David K. Nace, MD, Named Chairman of the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative's Board of Directors

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- David K. Nace, MD, vice president and medical director of McKesson Corporation, has been named chairman of the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative's (PCPCC) board of directors. He succeeds John Crosby, JD, executive director of the American Osteopathic Association.

Nace brings a wealth of experience and knowledge, especially about the role of health IT in supporting health system transformation. He has served on the PCPCC board since 2010 and is a founding co-chair of the PCPCC's Center for eHealth Information Adoption and Exchange. Earlier this year, he worked to help establish the PCPCC's Center for Accountable Care.

"First, I would like to thank John for his impeccable dedication and service to the organization; I know I speak for the Collaborative when I say how truly grateful I am for his superb leadership at a critical time in our industry," Nace said. "I am honored to take on this new role, and I look forward to working with the board and our members as we continue to roll out the medical home as the foundation of accountable care to deliver better care to patients."

"We still have much to do, but the progress thus far has been tremendous. We've seen decreases in emergency department visits, hospitalizations and re-hospitalizations as a result of the more comprehensive and coordinated care provided from patient centered medical homes (PCMHs). In addition, medical homes across the nation have improved access, enhanced adherence to evidence-based medicine guidelines and led to greater satisfaction among both patients and providers," he said. "We're also bending the cost curve: We're seeing, on average, a 5 percent reduction in total costs within one or two years in well-studied PCMH implementations."(1) 

This bodes well for the future. "The medical home is based on a set of principles; it's exciting to see how organizations are evolving and transforming, and using these principles as a foundation to improve the movement toward accountable care," he said. "Together, we are making tremendous strides to achieve the Triple Aim: Better care for individuals, better health for populations, and reducing–or at least controlling–costs."

Nace has served as a consultant for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics/Wharton School of Business and the United Nations Business Council. He has also been an advisor to the World Federation on Mental Health, the World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization on issues ranging from health promotion and wellness to employer policy and health care financing issues, and has been frequently called on as a consultant to members of the Medical Advisory Council of the Occupational Review Committee.

Crosby, who will continue to serve on the PCPCC Board of Directors after the transition, praised Nace. "I am delighted to hand over the reins to someone of David's caliber. His unrivaled commitment to the PCPCC and the medical home model has proven invaluable not only to our organization, but to our nation's health care delivery system."

About the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative
The Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative is a coalition of more than 800 major employers, consumer groups, organizations representing primary care physicians, and other stakeholders who have joined to advance the patient centered medical home. The Collaborative believes that, if implemented, the patient centered medical home will improve the health of patients and the health care delivery system. For more information on the patient centered medical home and a complete list of the PCPCC members, please visit http://www.pcpcc.net/.

(1) Outcomes of Implementing Patient Centered Medical Home Interventions, Center for Excellence in Primary Care, AF Analysis

SOURCE The Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative