James Byrne
Chief Medical Officer
James Byrne, M.D., is chief medical officer at Priority Health. Board-certified in family medicine, he has more than 30 years of medical experience as a clinician and health care executive.
Jim represents Priority Health as medical director for the Alliance of Community Health Plan's (ACHP) Patient-Centered Medical Home Collaborative
Areas of expertise
- Patient-centered medical homes
- Health care reform
Work experience
Jim is board certified in family medicine. In 1977, he opened a family practice in Holland, Michigan. In 1986, he became medical director for LakeShore HMO in Holland, Michigan. The organization subsequently merged with Butterworth HMO to form Priority Health. In 1993, he transitioned out of his clinical practice to become the full-time medical director of Priority Health. He was named chief medical officer in 1997.
He also represents Priority Health as medical director for the Alliance of Community Health Plan's (ACHP) Patient-Centered Medical Home Collaborative. Members of ACHP established the PCMH Collaborative in January 2008 to better define the role of health insurers in the medical home model of care.
Education
Residency - Family Medicine
Ventura County Medical Center
Ventura, California
Internship (Rotating)
Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital
Grand Rapids, Michigan
M.D.
Medical College of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
M.S., Administrative Medicine
University of Wisconsin
B.S.
Aquinas College
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Awards & recognition
Jim's long-standing interest in the advancement of primary care led to the development of a rigorous pay-for-performance program that helped drive improved preventive and chronic care for patients. During his tenure, Priority Health has received national recognition for innovative clinical programs and excellent network performance in many venues. In 2007, Dr. Byrne was named the recipient of the Ellis J. Bonner Outstanding Achievement Award by the Michigan Association of Health Plans.
More recently, his interest has been directed to addressing the primary care crisis through the patient-centered medical home (PCMH). He is a member of the executive committee of the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative, a national coalition of major employers, consumer groups, patient quality organizations, health plans, hospitals, physicians and many others who have joined together to develop and advance the patient-centered medical home. He represents Priority Health on the Michigan Primary Care Consortium, a state-wide coalition of payers, employers, providers and health-focused organizations dedicated to transforming primary care to the be the cornerstone of health care delivered in Michigan.
Dr. Byrne serves on the steering committee for a pilot project on the subject of bundled payments being conducted in cooperation with Bridges to Excellence and funded by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, where Priority Health and Spectrum health were chosen as one of four national sites. Dr. Byrne is frequently asked to speak on the topics of health reform, patient-centered care, bundled payments, accountable care organizations and health care's triple aim principles (improving population health, improving the individual experience, and reducing per capita costs).
Licensure & certifications
- State of Michigan, Physician and Surgeon, 1971 to present
- American Board of Family Practice, 1976 to present
- Member, American Academy of Family Physicians
