What is GIQuIC?

GIQuIC is a medical specialty registry designed by gastroenterologists for gastroenterologists to collect, organize and display digestive healthcare data for multiple purposes, including the following:

Improve patient outcomes by allowing users to benchmark quality, identify gaps in care, and develop specific and targeted quality improvement initiatives

Contribute data for research and to assist the GI societies in developing guidelines for patient care

Provide quality measure data to third parties, including CMS’ Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), private payers, accrediting bodies, referring providers, and patients.

The GIQuIC registry was developed in conjunction with the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) when gastroenterologists determined they needed a way to measure the quality of the healthcare they were providing to their patients. Patients, referring providers, and payers were asking them to demonstrate the quality of their performance and their dedication to continuous improvement.

History of GIQuIC

In the mid-2000’s endoscopists realized they needed a way to measure the quality of the healthcare they were providing to their patients as payers, and patients themselves, started asking them to reveal their adenoma detection rate and other quality of care parameters. A task force was created, and in 2006, it published a list of quality indicators for several endoscopic procedures, including colonoscopy and EGD. These indicators were defined because studies have demonstrated that when endoscopic procedures are conducted for reasons that are deemed to be appropriate, “significantly more clinically relevant diagnoses are made.”¹ The Quality Indicators for Colonoscopy and Quality Indicators for EGD were published and then updated in 2014.

Based on these quality indicators, quality measures were developed and defined for colonoscopy procedures. In order to collect the necessary data to calculate these quality measures, a pilot project was initiated with dozens of physicians participating. Thousands of procedures demonstrated that participation in the project improved overall outcomes. Adenoma detection rate, adequacy of bowel preparation, and cecal intubation rate, as well as a number of other measures, showed significant improvement over time.

The pilot project was deemed a success and GIQuIC was officially introduced in July of 2010.

Dr. Irving Pike discussing the genesis of GIQuIC

1 Faigel, Douglas O., Pike, Irving, M., Baron, Todd H., et al. Quality indicators for gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures: An introduction. Gastrointestinal Endoscopy 63(4):S3-S9, 2006.

GIQuIC Vision and Mission

Vision:

To improve patient outcomes by establishing standards for defining, measuring, and improving the quality of digestive health care.

Mission:

To drive the highest quality delivery of digestive health care, GIQuIC will:

Define, measure and implement metrics
Enable continuous performance evaluation and feedback
Deliver data reports, benchmarks, and dashboards
Promote outcomes-based research
Provide quality-driven education
Create value for patients, clinicians, and payers
Improve health equity and healthcare disparities

Goals:

To be the foremost resource for value-based and evidence-based digestive healthcare
To develop and disseminate quality indicators and benchmarks to stakeholders
To deliver actionable data in a secure manner to clinicians who can utilize this information for benchmarking, feedback, training, remediation, accreditation, negotiation, or other benefits
To promote and conduct research to enhance the quality of digestive healthcare
To educate our healthcare partners and the public of the importance of the measurement and delivery of value-based digestive healthcare
To identify and address disparities in digestive healthcare to progress toward achieving health equity

Core Values:

Value
Customer focus
Security
Continuous improvement
Agility

GIQuIC Board of Directors

GIQuIC is guided by the leadership of its Board of Directors:

Costas H. Kefalas, MD, MMM, FACG, FASGE • Director and President

Dr. Kefalas practices general gastroenterology at Akron Digestive Disease Consultants, in Akron, Ohio, since 2003, where he is the President of the group.  He serves as a physician Board Member of the Digestive Health Center. He is Professor of Internal Medicine at the Northeast Ohio Medical University. Dr. Kefalas is on the Active Medical Staff at Summa Health in Akron. Dr. Kefalas has served on numerous national and state professional society boards and committees.

He is currently Treasurer of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) and serves on the ACG Board of Trustees and Executive Committee. He has served as Secretary of the ACG, Chair of the ACG Board of Governors from 2016-2018, and from 2008-2014, he was the ACG Governor for Northern Ohio. From 2011-2020, he served as the ACG Representative to the Digestive Disease National Coalition (DDNC). From 2014-2016, Dr. Kefalas was the DDNC President. Dr. Kefalas co-founded the Ohio Gastroenterology Society in 2009, and served as its Founding President from 2011-2013. Dr. Kefalas completed an accelerated BS/MD program at the University of Akron and at the Northeast Ohio Medical University.
He completed an Internal Medicine Residency at Summa Health and a Gastroenterology Fellowship at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Kefalas obtained a Master of Medical Management (MMM) from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  He is currently enrolled in a Master of Science (MS) in Population Health program at Thomas Jefferson University, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Colleen M. Schmitt, MD, MHS, FACG, FASGE • Director and Vice-President

