DEERFIELD, Ill., Nov. 28, 2011 - Walgreens Senior Vice President of Pharmacy, Health and Wellness Services and Solutions Jeffrey L. Kang, MD, has been named to The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) board of directors.
The NCQA board governs NCQA and is composed of 15 members and the NCQA president. The board includes clinicians, public policy experts, purchasers, consumer advocates and leaders of health systems. Its multi-stakeholder perspective supports a focus on improving health care quality by emphasizing transparency and delivery system reform.
“Jeff Kang’s thoughtful leadership and broad experience improving quality make him a great addition to the NCQA board,” said NCQA President Margaret E. O’Kane. “I look forward to working with him, and I know he will make vital contributions to NCQA’s governance.”
In his current role contributing to Walgreens mission to help its customers live well, stay well and get well, Dr. Kang is responsible for the company’s overall pharmacy, health and wellness strategy; outcomes and analytics; Take Care Clinics and worksite health and wellness centers; health systems solutions group; and 340B program.
Before joining Walgreens in October 2011, Dr. Kang was chief medical officer at CIGNA from 2002 to 2011, where he was responsible for the company’s health strategy and policy for its medical, pharmacy and behavioral products. Previously, Dr. Kang joined the Clinton Administration in 1994 as a White House fellow and then subsequently served as the chief clinical officer for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) from 1995 to 2002. While with CMS, he was responsible for Medicare technology assessment and coverage policy, setting quality standards for Medicare participating hospitals and facilities and leading CMS’ quality measurement, improvement and patient safety activities.
Dr. Kang is an internist and geriatrician whose career began in 1984 as the executive director of the Urban Medical Group – a non-profit, private group practice specializing in the care of the frail elderly and disabled.
Dr. Kang received his MD from University of California at San Francisco and his MPH from the University of California at Berkeley. He received his clinical training at Boston’s Beth Israel Hospital and remained on the clinical faculty at Harvard Medical School for more than 10 years. In addition to his duties at Walgreens, Dr. Kang is currently a board member of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.
About NCQA
NCQA is a private, non-profit 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. NCQA is committed to providing health care quality information for consumers, purchasers, health care providers and researchers.
About Walgreens:
Walgreens (NYSE:WAG) (NASDAQ:WAG) (www.walgreens.com) is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2011 sales of $72 billion. The company operates 7,786 drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Each day, Walgreens provides nearly 6 million customers the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice in communities across America. Walgreens scope of pharmacy services includes retail, specialty, infusion, medical facility and mail service, along with respiratory services. These services improve health outcomes and lower costs for payers including employers, managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy benefit managers and the public sector. Take Care Health Systems is a Walgreens subsidiary that is the largest and most comprehensive manager of worksite health and wellness centers and in-store convenient care clinics, with more than 700 locations throughout the country.
Walgreens
Tiffani Washington, (847) 315-2925
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