January 4, 2024
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) today announced the appointment of three esteemed health care leaders to its Board of Directors: Asaf Bitton, MD, MPH, Executive Director of Ariadne Labs at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Lynn Todman, PhD, Vice President of Health Equity and Community Partnerships for Corewell Health; and Thomas Tsang, MD, MPH, founding CEO and current Chief Strategy Officer of Valera Health.
“Dr. Bitton, Dr. Todman and Dr. Tsang bring a wealth of experience and deep expertise to our board. Their work in primary care policy, health equity and digital health will be invaluable as NCQA works to improve health care across the US,” said NCQA President Margaret E. O’Kane.
Dr. Asaf Bitton brings extensive experience in primary care policy. He has contributed significantly to the design and testing of major primary care initiatives at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. He was a core founder and vice chair of the steering committee for the Primary Health Care Performance Initiative, a partnership that includes more than 30 countries, World Bank, World Health Organization, UNICEF, The Global Fund, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and others, all dedicated to improving global primary health care. Dr. Bitton is an elected member of the International Academy of Quality and Safety.
Dr. Todman brings deep understanding of social justice and health equity issues, based on her leadership at Corewell Health in Michigan aligning health equity activities across an integrated health care system. She has held teaching and research positions at institutions worldwide, including the University of Milan, the Royal Institute of Technology and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Todman is a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Leader and a member of the Founding Advisory Board of the Global Institute of Health Equity at the Meharry Medical College. She is also a former Mayor Pro Tem and City Commissioner for the city of St. Joseph, Michigan. Dr. Todman earned a BA from Wellesley College, a Master’s in City Planning (MCP), and a PhD in Urban and Regional Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Dr. Tsang is an experienced leader in mental health. He is also the former Chief Medical Officer at Healthcare Services and Solutions, a Merck wholly owned subsidiary. Prior to Merck, he was part of the team that crafted the Affordable Care Act through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation/Institute of Medicine Health Policy Fellowship. As Medical Director at the Office of the National Coordinator for HIT, Dr. Tsang contributed to the development of ACO regulations and a national framework for the use of health information technology and electronic health records to improve coordination and quality.
NCQA is governed by an independent Board of Directors composed of 18 members and the NCQA president. The board includes representatives from purchasers, clinicians, public policy experts, consumer groups and health systems, representing a multi-stakeholder perspective for improving health care system quality through delivery system reform and transparency.
About NCQA
NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA Accredits and Certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also Recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA’s Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. In recognition for its leadership in diversity, equity and inclusion, NCQA has won the Excellence in Diversity Award from the Chesapeake Human Resources Association. NCQA’s website (ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make informed health care choices. NCQA can also be found at Twitter @ncqa and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/ncqa.
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Media Contact
Theresa Masnik
SHIFT Communications