Value-based Purchasing Authority Dr. Thomas Valuck Joins Discern
BALTIMORE, Oct. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Thomas Valuck, MD, JD, has joined Discern as a Partner to help clients drive health system improvement and navigate post-reform challenges. Dr. Valuck is a nationally respected expert in value-based purchasing, having held leadership positions with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and most recently the National Quality Forum (NQF).
"I'm excited to be joining Discern at this pivotal time for health care," said Dr. Valuck. "The rapidly changing environment demands novel approaches for improving outcomes and lowering costs, and I'm looking forward to bringing solutions to the front lines. At Discern, my primary focus will be helping clients achieve strategic advantage through innovation in health care payment and delivery."
For 10 years Discern has partnered with clients to create programs that align incentives with better health system performance. Working with private health care organizations, non-profit groups, and government agencies, the firm has played a key role in developing and implementing value-based purchasing strategies.
"Our goal is to engage in projects that drive development of a high-performance health system," said Guy D'Andrea, Managing Partner of Discern. "At CMS and NQF, Tom built a well-deserved reputation as a leader in health care quality and accountability, and our clients will benefit from his expertise. His arrival marks an important step forward in our firm's development."
Dr. Valuck joins Discern after four years at the National Quality Forum, where he served as the senior vice president, Strategic Partnerships. He managed NQF-convened collaborations—the Measure Applications Partnership (MAP) and the National Priorities Partnership (NPP)—as well as NQF's engagement with states and regional community alliances. At CMS, Dr. Valuck advised senior agency and Department of Health and Human Services leadership regarding Medicare payment and quality of care issues, particularly value-based purchasing. While at CMS, he was recognized for his leadership in advancing Medicare's pay-for-performance initiatives, receiving both the 2009 Administrator's Citation and the 2007 Administrator's Achievement Awards.
Dr. Valuck also served as the vice president of medical affairs at the University of Kansas Medical Center, and before that served on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee as a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow; with the White House Council of Economic Advisers; and at the law firm of Latham & Watkins. He has degrees in biological science and medicine from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, a master's degree in health services administration from the University of Kansas, and a law degree from the Georgetown University Law School.
About Discern
Discern is a health care consulting firm that works with clients to create innovations in the health system. Many of Discern's projects align performance measures with new incentive models that encourage doctors and patients to work together for better quality and efficiency. Discern's work supports health reform's goals of better care processes, better patient outcomes, and lower total costs.
SOURCE Discern
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