Dr. Schmitt practices at the gastrointestinal specialty arm of Galen Medical Group and serves as its President. She was chief of the Division of Gastroenterology at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, Chattanooga Unit and founder and Medical Director of Memorial Research Center. Dr. Schmitt attended Jacksonville State University where she graduated with a B.S. in Biology and earned her medical degree at the University of South Alabama. Dr. Schmitt completed her internship and residency at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston before completing joint fellowships in Gastroenterology at Duke University Medical Center and Health Services Research at the Durham VA Hospital, while finishing a Master’s degree in Biometry and Informatics.

Dr. Schmitt has served on committees and boards for local and national organizations. She is a past president of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE). From 2005 to 2009, she served as chair of the ASGE Health and Public Policy Committee and was a member of the Research Committee for several years. She is a past president of the Tennessee Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and serves on the Board of Directors for the Chattanooga Hamilton County Medical Society, and is active with the Tennessee Medical Association. She is a founding physician for Volunteers in Medicine, and a volunteer for Project Access, an organization that provides healthcare for the uninsured.

Brett Bernstein, MD, MBA, FASGE • Director and Secretary

Dr. Bernstein is the chief of gastroenterology at Mount Sinai Beth Israel and clinical associate professor of medicine. He currently serves as the co-director of clinical integration for gastroenterology and endoscopy for the Digestive Disease Institute of the Mount Sinai Health System. Dr. Bernstein has helped develop, implement and now monitor quality measurement and performance across all Mount Sinai Health System gastroenterology affiliates. After graduating from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Dr. Bernstein completed post-graduate training at Mount Sinai Beth Israel where he served as an internal medicine resident, chief medical resident, and gastroenterology fellow. He has served in numerous leadership roles over the course of his over three-decade career at MSBI including Director of Endoscopy, program director for the MSBI GI fellowship, and Chief Quality Officer for Beth Israel Ambulatory Services. In 2009, he founded Eastside Endoscopy, the first Manhattan-based joint venture single specialty endoscopy center between Beth Israel and a large group of community based voluntary gastroenterologists. As the medical director of the Provider Partners of Mount Sinai IPA from 2015-2016, Dr. Bernstein helped in the development and implementation of a clinical integration program for over 3,000 employed and community-based physicians in the Mount Sinai Health System. A national thought leader in endoscopic quality, Dr. Bernstein serves as a board member of GIQuIC, the largest national registry for GI quality data and also was chosen as the chair of the registry’s new clinical measures committee. In addition, he now serves as the Co-chair of the Colonoscopy Quality Committee, NYC Colonoscopy Quality Initiative Cancer Prevention and Control Program (C5). He has numerous peer-reviewed publications and most recently co-authored “Guidance for resuming GI endoscopy and practice operations after the COVID-19 pandemic” appearing in the September issue of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

Jay N. Yepuri, MD, MS, FACG • Director and Treasurer

Dr. Yepuri is a partner with Digestive Health Associates of Texas (DHAT), one of the largest gastroenterology group practices in the United States. He practices general gastroenterology and Advanced Therapeutic Endoscopy.

Dr. Yepuri is a native of Louisville, Kentucky. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his medical degree from the University of Louisville School of Medicine. He went on to complete his residency in Internal Medicine and his fellowship in Digestive and Liver Diseases at Parkland Hospital/The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. He subsequently completed a fellowship in Therapeutic Endoscopy with Midwest Gastroenterology Associates in Louisville, developing expertise in ERCP, EUS, and other advanced endoscopic procedures.

Dr. Yepuri is a member of DHAT’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee. He is a Past-President of the Texas Society for Gastroenterology and Endoscopy (TSGE) and a Past-President of the Texas Ambulatory Surgery Center Society (TASCS).

Dr. Yepuri is ACG Governor for Northern Texas. He serves on the ACG’s Practice Management Committee and was co-course director for the Committee’s Course in 2018 and 2019. Dr. Yepuri also serves as a Surveyor for the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care.

Katie Farah, MD, CPE, FASGE • Director

As the current Chief Medical Officer of Allegheny Health Network/Wexford Hospital and with a background as its Chief Quality Officer for the Division of Gastroenterology, Dr. Farah plays a key role in ensuring the highest quality of care is being delivered to patients. Toward that end, she was instrumental in standardizing colorectal cancer screening and surveillance initiatives across Highmark Health and has led endoscopic reprocessing and infection prevention at Allegheny Health Network.

