THOMAS M. JUDD, MS, PE, CCE, CPHQ

Tom Judd is currently the Director of Quality Assessment, Improvement, and Reporting (QAIR) for Kaiser Permanente (KP) Georgia. He began work with KP's medical group, The Southeast Permanente Medical Group (TSPMG), as a consultant on their organizational restructuring project in August, 1992, joined their management team in April, 1993, as TSPMG Assistant Administrator, and assumed his present position in December, 1994.

As Director of QAIR, Tom's primary purpose is to lead KP Georgia in maintaining its position as First in Quality - the first component of its Business Plan - in this market. Examples of strategies designed to improve quality of care and cost-effectiveness include maintaining our current full, 3-year NCQA accreditation - accomplished in 1995 and 1999, retaining market-best and seeking nationally ranked HEDIS quality report card performance, assisting the national KP Program in sharing of best practices, developing and implementing disease state management programs - such as for diabetes, asthma, and cardiovascular care from 1995-1999 - and profiling the clinical performance of internal and affiliated practitioners as a tool for improvement.

The QAIR Department has three primary responsibilities: (1) leadership of quality improvement initiatives; (2) oversight of professional peer review; and (3) oversight of professional credentialing and recredentialing.

Mr. Judd has the following professional credentials:

• Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy;
• Masters degree in aeronautical engineering from Naval Postgraduate School;
• Completed work for a Masters in healthcare technology management at Johns Hopkins University / Medical School;
• Certified Clinical Engineer; Licensed Professional Engineer;
• Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality;
• Senior Examiner for Baldrige State Quality Award in Georgia;
• 7 years as naval officer and jet pilot;
• 21 years in healthcare including technology management or consulting roles with over 200 US hospitals, and quality management consulting with several managed care organizations;
• 15 years international involvement with over 70 developing countries concerning healthcare technology management issues;
• Co-author of Medical Technology Management, book published by SpaceLabs Medical, Inc., 1993; and
• past Vice President of the American College of Clinical Engineering.