The following bio is that of an event speaker or guest author. This person is not directly affiliated with the John Locke Foundation.
Dr. Forrest is currently CEO and Founder of the Access Healthcare Direct network of Direct Primary Care (DPC) practices. In 2001, he founded Access Healthcare, the first DPC family medicine practice in the country. He is a pioneer in DPC and organizer of the DPC National Summits. He has helped physicians in 33 states to transition to new models of care over the last two decades. He has consulted for integrated health systems and health care industry companies and teaches a class for the UNC School of Medicine called “New Models of Care” and also the “Disruptive Innovation in Health Care” for the NCSU MBA program and has developed a DPC Residency Curriculum.
He has been a featured/keynote speaker at many national conferences including at “12 Gurus” that was presented live on Broadway. He has made numerous TV and radio appearances and has been featured on the cover of several publications including Medical Economics and the Weekly Standard Magazine for his innovation. He was named a “ChangeMaker in Medicine” by Medical Economics Magazine in 2018. He has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Health Affairs, Physician’s Practice, and Kiplinger’s. He is the current President of the DPCMH Association (DPCMH.org) a not for profit dedicated to education about the DPC model and to providing scholarships. He was the Founder and first Chair of the American Academy of Family Physician’s (AAFP) DPC Interest Group. He served on the AAFP Commission on Quality and Practice Enhancement for 4 years concluding in 2017 and was the task force Chair on Telemedicineand the DPC FMIG Liaison.
He has helped shape policy on DPC and the DPC Toolkit and Workshops for the AAFP. He also has serves on the Board of Directors of COSEHC and currently is leading the DPC Cohort of the IMPACT TCPI PTN for CMS . He served as NC Academy of Family Physicians (NCAFP) President in 2012. He is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at UNC and ECU and has taught medical students for 17 years. His practice has been one of 25 nationally designated Cardiovascular Centers of Excellence since 2009 and he has been a national thought leader in cardiovascular disease with over 200 lectures on these topics in the last 5 years. He authored the Chapter on Hypertension in the Textbook “Essentials of Family Medicine” and has been an ASH Certified Hypertension Specialist since 2009.
He also serves on the Cardiovascular Committee of the National Quality Forum which evaluates quality metrics for payers such as CMS and guideline organizations. As faculty for COSEHC he has facilitated grant funded QI projects throughout the Southeast resulting in NCQA recognition of those practices as centers of excellence and resulting in publications (COSMIC, AT GOAL). He served on the Justus-Warren Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Task Force from 2012-2017 where he advised policy for the NC Legislature and he Chaired the Stroke Advisory Committee.
He also currently produces and hosts a statewide radio show on WPTF that is meant to educate the public and empower them to improve their health through various topics with an emphasis on cardiovascular disease. In his non-professional time, Dr. Forrest enjoys his family including his 3 recently adopted foster children, composing music, organizing free clinics, placing Bibles as a Gideon, and being an amateur magician.