Dr. Farah was recognized for her efforts with the American College of Gastroenterology Service Award for Colorectal Cancer Outreach, Prevention, and Year-Round Excellence several years in a row. She was also featured in Pittsburgh Magazine in 2021 as one of Pittsburgh’s best doctors according to Castle Connolly Top Doctors healthcare research company and was singled out by Becker’s GI and Endoscopy magazine in 2018 as one of the top “physicians to know” in the country. She has published multiple papers in peer-reviewed journals and has been a featured presenter at a number of national meetings. 

A skilled gastroenterologist and therapeutic endoscopist, Dr. Farah specializes in pancreaticobiliary disease, colorectal cancer screening initiatives, and general gastroenterology. She earned her undergraduate degree and Doctor of Medicine at George Washington University in Washington D.C. and completed her internal medicine residency and gastroenterology fellowship at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. Dr Farah is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and is also in the process of completing her Certified Physician Executive certification through the American Association for Physician Leadership as well as a Master of Medical Management degree from Carnegie Mellon University.

Joseph Vicari, MD, MBA, FACG, FASGE • Director

Dr Vicari is board certified in gastroenterology and has been in practice at Rockford Gastroenterology Associates since 1997 where he served as managing partner for 13 years. He has a faculty appointment at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford and holds the academic rank of clinical assistant professor of medicine.

Dr. Vicari attended medical school at Creighton University and completed his residency and chief residency in internal medicine there as well. He conducted his GI fellowship in gastroenterology at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation where he was named chief fellow in gastroenterology. Dr. Vicari obtained his Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in healthcare from the University of Massachusetts.

Dr Vicari has served on numerous national professional society committees and is currently a member of the value of colonoscopy task force, bylaws committee, and innovation task force for the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE). He also serves as a councilor on the board of governors and was the previous chair of the practice operations committee for the ASGE. Dr Vicari has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and given multiple presentations at the local, regional and national level.

Aasma Shaukat, MD, MPH, FACG, FASGE • Director

Dr. Shaukat is the director of GI outcomes and research at New York University Langone Health. In addition to her role within the division, she serves as co-director of translational research education and careers in the Clinical and Translational Science Institute. Dr. Shaukat holds dual appointments as the endowed Robert M. and Mary H. Glickman Professor of Medicine and Gastroenterology in the department of medicine and professor in the Department of Population Health. She is also a staff physician at Veterans Affair New York Harbor Health Care.

Before joining NYU Langone, Dr. Shaukat served on the faculty at the University of Minnesota Medical School, where she was a professor of medicine and public health and section chief of gastroenterology service at the Minneapolis Veterans Affair Health Care System.

A highly regarded clinician, distinguished epidemiologist, and prolific researcher, Dr. Shaukat has published extensively on colorectal cancer screening, prevention and quality indicators for colonoscopy. She has pioneered some of the foundational studies on the reduction in morbidity and mortality related to colon cancer screening and, most recently, served as first author on the newly updated ACG “Clinical Guidelines: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021” published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology. Her research has been consistently funded by organizations such as the National Institutes of Health, Department of Veterans Affairs, American College of Gastroenterology, and American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

GIQuIC Partners

The American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) have worked together for more than a decade to find ways to establish scientifically sound standards for training, credentialing, and quality measurement. In 2009, ACG and ASGE jointly established the non-profit educational and scientific organization, The GI Quality Improvement Consortium, Ltd (GIQuIC).

The American College of Gastroenterology (ACG)

Founded in 1932, the American College of Gastroenterology is an organization with an international membership of more than 12,000 individuals from 80 countries. The College is committed to serving the clinically oriented digestive disease specialist though its emphasis on scholarly practice, teaching, and research. The mission of the College is to serve the evolving needs of physicians in the delivery of high quality, scientifically sound, humanistic, ethical, and cost-effective health care to gastroenterology patients.

The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE)

Since its founding in 1941, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) has been dedicated to advancing patient care and digestive health by promoting excellence and innovation in gastrointestinal endoscopy. ASGE, with nearly 12,000 members worldwide, promotes the highest standards for endoscopic training and practice, fosters endoscopic research, recognizes distinguished contributions to endoscopy, and is the foremost resource for endoscopic education.

Health Catalyst

GIQuIC has partnered with Health Catalyst, a leading provider of data and analytics technology and services to healthcare organizations, to utilize ARMUS by Health Catalyst’s HYBRID cloud-based registry platform. With its patient-centric approach, HYBRID positions its customers well for longitudinal data collection and robust reporting to fuel quality improvement as well as reporting to CMS’ Quality Payment Program.