AHIC Appoints Disease Management Leader
to Chronic Care Workgroup

WASHINGTON, D.C.—A leader in disease management and former member of the Disease Management Association of America (DMAA) Board of Directors has accepted an invitation to serve on a federal advisory panel work group dedicated to chronic care issues.

Sandeep Wadhwa, MD, MBA, has accepted an invitation to serve on the Chronic Care Workgroup of the American Health Information Community (AHIC), a federal advisory panel charged with plotting a course for health information technology adoption nationwide. Dr. Wadhwa is vice president, Care Management Services, McKesson Health Solutions. He also served as chair of DMAA's Government Affairs Committee.

The Chronic Care Workgroup recommends strategies for deploying widely available, secure technologies for remote monitoring and assessment of patients; and for communication among clinicians and between clinicians and patients. DMAA has followed the work group's activities closely and Dr. Wadhwa presented on the disease management model to the panel last year.

In a recent letter to Robert M. Kolodner, MD, newly appointed National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, DMAA recommended a disease management representative for the work group, saying DMAA member organizations have extensive experience delivering care services to elderly populations with multiple co-morbidities and can provide an "important perspective" on care coordination through HIT.

Dr. Wadhwa said he is eager to begin his work on the Chronic Care Workgroup. "The disease management community has much to contribute to the national discussion on how best to care for the chronically ill, and a wealth of experience using technology to improve care and outcomes," he said. "I'm pleased to be part of the work group's efforts and look forward to advancing greater HIT use in population-based health initiatives."

DMAA President and CEO Tracey Moorhead said, "Dr. Wadhwa is a recognized leader, both in the disease management community and DMAA. His experience will be invaluable to the work group's deliberations."

A national expert in disease management for Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries, Dr. Wadhwa's interests center on chronic disease prevention and management, particularly in vulnerable populations, including the poor, elderly and disabled. Before joining McKesson Health Solutions, Dr. Wadhwa was active in health care policy, working for the White House and Congress, often testifying before congressional committees and the President's Advisory Commission on Quality and Consumer Protection in the Health Care Industry.

Board certified in internal medicine and geriatrics, Dr. Wadhwa is a clinical assistant professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Dr. Wadhwa received his undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University, his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College and his MBA from the Wharton School of Business.

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About DMAA
The Disease Management Association of America (DMAA), a non-profit membership association, represents all stakeholders in disease management and care coordination. DMAA promotes the role of disease management in raising the quality of care, improving health outcomes and reducing health care costs for individuals with chronic conditions. DMAA has more than 200 corporate and individual members representing all aspects of disease management and care coordination—disease management organizations, health plans, pharmaceutical manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers, employers, health information technology innovators, physicians and others. Learn more by visiting DMAA online at www.dmaa.org.