American College of Gastroenterology members elected Irving Pike, MD, as the organization's next president at ACG's Annual Scientific Meeting at the World Congress of Gastroenterology at ACG2017, Oct. 13 to Oct. 18 in Orlando, Fla.
Dr. Pike will serve from 2017 to 2018. He succeeds Carol Burke, MD.
Here are seven things to know about Dr. Pike:
1. Dr. Pike is Contra Costa County, Calif.-based John Muir Health's senior vice president and CMO. He serves on the hospital's leadership team where he helps develop and execute business strategies to encourage growth. Dr. Pike is also a practicing gastroenterologist and president of the John Muir Specialty Medical Group.
2. Dr. Pike is an expert on endoscopic quality indicators. He is the founding director and past president of the GI Quality Improvement Consortium. Dr. Pike served as president of the consortium from 2009 to 2017.
3. Before his tenure at John Muir Health, Dr. Pike was a physician executive at Norfolk, Va.-based Sentara Healthcare for 12 years. He served as vice president of medical affairs as well as medical director of physician education and of care management.
4. Dr. Pike served as an assistant professor of clinical internal medicine at Norfolk-based Eastern Virginia Medical School from 1986 to 2012.
5. He earned his degree from Augusta-based Medical College of Georgia. He completed an internship, residency and fellowship at Dallas-based University of Texas Health Services Center.
6. With ACG, Dr. Pike served as a member of the board of trustees since 2007. He has been an officer with the college since 2013. In 2015, he was selected to deliver the Emily Couric Memorial Lecture.
7. Dr. Pike also served as a member of ACG's Credential Committee and Practice Management Committee. He was a co-chair of the ACG-ASGE Joint Task Force for Development of Endoscopic Quality Indicators from 2005 to 2006.
Dr. Pike said in his speech, "The ACG will continue to evolve to support gastroenterologists' need for help navigating an increasingly complex regulatory environment as well as pressures from the government and private insurers. The College will continue to be proactive in these regards and educate legislators and CMS on the impact of potential decisions on our members and our patients. My goal will be for the ACG to continue to lead in this effort, rather than follow."
He added, "Among my priorities as ACG President is to remain focused on keeping the college in a position to maintain GIQuIC as an important means for practicing gastroenterologists to lead the way in defining and using quality metrics that are relevant to improving the care our patients receive."