VCU news

Alex H. Krist, M.D., a professor of family medicine and population health at Virginia Commonwealth University, has been appointed chair of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a volunteer panel of national health care experts that provides guidance on which checkups and tests Americans need to stay healthy. 

The independent task force is comprised of experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine. Members come from many health-related fields, including internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, behavioral health, obstetrics/gynecology and nursing. The task force works to improve the health of Americans by making evidence-based recommendations about clinical preventive services, such as screenings, counseling services or preventive medicine.

Krist, an active clinician and teacher at the VCU-Fairfax Family Practice Residency, has been a member of the task force since 2015. He is director of the Virginia Ambulatory Care Outcomes Research Network and director of community-engaged research at the C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research. 

“Preventive care is the first step in ensuring the health of Americans,” Krist said. “The task force will continue to make recommendations to partners and health professionals to make sure all Americans get the preventive care that we know works.” 

For the past two decades, Krist has been an active member of several professional societies and served on several national committees, including the Gastrointestinal Drugs Advisory Committee for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the research committee for Family Medicine for America’s Health, the health information technology work group for the North American Primary Care Research Group and the Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory Committee, of which he was also the vice chair. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. 

“Virginia Commonwealth University is honored to congratulate Dr. Krist on this prestigious new appointment,” said Peter Buckley, M.D., dean of the VCU School of Medicine and interim senior vice president for VCU Health Sciences and CEO of VCU Health System.

“His experience with the task force and work in evidence-based medicine have served the task force well,” Buckley said. “We look forward to all the task force will accomplish during his term as chair.”

Krist’s precedessor on the task force, Douglas K. Owens, M.D., said Krist brings “an invaluable perspective” to the panel as a practicing family physician. 

“I would like to congratulate Dr. Krist on his appointment as chair,” Owens said. “He has spent his career dedicated to bringing evidence-based methods and recommendations into clinical practice, and I am confident he will continue to provide strong leadership in his new role.”