Speaking at the HLTH Conference in Las Vegas in early May, Geisinger President David Feinberg, M.D., M.B.A., announced that the Pennsylvania-based integrated health system was setting a goal of offering whole exome sequencing to all its patients as a part of standard clinical care.
Now the health system has hired a high-profile genetic counselor to head up business development for Geisinger National Precision Health, which was created to extend the Geisinger model on the national scene.
Geisinger announced the appointment of Erica Ramos, M.S., as director and head of Clinical & Business Development for Geisinger National Precision Health. President of the National Society of Genetic Counselors, Ramos comes to Geisinger from San Diego-based Illumina, a manufacturer of DNA sequencing technology, where she served as associate director of market development in clinical genomics and as clinical lead for the company’s precision health and screening programs.
Based in the Washington, D.C. area, Geisinger National was launched in 2017, and Huntington Willard, Ph.D., was named its first director. It includes a new Precision Health Innovation Lab, leveraging discoveries and advances in genomics and data science throughout Geisinger. It is building on Geisinger’s MyCode Community Health Initiative, which combines electronic health data and genomics into a population-based research program with the goal of bringing actionable genetic health information to patients.
At Geisinger National, Ramos will focus on strategic partnerships and ventures to extend the Geisinger model on the national scene and accelerate the transition from research to clinical programs, both at Geisinger and beyond.
“Geisinger values genetic counselors as critical members and leaders of both clinical and research programs in genomics and precision health,” said David Ledbetter, Ph.D., Geisinger executive vice president and chief scientific officer, in a prepared statement. “Erica Ramos brings extraordinary expertise and perspective to our already world-class team of more than 25 genetic counselors.”
