Talmadge E. King, Jr. Elected to NCQA Board of Directors

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) announced today that Talmadge E. King, Jr., M.D., Julius R. Krevans Distinguished Professor and Chair, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, has been elected to its Board of Directors. Dr. King has a national reputation for his experience concerning the treatment of patients in poor and minority populations living with chronic diseases, and is a leading expert on inflammatory lung injury.

Dr. King's bibliography comprises over 200 publications and he has co-authored twelve books, including the acclaimed reference book "Interstitial Lung Disease," now in its 5th edition. He recently co-edited "Medical Management of Vulnerable & Underserved Patients: Principles, Practice, Population," the only reference currently available that focuses on this subject. Over the past 10 years, he has often been included on national "best doctors" lists, including "Best Doctors in America" and "America's Top Doctors."

"Dr. King brings a wealth of understanding and practical perspective to NCQA as we endeavor to improve the quality of care for millions of Americans with chronic disease or who face linguistic and cultural barriers -- and often both," said NCQA President Margaret E. O'Kane. "We are very fortunate to have a man of Dr. King's caliber, national reputation and commitment to the highest standards of professional practice and excellence on our Board. Along with the entire Board, I look forward to working with him and adapting his insights to NCQA programs."

Dr. King is a graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College and received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School, followed by a residency at Emory University Affiliated Hospitals, Atlanta, Georgia, and a pulmonary fellowship at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver. He held a professorship in medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and was a senior faculty member at the National Jewish Medical and Research Center. He is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, Association of American Physicians, American Clinical and Climatological Association and Fleischner Society. Dr. King is a Master of the American College of Physicians, as well as a fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians. He is a past President of the American Thoracic Society.

NCQA's Board plays a key role in setting the organization's agenda and oversees its work and programs. The Board is currently comprised of influential individuals from across the country including leaders of consumer groups, health care organizations, employers, academia and the public sector.

NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA's Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations and recognizes physicians in key clinical areas. More than 7 in 10 Americans enrolled in health plans are in an NCQA-Accredited plan. NCQA is committed to providing health care quality information through the Web, media and data licensing agreements in order to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health care choices.

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