SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwire - May 21, 2012) - Qliance Medical Management Inc., which operates direct primary care clinics -- also known as "direct primary care medical homes" -- in Washington State, today announced Chris Gaynor, MD, MA, FAAFP, was recently elected vice president of the Washington Academy of Family Physicians (WAFP). Dr. Gaynor continues to practice family medicine at Qliance's downtown Seattle location, where he sees patients five days a week.
"We congratulate Dr. Gaynor on his election to vice president of the Washington Academy of Family Physicians," said Erika Bliss, MD, President and CEO of Qliance Medical Management Inc. "This is a great honor and demonstrates the leadership he has shown over the years in Washington's family medicine and health care community. His dedication to quality health care exemplifies the high caliber of physicians here at Qliance, and we are thrilled to support him in his new role in addition to his growing practice at Qliance."
Dr. Bliss currently serves as vice speaker of the WAFP. Both Dr. Bliss and Dr. Gaynor also serve as members of the organization's board of directors. WAFP is the largest medical single specialty organization in Washington State, and is the Washington State chapter of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Its mission is to advance and support family physicians in providing optimal health care for all people in Washington State.
"As vice president, I look forward to working to improve health care for all Washingtonians, particularly the least well-served and underrepresented populations, because I believe everyone deserves quality health care," said Dr. Gaynor. "I'd like people to recognize that family doctors are a solution to the health care problems we've been having, because we provide great care at a lower cost. Helping primary care doctors develop the resources they need to create patient-centered medical homes is one of the important items on our agenda. I'd like all family physicians to be able to say they not only love their profession, but also their day-to-day work, as I do here at Qliance."
Dr. Gaynor joined Qliance in October of 2011, and works to help his patients make healthy changes that fit with their lifestyles. He particularly enjoys working with children and adolescents and caring for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) and multicultural families. He is a graduate of Tufts University School of Medicine, and completed his Residency at Providence Family Medicine (now Swedish Family Medicine) where he was awarded the American Academy of Family Physicians Meade Johnson Award for service and excellence in residency training. Prior to joining Qliance, Dr. Gaynor managed his own private practice.
Dr. Gaynor has served on numerous committees, including the Snohomish and King County Chapters of Family Medicine, the Washington Academy of Family Physicians, and the American Academy of Family Physicians Committee of Health of the Public. He is currently in his fourth year as a WAFP delegate to the AAFP Congress of Delegates. Nationally, he has acted as Chair of the National Conference of Special Constituencies for the AAFP, which represents underrepresented women, minorities, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and international medical school graduates. Dr. Gaynor is also the founding member of the newly formed Washington Family MedPAC, and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Washington.
Qliance provides direct primary care at five regional locations in Seattle, Tacoma, Kent, Mercer Island and an affiliated clinic in Mill Creek. For more information about Qliance, visit www.Qliance.com.
About Qliance Medical Management
Qliance Medical Management was founded in 2006 and provides operating and management services to Qliance Medical Group of Washington PC, which operates clinics under the Qliance® brand. Qliance offers people of all ages and incomes unrestricted access to all types of primary, preventive and chronic illness care for one monthly membership fee, ranging between $49 and $89, depending on age, for its core service level. Qliance does not exclude anyone for pre-existing conditions and offers 30- to 60-minute same- and next-day appointments, 7-days per week. Through Qliance, patients and employers are getting exceptional care and saving up to 50 percent on comprehensive health care costs when bundled with a lower-premium insurance plan. Qliance is funded by a group of venture capitalists and private investors, led by Second Avenue Partners with participation by Clear Fir Partners LP, New Atlantic Ventures, Bezos Expeditions, MSD Capital and other private investors. For more information, visit www.Qliance.com.