Brent C. James, MSTAT, MD

Biography

Executive Director – Institute for Health Care Delivery Research Vice President – Medical Research and Continuing Medical Education Intermountain Health Care

For more than 20 years, Dr. Brent James has championed the standardization of clinical care through data collection and analysis on a wide variety of treatment protocols and complex care processes. In the tradition of medical pioneers Florence Nightingale and Abraham Flexner, he has devoted himself to using quality improvement tools to better understand the cause and effect relationship between various practice and environmental factors. Today, nearly 100 years after his mentors’ groundbreaking discoveries, Dr. James firmly believes that the practice of medicine and delivery of health care stands at another critical crossroads.

If the health care field is to successfully bridge the quality chasm defined by the Institute of Medicine, a new and innovative approach to the practice of health care is mandatory. Dr. James feels strongly that the time has come to shift from the “craft-based” practice to evidence-directed teams focused on patient care.

In addition to his duties at Intermountain Health Care, Dr. James is adjunct professor at the University of Utah School of Medicine, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine. He also holds a visiting lectureship in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard School of Public Health. He is a member of a number of national taskforces and committees that examine health care quality and cost control, including AHRQ and his most recent appointment by the Federal Comptroller to an advisory group on making American health care more accessible and affordable. In 2005, Dr. James also received an award from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) recognizing his vision and energy in making the U.S. health care system better.