mr. de Brantes earned a Masters in Finance and Taxation at the University of Paris IX - Dauphine, and he earned an MBA at the Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College.

“The QIOs have two critical missions to accomplish: helping physicians improve their practice of medicine and serving the needs of a rapidly growing population of Medicare beneficiaries by providing them with the information they want to make good care decisions.  I’m proud to serve on AHQA’s board at this important time in the history of the quality movement.”

Barbara Paul, MD, is an independent consultant, working to improve health care quality by helping individuals and companies work more closely with physicians by identifying common goals, strengthening relationships, developing supportive tools, and enhancing communications and education. She is national medical advisor to Community Health Systems, a Brentwood, Tennessee based operator of general acute care hospitals in non-urban markets throughout the United States.

Dr. Paul previously worked for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) where she helped launch the agency’s efforts to publicly report on quality in nursing homes, home health agencies, and hospitals. She was instrumental in the development of Medicare’s first “pay for quality” demonstrations and development of the Hospital Quality Alliance. Most recently, Dr. Paul was senior vice president and chief medical officer at Beverly Enterprises, Inc., a provider of nursing home, hospice, and rehabilitative services to the elderly.

“QIOs have an important role in quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries and others around the country.  As a board member, I look forward to helping guide the future development and success of the organizations’ national trade association.”

Dr. Paul is a board-certified Internist who previously served as chair of the California Medical Association’s Council on Ethical Affairs and as a member of its Board of Trustees. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin - Madison, and received her MD at Stanford University School of Medicine.

The American Health Quality Association is dedicated to improving the safety and effectiveness of health care. AHQA represents the national network of Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) that work with hospitals, medical practices, long-term care facilities, home health agencies, health plans, pharmacists, and employers to encourage the spread of best clinical practices and improve systems of care delivery. Visit: www.ahqa.org.