ONC taps Grand Junction, Colo.'s Gregory Reicks, DO, as Health IT Fellow

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo., Aug. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Gregory Reicks, DO, of Foresight Family Physicians in Grand Junction, Colo., has been named a Health IT Fellow by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC). This exclusive group--all volunteers--will promote and focus attention on success stories, tools and technical assistance to help providers more meaningfully use health information technology (health IT) to enhance patient engagement and experience in the delivery of patient care.

The Health IT Fellows are practicing health care professionals dedicated to innovation and improvement in patient care through the use of technology. All were selected for their proficiency in the meaningful use of health IT to improve care; and for their experience and expertise, which can help other practices to replicate their success and to identify solutions to common problems. Each understands how health IT can drive care delivery transformation and reform traditional payment methods and models.

The Fellows will also help guide the ONC: Fellows provide grassroots insight into and feedback about the appropriateness, clarity and effectiveness of ONC resources, tools and other technical assistance initiatives.

Reicks is ideally suited for this role. An innovator, he was selected to participate in the CMS Innovation Center's Comprehensive Primary Care initiative. He was both a participant and a leader in the Colorado Beacon Consortium (CBC), and his practice has achieved the highest possible recognition as a patient-centered medical home. Reicks also serves as president of the Mesa County Physicians IPA and is chairman of the board of the regional health information exchange, Quality Health Network. He is a member of the Colorado Academy of Family Practice, the Mesa County Medical Society and the American College of Physician Executives.

Most important, he is a family physician--and has been for about 25 years. Motivated by a commitment to patient-centered care, he sees technology as a means to that end, a tool to achieve better care and better outcomes while controlling costs. "One of the things I hope to accomplish through this program is to advance the notion that health IT isn't about the technology; it's about the health of the individuals and communities we serve," he explains. "In Western Colorado, involvement with Beacon has given us the IT tools to accelerate practice transformation and enhance the way we take care of patients--and to do so in a sustainable way. I look forward to sharing the lessons learned."

Through various CBC programs, Reicks has already shared these lessons with Western Colorado, and his colleagues there are pleased he will now have a national stage.

"All of the Western Colorado leadership--especially those involved in the Colorado Beacon Consortium--are excited for Greg. There's no question that he deserves this recognition," says CBC Executive Director Patrick Gordon. "But frankly, we are even more excited for the ONC and for the those practices who will benefit from Greg's knowledge, expertise and passion. Greg will be a tremendous asset as the Fellows promote meaningful use of technology in the service of health system transformation."

About the Colorado Beacon Consortium
The Colorado Beacon Consortium is made up of executive-level representation from four mission-driven, not-for-profit, Western Colorado-based organizations, all of which have nationally acknowledged track records of coordination to achieve superior outcomes. They are Mesa County Independent Physicians' Practice Association, Quality Health Network, Rocky Mountain Health Plans and St. Mary's Regional Medical Center. The Colorado Beacon Consortium's mission is to optimize the efficiency, quality and performance of our health care system, and integrate the delivery of care and use of clinical information to improve community health. The geographic focus of the Consortium's activities includes the Colorado counties of Mesa, Delta, Montrose, Garfield, Gunnison, Pitkin and Rio Blanco. To learn more, visit www.coloradobeaconconsortium.org.

SOURCE Colorado Beacon Consortium